Home of the OZARK MOUNTAIN STATION 5

HO Model Train Layout
of Ted Luedke; Ava, MO

Updates February 28, 2007

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Again, not a lot of time given to the rail road over almost a year but progress made..

I am pleased with my continued development of the railroad and it has fit in as a perfect hobby that allows me to walk away and leave it for chunks of time while pursuing other, "things" ... just as I had planned. Still have the desire though so here are the updates.

Still working off the MRC DC power pack and have all but a few track segment stubs wired. Have been rounding out my DCC equipment getting ready for a change over. Also have been adding structures, vehicles and rolling stock of the '50's as I find them. Went to eBay and bought a bunch of Tyco Piggy Back flat cars for my Piggy Back service area, taking them apart, painting in ATSF Brown (deck sections in a light dirty brown), new decals and conversion to Kadee magnetic couplers. This was my first painting challenge and I struggled with a an old SEARS Airbrush I borrowed from a friend, and then bought a new dual action, internal mix, siphon (bottom) feed Badger air brush. Already had a heavy duty shop compressor with adjustments down to the 20 to 40 lbs recommended for airbrushes. This is a great piece of equipment and with a few test runs, I had 8 frames and 8 decks repainted in a flash. Need to work on a better place than the wood shop or equipment to evacuate the mist and smell. I did wear a mask and safety goggles I keep in the shop, but it took the room a day or more to recover on its own. Working with such small decals for the detail on the flats was time consuming but very satisfying. I have an old small desk in my little den where I do models, rolling stock assembly and the like, so no need to run up to the barn and I can leave projects in mid debauch for weeks on end. After finish varnish the flat cars look very professional if I say so myself. Looking forward to doing more of this.

Tyco Flat Car Conversions

Bought 3 4'x8' sheets of 1/4" Masonite and cut and installed most of the fascia around the layout. This is a bit ahead of its time but I was at the lumber yard getting other material and the urge hit me. I decided to start the fascia 2 feet from the floor and up to where ever it needed to be for the terrain at the layout edges. Put in secure points every couple of feet and ripped the Masonite sheets lengthwise to rough out the sections. Then set up a jig that the Masonite set on at one end while I mounted it at the other. Moved along the edge securing each mounting point as I curved the Masonite to the contour of the table. Tried to keep my joints in straight areas for a smooth transition from piece to piece. Next I penciled in a line for where the layout meets the edge, removed the Masonite, cut with a jig saw, smooth sanded and remounted. This gives me open access to space under the layout and foot lockers I had previously made (the red boxes). The foot lockers each hold: the DCC and electrical equipment; rolling stock & engines; scenery materials; glues, tools, and general STUFF. Left a space between pieces of the fascia for the power and control equipment that I plan to mount on a sliding shelf for easy access. I had bought a low cabinet at a garage sale, put castors on it, added compartments and used it a lot during construction, but now it is to tall to roll under the fascia so will need to modify or eliminate. :-(

Return Loop

Fascia

On the previous page I started my look at a freight yard and I moved things around until I came on a set up I liked, and then laid the roadbed and glued the track. Switches for this and the mill/power house dog bone again took several months on that slow boat from China through Walthers, but by the time I needed them they were in.

While hauling palletized freight (first shot at intermodal) and trailers started just before WWII by the military, it was the early 50's when tractor trailers started to be hauled commercially by rail and was called PIGGYBACK. Government regulations were strict and railroads could have their own trailers, but a new business of middle men (drayman) took the trailers to shippers and back to the railroads for hauling. By the late 50's the drayman started using trailers that were just frames and the container was set on it. By the very early 60's the Container became the way to transport, but we still see some trailers yet today. Since my layout is set in the 50's, I have set up a small Piggy Back freight yard seen in most mid size towns of the period. Actually there was one railroad that bought their own ship in 1955 to really push the container trade.

Return Loop

Piggy Back

The right dog bone for the Mill and Power House came together nicely as I played with track segments. I used the sheets of road bed material from Woodland Scenes for the track area (same for the freight yard) and this is the only area where I use combination (double cross over) turn outs. This allows for handling inbound and building outbound consists.

Started to place the magnets for the decouplers through out the yards. Decided I would never remember just where they all were after I add ballast and scenery so I bought a batch of track signal target heads, cut down food skewers bought in a discount grocery store and painted a flat grey. Attached the head to the tops of the skewers, drilled a hole next to the magnets, put a drop of glue in it and stuck the finished unit in. You can see some of these in these pictures, especially the one below, to the left between the brown Missouri box car and the first CAR - GO box car.

Freight Yard

Freight Buildings and magnet markers

So with spring coming on quickly, I will finish the spots I am working on, clean up the tale. Sure you noticed the soldering gun and supplies, Dremel, boxes, glasses and assorted 'junk' accumulating. Time to see just what I have and begin to plan for the fall.

The next nnmmooper update space allocated by not active yet.

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