North Fork Springs

[Mike_R]

My layout North Fork Springs is based in Northern California / Oregon, with a mix of the ex-SP Cascade and Siskiyou lines.

This will be the most scenic part. The top of the mountains are about 7' from the floor, the layout starts at 5' high.



The most finished part so far, a lumber spur



This is my most recent video




Mike Ruby

[warbonnetuk]

Mike

Like the lumber spur - a lot of detail in a small space but doesn't look cramped

Dan Spalding

[Mike_R]

Thanks Dan

The old spur had a single track, the new two tracks, takes more cars. That improves the layout operation as the spur kept getting too many cars. The end of the buildings take up very little space, but give the impression of more.
I'm going to a similar thing to the Quarry corner. The removable section makes it far easier to model off the layout, especially as the corners are hard to reach.

Mike Ruby

[Mike_R]

I've finally connected the lights on the chip loader, I still need a few on the building ends and a light pole in the lumber yard. The sawmills will soon have sound, I have an ITTC unit, I just need to build the timer circuit to work it.

[warbonnetuk]

Mike

V nice work!

Dan

[Mike_R]

I seem to get the most work done over Christmas, the weather's too bad to do anything outside. I live alone so no kids, etc. to get in the way! Last year the Lumber spur was started.
This year I was going to do some scenery and add 110 trees I've bought. But instead decided to redo my lifting board hinge join. I had originally built it level and made a complicated high level track join. This has proved to be less than stable needing realigning every so often, plus I never figured out how to make scenery across it.

Here is the old join and hinges.


I removed the old supports.


Installed new supports.


Added track supports made from the old supports. Note the new hinge line.


I then decided to add the river I had planned, cutting out the plywood top.


I then thinned the 9mm ply supports to allow the bridge girders to be high enough. The front trackbed will be removed when the bridge goes in so it can have see through details. The others will have a ballast trough.


I then glued foam under the river.


The foam was then carved out to form the riverbed. The crosses on the bridge mark the position of the trestle towers.


The high line's track was then put back in place. The new alignment is smoother with a wider curve


It took six months to finish the lumber spur, how long to finish this bit?

[Mike_R]

The Lumber spur is the only bit fairly well finished.
The benchwork is 9mm ply on 3"x1" frame, I don't plan to move it, but the layout will split up into six sections if it ever has to.
The lifting board does swing up and into the room, now the hinge line is at an angle. The old method went straight up, but made a less stable track connection.
The board is 56" high so normally I duck under, but for heavy, bulky stuff or access to the airing cupboard the board has to move. Once the board is swung away the back scene hinges into the room. Both the board and backscene are on loose butt hinges so can be completely removed if required.

[Mike_R]

I had to get into the airing cupboard today so took photos of the board when lifted.

Here a view of the board swung over.


The access created when lifted. The backscene is swung out of way as well.

[Mike_R]

Well that's the end of this holiday's layout work.
The two tunnels on the lifting board have foam over them with one carved. I had to notch the tunnel mouths to clear double-stacks, made worse by both being on curves.

Tunnel 48, entrance to the lower end of the storage yard.


Tunnel 47, which leads to North Fork Springs about 12' of hidden track away.


Tunnel 47 carved foam. I use a knife and mostly a paint scraper for the carving. The foam is then textured with a wire brush.


The foam painted with ceiling paint. This covers a lot of the gaps and foam cells leaving a matt flexible finish that takes paint washes.


Here are some test rocks, carved into scraps of foam. All have had a black wash, and those bottom right have also had a brown wash.

[torikoos]

Do you still have a good source for this foam. I've tried a couple of B&Q shops in the area, but non stock it anymore, not even seasonal...

Koos

[tunnelmotor]

Koos, it looks as though Knauf have stopped manufacturing it and gone over to foamwool boards. I have a pack of four sheets in my garage I do not need....garage is in East Sussex. Anyone coming to Benson from Devon? There seem to be other suppliers but in smaller sizes like A1 through A3, so many sheets in a pack. Google foam board.

Mike Arnold

[torikoos]

Thank you Mike,

I am not coming to Benson, and not sure if others are from Devon, however I wouldn't want to take up space in their cars for a couple of boards , they are quite bulky. I'd rather buy some myself at some point, I will google foam board to see if I can find it.

thanks anyway, Koos

[Mike_R]

I'm not sure if this is the same type of foam. I may go and have a look, I'm on my last half sheet.

http://www.wickes.co.uk/celotex-cavity- ... vt/190546/

It is in stock in Plymouth.
I have seen foil covered board before it was used to do all the scenery on the N scale Seawall layout, just had to peel the foil off.

[torikoos]

Hi Mike,

I had a look , this is PIR (polyisocyanurate ) , while the usual boards are extruded polystyrene boards. I do not know if PIR has the same ease of cutting/glueing and cutting with hotwire tools capability. I guess it needs to be tested out. I wouldn't mind the foil (if it's on one side only and used for the 'surface' boards with the foil facing down). I'm not sure if this stuff isn't too pricey.

However I had a search on the KNAUF website, which redirected me here: http://www.space-insulation.com/contactus.html

The Spaceboard (extruded polystyrene) should be available from Wickes, B&Q and homebase no longer have it in their range according to this site.

Koos