Evolution of Allied Mills: My first representation of the Allied Mills silos on this layout was with 4 or 5 unpainted plastic hair shampoo bottles in Spring, 2004 (no pic). A year or so later, I started using 4 painted eye contact solution cans for the silos and an empty aluminum foil box spray painted red with pencil-drawn windows and doors for the brick and concrete building (no pic). In Feb 2006, I upgraded by adding 2 more contact solution cans (unpainted), some wide cardboard for the coverings at the top of the silos, and a tall square building made of cardboard taped together with 2 cans on one side and 4 cans on the other. I also enlarged a black and white picture of one wall of the actual Allied Mills concrete and brick structure found in a book or newspaper article, and (exercising my modeler's license to selectively compress a 100'x100' building to a 40'x60' building), I glued it to two sides of a 2x3x12" (26.5 x 39.75 x 161.5 N-scale feet) box made with the cardboard backing from a pad of paper. Feb, 2006 Allied Mills, thick cap on silos by ppuinn posted Feb 11, 2023 at 10:50 PM In 2017, I painted all six cans, glued them together, and reduced the height of the coverings on top of the silos. Feb, 2017 Top of silos is shorter by ppuinn posted Feb 11, 2023 at 10:50 PM On Friday, Feb 10, 2023, I upgraded the black/white brick and concrete structure by building a foam board structure and covering it with color pictures taken of the concrete and brick walls of another industry modeled on my layout (Walthers' Roberts Printing). I also added a low brick building (modeled in card stock with a Model Builder brick and windows printed "skin") that was next to Allied Mills' brick and concrete structure in the 1970s, the era I am modeling. Photo Feb 11 2023, 2 04 16 AM by ppuinn posted Feb 11, 2023 at 5:12 PM
I have a number of tunnels planned for the layout and need portals for them so have spent a little free time when I'm not working on the layout designing some with Fusion 360 and printing them on the Ender 3 Pro filament printer. I print on standard quality so they could be a little sharper if I used the highest quality print option. The ones above were designed with UP tunnel portals along the Price River as inspiration. They aren't designed off of actual dimensions. I'm just going for a look I'm comfortable with for most things on the layout. Their portals in that area are like the bottom left one above and are concrete and fairly plain. To add some variety I've used a random stone pattern for another version and also have designs with and without the date built plaque (theirs have the date plaque). . . . I messed around a little trying to show the cracks you can see in the photo without much luck. I'll probably go back and start over from scratch painting the portal and try something different. Wasn't all that happy with version 2 of Moffat so worked up a version 3 …. ….. shown above. Using Fusion 360 it didn't take long to narrow up the front walls and reproportion the tops of them and the top in general. I'm much happier with this and will now print another one and leave it alone. Since this tunnel was such a huge multiyear project (6+ miles long) I think they overemphasized elements of the portal to show off a little. In the picture above I didn't quite line up the front and back pieces. I'm printing them separately to cut down on materials and print time. You can also not print the back if you want and push the front up against the rock wall. It just takes a few minutes to glue the 2 parts together and file/sand the glue line down. I'll paint this and print a second and maybe also expand it to a double track portal even though there wasn't one. If you have a picture of an interesting portal that you like consider posting it here or send me a picture or link. If it is something I might want to use I'll try designing it and if I feel OK about the outcome I'll post the print files. There are more pictures and info on my build on ( HERE ) and my website ( HERE ). Sumner
On previous layouts in the 1990s and early 2000s, I had used the George Roberts Printing kit for the main building in a 6'-wide version of Corn Products and made mock-ups of the other Corn Products buildings with plain cardboard. Cor Products from Rte 29, PPU v2002 by ppuinn posted Jul 17, 2009 at 1:55 AM Corn Products-long view, PPU v2002 by ppuinn posted Jul 17, 2009 at 1:55 AM Corn Products from Northeast, PPU v2002 by ppuinn posted Jul 17, 2009 at 1:40 AM When I built my current layout in 2003, I wanted my buildings to more accurately reflect the Corn Products buildings of the 1970s: Corn Products in Pekin 1950s by BN13814 by ppuinn posted May 4, 2007 at 8:26 PM I didn't have the time, finances, or motivation to purchase multiple Roberts Printing kits to kitbash all the buildings I wanted, so I took pics of my model and glued the concrete and brick images to cardboard. South half of Corn Products by ppuinn posted Feb 12, 2023 at 9:12 AM north half of Corn Products by ppuinn posted Feb 12, 2023 at 9:12 AM The prototype Allied Mills building was also designed with concrete and brick walls. Allied Mills, Proto by ppuinn posted Jul 18, 2007 at 12:57 PM For my most recent upgrade of Allied Mills, I: 1. made multiple copies of all 4 sides of my Corn Products/George Roberts Printing kit; Copying specific sides of the plastic model 3 by ppuinn posted Feb 12, 2023 at 9:12 AM 2. cut and taped printed images of the various elements of the kit into the configuration that would convey a selectively compressed impression of Allied Mills that would fit into the space I had available; Jigsaw puzzle to create Allied Mills configuration by ppuinn posted Feb 12, 2023 at 9:12 AM 3. constructed a foam board base for the structure and stuck the printed concrete and brick walls to the foam board with double sided tape, and put masking tape around all of the corners to hide the ragged edges of all the puzzle pieces; and 4. used Evan Designs Model Builder to print a brick and windows "skin" which I taped to cardboard to represent a (previously unmodelled) building that was part of the Allied Mills complex. Photo Feb 12 2023, 10 58 12 AM by ppuinn posted Feb 12, 2023 at 11:02 AM Photo Feb 12 2023, 10 58 43 AM by ppuinn posted Feb 12, 2023 at 11:02 AM If I do another mock-up of this building before I actually kitbash the 5 Roberts Printing kits I've collected over the last two decades, I'll probably use Model Builder to design each wall, rather than cutting and taping puzzle pieces to get the desired configuration.
It’s been over a month since I’ve updated. I discovered a serious flaw in my track plan for the holding yard on the upper level at Spencer, specifically on the south end. Per plan, crews will have trouble reaching into the layout to uncouple cars on the interchange track. After a couple weeks of thought, I decided to move the yard later around the curve to the south and put the interchange track all the way on the south end where it would be much more accessible. This will also extend the yard tracks a couple car lengths as an added bonus. I built a #3.5 wye switch and two #10 curved switches to make this work….. then I ran out of joiners I also worked on backdrop on the lower level and mud-tape/sanded joints on the upper level. I may paint these areas this weekend…. We’ll see. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Pat (GP30) said: "I discovered...crews will have trouble reaching into the layout to uncouple cars on the interchange track." Kudos for anticipating and avoiding the long reach issue now instead of learning about the problem from an operator. I had a pair of tracks running behind a power plant deep in a corner on the lower level of my layout. When I built the layout in 2003, I anticipated the power plant would be in the way for routine maintenance or cleaning, so I designed it to be easily removed and then reliably returned to its proper place. I kept the trees and shrubs short in front of the tracks, so I would not knock them over when cleaning the tracks near the back of the shelf or impale my forearms on the toothpick trunks of the lichen trees; and I expected the almost-three-foot reach from the fascia into the 9.5 inch space between the railheads and the underside of the L-girders supporting the upper deck to be unpleasant but manageable...and for a while, it was manageable. However, what I did NOT anticipate (and in hind-sight, probably should have expected) was that my body would age and my joints and muscles would complain more and more loudly. So in the mid 2010s, I did what should have been done in 2003: I routed the curves closer to the aisle and bought a long-handled track cleaner from MicroMart. It is still a tad over 2' from the fascia to the track deepest in the corner, but much easier on my back. Coincidentally, today I'm working on refurbishing the trees at the back of the shelf in the corner behind the power plant...I'll put up pics of the long reach to the corner later today or tomorrow.
I took a count and if the track plan stays the same I'll need to have 12 single track tunnel portals and 11 double track portals plus one custom 2 portal face (have it done ). I wanted to get back to some other things on the layout out in the shop but decided that while I was using Fusion 360 I would go ahead and design the rest of the portal 'looks' that I wanted, at least at this time. I find when working with Fusion 360 that if I'm doing something that is somewhat repetitive it is best to keep going on it and not come back to it later. For now I've settled on three main looks ( UP/D&RGW style, a stepped top and one with a stone vs. concrete arch). For the facing I'm using flat concrete, a random stone pattern, 8 inch x 16 inch blocks and larger stone blocks that are 1 ft. x 2 ft. in N scale. All of those measurements are close to those sizes. I used the west portal of the Moffat tunnel for inspiration for one but don't want that name or dates on it so left them off. Again it is hopefully close as I didn't work from actual measurements. Close is good enough for me since it won't be representing the real thing. I also designed some loosely based on UP's (formally and built as D&RGW) portals along the Price River in UT as shown above. The stepped top and the stone arch looks are out of my head and not representative of any one tunnel portal but I found some that were somewhat close in my searches. Most tunnel portals are pretty boring so I also decided to use a couple different facing materials to change things up a bit. Again I didn't find anything with exactly the same as what I'm using but that is fine with me. I also use these facings for some walls in other designs so it was easier and fast to use them. I'm pretty much into what looks fine to me will do. If I was younger I might take more time with some of this stuff but right now I just want to keep moving on. Later if I find something I like better I'll have a 'portal face-lift'. I started with the double track portals shown on the right. Then decided to move onto the single track portals and came up with more or less a system to follow (shown in the pictures below). Now I've decide to fill in similar double track portals where the X's are. Some of the ones above the X's are yet different designs. N scale portals above, at least for now. I couldn't get the camera to focus well on the group so broke the groups down into the next images. I'll probably use the Moffat style above some place on both ends of one tunnel. Other tunnels are changes from one scene to another. In fact only a couple tunnels with be through a mountain that you see both sides of but through the two backdrops/dividers. In these cases it would be perfectly fine to have different tunnel portals as the tunnel wouldn't of been bored through a mountain at the same time from two directions. Concrete Faced portals above. Random Stone facing above. 8 inch x 16 inch blocks shown above. 8 inch x 8 inch x 16 inch concrete and cinder blocks are a common building material in the U.S.. I don't know about other places and don't know if they are/were used to face tunnel portals but I'll probably use this style portal a couple places on the layout. I use this block pattern for some of my buildings and walls I've designed that one can print. See my thingiverse.com account ( HERE ) or my website ( HERE ) for more info and print files. The facing above is 1 ft. x 2 ft. blocks and for me represents stone blocks but could be concrete blocks. I'm still using a filament printer so can't really get a rough stone sculptured look but for N scale it would be hard to see any of that from a couple feet away or more. Hopefully at some point I will start using the resin printer I have and maybe come back to these designs. I'll post some pictures with the mortar joints partially filled in and the portals painted when I get that done. Also I'll be posting the print files on my thingiverse.com account ( HERE ) soon. If you have an interesting portal that you like consider posting it on one of the forums I frequent or send me a picture or link. If it is something I might want to use I'll try designing it and if I feel OK about the outcome I'll post the print files. Finished printing the rest of the portals yesterday and put ties on one of the code 70 #6 turnouts (the first of about6-8) for the staging area and got it tested and mounted 80% this morning. I'll put some pictures of that up later. Sumner Working in N Scale --- Under $8.00 Servo turnout Control --- 3D Printed Model RR Objects --- My Home Page http://1fatgmc.com/RailRoad/RR Main/Link Page Menu.html
The backdrop for a large area of the upper level and two places on the lower level have been painted. The horizontal seams in the vinyl sheet portions of the backdrop will be hidden by scenery shapes and trees as things progress. Hoping to start on the base of the helix next weekend, but my son’s basketball tournament is next Saturday as well, so I’m not expecting much progress until next month. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Just a heads-up for everyone... It's hard to believe 9 of the 10 weeks have already passed, but the Winter Layout Party is scheduled to end this coming Sunday. I'll post a "Last Call" sometime on Sunday.
The last trees on my list to refurbish are behind the Edwards Power Plant settling ponds and in front of the power plant coal yard, and I finished those trees today. Trees behind the settling ponds: Refurbished trees behind settling ponds by ppuinn posted Feb 23, 2023 at 4:28 PM Refurbished trees behind settling ponds by ppuinn posted Feb 23, 2023 at 4:28 PM Refurbished trees behind settling ponds and in front of coal yard by ppuinn posted Feb 23, 2023 at 4:28 PM Refurbished trees in front of the coal yard: Refurbished trees in front of Edwards Power Plant Coal Yard by ppuinn posted Feb 23, 2023 at 4:28 PM I've also made foam board frames for 2 of the 4 coal yard structures that I'm upgrading (replacing). Frames for coal yard structures by ppuinn posted Feb 23, 2023 at 4:44 PM By Sunday evening, I hope to complete the foam board frames for the other 2 coal yard structures, plus frames for the 7 conveyors between the coal yard structures and the main power plant, and a foam board frame for the 12" x 14" power plant, itself. Ultimately (possibly in April or May), I'll use Evan Designs Model Builder to print out a card stock "skin" of walls with doors and windows that I'll glue onto the foam board frames.
In addition to working on my own layout, I've been routinely helping 2 other modelers on their layouts. On K.B.'s layout, I've been replacing this cardboard mock-up with a kitbashed plastic structure: Upper Left Cardboard Mock-up by ppuinn posted Feb 23, 2023 at 11:20 PM Cardboard Mock-up Wood Furniture Manufacturing by ppuinn posted Feb 23, 2023 at 11:20 PM Several months ago, I selected this kit to kitbash into a rail-served wood furniture manufacturer (boxcars of woodworking supplies and prepared lumber in, boxcars of furniture out. Kit to be "bashed" by ppuinn posted Feb 23, 2023 at 11:20 PM A few weeks ago I marked the pieces I wanted to cut "as is" from the sprues (A and E), and the pieces I wanted to cut from a larger piece (C, D, and B)... Parts selected for kitbashing by ppuinn posted Feb 23, 2023 at 11:20 PM ... cut them, and lined them up. Selected parts cut from sprues and from larger parts by ppuinn posted Feb 23, 2023 at 11:20 PM Last week, I beveled (cut/filed/sanded) the edges to form proper right-angled corners, and glued A and B together, and C, D and E together. (Sorry, no pic yet). Next week I'll put in the windows and doors, glue the 2 sub-assemblies together and add a sheet of plain sheet plastic to form a back. In the following weeks, I'll add a black flat roof with details, scratch build a dock, add signage, and hide the pink foam insulation hillside behind the building with paint, grass, and lichen trees. Wednesday this week, on another friend's 1950s era CB&Q HO layout, I just finished the AMAX Coal Transfer Facility where Peabody coal hoppers are unloaded into barges on the Illinois River in Frederick, Illinois. The frame of the structure is a 1 quart eggnog carton that I wrapped in an Evan Designs Model Builder corrugated metal siding printed on gray card stock and corrugated rusty metal roofing panels. I added doors and trim, signage, and a scratch built loading conveyor that (on the prototype) tipped down to load the barges, but which on the model is permanently up so operators in the 3ft wide aisle do not bump into it. The retaining wall is also Model Builder metal siding printed on card stock and taped to the fascia. The pictures on the wall include his father and a family friend, A.C. Gilbert (the Toymaker/Industrialist who gave the world American Flyer trains and Erector sets). Photo Feb 22 2023, 11 07 39 AM by ppuinn posted Feb 24, 2023 at 12:21 AM Note the S Gauge collection displayed on the wall behind the layout. Several of the locos and passenger trains were given to him by A.C. Gilbert Photo Feb 22 2023, 11 08 38 AM by ppuinn posted Feb 24, 2023 at 12:21 AM Photo Feb 22 2023, 11 11 49 AM by ppuinn posted Feb 24, 2023 at 12:21 AM Photo Feb 22 2023, 11 18 20 AM by ppuinn posted Feb 24, 2023 at 12:21 AM Photo Feb 22 2023, 11 22 18 AM by ppuinn posted Feb 24, 2023 at 12:21 AM Elsewhere on his layout, I've been working off and on on a scrap yard since last Fall. Photo Feb 22 2023, 11 30 11 AM by ppuinn posted Feb 24, 2023 at 12:21 AM The scratch built fence is stained basswood and Model Builder corrugated metal printed on card stock. My friend built the shredder and I painted it and the commercial loads in the gondolas. Photo Feb 22 2023, 11 30 03 AM by ppuinn posted Feb 24, 2023 at 12:21 AM [/GALLERY] Photo Feb 22 2023, 12 07 20 PM by ppuinn posted Feb 24, 2023 at 12:21 AM Photo Feb 22 2023, 11 29 56 AM by ppuinn posted Feb 24, 2023 at 12:21 AM I made and painted all the scrap piles and on Wednesday was testing where I wanted to permanently position the piles. The junk cars were cut up by someone who recently donated them and his 3 train sets from the 1970s to my NMRA Division. Photo Feb 22 2023, 12 07 26 PM by ppuinn posted Feb 24, 2023 at 12:21 AM
Making more progress almost every day but not keeping up with the pictures and such. Here is from a few days ago and will try and make a least one final post this weekend or the first of next week. Finally finished tunnel portal designs with Fusion 360. Ended up with 23 different designs total and printed them all out so can use the ones I like the most. I'll try and get the print files up soon. I'd used the joint compound shown above recently laying cork so it was still fresh in my mind. It is smooth and creamy and wondered how it would do filling the joints on the face of the tunnel portals that were block vs. flat concrete. Found out that it works very well. I'd use Tamiya Putty on another and like the product but like the joint compound actually better. It is easier to spread with your fingertip into the joints and easy to wipe off the faces with a paper towel. I took the fine wire brush shown above to the joints also but probably won't use that step in the future as the N scale detail is too small to see that you used it. . More about the tie fixtures above and how to use them on my site ( HERE) along with other details about these images. There is also a fixture that works with a Fast Tracks #6 fixture and other fixtures for curved turnouts. U . I have files up for 3D printable servo brackets ( HERE ). Along with the brackets you can print install tools that really help installing the servos. . . . Much more detail on all of the above ( HERE ). If you came into the build here you can find the main index for the build ( HERE ). Sumner
Well I guess the party had to end at some point and I think it is today. . . I'll work on the layout today but went out and shot a video this morning ( above or HERE ). It pretty well covers most of the different projects I've worked on over the last couple months, most but not all. One of my main goals was that wanted to get some track down in the hidden staging area and kind of got to that point. A foot or more and two turnouts done, so not real impressive from that point of view but overall quite happy with what I have been able to do. Learned some new skills and had to do some problem solving which is kind of at the top of my list of favorite things to do. I'll continue on and will keep posting on my layout thread. Thanks to all of you that have contributed with your own builds and/or have commented, made suggestions and so on to what others have done and what I've done. Sumner
Nice layout tour, Sumner! Haven't done much on the layout itself, but run some trains, here's two vid's, of two different sides of the layout,
Last night, I cut out the foam board walls for the third of the 4 coal yard structures, glued the third coal tower together and cut out most of the walls for the power plant. Late last night, I test fit the power plant walls together with t-pins. I also cut some garden stakes to the proper dimensions for use as the interior frame for the conveyors. Today I've been making the Model Builder "skins" that will be glued or taped to the foam board walls for the coal yard structures and the power plant, and to the garden stakes for the conveyors. I'll post pics for this last progress report later tonight.
Last Call, folks! The 15th Annual International Winter Layout Party officially ends today. In the next few days, please post your last progress report and comment (and/or show pics) of the goals completed.
Here are the pics of Edwards Power Plant: The walls have been temporarily pinned in place so I could figure out where all the conveyors have to go...so I could position the 3 coal towers in the correct position. Next week I'll work on designing the "skins" that will be wrapped around the foam board walls of the power plant. Testing the fit of Power Plant walls by ppuinn posted Feb 26, 2023 at 8:16 PM This pic shows the Coal Storage Yard: Coal Yard towers by ppuinn posted Feb 26, 2023 at 8:16 PM These 3 coal towers are connected by 8 conveyors. One conveyor moves coal from the unloading shed (not cut out yet, but it will be over the single track just beyond the green 2x2 that supports the upper deck) to the 1st coal tower, which is the only structure to receive its "skin", so far. There are 3 conveyors from Tower 1 to Tower 2: 2 from the 3rd floor and 1 large one (which is just simulated tonight with a scrap of foam board) from the 2nd floor. There are 2 conveyors taking coal away from Tower 2: one goes up to the right to the Power Plant (the 5th conveyor), and the other goes up and left to the 3rd floor of Tower 3 (the Storage Tower). There is a crane on the left (shorter) half of Tower 3 that can rotate 180 degrees. The rotating boom (tonight, a scrap of foam board) will support an extending conveyor (the 7th conveyor) that--by rotating 180 degrees--can spread coal out in a giant half circle, which will be modeled to the viewer's left of this picture. Bulldozers push coal from the half-circle storage pile into a bin (not built yet) located between Tower 3 and the trees at the lower right edge of the picture. Conveyor 8 lifts the coal up from the 1st floor of Tower 3 to the 3rd floor of Tower 2 which finishes processing the coal and sends it up the 5th conveyor to be burned in the power plant.
Well, this year's progress has been nearly nonexistent. I finished up the router jig to cut the circular part of the layout, which I intended to do today. The first thing I discovered was that the screws that hold the jig to the router were #12-24. Great! Nobody within 50 miles of here carries these, so now I'm waiting for a box of them to come from Chicago (cheaper than driving to Port Huron to get them). Oh, Well, there'll be another layout party next winter. maybe things will be better positioned to proceed by then. Anyway, here are a couple of shots of the router jig. The bottom photo shows the pivot plate that attaches to the plywood with two screws.
My 3 goals for this year's Layout Party: 1. Refurbish most of the lichen trees on my layout which had dried out, been bleached out by the fluorescent lights on the lower deck, or been damaged by my careless elbows or carefree mice (who also apparently like to play with trains...or at least like to knock over cars in the main yard). DONE! And I also spent as much (or More!) time upgrading structures and scenery near the refurbished trees. Tuloma Anhydrous Ammonia and AMOCO Tank Farm AMOCO Tanks 2 by ppuinn posted Jan 4, 2023 at 7:32 PM AMOCO Tank Truck Loader by ppuinn posted Jan 4, 2023 at 7:32 PM AMOCO driveway after upgrade by ppuinn posted Jan 5, 2023 at 8:10 PM Field behind Creve Coeur Transfer by ppuinn posted Jan 8, 2023 at 11:47 PM Railfanning in Marquette Heights Abandoned GMO ROW Brown Truck on Abandoned GM&O ROW by ppuinn posted Jan 8, 2023 at 11:47 PM Fishermen's path Private Property sign on farmer's field gate by ppuinn posted Jan 10, 2023 at 11:45 PM Velde Crossover and Air Pump Shed Photo Jan 14 2023, 9 13 17 AM by ppuinn posted Jan 14, 2023 at 10:52 AM Pekin Residences State Street Upgraded by ppuinn posted Jan 18, 2023 at 11:17 PM Libertyville Houses Caroline and 4th in Pekin by ppuinn posted Feb 5, 2023 at 12:04 AM Peoria Heights Residences Glen Ave Crossing Version 2...better job by ppuinn posted Feb 6, 2023 at 11:00 PM Bartonville Industries Allied Mills Photo Feb 11 2023, 2 04 16 AM by ppuinn posted Feb 11, 2023 at 5:12 PM Keystone Steel and Wire, Barge dock KSW Barge Dock along Water canal by ppuinn posted Feb 8, 2023 at 12:31 AM Edwards Power Plant Refurbished trees behind settling ponds and in front of coal yard by ppuinn posted Feb 23, 2023 at 4:28 PM Testing the fit of Power Plant walls by ppuinn posted Feb 26, 2023 at 8:16 PM My second goal (reconfigure track in 4 rail yards and interchanges so I could add another job for operators) and my third goal (rewrite the yardmaster's job description) were a lower priority than upgrading structures and scenery, so very little was done on either of these goals: I decided the interchanges I already have were adequate for now (but will move back into a higher priority when operators are ready for more challenging scenarios in the operating sessions). And I've done some preliminary tweaking of YM's job description and made a few adjustments to balance work loads in both the A Yard and the B Yard. As soon as I've finished the "skins" for the Edwards Power Plant structures and conveyors, I'll move ahead quickly with revising the rest of the YM's job description. I've spoken with several local operators, and we are getting back to regularly scheduled operating sessions starting March 4. I'll probably host a limited session to test some revised Job Descriptions (including the YM's) in April or early May.
