Scenic & Relaxed Update - First Train Run!!!

[Palmisano]

Hello All. I've finally finished laying all the Atlass Code 55 track. Working slow has really paid off. The track is silky smooth with no track related derailments so far. Since I'm starting new in N scale I didn't even have an engine until the other day. So now a new Norfolk Southern DASH 840-B makes it's first run around the layout. Since I'm modeling the present day, many of the cars are pretty long but they don't look too bad on the sharp curves.

You'll see from the overhead view there are not many sidings or industrial spurs. I intentionally left them out for now since I'm not even sure what size and how many buildings there will be. I plan to add a couple more sidings as time goes on. Really though I just like to watch trains run and build models.

The landforms are very basic. Really just to cover up the gaps between layers. A coating of flat earth colored paint made the horrible pink foam go away. There are no switch machines as of yet and it's running on DC until I can get a DCC system.

Ignore the large trees on the close up. The Kato Unitrack bridge took alot of work but It was worth it. You can see the micro-engineering flextrack, the new pilons it rests on and the addition of a walkway on the outside.

Thanks everyone for your kind words on the last post. I'll have to add more photos in another post...

 

[Palmisano]

More Images

The Rest...

 

[shaygetz]

Amazing shots for so small a layout, the track work is grand.:thumb:

 

[umtrr-author]

Nice work! It certainly lives up to the title... Scenic and Relaxed. Just what I like in a model railroad...

 

[Papa Bear]

Looks great! Nice job on the trackwork. :thumb:

 

[Oroka]

Is this outside? The light makes it look really good and realistic. It would be really hard to get that over head pic inside too

 

[Palmisano]

Lighting

Yeah. These photos were taken outside. One nice thing about a layout this small. You can move it around easily.

 

[bentgen]

Can I ask where you got the bridge? I think I recognize the stone abutments, but not the bridge. I'm starting to lay track for a code 55 version of the Gulf Summit from the same book as the Scenic & Relaxed and need a substitute for the Atlas code 80 warren truss bridge. I've orded one of the code 80 bridges to see if the track can be cut out of it easily, but the bridge in your picture sure looks nice.

Bill Bentgen
http://www.billbentgen.com

 

[Meiriongwril]

Palmisano - looks fabulous.
I'm going to use Atlas 55 too - any hints on avoiding pitfalls?

 

[brakie]

Great work on those stone bridge abuntments..:thumb: Nice looking layout . Great pictures btw..Thanks for sharing..

 

[Palmisano]

Bridge & Track

Thanks for the compliments. I was also looking at the Gulf Summit Lines. It should make for a really cool railroad. I'll look forward to seeing it.

Anyway, The bridge is a Kato bridge that goes with their Unitrack system. It comes preassembled in one peice. Because it is meant to plug right into their bridge peir system it needed alot of work. I replaced the piece of unitrack built in with Micro Engineering Code 55 Bridge Flex Track. It also has these huge peices of plastic on each end which are supposed to look like some modern concrete piers that plug into their plastic pier system. Those I removed. This left missing sections at each end where I duplicated the girders with styrene. The 4 little steel footers holding up the bridge where made from styrene also . Most bridges have a walkway on one side I added the walkway with more thin styrene. Then the whole thing was spray painted flat black. I couldn't find any other single track through truss bridge in N scale.

If you are going to use the Atlas code 55 Track you'll just have to make sure all your wheel flanges are low profile. I soldered all the joints and filed them smooth wih small needle files. Laying the flex on curves is tricky but worth it. I glued down most of the curve but left the last few inches free. Then I cut the ends square with a Dremel and cut off wheel, soldered them to the next piece, and moved on.

The Atlas 55 turnouts need to be filed and smoothed. I used various small files and smoothes out the points and frogs. Basically anything that I could think of that would make for a bumpy ride I smoothed off. Some of the frogs are a bit high and the trucks will bump over them. More filing. But after a little TLC they look and work great and since they are insulated you need no special wiring.

 

[Hoghead]

Nice touch adding the re-railers inside of the gauge on the bridge.

 

[60103]

Bill: you could use the code 80 bridge as it comes by soldering code 55 rail on top of the rail joiners at each end. Leaves the impression that the RR went for heavier rail on the bridge.

 

[bentgen]

David,

I've got the code 80 bridge coming in the mail. I'll stare at it for a couple of hours and have a couple of bevereges while I contemplate how to modify it.

The GS&S actually calles for 6 bridges in addition to the double viaduct. Timber trestles are an option. I might put in quick and dirty bridges and then replace them one at a time.

Bill Bentgen
http://www.billbentgen.com

 

[gringo]

That trackwork looks great!

Question- how do you plan to throw the switches? Switch machine, ground throws or did you modify them with a spring, like Peco or Micro Engineering?

 

[Palmisano]

throwing switches

Well, I'm not sure yet how to throw the switches. I don't want to use caboose industries ground throws because they're huge don't look real. I'm trying to keep everything scale. Under the table machines like the tortoise are a little pricey for me right now. I may go for some kind of cable-actuated thing where I push or pull a lever on the side of the layout. Then I can have a cosmetic scale size switch stand next to the turnout. It would be nice to have a simple spring loaded mechanism like the Peco. Maybe I'll buy a Peco turnout and look it over for ideas.

 

[zachary]

nice work im thinking of building that layout what curve radius did you use because i want to run dash 8s and larger locomotives on it . zachary flowe

 

[Daryl]

I built the scenic and relaxed in 1978-79 during my junior and senior years of college. Its a great track plan. I must say that your version is 100 times better than what I built. In my defense, we did not have code 55 track, foam board, Kato bridges or decent locos back then. My main locos were a minitrix FM switcher and minitrix six axle Uboats and minitrix F7s.

Your layout looks great. Hope you have a lot of fun with it!

Daryl Kruse

stpaulrochelle.org/blog
rochellesub.com

 

[Herc Driver]

Great looking bridge and track work. Getting those outside pictures make it look really realistic. That NS looks good too!

 

[Palmisano]

Zachary - All of the curves are either 9 3/4 or 11 inch radius except for the flowing curves along the one side. I use flextrack throughout so there are places where I eased into a curve. I laid it all out very precisely on the plywood before cutting anything. The Atlas Dash 8-40B has no problems on any of the curves, even the 9 3/4 ones.