NOVAHILL ........ U.S.A.

upnick · NOVAHILL ........ U.S.A.

Hi All,

Here is my new venture into HO ........ differing only in scale from Morganth as it is to be set in America a simple plan in essence but i intend to alter some of the areas in the middle the water may go but the bridges stop to add a second level aspect, as to a second level for the tracks i am undecided as yet dependant on the buildings i choose to include, the locos having room to turn around allowing switching operations inside the circuit.

As the plan is now it measures 12ft X 4ft ........ but will be 13ft X 40'' when finished.

Built in 4 modules making it easy to transport in the future one section hinged to allow access to the window which should provide good light over it especially in the summer evenings Code 83 peco track with an NCE powercab should provide good control.

The silos could move to the rear of the layout along the back track to add more interest there one of my first thoughts of adaptations

The wood came today and i made a start, off to look at track tomorrow

The plan will turn around like this .

poliss

Looks like a good plan Nick.

The green pullover is a bit sus though.

upnick

Even older tom

A fine layout Nick and one to look forward to as it develops (photos please!).

A couple of things did make me smile:

A 'Schlitz Elevator' and a 'Weiser's Sausage'

Proof, if need be, that we are the same people separated only by language.

upnick

upnick

Hi All,

After wrestling with the tape measure for two days to fit in the plan to my room mixed with a combination of keeping it a useable room the width isnt going to work out ......and so out with the Jigsaw and now the boards measure 40'' long X 2ft wide 5 modules will make up a switching layout ....... a short L shape yard with warehouse.

..... the bottom left hand roads will bend around the corner to add interest with a warehouse.

upnick

Hi All,

Saturday afternoon i got the code 83 flexitrack / points ......and finished the first three boards construction apart from the legs.

While purchasing the track a Walthers Centennial Mills background building proved a good purchase as Walthers include a back wall which is not needed with plenty of spare windows ........ with this in mind i extended the building to double its length with some plasticard for the roof i will cover with fine sand once it is in place.

Basics walls.

Spare wall & windows sprue.

Double length mock up.

Assembled 60 Thou plasticard strip to join both walls.

White Plasticard replacement roof 80 thou to give some structural strength .

Walls complete ........ a little filler to the main wall joint sanding and the addition of a longer loading dock /ladders and fittings will result in the mill giving more value for money from the kit.

upnick

Hi All,

Last day today i can really spend time on the layout ......back to work on Tuesday

...lol

I didnt waste time though with my latest Walthers background building Tomaso's Market 6'' H x 4 1/8 W x 2 3/8 D a superb kit as usual from Walthers ...... when adding the window linings i cut two top liners from 30 thou plasticard and another end liner for the left side to add to the kit parts.
80 thou floors were put in for a few reasons a little more strenth .... interior details can be added at a later date and they provide a surface to attach the LED's to for lighting.
I am hoping to source some 1:87 items for the window displays before fitting plasticard backs to them.

Extra plastic strips were added to give the impression of half open windows.

A roundhouse D&H 50' gondola in kit form recieved a resin scrap load originally designed for 52's two 80 thou plasticard spacer inde the gondola provided a false floor for the load to sit on .kadee #5 couplers fitted
Plenty of rust powders and paint will make it a good addition to the stock.

upnick

Hi All,

Three of the boards went up on Sunday and i carried on laying track over the last two days to get it up and running and get more idea how things will look planning buildings, a scrap dealer of some kind is in mind.
Back boards will be added once building heights have been established.

Here are a few pics with some stock.

First two boards with track down.

One i weathered this week needing some rust streaking

Bought from ebay weathered

AC4400 Athearn S.P. dummy loco patched for U.P. needs grab irons and rails finishing off.

poliss

Burlington Northern, good choice of road to model. As long as you don't do it in N of course.

upnick

Thanks poliss i do it in both

but the HO will be a mix of all roads ... i model what i like not a particular region /road

upnick

Hi All,

Novahill is progressing well with the crossing now replaced by back to back points giving better operation within the layout as pointed out to me ...... the latest buildings for it are a three road car repair shop to go at the right hand end, and Parkview Terrace which provides plenty of combinations of height / floors having the levels marked out for the builder to choose.

I glued the structure to a plasticard base for handling and later mounting to the boards, also plasticard three floors were added and will allow different areas to be lit without light seepage, hoping to add interior detail making it a focal point.

Downpipes/ stairs/glazing roof details & overall painting and it will be done.

I bought two kits they will make a good backdrop to the layout with if space allows an access road.

I was hoping to fit in Walthers overhead crane inside the repair shop but its too wide :wall1:

Here is the plan with the buildings in initial positions ....... could change around a little though.

1. Centennial Mills.
2. Parkview terrace (2 Kits)
3. Tomaso's market.
4. Repair shop in this area or to cover the front roads nothing finalised on postion yet.
5. Grassed area raised.

Not sure of the diner & scrap yard for positon yet.

upnick

Hi All,

Not much track to lay now ..... this evening i added rails into the base for the car repair shop and tried it on the boards to see how it would look i intend to leave at least one road open so a car can be left on the far side adding interest to finish the scene at the end of the board.

It will have two roads from the top of the layout plan and one from the bottom to feed it leaving space for locos/cars to wait for movement or repair ...nothing is fixed down yet (see picture) any ideas most welcome for items around the shop surrounding area and interior as the windows are large and lots of details can be added inside .... the roads behind it can be seen if you look through the shop ........ i have a heavy duty crane from Walthers coming as part of the plan, and the inspection pits areas can be cut out of the boards and lined with plasticard another thought.

poliss

I was wondering Nick, as I've done some shunting over your track with my mouse.

Along the bottom of the track plan, if the crossing in square 8 is a double slip or back-to-back points, whether the set of points in square 13 (accross the road) are redundant as you can get to all roads without using them.

upnick

Hi Poliss,

I do see your thinking there ..... the set of points in square 13 allow a locos to move from either roads they link and from the top of the four roads in square 16 to the front road and on to the left of the layout.
Forgot to add after 13ft to the left i needs to feed the tracks on to an L shape the curves are looking a bit tight in planning so far for the 6 axle locos an SW2 would be nice for switching in U.P. paint like my N scale one

and could cope with the last three feet on the left bent round the boards.

upnick

Hi All,

Spent the day with the drill wire and soldering iron finishing off the right hand end of the board all but for the short end tracks from the shop i will sort when the building is fixed down.

Looking from the centre of the boards towards the right end Three roads to shop laid ...... rails joiners holding them in place while the glue sets, once the building is finished dropper wires will supply power into the shop and eliminate the need for joiners.

Looking toward the left end of the boards the plasticard with the 30 on hopefully gives you the idea of the two tracks from the right running into the bottom of the picture here ......... trackbed crossing the board needs track on to link the top/bottom roads and the points before the iron three tracks will go to the ends or start to curve to the left of the picture onto board 5 if the locos can cope with the curve leading to storage ....... the right side of the picture is to have the scrapyard still in the planning.

Close up of the shop with two walls mocked up.

upnick

Hi All,

Here is the final plan laid on the board ...... i did try to resize it to fit the screen

but i'm not good with anyrail plans and saving them.

The left end 4 lines can possibly curve onto another board at a right angle three foot long depending on how the track lays and the locos cope with the curves, need to lay this part ..... to the right the tracks are a bit longer than drawn there .

I marked up the Y turnout as anyrail hasnt a Y in their track library in code 83.

What you see in the diagram is 13 ft long X 2ft.

poliss

What point motors will you be using and are you going to have operational signals?

upnick

poliss

The SEEP PM1 has a built in switch for operating accessories such as signals. See http://www.cravenmodels.com/SEEP.htm
A rough calculation says about 41 signals, but I may have miscounted.

upnick

The PM1 looks a good option poliss ...... with 41 signals wouldnt know where to start though

or do you mean 41 different light patterns they could be used for ?

poliss

Not sure exactly how american junction signals work. Whether they use vertical seperation, (top signal for straight ahead and bottom for junction), or route indicators. From what I've seen they would use bi-colour led's. Red and green.
Here's a vid I found. http://vimeo.com/3635363
I'll need to research more. computer

upnick

Great video Poliss

needs a lot more research i agree .. have to search around here as well.

upnick

Hi All,

Progress has been slow lately ....... filling in the insulation gaps and working on the buildings, tonight i made up some clump grass using the faux fur method in a thread here i saw (sorry cant remember which thread it was) many thanks for the idea though

...... the tallest in the pictures is a scale 20ft and can be trimmed and shaped more once the glue as gone off and placed on the layout .

The flash of the camera shows the grass more shiny that it is.

poliss

Hope you haven't got a very angry cat now Nick.

upnick

poliss

Grass looks good Nick. That is two shades of grass, brown and green, and not different colours because of the flash I suppose?

Here's the angry cat I was referring too.
http://www.009.cd2.com/organic_grass.htm

upnick

Hi Poliss,

The Grass is green it is the flash that gave the effect of brown

though i have loads more of the stole to dye so a brown piece will be done.

I see about the cat now ...

....... there is a cat that lives upstairs

upnick

Hi all,

The weekend off has had me busy ........

Ballasting and plaster to try and complete the first board basically ............

Overview.

Bit closer shot.

Repair shop foundations.

The stub road is to hold a shunting loco possibly an RS1/2 belonging to the repair shop for moving cars.

Holding roads.

Couldnt resist adding a piece of stock with this weathered hopper.

Also Atlas GP38 in amongst the Grass.

Fair bit needs doing until i am happy with it including of course the repair shop building itself (the overhead crane arrived this week) to add internally i am toying with the idea of providing a brick wall interior using Slaters plastic sheet ......... the glazing from Walthers the stumbling block at present in its thickness as it provides the glazing bars.

Teleman

Mmmm looking good , I like the long tuffs of grass . I was not at all sure about then to start with , but now thet are 'planted' they look realy good

poliss

What are the sticky up bits of car between the rails for? I'm sure the answers obvious, but it's late.

upnick

Hi Teleman/Poliss,

Yes the grass turned out well

The sticky up bits are pieces of plasticard superglued in between the rails instead of insulating joiners Poliss ...... they just need trimming less obtrusive than the joiners once done.

upnick

Hi All,

Quick post of a car converted to Kadees couplers and a new weight non magnetic added ......then weathered.

Opposite side

bando1_de

Nice job, Nick!

upnick

Hi Erhard,

Many thanks the camera work could be better as the pics were taken with my desk lamp on the bench when i get some good sunlight on the layout i i'll do some more pics.

Reminds me i need to get some good lighting over the layout than rely on the lamp and room light which is poor.

upnick

Hi All,
With working and a few other bits not got a lot done on the layout but here are a few pics of some stock including a hopper i started adding Grafitti to.

Other side

This Atlas pulpwood flat car i couldnt resist on ebay for less than the price of the car ($9.27)

all weathered up ....... just needs the grab irons in the box adding and blending it to match alnog with the new Kadees fitted.

Next week i'm off on hols from work so hoping to get the backboards sorted and make a start on planning some scenery

alo the weathering powders from Bragdon came so some experimentig with them

poliss

Some good looking rust on that flatcar Nick. I'll send Cally Duquesne over to find out who's been graffiti'ing your hoppers. I'll have to brief her first though.

upnick

Send her over Poliss

Even older tom

Exceptionally fine work Nick. I think you've got the weathering down to a fine art!

Unfortunately, Ridley USA is the wrong era for graffiti, so I can't ask Pol to send Cally here as well

upnick

Hi Tom,

Thank you for the compliment ....... i started weathering in military and have tried most types over the years

Shame Ridley doesnt lend itself to Grafitti ...... but dont forget Dave would be jealous of Cally .... parp .......

poliss

Dunno about it being the wrong era Tom. Found this on wikipedia. "Graffiti has long appeared on railroad boxcars. The one with the longest history, dating back to the 1920s and continuing into the present day, is Bozo Texino."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graffiti

TheThing

Grafitti goes way back to Medieval times!

There is a memorable 'poem' daubed onto a wall in, I think, Old London: -

'Here I laid my Cynthia* down,
I got the pox and she got half a crown.'

*Cant remember the exact name, but it fits!

Joe

At portland bill in Devon somewhere there is a name in one of the rocks on the floor from the 1800's... been three times and still cant remeber hius name, george I think?

upnick

Few pics from Novahill

Looking more like a busy railyard now ... the gondolas making up a nice length train for the scrapyard at the other end of the layout.

SW9 sat awaiting work alongside the carshop ......... when the new handrails arrive they will look better

Latest loco Proto 2000 SD50 with white metal front plow fitted and first coat off Harbour grey paint on, some scratchbuilt sunshades andit's all ready for weathering.

No progress on the layout this weekend to busy sorting couplers and other jobs on the locos.

bando1_de

Ummm, Nick, is that a kink in the foreground track? Looks a bit like a roller-coaster...

I know.... I'm nagging

The engines look fine, though.

Erhard

upnick

bando1_de

Only very little progress so far since I'm busy preparing my photo-tours to a couple of US-shortlines. I'm setting up a new business, offering these tours to only small groups of max. 5 members per tour and that requires *some* conversation with the railways regarding permits, safety issues, and so on. Keeps me busy....

upnick

Sounds good Erhard

wish you every success with it.

dave`s dangerous

All looking very good, where do you purchase the plasticard buildings? and are they purley American? llike the comment about the cats with no hair.

upnick

Hi Dave,

All the buildings on the layout all but one are from Walthers background kits and American though they could be easily used on a British layout bearing in mind U.S. HO is 1/87 scale as opposed to 1/76.

I used several DPM kits to make up another building i havnt pictured yet.

The plasticard was used to create floors and extension pieces for Centennial mills .. Centennial millsis good value as Walthers include an extra wall length not shown in the instructions i added in to double its length.

Not the cheapest building kits out there but well made solid construction and very accurate mouldings.

If you wish to know more about them just shout.

dave`s dangerous

bando1_de

Hi Dave,
You can order directly from Walthers and collect your items from a hobby shop in the UK (or have it sent to your adress). Follow this link to see where in the UK Walthers is represented :
Walthers Hobby shops in the UK

Erhard

dave`s dangerous

poliss

I use Model Junction to buy my American stuff. The owner is very nice and replies to my emails the same day.

I like his voucher scheme too. Bought my lubricants using them.
http://www.modeljunction.info/estore/

dave`s dangerous

poliss

HO is 1:87, OO is 1:76.

dave`s dangerous

upnick

Hi Dave,

Erhard and Poliss have given you two great links for the buildings bought mine from a local guy here who does them.

You could try here as well a mate of mine in the states who has set up his own shop http://www.maderstrains.com/index.php?route=common/home he is an official Walthers retailer and can get anything you want ....... got 2 buildings on the way from him for Novahill http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-3192 one built and the other kit form to create a warehouse loading dock scene.

dave`s dangerous

upnick

Hi Dave,

The link is the main Walthers site page, i could be going to my modelshop next weekend for more track/couplers and can tell you if he has any buildings you may be interested in

dave`s dangerous

dave`s dangerous

Click to see full size image

Click to see full size image

Picture of area for a building to be put on is the grassed area which is would support a building up to 12" X 4" so if you find anything of interest please let me know :TRAIN:

upnick

Hi Dave,

In the picture here how wide is it where the red line is next to the white road marking across the road ?

Looking through the Walthers catalogue here does it have to have a back to it as i've found a couple of background buildings a little longer 12 7/8 that would fit in.

http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-3173
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-3178

This would fit in nicely
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-3165

dave`s dangerous

Hi Nick the width there is 4 and a quater inches and my lenght is 13" fro the bridge which is 4" high, I think it would be better with a back on it as part of it would be visable. Thanks.
How do I get a picture on my profile down to the correct size to put it on?

dave`s dangerous

That building 3173 looks to be the favorite, whats the price in £ and can I order direct from u k shop?

upnick

Hi Dave,

As far as your avator goes reduce the picture in a prgoramme such as Photobucket to the dimensions as follows save the resized pic to your pictures and use it as your avator

Displays a small graphic image below your details in posts. Only one image can be displayed at a time, its width can be no greater than 200 pixels, the height no greater than 2000 pixels, and the file size no more than 29 KB.

The building is available here http://www.modeljunction.info/estore/product_info.php?products_id=52
but the background buildings are just that intended to go on a flat backdrop and have no details on one side.

upnick

Hi All,

After thinking about the height issue with the background buildings on the layout i added a backdrop board this morning 14'' high and used some foam to try and get some ideas how it may look when done ........ nothing is glued down at the moment here are a couple of shots a loco in to give an idea of scale the pickup is on a road next to the apartments but there is no space for a sidewalk and a retaining wall to the railroad, the foam will go on the level there at least left to the end of the module.
What do you all think of it as a concept there are a couple of issues i need to solve
1. the sidewalk
2. what can i do to with the end of the foam on the right next to centennial mills ..... i was thinking of a grass bank sloping towards the mills ?
3. Should i have an overpass road inline over the railroad to service the apartments and market ? ending before the mills, another apartment kit needs to be built yet to go alongside and a DPM factory.

Any ideas appreciated.

bando1_de

Did a bit of thinking (dangerous

) and looking at your picture, I get the feeling that the foam block (for my personal gusto) is way to high. Height-wise, I would cut it in half.

To make room for a decent road, I'd build a "overhanging " pavement supported by concrete columns so that one lane basically covers the track. This also leaves ample space for sidewalks and street lamps.

To give the impression that the road actually goes somewhere, I'd build a sharp curve towards the backdrop panel and paint the road on the backdrop. To make the illusion perfect, one could "frame" the road by two flat buildings and conceal the transition to the backdrop by a pedestrian overpass between those to buildings.

The grass bank towards Centennial mills sounds good but it should be fairly small in order to enhance the industrial character...

Erhard

dave`s dangerous

Sorry Nick but I also think that foam is a bit high, but it`s not as easy to visulise from a photo.
Still trying to figure out how to get my picture down to 29kb

upnick

dave`s dangerous

This is the picture I wanted to put on my profile

upnick

Hi Dave,

Try saving the pic here to your pictures on the PC go to your profile page and click on browse and choose the pic from your PC pictures and upload it as your avator here should be ok as its 197 pixels wide

EDIT ::::

Yeah it works dave i tried it on my profile

bando1_de

Nick,

I'd say the height of the backdrop is determined by the height of Centennial Mills plus an inch or so. There's no need to fill every square inch of the backdrop with building flats because it doesn't look realistic. How about painting in some clouds? Make them accentuated and clearly visible in the upper part of the backdrop and let them fade to the bottom part. This suggests a lot depth.

Erhard

dave`s dangerous

Thanks Nick as you can see it worked, I tried with photo bucket but lost it somewhere, O`well I keep trying these new technology things, get there some day.

dave`s dangerous · profile

Thanks to you also Doug for reducing my profile picture, I tried in photo bucket but lost it somewhere? Still keep trying these things. By the way had to log in again. violent1

upnick

upnick

upnick

Hi All,

After lowering the height of the foam more background buildings are needed i decided for variety ...... a search of Walthers background structures and DPM kits had me watching a DPM kit made up of modular sections ideal i thought and mailed the seller in the States if he could post it to the U.K. as he advertised post worldwide the watch stopped after no reply but change in the listing to ship to United States

Saturday afternoon i went over to picturescue Clitheroe to my LHS and made up the following structure from the Walthers American Hardware supply kit Still have a few walls left hopefully i can use around the layout possibly as Erhard suggested two wall ends with a pedestrian bridge linking them.

Spreading the kit out gives a good length.

A route in the K&S metals box provided the pipe from the watertank into the building.

One of the windows blanked of with brick plasticard next to the loading dock.

Inside ready for plasticard floors and lighting.

The motorised blower on the roof is loose and will join other items there with cables for power ....... & firescapes

I picked up Walthers Northern light and Power kit with a bit more track Kato RS2 Chicago Great Western and a pack of Kadees while at the LHS ... ( could have done with a few more packs of Kadees )

A picture of a carshop gave me the idea to have trucks removed from cars lined up in a mini diorama near or next to the shop the guy at the LHS gave me these for a couple of quid .

poliss

Looks really good Nick. Do they come in that pale pink colour, or is it a trick of the lighting.

You've made all this since yesterday?? You'll never make a real builder.

upnick

upnick

Hi All,

This weekend got some of the backdrops sorted to allow me to see the buildings together aginst them properly for the first time.

This is to be the main building in the centre of the layout (Walthers American hardware supply) i took out the higher level block today and will have all the buildings on baseboard level.

With the windows left after converting the hardware supply i used some plastic sheet to make up another section of the same outlet further down the track

This one again scratchbuilt with more sheeting needing windows making i got the idea after seeing a picture on the net this week

The angled structure started life as DPM Laube's linen mill some kitbashing and this is the result a Walthers fire escape has been added, between it and the main structure of the layout i plan a road to create a crossing where the scalpel is onto the scrapyard.

Walthers Northern light and Power structure provided the scrapyard dealers the track running inside to pick up loads in gondolas a side road to hold empty/full gons ready to be used or moved away from the facility ...... the two roads leading off the board will go to the fifth module still to be made up and finalised.

Overall view from mid point to the dealers the road will go to the left of the structure with a fenced off area.

Mid point to the car shop end

A Walthers roof detail set has added more interest with air con units etc .
Need to work on other ideas to make it all knit together as always suggestions are most welcome.

Even older tom

Brilliant stuff Nick.

I love the angled building - it breaks up the solid line of the other buildings and adds interest.

A great idea for anyone making a low relief back scene!

upnick

Cheers Tom

May need a couple of more buildings to complete the scene

over the joins in the backboards.

upnick

Hi All,

With work and all not got a lot on the layout done but thought i'd post two of the new locos .......... i converted the first yesterday to DCC using a TCS M1 decoder

Atlas Trainman SP GP38-2 #4800 weathered bring the total of Geeps on the layout to three now :tada: the four axle locos handling the switching tracks better .......

Proto 2000 GP38-2 #2749 in CSX paint which came fitted with a Digitrax decoder she just needs a weathering up now to fit in

upnick

Hi All,

Well with this layout i am never going to be happy i have decided & started to disassemble it ......... running it doesnt give me any satisfaction at all ....... a switcher layout isnt for me in HO.

No sooner do the locos start than they stop a shame really but i have plans for the boards in N scale my first choice of railroading & have plenty of locos/ stock to run probably my initial intention for the layout space i have namely intermodal ... the board will need to be a little wider at either end for a turnaround double track.

Everything i have for the HO apart from the powercab will be sold off in the coming weeks, and i will post details of them if anyone is interested on any items.

I will be back & start a new thread soon with my new venture once the boards are cleared

poliss

At least you will find it easier to sell them than the old days before the internet Nick.

upnick

dave`s dangerous

Sorry to hear that you got no Satisfaction from that layout Nick I thought it looked great, but I suppose you get more satisfaction planning and building new railroad , than looking at a compleated one. I am just a starter but have re designed mine 3 times in less than 2 years.

upnick

Hi Dave,
Yes it taught me a lot which i hope can come in useful for the new layout