Allow me to dust this blog off for a moment! Sorry for not updating this site, I’ve been a little busy with life and layout. After many months of hard work, the layout is now fully operational. Trackwork is complete, the electrical is almost done save for some switch machines to be installed in staging. I’ve got a new Digitrax Chief command station coming since the Empire Builder I am currently using does not have enough locomotive slots for the needs of the layout.

I’m currently installing fascia on the upper and lower levels and will paint it green soon to hide a good portion of the benchwork. I’m not sure where I’ll start with scenery, perhaps the upper deck at Hulcross of Kennedy. I do plan to work on one scene at a time (maybe a 4 foot area) rather than the “shotgun method” of rough sceniking the entire layout, then going back to add more.

I’ve also completed the first and (hopefully) only siding extention on the railroad, the passing track at Kennedy was lengthened to allow a full size train to fit. I realized before the first op session that having only one passing siding on the upper deck was not going to work that well, so Kennedy got lengthened,

So, here’s some updated shots:

Kennedy dead ahead, with the siding of Groundbirch on the lower level right hand side of the image

Dawson Creek, with a freight ready to leave town for Chetwynd

The north end of Dawson Creek, with the station from the old layout set in place

And the staging yard at Prince George, with a few freights ready to head north.

Its been far too long since my last post, however once again I find myself to be too busy in the basement to write a blog post! The above image was taken in the Chetwynd yard and shows both diesel service tracks occupied. The GMD-1’s are from Rapido Trains (and are amazing models) which I plan on using from time to time on the Dawson Creek Sub, as on my layout I plan to use the CN interchange at Dawson Creek.

More progress on Chetwynd yard:

All the track work in the yard is complete except for 2 turnouts that will need to be installed. I did some “test running” (ok so I was having some fun) in the yard and found I need one more crossover for operations, so I will need to install those turnouts. The upper deck has seen the fascea installed and partially painted, as well as turnout control switches and LED indications installed.

On the Dawson Creek Sub, I’ve roughed in and laid track over the Pine River, and have laid track up to the siding location of Sundance. I’d throw a few pics up however the view is blocked by boxes right now as I work on this section of the layout:

This section of benchwork is the hidden staging yard that will represent Fort St John (located north of Chetwynd on the prototype). In the back you can see the start of the lower level bench work for the Dawson Creek Sub. The staging yard will consist of 3 tracks, the largest sized to hold 15 cars including a van and 3 units. The operational plan calls for a freight to leave staging, lift cars at Chetwynd and continue on to Prince George. The grade out of the staging is steep, so I hope a test run shortly will allow a train to actually leave this yard! Once I have all the track in and wired up, I’ll build the lower level bench work above this section.

Now that Chetwynd has track, I can start on the branch to Dawson Creek!

So far I’ve only gotten as far as the first curve, but its a start!

I’ve now laid track on the curve, which is my first use of Rapido Bendy Track.

I’ve been going somewhat crazy not being able to remove a lot of my freight cars from their boxes, so what better time than to build a yard! 90% or so of the track in Chetwynd is now in and wired up, I still have to run tracks for the diesel service and a few industries, but now I have a place to park a train!

North End of yard:

South end:

Now that our yard is finished, I can head back to the basement and get back to work on the layout! Here’s a shot of the curve on the upper level. The trackage on the left side of the wall is Pinesul, and on the right will be Azouetta, the location of a short rock tunnel

I’ve continued along with the upper deck benchwork and track, and have reached the location of Kennedy. On the prototype, Kennedy was where the Mackenzie Sub (branch line ot Mackenzie BC) met the Chetwynd Sub. I’ve built a short passing siding, as well as 2 legs of a wye that will be non functional due to space limitations. The dead end legs of the wye will be hidden by scenery. I plan to have road freights set out and lift bulkhead flats of lumber at Kennedy, to represent traffic on the Mackenzie Sub

Overview:

South end of Kennedy with one leg of the dummy wye in the background

And since I really want to run a few trains, I started on the benchwork and the rough layout of Chetwynd

Yard lead on the south end of Chetwynd:

Next up will be to pull wire for the lower deck lighting, add backdrops to Chetwynd, and continue the benchwork for the yard.

Because it was nut sack sweat hot out today, I figured spending some quality time in the basement would be better than in a humid garage. Although summer in these parts is short (2 months of good weather sometimes) I just don’t like doing much outside when its 30 degrees C with no wind. A couple days ago I painted all the backdrop that I had installed on the layout with a base shade of blue. After spending lots of time masking track and working in very awkward positions, I decided there has to be a better way to do things. So, today I pre painted an 8 foot section of hardboard before installing it on the layout. Much easier! So here’s a shot of said piece after the second coat of paint, and an overview shot of the sections I painted before. The blue looks better in person than in the photos, and it made a big difference in brightening up the room!

That’s all I’ve done in the last month or so, been too busy landscaping our yard to do much modelling!

So here’s Pinesul explained a little more. The prototype location featured a sulphur load out where empty gons were loaded with bulk sulphur and shipped south to other markets.

Prototype from North end:

As built on layout from North end:

The loading structure which I plan on kitbashing from some Walthers kits (the Glacier Gravel kit comes to mind)

South end of Pinesul on the layout, the hoppers are spotted where the loading complex will be

Overview with the south switch Pinesul at the bottom of the image. The track where the hoppers are spotted will have a car puller (winch) that allowed the loading staff to pull empties through the loader.

Next up will be building the mainline to Kennedy!

Finally an update! I’ve been working nights for the past month, so there has been very little time spent on the layout. At this point I’ve got the roadbed and part of the track down for the Pinesul area, which will have a short siding and 2 stub ended tracks as per prototype.

Looking at the north end of Pinesul:

And a little farther down the line, at the south end:

I have also built one of the large curves on the upper level:

That 2X4 in the middle is a compromise. In order to provide stability for this section of benchwork without having legs running to the floor (which would be in the way of the lower deck) I had to attach that 2X4 to the roof joist. Now if I hadn’t have built my stud wall too short, this would have been much easier! I can hide the 2X4 with scenery later on, and I can live with it sitting by the mainline. Next up is track laying in Pinesul!