Next up: tracklaying. For now I plan to keep the layout on the floor so I can easily move it around as necessary for access. Once the track is down, I will put it up on the legs again.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Roadbed
Cork roadbed is complete. I glued it down with carpenter's glue and used staples to hold it in place while the glue dried. Once the glue dried, I removed all of the staples and gave the cork a good sanding. I simply laid the cork across the layout section joints, though prior to doing that I did cover the joints with tape to keep glue from getting into them. My goal is to build a layout that could be disassembled should we move, so it doesn't need to be engineered to be easily and repeatedly disassembled and reassembled. This 4x6 section might be small enough to be moved in one piece anyway.
Next up: tracklaying. For now I plan to keep the layout on the floor so I can easily move it around as necessary for access. Once the track is down, I will put it up on the legs again.
Next up: tracklaying. For now I plan to keep the layout on the floor so I can easily move it around as necessary for access. Once the track is down, I will put it up on the legs again.
Wednesday, August 28, 2019
Track Progress
Slowly but surely, I'm getting closer to running trains. I assembled the 3 2x4 boxes on the floor and then temporarily tacked down all of the track. This step took longer than I thought it would. There was some cutting and fitting involved, especially around the crossing, but mostly I took my time and tried to be very careful to ensure proper alignment between sections. I wasn't so careful when I laid the track the first time on my previous layout and ended up having to come back and re-lay it later to fix some problem spots. I have marked the outlines and centerlines of the track to guide the installation of cork roadbed, which is the next step.
Sunday, June 16, 2019
TP&W Caboose #529: Part II
I resumed work on TP&W 529 in April. I painted the body with Scalecoat II CN Orange-Red and then applied the decals. I used pieces from four different decal sets to get what I needed:
The white stripes have been very stubborn and won't settle down nicely on the model, even after multiple applications of Micro Sol. For now, this project has taken a back seat to the layout construction. I'll come back to it later and reassess the stripe situation.
- Diamond TP&W herald: Microscale 87-648, New T. P. & W. Diesel Locos. -1991
- 529 numbers: Microscale 87-651, Illinois Terminal Diesel Locomotives
- White stripe: Microscale 87-1064, Toledo Peoria & Western Diesels (1969-1983)
- ACI tag: Microscale MC-4280, Automatic Car Identification (ACI) Plates
The "529" numbers from the IT decal set are a bit taller and narrower than the actual numbers. Numbers from a Railroad Roman decal set (e.g., Microscale 90321) might have been better, but I already had the IT decal set on hand and they look close enough for me. Neither TP&W decal set was readily available: the 87-648 set is no longer in the Microscale catalog and the 87-1064 set is currently out of stock. I was fortunate to find both at out-of-state hobby shops with old inventory.
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| My model after decaling with a prototype photo from the Morning Sun TP&W book for reference. I have since painted the equipment box black. |
Benchwork Progress
Time has been scarce lately for layout building, let alone blogging about it, but over the past couple of months I have acquired the necessary lumber and fasteners, built the three 2' by 4' boxes that will together form the initial 4' by 6' table, and constructed one set of legs.
The tabletop is at a height of 40" above the floor. I settled on this height so that I could build the benchwork for the future expansion high enough to clear the access doors to the storage area behind the knee wall. 40" is above the bottom of the thermostat on the wall and I decided that it wasn't worth notching the benchwork to fit around it, so the layout won't be right up against the wall in this area.
Next up is to build the IVAR shelf unit that will support the front of the layout, followed by bolting the sections together to form the complete table.
The tabletop is at a height of 40" above the floor. I settled on this height so that I could build the benchwork for the future expansion high enough to clear the access doors to the storage area behind the knee wall. 40" is above the bottom of the thermostat on the wall and I decided that it wasn't worth notching the benchwork to fit around it, so the layout won't be right up against the wall in this area.
Next up is to build the IVAR shelf unit that will support the front of the layout, followed by bolting the sections together to form the complete table.
Sunday, March 3, 2019
The Layout That Almost Was
I grew up near the (now former) TP&W mainline in Illinois and have dreamed of building a TP&W-themed model railroad layout for quite some time. However, if you had asked me one year ago about my future layout plans, I would have told you that I was planning to build a layout based on the 1950s-era Illinois Terminal Railroad (IT). Here's why:
I first became interested in the IT while I was in college, and I was especially intrigued by the architecture of its combination depot-substations. I decided to scratchbuild a model of the former IT depot-substation at Union in rural Logan County. This was a major undertaking that took me nearly three years to complete, and I reasoned that if I were going to invest substantial time and effort into this model, then it had better have a place on my future layout. So I settled on modeling the IT in the 1950s so I could run diesel-powered freights but still have electrified interurban passenger trains stopping at the depot. After completing the depot, I also detailed and painted an IT RS-1.
I was a member of the Illini Railroad Club while a student at the University of Illinois. I learned in late 2017 that a planned dorm renovation meant that the club would have to vacate the space its layout had occupied for 40+ years. In January 2018 I attended the final open house for alumni prior to the dismantling of the layout. For old time's sake, I brought along a train of the same covered hoppers and TP&W locomotives that I ran on the layout when I was in college. Seeing this train running on the layout reminded me of how much I like covered hoppers and second-generation TP&W diesel locomotives.
On the drive home, I started thinking about building a TP&W layout. Remembering how much time I had already spent building the depot, I talked myself out of it, but the thought didn't go away. I had some misgivings about the IT layout I was planning, namely the difficulty (and expense) of procuring models of IT passenger equipment and electric locomotives and a lack of enthusiasm (and time) for both stringing overhead wire and scratchbuilding many more structures. My IT layout plan also did not lend itself well to construction in phases, and based on my depot construction experience, I did not want to start a project that I couldn't enjoy until many years later when it was fully complete.
After a lot of thought, I ultimately concluded that I was more interested in the IT's depots than its equipment and operations and that a TP&W layout was more compatible with my interests and available time. So last summer I decided to go back to my original plan and build a TP&W layout. I am very excited to run trains of covered hoppers and modern boxcars pulled by red-and-white Alco diesels. Someday I may build a small IT layout or diorama, but for now the depot will remain a display model.
I first became interested in the IT while I was in college, and I was especially intrigued by the architecture of its combination depot-substations. I decided to scratchbuild a model of the former IT depot-substation at Union in rural Logan County. This was a major undertaking that took me nearly three years to complete, and I reasoned that if I were going to invest substantial time and effort into this model, then it had better have a place on my future layout. So I settled on modeling the IT in the 1950s so I could run diesel-powered freights but still have electrified interurban passenger trains stopping at the depot. After completing the depot, I also detailed and painted an IT RS-1.
I was a member of the Illini Railroad Club while a student at the University of Illinois. I learned in late 2017 that a planned dorm renovation meant that the club would have to vacate the space its layout had occupied for 40+ years. In January 2018 I attended the final open house for alumni prior to the dismantling of the layout. For old time's sake, I brought along a train of the same covered hoppers and TP&W locomotives that I ran on the layout when I was in college. Seeing this train running on the layout reminded me of how much I like covered hoppers and second-generation TP&W diesel locomotives.
On the drive home, I started thinking about building a TP&W layout. Remembering how much time I had already spent building the depot, I talked myself out of it, but the thought didn't go away. I had some misgivings about the IT layout I was planning, namely the difficulty (and expense) of procuring models of IT passenger equipment and electric locomotives and a lack of enthusiasm (and time) for both stringing overhead wire and scratchbuilding many more structures. My IT layout plan also did not lend itself well to construction in phases, and based on my depot construction experience, I did not want to start a project that I couldn't enjoy until many years later when it was fully complete.
After a lot of thought, I ultimately concluded that I was more interested in the IT's depots than its equipment and operations and that a TP&W layout was more compatible with my interests and available time. So last summer I decided to go back to my original plan and build a TP&W layout. I am very excited to run trains of covered hoppers and modern boxcars pulled by red-and-white Alco diesels. Someday I may build a small IT layout or diorama, but for now the depot will remain a display model.
Saturday, February 9, 2019
The Track Plan
My layout plan is based on the eastern portion of the TP&W. Prior to the formation of Conrail in 1976, the eastern half of the TP&W connected East Peoria, IL with the hamlet of Effner, located on the Illinois-Indiana state line. (The main settlement of Effner is on the Illinois side, but the TP&W's depot was located just across the line in Indiana.) Conrail didn't want the former Pennsylvania RR branch from Effner to Logansport, IN, so the TP&W was forced to buy it in 1976 in order to maintain an eastern connection. In the space I have available (see previous post), I think I only have room to model 2 scenes with some connecting track between them. For those 2 scenes, I have chosen to model Effner and El Paso, IL. Including Effner gives me a place to interchange entire trains with the Penn Central. Of the many small towns along the eastern TP&W, I chose El Paso because it had a diamond and interchange with another railroad (the Illinois Central Gulf's former IC Charter Line), a cool joint depot at the diamond, and a downtown strip of storefronts facing the TP&W main that seems tailor-made for a layout. I'm not attempting to model either location entirely true to the prototype - though I anticipate scratchbuilding the El Paso depot - but rather capture the flavor of each place.
I used AnyRail software to design the layout using Atlas Code 83 track. Here's my current plan:
Phase I of the layout is a 4 foot by 6 foot table that includes the El Paso town scene and a loop for continuous running. The loop was a must for me because I want the ability to just run a train without intervention, both for my own entertainment and for the benefit of my young children. Six feet is as far as Phase 1 can stick out into the room without causing access issues to other parts of the room. I have a number of storefront buildings from my previous layout that I'm planning to reuse in the El Paso scene. There are only two spurs in the loop: one is a team track adjacent to the depot and the other will host a feed mill and perhaps a second industry (hence the question mark on the plan).
Phase 2 is a 2 foot by 4 foot section added to Phase 1. This additional space allows me to complete the interchange track, add an industry (a Walthers propane dealer kit reused from my previous layout), and add a track that can initially be used for staging but will eventually be a passing siding. I've thought about just building Phases 1 and 2 at the same time, but I want to stay focused on getting the loop up and running first.
Phase 3 adds an L-shaped extension to Phase 2 that includes the Effner scene. Effner includes a 3-track interchange yard, a grain elevator, and a wye for turning locomotives. I think the relatively short trains that I will be running on this layout would look weird with more than 1 locomotive, hence the need for the wye to turn power at the end of the line. The prototype Effner wye no longer exists today but was still there in the 1970s. In order to maximize the length of the tracks in the interchange yard, I'm planning to have the tail track extend through a hole in the wall. The notch in the shelf at the end of the layout is necessary to clear one of the access doors to the storage area under the eaves (see my previous post about the layout space.)
Once the full layout is built, I envision originating trains at Effner and then running to El Paso and back. The interchange track at El Paso forms a reverse loop that facilitates this "out-and-back" layout concept.
The Space
The new layout will be located in our attic, which was finished by a previous owner of our house. The main room measures approximately 13.5 feet by 10 feet and there is also a dormer toward the front of the house that measures 8 feet by 7 feet. Only the main room is available for the layout because the dormer is used as an office space, and enough space has to be reserved in the main room to allow access to the dormer/office. Here's a view of the main room from the dormer:
The layout will be located along the walls to the left and straight ahead in the picture. The 3 sets of louvered doors allow access to storage space under the eaves and can't be obstructed by the layout. I will probably replace the two shorter sets of doors on the left wall with curtains because the full thickness of benchwork won't fit between the roof line and the tops of the doors.
I plan to build the layout in phases, and the first phase (a 4 foot by 6 foot table) will be located in the front left corner of the above picture. Below is a better view of that corner:
Layout height will clearly be constrained by the features of the room. The roof line meets the knee wall at 44 inches above the floor, and the base of the thermostat on the side wall is about 38.5 inches above the floor. The thermostat controls a 220V electric baseboard heater that is the only heat source for the attic. I'd rather not mess with moving the thermostat; it seems like a simple task but past experience has taught me that old houses are full of surprises. I'm still debating whether to simply make the top of the layout even with the bottom of the thermostat or notch the benchwork to go around the thermostat and gain a couple more inches. The track will come close to the knee wall at the middle of a curve, so I need to leave at least 3 inches or so below the roof line to clear cars and locomotives.
As you can see in the second photo, I have started acquiring materials for the layout. I'm planning to build the layout in modular sections in case I ever have to move it. The initial 4 x 6 table will be three 2 foot by 4 foot sections bolted together. The sections will consist of 1 x 4 frames with 1/2 inch plywood tops. I'm planning to use IKEA's IVAR shelf parts to support the layout.
The layout will be located along the walls to the left and straight ahead in the picture. The 3 sets of louvered doors allow access to storage space under the eaves and can't be obstructed by the layout. I will probably replace the two shorter sets of doors on the left wall with curtains because the full thickness of benchwork won't fit between the roof line and the tops of the doors.
I plan to build the layout in phases, and the first phase (a 4 foot by 6 foot table) will be located in the front left corner of the above picture. Below is a better view of that corner:
Layout height will clearly be constrained by the features of the room. The roof line meets the knee wall at 44 inches above the floor, and the base of the thermostat on the side wall is about 38.5 inches above the floor. The thermostat controls a 220V electric baseboard heater that is the only heat source for the attic. I'd rather not mess with moving the thermostat; it seems like a simple task but past experience has taught me that old houses are full of surprises. I'm still debating whether to simply make the top of the layout even with the bottom of the thermostat or notch the benchwork to go around the thermostat and gain a couple more inches. The track will come close to the knee wall at the middle of a curve, so I need to leave at least 3 inches or so below the roof line to clear cars and locomotives.
As you can see in the second photo, I have started acquiring materials for the layout. I'm planning to build the layout in modular sections in case I ever have to move it. The initial 4 x 6 table will be three 2 foot by 4 foot sections bolted together. The sections will consist of 1 x 4 frames with 1/2 inch plywood tops. I'm planning to use IKEA's IVAR shelf parts to support the layout.
Sunday, January 6, 2019
TP&W Caboose #529: Part I
The Prototype
The TP&W purchased two cabooses from the Santa Fe in 1969. They were renumbered 529 and 530 and painted orange-red with a white stripe and the diamond-shaped TP&W herald. All of the TP&W's other cabooses were bay-window designs; the TP&W added "bay windows" to the 529 and 530 by installing locomotive-style all-weather cab windows on each side. The 529 survives today at the Mid-Continent Railway Museum.
1972 prototype photo
1975 prototype photo
My Model
The starting point for my model is an undecorated Athearn Blue Box cupola caboose kit that I picked up for a few bucks at a train show. I decided to live with the cast-on grab irons because I didn't think I could remove them cleanly without destroying the nearby rivet detail. I blanked out one window on each side of the car and removed the original double-hung window detail in the remaining windows. I enlarged one window opening on each side of the car and built up mounting pads for the all-weather windows with styrene strips. My original plan for the all-weather windows was to use the Detail Associates parts, but I could not find these available anywhere. In a stroke of good luck, I happened to already have two all-weather windows on hand in the parts bag from a Proto 2000 GP-7, so I used those.
At this point, the body is ready for painting. I don't have the necessary equipment to safely spray paint indoors, so the painting will have to wait until spring when it's warm enough to paint outside. Part II will come several months from now when I can finish this model.
The TP&W purchased two cabooses from the Santa Fe in 1969. They were renumbered 529 and 530 and painted orange-red with a white stripe and the diamond-shaped TP&W herald. All of the TP&W's other cabooses were bay-window designs; the TP&W added "bay windows" to the 529 and 530 by installing locomotive-style all-weather cab windows on each side. The 529 survives today at the Mid-Continent Railway Museum.
1972 prototype photo
1975 prototype photo
My Model
The starting point for my model is an undecorated Athearn Blue Box cupola caboose kit that I picked up for a few bucks at a train show. I decided to live with the cast-on grab irons because I didn't think I could remove them cleanly without destroying the nearby rivet detail. I blanked out one window on each side of the car and removed the original double-hung window detail in the remaining windows. I enlarged one window opening on each side of the car and built up mounting pads for the all-weather windows with styrene strips. My original plan for the all-weather windows was to use the Detail Associates parts, but I could not find these available anywhere. In a stroke of good luck, I happened to already have two all-weather windows on hand in the parts bag from a Proto 2000 GP-7, so I used those.
At this point, the body is ready for painting. I don't have the necessary equipment to safely spray paint indoors, so the painting will have to wait until spring when it's warm enough to paint outside. Part II will come several months from now when I can finish this model.
TP&W 40' Boxcar #60024
It had been several years since I had painted and lettered any models, so last fall I decided to find a simple project to serve as a refresher course. I found a set of old Herald King decals for a TP&W 40' boxcar on eBay, so that ended up being the project.
The car is a Model Die Casting 40' boxcar that had been in my collection for many years. It was originally decorated for the Rock Island in a 1950s-era paint scheme. I removed the factory paint with 91% isopropyl alcohol and repainted it with Scalecoat 2 CN Orange-Red. To me, this color looks appropriate for the TP&W orange-red. The car is not an exact match for the prototype, but it has the right size and style of door and is close enough for me.
The car is a Model Die Casting 40' boxcar that had been in my collection for many years. It was originally decorated for the Rock Island in a 1950s-era paint scheme. I removed the factory paint with 91% isopropyl alcohol and repainted it with Scalecoat 2 CN Orange-Red. To me, this color looks appropriate for the TP&W orange-red. The car is not an exact match for the prototype, but it has the right size and style of door and is close enough for me.
Saturday, January 5, 2019
The first post
Soon I will begin construction of a new model railroad layout that will represent the Toledo, Peoria & Western (TP&W) railroad in the 1970s. I'm starting this blog to document construction of the layout itself as well as the models I'm building for it. I guess I'll be shocked if anyone actually follows this blog, but other similar blogs have inspired me to create my own and share my hobby with others who may be interested.
I started building my first model railroad in 1998 when I was in junior high. It was designed to roll under a twin bed for storage and therefore measures in at a very compact 39" x 51". The track plan was a very simple loop with three spurs. With the addition of structures, streets, vehicles, and basic scenery, this layout was basically complete by the time I finished high school. I still have it and run trains on it, but I'm excited to finally have a good space available for a larger layout. While the new layout will still be quite modest in size when compared to the monstrous layouts that get featured in magazines, it will seem large to me.
I started building my first model railroad in 1998 when I was in junior high. It was designed to roll under a twin bed for storage and therefore measures in at a very compact 39" x 51". The track plan was a very simple loop with three spurs. With the addition of structures, streets, vehicles, and basic scenery, this layout was basically complete by the time I finished high school. I still have it and run trains on it, but I'm excited to finally have a good space available for a larger layout. While the new layout will still be quite modest in size when compared to the monstrous layouts that get featured in magazines, it will seem large to me.
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