Layout for son and dad

[Rabman]

I am going to run DCC. I am going to insulate both ends of the reverse loop near both turnouts from the inner main line. The addition question was is there any special electrical attention needed around the double slip turnout in addition to the insulators at the start and end of the reverse loop?

 

[ianacole]

Based on your diagram, I'd go at location "B", and the other end of that cross over, just before the switch at the top.

 

[Rabman]

I have made progress and got 2/3rd of the plaster cloth over the risers.

Hopefully I did a good enough job.

 

[migalyto]

Looks good! Your making great progress.

 

[flyboy2610]

Looks fine to me! I use plaster cloth as well, and know it can be a bit of a challenge to get it to lay just as you want it to. You did a nice job! I still need to give the mountain on my layout a second layer.......... one a' these days.

 

[Rabman]

Looks good! Your making great progress.

Thanks. It is hard finding the time to do it. My son helped for about 1/2 hour. Not bad attention span for a 4 year old!

 

[Rabman]

Looks fine to me! I use plaster cloth as well, and know it can be a bit of a challenge to get it to lay just as you want it to. You did a nice job! I still need to give the mountain on my layout a second layer.......... one a' these days.

Hopefully I did a good job. Thanks for the compliments.

I will give the plaster cloth a light sanding to try to take out some of the bumps. Or do I need to worry about it with the cork road-bed?

I will keep posting as I go along. Hopefully the trains don't derail once I finally get the tracks put in place.

 

[Rabman]

Does anyone know of a nice looking 2-track Car/Locomotive shop building?

 

[Rabman]

I am wondering how smooth the plaster clothe has to be on top of the Woodland risers. Where the overlaps are on the clothe there are a bit of a bump. If I sand it, I think it would expose the fabric, is that an issue? Can I smooth it at a little with the cork roadbed when I sand it? Nothing I have seen on youtube or read seems to comment on it at all. The photos above show what I mean. I have cleaned it up a little with some extra layers of clothe on top, with fewer seams, but it still is not perfect.

Help please.

 

[migalyto]

Ive never used them, but what Ive seen people do is lay the cork on the risers, and place the plaster cloth up to the roadbed. Your past that point, so I would probably use silicon caulk, or liquid nails. Lay down a generous bead, spread it out with a putty knife, and lay the cork on it so its fairly level. I wouldn't weight it down much, as it will follow the contour of what your surface is. I would lay it out and lightly go over it with your finger. you will be surprised at how much holding power caulk has. I have never done this, just thinking it out in my head. Others may have a better idea.

 

[Rabman]

Ive never used them, but what Ive seen people do is lay the cork on the risers, and place the plaster cloth up to the roadbed. Your past that point, so I would probably use silicon caulk, or liquid nails. Lay down a generous bead, spread it out with a putty knife, and lay the cork on it so its fairly level. I wouldn't weight it down much, as it will follow the contour of what your surface is. I would lay it out and lightly go over it with your finger. you will be surprised at how much holding power caulk has. I have never done this, just thinking it out in my head. Others may have a better idea.

Thanks. I would be reluctant to try this. Going around curves I will need to pin it in place, would that dislodge it? I would be more reassured if you tried it.

 

[migalyto]

Your right.....I never thought about the curves. Let me throw this at you, what if you thinned plaster to a soupy mix, and used a paint brush to even it up. Another option would be to cover it with sculptamold. I like working with it. It has a decent working time, covers well and can be smoothed fairly well.

 

[Rabman]

Your right.....I never thought about the curves. Let me throw this at you, what if you thinned plaster to a soupy mix, and used a paint brush to even it up. Another option would be to cover it with sculptamold. I like working with it. It has a decent working time, covers well and can be smoothed fairly well.

I think I will sand it down a bit and see what happens.

 

[PNKFLOYD]

Your right.....I never thought about the curves. Let me throw this at you, what if you thinned plaster to a soupy mix, and used a paint brush to even it up. Another option would be to cover it with sculptamold. I like working with it. It has a decent working time, covers well and can be smoothed fairly well.

Your soupy mixture will work very well to fill and smooth the plaster cloth, especially if the plaster cloth has left holes exposed.
In the "old days", people used folded paper towels soaked in thinned plaster the same as your plaster cloth to form a shell, to make the contours for the landscape. Adding Sculptamold will form a harder surface than the plaster alone, if you need to strengthen certain areas.
Keep asking questions as you go along, you are doing very well.

 

[goscrewyourselves]

I know this is after the fact but if you haven't done all of your "plaster cloth" then the best way to use the stuff on the foam risers is to lay it on top of the riser and drape it down either side - no overlaps on top of the riser that way

A possible solution would be to sand the overlap flat then place another piece of plaster cloth over the entire riser. That should give you a flat surface to work with.

With all of that being said, I think you are pretty much worrying about nothing though. Unless the plaster cloth has wrinkled badly, the very small little ridge an overlapping of the cloth would cause would not effect the roadbed, especially if using cork roadbed. Frankly, I wouldn't be concerned but would lay a slightly thicker spread of adhesive for the cork roadbed.

 

[Rabman]

I know this is after the fact but if you haven't done all of your "plaster cloth" then the best way to use the stuff on the foam risers is to lay it on top of the riser and drape it down either side - no overlaps on top of the riser that way

A possible solution would be to sand the overlap flat then place another piece of plaster cloth over the entire riser. That should give you a flat surface to work with.

With all of that being said, I think you are pretty much worrying about nothing though. Unless the plaster cloth has wrinkled badly, the very small little ridge an overlapping of the cloth would cause would not effect the roadbed, especially if using cork roadbed. Frankly, I wouldn't be concerned but would lay a slightly thicker spread of adhesive for the cork roadbed.

I hear what you’re saying about the small ridges. I just don’t have the experience to know what is minor enough not to cause ops issues and what will.

To err on the cautious side I will try to make it better by sanding it a bit. I did lay some clothe lengthwise to reduce the number of seams. It’s better.

Thanks all.

 

[Rabman]

Your soupy mixture will work very well to fill and smooth the plaster cloth, especially if the plaster cloth has left holes exposed.
In the "old days", people used folded paper towels soaked in thinned plaster the same as your plaster cloth to form a shell, to make the contours for the landscape. Adding Sculptamold will form a harder surface than the plaster alone, if you need to strengthen certain areas.
Keep asking questions as you go along, you are doijng very well.

I think I will sand before adding more stuff.

 

[Iron Horseman]

I am going to run DCC. I am going to insulate both ends of the reverse loop near both turnouts from the inner main line. The addition question was is there any special electrical attention needed around the double slip turnout in addition to the insulators at the start and end of the reverse loop?

No the double slip is fully contained within the reverse loop so nothing special there as far as the reversing loop goes. However depending upon whether it is an electro-frog or an insulfrog will dictate if it needs additional attention for wiring in general.

 

[Rabman]

No the double slip is fully contained within the reverse loop so nothing special there as far as the reversing loop goes. However depending upon whether it is an electro-frog or an insulfrog will dictate if it needs additional attention for wiring in general.

The turnouts are insulfrogs. I am intending on putting a power feed adjacent to all the turnouts.

 

[Rabman]

So I sanded the plaster cloth over the risers. I think it came out quite well. I finished laying the cork roadbed on the main lines. I have a little work to do on the reverse loop because I had to swap the double slip switch with a left handed turnouts because the structure under the plywood would have interfered with the servo I am going to use.

I need to figure out the curve bridges over my future river. I will have to scratch build a few girder bridges I think unless anyone has any thoughts.

I think all is progressing nicely.