Eastern Tn logging on the DG CC & W RR 1928

[gbwdude]

Good to see you're making progress on older projects. I didn't realize that I had so much to do, with many new projects that have come up... seeing how I started #12's progress eight years ago and the furthest I got was installing a LED headlight. Life gets in the way sometimes.

Tyler

 

[Bill Nelson]

Life does indeed get in the way, but yesterday, when I was hoping to get the yard squared away, it rained all day, and I was left with some train time.

At the end of the back aisle, on the top level, I have been slowly working on scenery between the narrow gauge right of way (no track down there yet), and my mainline. I’m working on trying to site my water powered sawmill there, so I need a stream. Have perhaps 18 inches of height difference, so it’s going to be time for me to play with water falls soon.

I had this cast and carved Hydrocal stone arched bridge, that used to be in Montgomery Furnace. This is where the water will enter the scene.


I built the land forms out of strips of cardboard hot glued together, and then I hot glued handicap wipes to the cardboard strips, cornered the handicap wipes with a thick layer of house plaster, followed by a thin layer of Hydrocal, which I carve the rocks into using putty knives, artist’s pallet knives, the occasional actual knife, as well as paint brushes, and an assortment of wire brushes.

The rectangle of bare plywood is the footprint for the water powered sawmill, whose new carved Hydrocal foundation is glued to a piece of plywood.

It’s original foundation got permanently bonded into the scenery of the old Gizzard,
I wanted to be sure this didn’t happen with this one. I made no attempt to salvage the old foundation, as it wasn’t quite up to the quality of the rest of the building.

I got the first dark coat on the rocks in this area, I’ll come along with some lighter dry brushing of gray, and perhaps some browns and tans, leaving the darker color in the cracks for shadows. This corner of the layout is too dark, I need better lighting here. The plywood sticking out to the upper right is the beginning of the shelf that will vary the narrow gauge along the sloped ceiling, it will turn , and have a switch, which will divide it into the line to trestle to the log transfer , and to the steel bridge that will lead to the iron mine and log camp. You can see the bridges from above in this photo, taken with my phone against the ceiling.

 

[Bill Nelson]

Testing the spot!




With another couple layers of dry brushed color and washes. Doing the waterfalls from a creek under that arched bridge is going to be fun!

 

[Doctor G]

It is good to see you back at it! I was wondering what happened? Everything okay for you and your family?

Your layout is coming along great. I really enjoy this recent set of pictures.

Thanks once again for your donation of the ET and WNC RR Hopper car. I have completed it with full rigging, couplers and wheelsets.-Talking with the historical Society about what color to paint it . I posted some pictures on a new thread over in the narrow gauge portion of this website.

Once again very good to hear from you !

Doc Tom

 

[Gandolf50]

Curious as to where that waterfall is going to end up!

 

[Bill Nelson]

I’ll cover the waterfalls soon I hope, the school year is almost over, and I will have time to play with trains, when I’m not running down to Texas.

 

[Bill Nelson]

While working on the support bents for the mill race, I cut some paper towels to show where the water falls will go.

I used a wire to tilt one of the led shop light fixtures , which puts a lot more light on the back aisle.

 

[Bill Nelson]

As promised , this is the beginning of the falls.




I even got the track installed on the log dump track, still need to build the rollaway.




The former DG, CC, & W RR #4
Will be the new S&P Lmbr Co. #1





It will work with 3 log buggies, a barnhardt, and likely a combine, working from staging near helix to the little mill.



I’m thinking the loading dock will me served by the DG, CC, & W RR local.

 

[Bill Nelson]

Been looking for a figure to use as a statue on the court house lawn. Ordered this 38 mm figure of a confederate general off e bay, expected delivery in a couple days.


Well the courthouse square needed some work, and I had lots of time while the layered acrylic water effects were drying at the water powered sawmill.




I started with foam to set up the sidewalk level.


Then I used some Cooch flexible cut stone retaining wall. I was going to carve the Hydrocal, but that would take time, and be messy.




Then I poured Hydrocal streets between the foam sidewalks.





Painted the streets, and added some more Chooch flexible retaining wall material next to the fire house location.






The trickiest part was carving the driveway for the fire station.
Will need to smooth the driveway out some with vinyl sparkle, but otherwise Its pretty sweet.






So here is the courthouse square scene so far. I narrowed the bell tower some, and it’s proportions look better, but it’s old roof no longer fits, so I’ll need to make a new one.

Besides the statue, I might ought to make a couple foreground trees. I think I have some LED lamp posts too.

 

[Doctor G]

Lots of progress!! Looks very good. Dr Tom

 

[Bill Nelson]

Thanks Tom , Have been cleaning up the RR room, except for vacuum cleaners , and trash bags, I have a clear Path from the Stairs to the Sawmill.

Starting to clear out the back aisle, which has a lot of small lumber pieces. Am going to carry them outside as soon as it isn’t raining, and pull out the lumber from the garage., and use some of each to build the benchwork , for the central peninsula’s lowest level. Once that is done I can clean out all the lumber in the garage, except the the stuff I’ve removed from the farmhouse, that I’ll never be able to match,

I can burn the rest unless there’s enough to build a portable.

Thinking of a loop of HObstandard gauge with a switch to an ore or coal loading spot, fed by a loop of HOn3 using my 0-6-0t, and some Grant Line Koppel ore cars, that could go stupid radiuses , fed by some HOn30 stuff, likewise r that could do stupid radiuses.

One could get a tad surrealistic with that , and have a lot of fun. They have a train weekend every year at Montgomery Bell State Park, and it would be fun to take an exhibit. Some live steam guys bring some locomotives, and everything else is less impressive than our stuff.

Eventually I’d like to have an On3 portable as well.

Before we downsize from the farmhouse, which will have to happen no matter what, I’d like to start something like bumpass, but perhaps with four 2x4 sections, instead of two 2x3 sections, and dual gauge, but that would be down the road, but in August I’ll be 64, so I’m thinking one more school year, and I’m done; unless my bicuspid aortic valve craps out before then.

My cardiologist tells me that 94% of folks with my condition have needed heart valve replacement before they are my age.

Having lots of fun having time to work on the trains in the summer, will be great to be able to do it full time!

 

[Doctor G]

Hey Bill,

I would also be interested in that show at Montgomery Bell State Park. I have two mini layout itching to travel. Let me know when you have some particulars.

Will you take the DGCC& W layout with you when you downsize??? Doc Tom

 

[Bill Nelson]

Hard to say, since we have so much up in the air. If Jennifer’s folks hang on long term, we might end up split between the lake, and Houston.

I’m really liking the way this layout is shaping up, but it is designed for that
Space, and adapting it for a different space might be difficult. If I had less space, it would be a definite no go. If I had more space , perhaps I could spread it out , to avoid the stupidly low lower level.

Who knows? Might revert to some sectionals, Like Bumpass, only longer, and less challenging. Jennifer has been studying the Houston real estate market, like she did the lake house market. A lot of homes have little apartments , and such would be a good option, to have a bathroom, a kitchen, and enough room for a RR, with a crew lounge. Houston living expenses , and real estate taxes are outrageous, as are home prices. A nice 1920s 1,500 sq ft bungalow in Emily’s neighborhood runs $400,000 to $500,00, and almost all of that is lot value.

Jennifer says winter is the crunch time for pediatrics, so she won’t know if her current job is something she would feel like doing at the lower 20 hrs a week level after she retires.

We will certainly need to move near one of the kids someday, so even if we land here short term, likely we will end up in Houston some day.

Forrester’s company is willing to pay for him to get a doctorate. Only four universities have professors who specialize it the kind of corrosion work he does. One of them is in Leeds in the UK. Forrester’s company has a branch there, and he could do his work from there. He doesn’t have a time table yet, but he says he thinks it is happening.

 

[Bill Nelson]

Am about to start cutting cookie cutter roadbed for the lowest level.

Been scratching my head for 8 years, should the big log camp be front and center , or Montgomery Iron Works. Looks like the Iron works wins . This is the provisional plan, I often wing it some once the sawdust starts to fly.

 

[Doctor G]

WOW tough choices!! I know it will work out for you guys. I do like the plans you have drawn up. Very interesting. Tom

 

[Bill Nelson]

The main thing I’m thinking of is there needs to be another siding at the log camp.

It has a siding for empties, and a siding for the loader, needs a siding for camp supplies.

When air designed the new RR I was thinking bigger trains. Now I’m thinking the same size trains might be a better option, But I’ve got big passing sidings, and that gives me options.

I have some plywood I’m starting to draw sub roadbed cut lines on; I already have cork roadbed down on the two tracks of the return loop, as well as the switches that make the passing/staging tracks on the loop; and the switch that makes the return loop, which I have wired to a reverser, so when the main gets to the return loop, the hardest work is all ready done there.

 

[Bill Nelson]

Got a piece of benchwork cobbled together for the end of the central peninsula. It is smaller than the whole area, will need to add pieces to fit around the all thread.

The plan as drawn won’t fit, as the buildings are too wide for that narrow area.

I’ll have to flip the orientation, so the tracks enter the Ironworks from the left; and place the Iron works under the courthouse.

Will be able to do so without having any challenging track. Want to keep track work, and any switching as simple as possible due to the extra challenges of operating so close to the floor.

 

[Bill Nelson]

Am cutting some lumber, and working on the lowest level benchwork; am re thinking the position of the iron works and the log camp, as the buildings are to fat to fit
As shown in the recently posted track plan.

I’m going to proceed with the sub roadbed for the main line, and do the rest later, but the log camp will likely be under the front of Downtown Harlow.

I was thinking originally of running significantly longer trains; but I may scrap that idea. The long passing sidings won’t hurt though.

 

[Bill Nelson]

Asymmetrical benchwork, such a joy!






Tricky benchwork, getting the track height, and the water height under the bridge right




The detail on the bridge will be largely missed due to it being at knee level.

I will probably add some more detail to it anyway.




Am going to keep the lowest level relatively simple. The main , at least will be dead flat, I’ll try to set up the log camp , and the iron works for minimal switching, as convoluted switching would be a PIA at 18 inches off the floor.

 

[Bill Nelson]

Cut some Masonite, and painted it Sherman Williams Brisk Day; the color I have used in my RR room, and also as a first coat on my backdrops.



The backdrop goes from the water level to the staging tracks



I cut up some pieces of my old mountain. I had taken to the club. The club moved to a smaller place , and there was no room for them. They were piled up I’m my RR room blocking the aisle; but to may have paid off, cutting them with various hand saws, I have them close to right, Salvaging these old parts of the Terrapin Knob are doing to save me a couple weeks of messy scenery work.