Railroad Line Forums
Railroad Line Forums
Username:
Password:
Save Password


Register
Forgot Password?
  Home   Forums   Events Calendar   Sponsors   Support the RRLine   Guestbook   FAQ     Register
Active Topics | Active Polls | Resources | Members | Online Users | Live Chat | Avatar Legend | Search | Statistics
Photo Album | File Lister | File Library
[ Active Members: 3 | Anonymous Members: 0 | Guests: 103 ]  [ Total: 106 ]  [ Newest Member: john.l.schooff@gmail.com ]
 All Forums
 Model Railroad Forums
 Small Scale Model Railroad Forum
 Wild Horse Island Railroad

Note: You must be registered in order to post a reply.
To register, click here. Registration is FREE!

 Posting Form
Screensize:
UserName:
Password:
Format Mode:
Format: BoldItalicizedUnderlineStrikethrough Align LeftCenteredAlign Right Horizontal Rule Insert HyperlinkInsert EmailInsert Image Insert CodeInsert QuoteInsert List Spell Checker
   
Callouts: Insert Speech Icon: duh! Insert Speech Icon: oops! Insert Speech Icon: sigh! Insert Speech Icon: ugh! Insert Speech Icon: wow! Insert Speech Icon: yeah! Insert Speech Icon: ok! Insert Speech Icon: yes! Insert Speech Icon: no!
Message Icon:              
             


Smilies
Alien_125 [:-alien] Angel_125 [:-angel] Angry [:(!] Apple_125 [:-apple]
Approve [^] Ashamed_125 [:-ashamed] Banghead_125 [:-banghead] Baseball_125 [:-baseball]
Basketball_125 [:-basketball] Batman_125 [:-batman] Big Smile [:D] Bigeyes_125 [:-bigeyes]
Bigeyes2_125 [:-bigeyes2] Bigmouth_125 [:-bigmouth] Black Eye [B)] Blindfold_125 [:-blindfold]
Blush [:I] Boggled_125 [:-boggled] Boring_125 [:-boring] Bouncy_125 [:-bouncy]
Brokenheart_125 [:-brokenheart] Bulb_125 [:-bulb] Bunny_125 [:-bunny] Captain_125 [:-captain]
Censored_125 [:-censored] Chef_125 [:-chef] Clock_125 [:-clock] clover_125 [:-clover]
Clown [:o)] clown_125 [:-clown] Cold_125 [:-cold] Cool [8D]
Cowboy_125 [:-cowboy] Crazy_125 [:-crazy] Cry_125 [:-cry] Cyclops_125 [:-cyclops]
Dead [xx(] Devil_125 [:-devil] Disapprove [V] Disguise_125 [:-disguise]
Dog_125 [:-dog] Doggy_125 [:-doggy] Dopey_125 [:-dopey] Drool_125 [:-drool]
Drunk_125 [:-drunk] Dunce_125 [:-dunce] Eight Ball [8] Evil [}:)]
Eyebrows_125 [:-eyebrows] Fight_125 [:-fight] Football_125 [:-football] Ghost_125 [:-ghost]
Glasses_125 [:-glasses] Gnasher_125 [:-gnasher] Goldfish_125 [:-goldfish] Golf_125 [:-golf]
Graduate_125 [:-graduate] Grumpy_125 [:-grumpy] Headache_125 [:-headache] Headphones_125 [:-headphones]
Hearts_125 [:-hearts] Hockey_125 [:-hockey] Hot_125 [:-hot] Hypnotized_125 [:-hypnotized]
Idea_125 [:-idea] Indifferent_125 [:-indifferent] Irked_125 [:-irked] Jester_125 [:-jester]
Jump_125 [:-jump] Jump2_125 [:-jump2] jumprefect_125 [:-jumprefect] King_125 [:-king]
Kisses [:X] Kitty_125 [:-kitty] Knockout_125 [:-knockout] Love_125 [:-love]
Magnify_125 [:-magnify] Masked_125 [:-masked] Mean_125 [:-mean] Mischievous_125 [:-mischievous]
Mohawk_125 [:-mohawk] Moptop_125 [:-moptop] Mouse_125 [:-mouse] Mummy_125 [:-mummy]
Nonono_125 [:-nonono] Ouch_125 [:-ouch] Paperbag_125 [:-paperbag] Party_125 [:-party]
Piggy_125 [:-piggy] Pirate_125 [:-pirate] Propeller_125 [:-propeller] Psst_125 [:-psst]
Pumpkin_125 [:-pumpkin] Question [?] Sad [:(] Scared_125 [:-scared]
Shades_125 [:-shades] Shake_125 [:-shake] Shock [:O] Shy [8)]
Sick_125 [:-sick] Sing_125 [:-sing] Skull_125 [:-skull] Slaphappy_125 [:-slaphappy]
Sleep_125 [:-sleep] Sleepy [|)] Slug_125 [:-slug] Sly_125 [:-sly]
Smgreen_125 [:-smile_green] Smile [:)] Smirk_125 [:-smirk] Snooty_125 [:-snooty]
Snorkel_125 [:-snorkel] soccer_125 [:-soccer] Sonar_125 [:-sonar] Sour_125 [:-sour]
Spin_125 [:-spin] Splat_125 [:-splat] Star_125 [:-star] Tapedshut_125 [:-tophat]
Tapedshut_125 [:-taped] Thumbdn_125 [:-thumbd] Thumbup_125 [:-thumbu] Tiger_125 [:-tiger]
Timebomb_125 [:-timebm] Toast_125 [:-toast] Tongue [:P] Tongue_125 [:-tong2]
Tophat_125 [:-tophat] Turtle_125 [:-turtle] Vampire_125 [:-vamp] Viking_125 [:-viking]
Weeping_125 [:-weepn] Williamtell_125 [:-wiltel] Wink [;)] Witch_125 [:-witch]
Xmas_125 [;-xmas] Yawn_125 [:-yawn] Yuck_125 [:-yuck]  

   -  HTML is OFF | Forum Code is ON
   Insert a File
 
  Check here to include your profile signature.
 Check here to subscribe to this topic.
    

T O P I C    R E V I E W
Grubes Posted - 11/04/2018 : 10:08:01 PM
Welcome to the beginning of my Wild Horse Island RR. thread. I’ll be posting on the construction and the progress of my new venture. I’m experienced in N scale (please see my “Eastern Shore in N scale thread on this site,”) however, this will be a bit of different path. In the past I’ve hand laid all of my track using Code 40 rail, Fast Track products and wood ties. For me, realistic looking track is key which is why I’ve surprised even myself by using Kato sectional track for this new layout.

I ‘ve made this decision for a number of reasons. Although I had no issues with derailments and I feel my track looked good, the super-detailing wasn’t really apparent without looking very close and the fragility of Code 40 rail required a lot of work to ensure smooth running. Additionally, I never found a good way to throw the switches as drilling a hole in an N scale tie frequently resulted in the tie breaking under the stress of Tortoise switch machines. Finally, I didn’t feel like building hand laid switches this time.

I also felt it would be a fun challenge to make the Kato track look as realistic as possible. In creating the track plan, I thought that a combination of paint, concrete pads that decreased the appearance of rail height, and good scenic work might provide the realism I required.

My track plan started as a variation on Iaian Rice’s Chesapeake Harbor RR (picture attached). I found his river entrances as a bit small and not realistic so I began by widening the overall size of the waterway. I also reduced some of the track as his plan would’ve required custom track work. My goals were to have a layout that interested me for operations and, unlike my previous layouts, provided constant running - a big reason for my tearing down my previous layout.

I wanted to hide the oval layout look by widening the river and using some scenic modifications, and by having the river divide the two areas of concentrated track, providing a natural reason for connecting the two sides with an oval.

The overall dimensions and track requirements are:
60” x 30”
12 turnouts
Kato Unitrack to include Kato electrical connectors
Foam base on plywood with plywood frame
Digitrax DCC system

The theme is a small harbor, again on the Eastern Shore of Maryland/Virginia. The name, “Wild Horse Island RR” comes from the island of Chincoteague in Virginia, a national wildlife reserve which is home to a herd of wild horses.

The railroad will serve a small harbor that has survived because of seafood trade, the handling of containers and hazardous cargo that can’t pass through certain areas in the region and because of the local grain industry. The railroad connects with CSX to the north and NS to the south and I originally included an interchange track for both. My initial track plan is below. One of the major advantages of Kato track (as opposed to handlaying) is the ability to easily move track around and experiment with track placement. As you’ll see, my final track plan is very different than my original and the benefits of easily configurable track helped significantly.

To increase my motivation, I purchased a Scale Trains NS GEVo ET44AC. This will be one of the engines used to take harbor traffic south and I intend to eventually buy, super-detail and weather an older Geep as my main engine for switching the harbor. It will probably be lettered for the Eastern Shore RR as I still have that railroad in my heart.

#8232;In the next post I'll show my final track plan and explain why I made the changes.
15   L A T E S T    R E P L I E S    (Newest First)
Neil M Posted - 06/21/2019 : 08:13:45 AM
I really like this layout, your grass, trees, and landscape look particularly evocative. Keep sharing your progress
George D Posted - 06/11/2019 : 4:18:58 PM
Dave I was thinking about a smaller pattern too. The Cricut has a lot of potential, and I'm still finding new uses.

George
Grubes Posted - 06/10/2019 : 2:06:26 PM
quote:
Originally posted by George D

I like your wall, Dave. I saw Kathy's video too and tried some making some stonework with craft foam. The Cricut's rollers left marks on the foam. Did you have that problem?

George


George,

I had the same problem with the roller marks. The heat gun brought out some of the indentations and some are hidden in the stone pattern.

Have noticed you’ve been using Cricut a bit and not up to your level. Guessing that a smooth side or smaller pattern (unlike my larger stones) would show the roller marks. I’d like to look at using Cricut a bit more.

Thanks
Dave
Michael Hohn Posted - 06/10/2019 : 09:32:08 AM
Looks wonderfully real, Dave.
George D Posted - 06/10/2019 : 08:13:19 AM
I like your wall, Dave. I saw Kathy's video too and tried some making some stonework with craft foam. The Cricut's rollers left marks on the foam. Did you have that problem?

George
Tyson Rayles Posted - 06/10/2019 : 07:51:55 AM
Nice work Dave!
slimrails Posted - 06/09/2019 : 5:44:53 PM
Dave, that sea wall looks so good that I can hear the water splashing against it.
Grubes Posted - 06/09/2019 : 2:27:39 PM
Thanks to all for your kind words.

I wanted the seawall opposite the container dock to be stone. I'd read on Kathy Millet's site how she'd used foam and a desktop cutter to create brick and decided I'd try this approach as my wife is very into card making and uses a Cricket cutter.

She was able to find a stone pattern on Etsy for $3.00 and after downloading it and using the Cicket to cut the pattern I was pleased with the design.

I used acrylics to weather the foam and I'm very satisfied with the results. Once I'd installed the wall, I used grout for the sand at the base, colored then added another layer of acrylic gel to the harbor (It's still drying which is why the water surface looks a bit white in the pictures below.)
George D Posted - 06/05/2019 : 1:23:31 PM
Nice looking water front area, Dave.

George
David Clark Posted - 06/05/2019 : 12:42:51 PM
Only just saw this thread, Dave. Awesome work! Love how it's coming together. Keep it up.
Cheers,
Dave
robert goslin Posted - 06/04/2019 : 10:52:26 PM
Hi Dave. Looks great. I especially like your low level shots. Nice water & plenty of atmosphere.
And interestingly, I was just looking at that Ian Rice track plan last night.

Looking forward to more progress reports.
jbvb Posted - 06/03/2019 : 3:36:41 PM
Dave, I also like your water and lighting. Regarding decoders, I feel your pain. Even in HO scale, and even when I did the installation myself, I'm reluctant to take DCC locos apart, lest I push a wire into the drivetrain, pinch through the insulation or otherwise let the smoke out.
desertdrover Posted - 06/03/2019 : 09:59:48 AM
Outstanding modeling. Your streets, the rails in concrete and this latest build with water scene and night lighting is fantastic!
Tyson Rayles Posted - 06/03/2019 : 08:25:06 AM
Michael Hohn Posted - 06/03/2019 : 12:16:09 AM
Dave,

Excellent modeling. Your water always looks so wet and cold. And the nighttime scene: wow.

Mike

Railroad Line Forums © 2000-19 Railroad Line Co. Go To Top Of Page
Steam was generated in 0.34 seconds. Powered By: Snitz Forums 2000