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10/01/11 - After a rather long break of 12
months, I am finally in a position to continue on my layout. On the left side of Percyville the two street bridges have been painted. I also built a small RR-Xing for the BNSF Service Crew, connecting their warehouse and access toward the tunnel. I built a second RR-Xing across the Werner Enterprises Terminal for Joe's old house. Afterwards, I started to put ballast on the tracks, finsihed the last section of street inside office 2. And best of all, I got my Joshua Trees (see more details below). |
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| For the 2 street bridges I made new posts and and everything was painted gray. For the RR-Xing, I used the wooden grade crossing from Blair Line. It is the large radius with 36" (part no. 130). As the size is made for a two lane street, I cut it in half because I use it just for a single lane. Therefore, the 36" radius of the wooden parts fit quite well, even my track radius is bigger (47"). For the ramp I used cardboard, which was covered with plaster. | |
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| 10/01/11 Street bridges got gray paint - 714 | New RR-Xing for BNSF Service Crew - 715 |
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| 10/01/11 As usual, carboard makes the foundation - 716 | Just some paint makes the difference - 717 |
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| 10/01/11 Track level toward tunnel - 718 | - 719 |
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| 10/01/11 the bridges need markings and fences - 721 | Both bridges are not glued on the posts - 720 |
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| 10/01/11 - 722 | Cloe up of "cardboard" crossing - 723 |
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| 10/01/11 Woodland Scenics "Smooth-It" is used to cover the cardboard - 724 | I made it a little bit higher to be able sanding it down to the correct level - 725 |
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| Xing is painted (bridge was removed) - 734 | always be aware of the angles of a Xing (should not be steep) - 736 |
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| Bridges are back in place - 737 | I am satisfied with the result - 738 |
| This is the second RR-Xing built for Joe's old house just across the Werner Enterprises Terminal. | |
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| 10/01/11 Again, I used the wooden crossing from Blair Line - 726 | and cardboard is glued in place - 727 |
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| 10/01/11 The drivers have to be careful when entering main street - 728 | after all, Joe is having access to his old house w/o a big detour - 729 |
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| 10/01/11 Over the cardboard comes plaster . . - 730 | . . which was painted desert earth color - 731 |
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| 10/01/11 The ramp from mainstreet looks steep . . - 732 | . . but no problem for Pickup trucks or Jeeps with high clearance - 733 |
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And finally, I started to ballast the tracks. I
already made 2 sections of track with ballast back in 2008: both tunnel
sections, because of not getting access afterwards. You may check page 4
(photos 322 - 339) and page 5 (photos 453 - 466). I used "Purple Haze"
(which is the same color, BNSF is using on Cajon Pass) from Color Canyon
Materials, Arizona. Here is their web site:
http://www.colorcanyonmaterials.com/ No question, it looks much better
with ballast on the tracks. Here are a few words how I made it: I used the
HO Ballast Spreader made by MLR (item # 479-5008). This little tool fits on
the tracks and has holes for the ballast. Just move it slowly over track and
we have the ballast between the ties. Afterwards, I was spreading ballast
with a small plastic box along both sides of the tracks. With a brush, I
removed ballast left on the ties. Once, it looked right, I sprayed the
ballast with water (put a few drops dishwasher fluid) until it was wet. Next
comes the glue. I mixed white glue (glue for wood) with water 50/50 (and
again, a few drops of dishwater fluid). To apply the glue mixture I used a
small plastic pipette. You can easily put drops of glue over the wet ballast
without washing away the ballast. Just let it try for several hours and it
will become "solid". Actually, I could not finish the whole layout with the
6,8 kg (15 lbs.) of ballast I had. I was able to apply 28 m (92 feet) of
double track. The remaining 5 m (16,5 feet) will be done as soon as I get
the re-ordered ballast. So, let's take a tour of the ballasted layout ! |
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| 10/11/11 without street bridges - 739 | it looks really different with ballast - 740 |
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| both bridges have been installed again - 741 | still plenty to do (fences, walls, street markings etc.) - 742 |
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| left side of Percyville - 743 | looking toward main street of Percyville- 744 |
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| West Coast Customs and Cadillac Dealer - 745 | New McDonanld's Restaurant - 746 |
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| Taco Bell Restaurant - 747 | Pizza Hut Restaurant - 748 |
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| Denny's Restaurant - 749 | Super 8 Motel with siding for Werner Enterprises - 750 |
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| Truck Stop Restaurant - 751 | Werner Enterprises Terminal - 752 |
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| New RR-Xing - 753 | Joe's old house and Werner Terminal across the tracks - 754 |
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| Right end of Percyville . . - 755 | . . with the Werner Terminal as the main attraction - 756 |
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| Werner Terminal seen from the back - 791 | combined Railroad and Street bridge (lift out version) - 757 |
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| Right end of the layout - 758 | the tracks are going uphill with a 1,5 % garde - 759 |
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| even the bridge is having a grade of 1,5R% - 760 | this is a fold up/down bridge (lloks reat with the ballast) - 761 |
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| after the bridge, the uphill trakcs are going thru a tunnel - 762 | and downhill tracks are coming thru another tunnel - 763 |
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| the downhill ramp is also 1,5 % grade - 765 | it is passing in front of the stereo - 766 |
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| and over the next bridge (also fold up/down) - 767 | Main1 and Main 2 are splitting to give space for the street - 768 |
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| RR-Xing and curved main lines - 769 | in the distance, both track are coming together - 770 |
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| here is the next RR-Xing (looking uphill) - 771 | same rr-Xing but looking downhill - 788 |
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| at the end ist the curved bridge (we have seen before) - 789 | the ballast makes the scene alive - 790 |
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| we reached the top of the hill (Summit) - 772 | by the way, the streets have ben painted - 773 |
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| RR-Xing on top (+ 16 cm above ground) with street bridge - 776 | RR bridge above staging yard entrance (+ 16 cm) - 777 |
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| soon after the bridge, the tracks will be descending by 1,5 % - 774 | looking down from Summit - 775 |
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| just before the RR-Xing, the lower main line is going uphill by 1,5 % - 778 | this is actually the overfly of upper and lower level (going to Percyville) - 779 |
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| this street will go under the upper main line - 780 | min. radius of inside track is 104 cm (41") and outside 110 cm (43,3") - 785 |
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| there are just 5 m left w/o ballast (area of parked trains) - 786 | before I was ablet to put the ballast, I had to make the street section . . - 787 |
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| . . between this curve and the upper curve - 781 | once again, I used "Smooth-It" by Woodland Scencis - 782 |
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| we reached the tunnels, leading to the other side (office 1) - 783 | This is the end of our layout tour for today - 784 |
| In middle of November 2011, I got the re-ordered ballast from the USA to continue ballasting the remaining 5 m (16,5 feet) of double track. The first few pictures show the tracks (w/o stored trains) before putting the ballast. It is actually nothing exiting but just another step in progress. Once, this last step is done, I have no more excuses to continue with landscaping. | |
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| 11/27/11 Upper level of tracks - ready for the ballast - 805 | The Joshua Trees are ready (see more photos below) - 806 |
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| The distance between Main 1 and Main 2 has been widened - 807 | - 808 |
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| This area will be one day famous Hill 582 of Cajon Pass - 809 | Tunnel area inside Office 2 - 810 |
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| Putting ballast by hand - 811 | wipe off ballast from the ties - 812 |
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| after wetting the ballast, a 50/50 mixture of white glue and . . . - 813 | . . . water will be put drop by drop - 814 |
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| here we go - finished - 815 | looks much better with ballast - 816 |
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| after cleaning the tracks . . . - 817 | . . . a short train made a test run - 818 |
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| overview towards the tunnels - 819 | we have Werner Entersprises on the road and on the tracks - 820 |
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| Werner Enterprises Diesel Loco is pulling some Werner Trailers - 823 | the Loco's paint scheme is matching to the reefer trailer - 824 |
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| that's the end of the ballasted part - 825 | on the other side of the tunnels is office 1 - 826 |
| All tracks (the whole layout) is finally ballasted. Next step will be the City of Percyville. Working on main steet (incl. the ramp to the street bridge) and driveways to the different buildings at Percyville and their parking lots. In other words, plenty to do! | |
