Modular industrial switching layout
Somewhere Southeast is a modular industrial swiching layout, compatible to the Fremo NAI (35) standard. It shows some very fine and advanced modelling technice. I like it a lot.
Culvert: A Prototype Inspiration
The Marschacht-Layout has a small stream on the left that is crossed by the tracks. Thus I need a culvert. There is a railroad line in my village, that has been shut down several years ago. Several small drainage canals cross the old railroad line. I found an interesting culvert a few hundred metres out of the town.
Where to use which Car Stop
Western Safetey offers alot information for useage of their Aldon Rail Car Stops and Bumping Posts.
Further product information can be found on the manufacturers website: Aldon rail yard safety
Right-Of-Way-Details: Poly Dome
Today in the US there are a lot white poles with colored tops stuck in the ground. These are Poly Domes. They are used to inform and warn the public about any delicate infrastructure that is buried beneath, such as gas pipelines or communication wires or fibre optics. Specifications and examples of the real thing can be found at ACP International including the specs of poly-dome-markers.
Lance Mindheim mentioned them in an article about vertical elements. Cody’s Workshop on MRVP shows a nice tutorial how to build right of way details such as poly domes.
The project deserves a name
I think my small Märklin layout deserves a name. Basically it resembles an Inglenook Sidings. The scene is completely freelanced but the near stream and the agricultural trade station reminds me of a location in a small town a few kilometres away. The name of this location is “Oldershausen” and this will be the name of this small layout.
Prototype: B&O Washington Branch
Intersting prototype and some very inspiring details: B&O Washington Branch – Modern day photo tour
Railroad services interrupted
I built the base from 6 mm plywood (birch multiplex). About one third of the scene is set to 40 mm height using some insulation foam. The curved background is made from 0.5 mm styrene. Our son used the airbrush to cover the styrene with gray primer.
The trees have been sprayed white and sprinkled with some glimmer. The Landscape has been painted white and is now covered with a lot glimmer.
Model Railroader Video Plus
A nice collection of Videos about Model Railroads: Model Railroad Video Plus
Most of the content requires a payed subscription.
Prototype History: Seaboard Railroad in Florida
An interesting article with tons of photos about the Seaboard Railroad in Florida: Flashback Miami: Seaboard Railroad.
I found this link a while ago on Lance Mindheims blog.
Terraforming
I have build the base board for my layout from 6 mm plywood and some strip wood, about 18 mm x 40 mm. The whole board has been build in one piece of 180 cm x 36 cm. After defining position of the small stream, I prepared the extruded polystyrene (yellow foam, in this case) and glued it to the bord.
Learning: Weathering track
Clean and shining track is not very prototypical. There are dozens of tutorials how to weather track. Not all methods are as simple as spray painting the whole track. As I do not own an airbrush (yet), I have to reply on spray cans and brushes. My first layout is quite small, so painting the track is not too hard.
Beginner-Project: 6 feet inglenook
While searching for inspiration and Prototypen Industrien for ms switching layout, I decided to build a small beginner layout. A while ago I bought some Märklin K-Track including two narrow turnouts. Using this track would enable me to use AC- and DC-rolling stock.
I wanted to build an Inglenook Sidings layout for a long time. Now I’m doing it. After some tinkering around with the tracks, some cars and boxes to build a mock up, I have settled on a theme: A “Landhandel”, an agricultural trade station. In germany most Landhandel where rail served but nowadays the tracks are out of service, for most locations. A Landhandel usually coonsists of an grain elevator building with an attached storage for fertilizer and seeds equipped with a ramp on each side. One for trucks and one for rail cars. In most cases there are further storage sheds and loading equipment like forklifts and such stuff.