(Note: Clicking on links in this post will bring up photos in a new window.)

Hi. I'm Joe Ellis, and I'm an N scale Model Railroader... among other things. I'm also a husband and father, singer, musician and composer, fly fisher and fly tier, webmaster for Dayton N-Track... well, you get the idea.

On July 4th, 2006, I celebrated by "breaking ground" for the second version of the BARR. This new version will be much bigger than the last, and features several new wrinkles in the construction.

The original BARR was built on two hollow core doors in an "L" shape. The short leg of the "L" had a small yard that served as both ends of the line when operating. The larger part of the layout was a simple single track folded loop with "towns" indicated by a single industry. While designed with operations in mind, the layout could also be run continuously for pure viewing pleasure.

The new iteration of the BARR also features the possibility of continuous running, but that's where the similarity ends. From the ground up, things are bigger, better, and just plain different.

Overview

Layout Design:

The new BARR is an 'around the wall' layout design, with a center penninsula. It is also multi-level, giving a one-way mainline run of more than five scale miles over the run. The layout travels from the starting yard around three walls, dropping constantly, then turns and goes back to the center penninsula out and back, and then down back to the first wall, still dropping, and finally back along to the third wall, making a large 3D letter "E". This allows a long run with minimum grades and no helix, while still allowing space between levels so the tracks are visible.

Construction:

The BARR uses the fairly new method of steel stud and foam construction that I have tried on several lightweight modules. This gives rigid but very light weight benchwork for the layout, and it is fairly simple to construct in place. Initial runs of the studs were simply screwed into the walls, and the structure built outward from there. Maximum benchwork width is only three feet, at the balloons where the line doubles back at the endpoints and on the center penninsula. The few required legs on the layout are 1x2s attached to the steel framework.

Scenery:

No plaster will be used in the scenery. Using techniques I've developed building several modules, rockwork will be simply carved into the foam. Landforms will be shaped with a variety of tools, including Surform rasps, Dremels with wire brush and abrasive stones, and sandpaper. Lightweight spackling will be used to smooth and fill shapes. The ground will be painted with acrylic paints, and covered with a variety of ground foam products.

Track:

Atlas Code 55 track will be used throughout for the mainline freight trackage. Minimum turnout is #10 for crossovers and mainline, #7 for the freight yards, and #5 for industrial trackage. Wye turnouts are #3.5 and #2.5 to match the others.

I am considering using MicroEngineering Code 55 concrete rail track for a proposed high-speed commuter line that will be separate from the freight lines.

Control system:

The BARR uses the Digitrax DCC system with radio and hardwired throttles.

Locos and Rolling Stock:

BARR locomotives and rolling stock are custom painted and decaled, using decals made from my artwork by After Hours Graphics of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Posted by barr_ceo at 02:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I was recently asked the following question on one of the mailing lists to which I subscribe:

> I need some info on what I need to cut foam. What's the best tool for
> this, and where do I get it?

This led to a long and rambling answer about tools and techniques I've developed over time, working with one inch and thicker foam board insulation as both the base board and the main scenery component for model railroad construction. This is (I hope!) a bit more refined response, going into a little more detail and including some photos. (Well, I'll add the photos of the tools soon - running out of time right now!)

Anyway, into the breach...

I've been doing a LOT of foam construction lately... both on N-Track and BendTrack modules, and on my new permanent layout.

Some of the tools I use, and their applications:

For long, straight cuts down the middle of a piece (for instance, cutting a 4x8 foot piece into two 2x8 foot pieces) I use a fine hacksaw blade, 24-32 teeth per inch and about 10-12 inches long. Not a hacksaw, JUST the blade. Hold it to cut on the draw rather than the push. Don't try to work it too fast. It'll make SOME "foam dust", but it isn't excessive. Keep a shop vac handy for periodic cleanup as you go... and put a bag INSIDE the shop vac to make cleaning IT out easier. (Don't ask...) You can wrap some duct tape around one end of the blade to make it a little easier on your hand (though if it feels like it's cutting your hand, you're holding it too tight) and remind you which end to hold. Why shouldn't you use a knife? Foam is VERY hard on a blade, and they dull quickly. Single edge razor blades aren't _quite_ long enough to cut one inch thick foam, and utility knives are both too short AND too thick, which gives too much resistance when cutting.

For _small_ shapes, the hot wire cutter from Woodland Scenics works well and leaves NO foam dust. Very easy to clean up after. If money is no object, you CAN build a LARGE hot wire foam cutter for large shapes yourself (the nichrome wire should be available anywhere that supplies the RC Airplane hobby), but it's not generally worth the time and effort - we're not making wing cores for RC planes. IMHO, the cheap battery powered cutters from the craft stores are a waste of money (too small and constantly replacing batteries), and the "hot knife" unit you see advertised in the hobby magazines is awfully expensive for what it does... though it DOES use heavier wire that will hold a shape - you can cut roadbed and ditches in a single pass.

For forming hills and such, use a small Surform tool (they look like a cheese grater). It makes a LOT of foam dust, so keep that vac handy! Sometimes I'll even do the shaping with one hand with the vac running, hose in the other. Get the Surform tools from your hardware store.

Cut roadside or trackside ditches with a large round or V shaped stone (or a sanding drum held at an angle) in a Dremel, guiding off the roadbed.

For sedimentary rock, use a wire brush in the foam - fast and simple. For igneous rock, a square-tipped Xacto chisel blade (I don't recall the number) works well. Push in and twist, snapping out chunks.

(I'm not using ANY plaster anymore - just shaping the rock right into the foam.)

To smooth or build up surfaces, use lightweight spackling from Lowes or Home Depot. (For example, DAP Gallon Fast 'N Final Lightweight Spackling, Item #: 41404 on the lowes.com web site.) It's the same thing Woodland Scenics sells in quart containers at four times the price. I buy a gallon at a time.

With the foamboard, I use LOW TEMPERATURE hot glue to assemble the pieces. Keep the size of the pieces manageable so the glue doesn't harden before you get it all on and have a chance to press it into place. I also use the hot glue gun for laying roadbed... it goes FAST!

Be sure to peel the plastic vapor barrier off the foam before putting it down or assembling pieces. It can be peeled off the entire 4x8 sheet if you start in a corner. If you don't peel it, you'll get very noticeable join lines in the finished scenery that are difficult to eliminate.

I don't trust glue or adhesives to attach the foam to the framework. I had the top of one of my first BendTrack modules (Foam attached to the wood frame only with adhesive) come off! I use 1 1/2" deck screws (into wood) or self-drilling sheet metal screws (into steel studs) to attach 1" foam. Put the screw through a 1 inch or larger fender washer before putting it through the foam into the frame. Pull the screw down tightly enough that it pulls the washer into the foam about 1/4", and fill the hole with the lightweight spackling laid on with a putty knife.

Some folks tout construction adhesives like "Liquid Nails For Projects" for working with foam. Be very careful with such stuff. Regular construction adhesives will eat the foam! Be SURE the product you get is "foam safe".

I don't like adhesives for several reasons. I don't trust them (see above) and they take too long to dry to where you can work with the material. Some, like Elmer's glue, are foam safe... but can literally take MONTHS to dry in the middle of a large area. My build time is limited, so I'd rather assemble the parts with the hot melt glue, wait a moment or two, then go to work shaping the scenery. The hot glue gun makes my use of available time MUCH more efficient!

Here's a sample of rock work done directly into foam:

The strata were done with a wire brush and nylon cone brush in a Dremel tool. The result was painted with acrylic crafter's paints, starting with a thinned black and then drybrushing two or three progressively lighter colors over it, ending with a very light drybrushing of white.

The water is the Woodland Scenics "Realistic Water" and "Water Effects". A word of warning: If you use this over foam you MUST completely seal the surface of the foam (Spackling works well!). It WILL bubble out on you, making your beautifully finished water look like a bubble bath, and it might not show up for a couple of weeks!

Posted by barr_ceo at 05:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... so far...

While I originally wrote this to give the details about building steel-framed modules for N-Track or BendTrack, and the photos illustrate construction of modules, the techniques are equally applicable for building more permanent layouts.

There's been a lot of strained backs over the years hauling modules from one place to another and setting them up, cussing and discussing their weight and awkwardness. When extruded insulation foam came on the scene, we had a material that was rigid enough for the deck of a module, not susceptible to warping, shrinking, or swelling with changes in humidity, and extraordinarily light weight... but it wasn't durable enough to frame the whole module, and clamping it - well, it just wouldn't work.

However, some modelers have been experimenting with foam in conjunction with other materials. A wood frame with a foam top does make a lighter module, but not much lighter. What was needed was a lighter framing material that could be used with foam and didn't require a completely new workshop to deal with.

Enter the steel stud and track system.

Steel studs and tracks have been used for quite some time now in commercial construction, particularly in interior walls in retail and office construction. It's an inexpensive material, easy to work with, and you don't have to look through two dozen pieces to find one that isn't warped. Even better, for our purposes, it comes in a standard ten foot length. The implications for a POFF (Plain Old Four Foot) module are clear: Two snips, and a cut of a two foot piece off of another 10 foot piece, and you have your frame.

There is, according to the industry, a difference between steel stud and steel track. In the FAQ at www.steel.org, they say: "Recently, the steel stud industry has standardized steel studs and joists (channel sections with lips) and tracks sections (channel sections without lips). " What we want to use is actually a track section, without lips or holes. Appropriate, isn't it?

I've found two different sizes of steel stud and track at both Lowes and Home Depot. One replaces a 2x4, the other a 2x3. For most purposes, the 2x4 sized track is the one you want. The 2x3 is useful for some bracing applications.

The completed bare module is extremely light weight - only eleven pounds as shown in these photos (without a sky board, track, or wiring). When I was showing it to other members of Dayton N-Track at a recent show, I raised it up in one hand over my head and held it there.

One other advantage of this system - anything you want to attach to the module frame, from skirts to cup hooks to signage, can be temporarily attached with magnets!

Tools needed:

Tin snips for straight cuts.

A brief explanation for those that have never done any sheet metal work before. There are three kinds of tin snips: Those that are made to cut straight lines, those made to cut left hand curves, and those made to cut right hand curves. We won't be cutting curves. Each of these three kinds are made for left handed or right handed use. If you are left handed, get a pair of left-handed tin snips. You'll pay a little more for them, but it's worth it.

1/8 inch drills

You'll go through a bunch of them. It's easy to break a drill in sheet metal, easier than you'd think.

Blind rivet tool and rivets

Blind or 'pop' rivets are ideal for quick assembly of sheet metal, and have the advantage of a smooth low-profile head on the outside surface. It's cheaper to buy them by the box of 100.

Wood Screws (flat head) or Sheet Metal Screws (pan head), #6 or 8, 1/2 to 3/4 inch long

Wood screws are preferred, for attaching the wood blocks to the sheet metal. However, low profile sheet metal screws can also be used. Hinges usually come with their own wood screws.

Pliers

Hammer

Hacksaw

but not for the reason you're probably thinking...

Below are some detail photos from a 2x4 foot module built using steel track/stud.

This is a typical "folded" corner on a steel frame module. You just snip the top and bottom edge of each section where you want to make the bend. Put a piece of a 1x4 or 2x4 inside the piece when you bend it to get a sharper corner. A couple of taps with a hammer at the corner (against the wood inside) will make the corner bend sharper. On a 2x4 foot module, you can make the front, one end, and the back from a single 10 foot steel track without having to cut anything but the top and bottom edges. The rivet shown in the corner is put in the flanges, both top and bottom. It adds rigidity and "locks" the angle in place.

This is a typical "cut" corner on a steel frame module. The end frame member is cut 2 inches longer than the width of the module. Cut one inch of the top and bottom edge off each end of the module frame end piece. Fold the 1 inch piece of web 90 degrees in and rivet it to the inside of the web of the other piece. Now you have a complete 2x4 foot outer frame, but it's pretty wobbly. That's why you DON'T DO THAT YET! The foam is actually part of the structure of the module, and adds quite a bit to its rigidity. So, BEFORE you put the end piece on, cut your 2x4 foot piece of foam (I usually cut it about 1/4 to 3/8 inch undersized, but no more than that) and slide it INSIDE the steel frame - THEN rivet your end piece in! Here's where your hacksaw blade comes in - it's an excellent way to cut the foam without making a huge mess. Just remove it from the frame of the hacksaw and gently saw your way through the foam. A Sharpie marker works well to draw lines on the foam for guidance.

This photo of the underside of the module shows how you keep the foam in and attach the legs. Using a 2x4 steel track and 1 inch foam, a wood 1x3 is perfectly sized to press the foam up against the top edge of the track, attach the legs, and provide a section to clamp to at the ends. Since the steel flange is deeper than the 1x3, I simply bent it over and hammered it down against the wood on the ends. There are small blocks of the same size wood held in place with wood screws that serve to brace the foam up on the long sides of the modules. (For those of you who are very observant, yes, the photo has been turned upside down. I shot it top down on the floor to get better lighting.)

Here, with the 1x2 legs folded up, you can see how they are mounted on the wooden end plates. I mounted the hinge to the leg first, then laid the leg in place on the foam with the module upside down, and attached the hinge to the end plate. The hinge was cut off with a Dremel and a heavy duty cutoff wheel. You could also use a "T" type hinge for this application and avoid having to cut it off. The legs are 1x2s, and are more than rigid enough to keep the module stable. When this module is set up and the braces are installed, it's one of the most stable modules I've seen.

To mount the leg adjusting bolts, I drilled a short piece of 2x2 lengthwise (use a drill press if you have access to one) and installed a threaded brass insert, then screwed the entire thing to the 1x2 leg. I prefer the brass inserts because they don't have the "falling out" problems of the usual T-nuts. They are a little more expensive, but are much more reliable.

Here you can see the center brace under the module, made from a smaller (2x3) steel track. Once again, the piece is cut 2 inches longer than the width of the module. You can see how the end is "opened" and bent at right angles to provide a mounting flange, then riveted to the inside of the long side of the frame. You can also see the spacer block that pushes the foam up against the top of the steel track. There is a block attached inside the brace on each side that provides a mounting point for the latch hooks that lock the legs up for transport. The brace for the paired legs is also shown. The braces are held in place with a small hinge with the pin removed, and replaced with a "hitch pin" of the appropriate size. One side of the hinge is riveted to the steel center brace, the other end is screwed to the wooden diagonal brace. The other end of the wooden brace attaches in a similar manner to the cross piece connecting the legs.

This closeup shows the hitch pin being installed, and the mounting of the hinge to the steel frame brace and the wooden diagonal brace. The hitch pin replaces the removable hinge pin.

This closeup of the center brace shows the mounting of the brace to the main frame, and the wood block with the latch hook for holding the legs in the stored position. You can also see where the sides of the steel track brace have been cut even with the end of the wood block, and the sides between the block and the side of the frame hammered down to provide clearance for the legs to fold flat. From the standpoint of the foam top, this steel center brace is not really necessary. However, it provides a needed mounting point for the leg braces. When you paint your frame, remember that most paints suitable for metals will eat foam for breakfast. Mask off the foam before painting! Of course, with this material you don't need to paint it to seal it, so you can paint only the outside surfaces.

Posted by barr_ceo at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I had some requests for more information on the steel framing of modules, so I did a drawing to better illustrate how they go together - in particular, how the legs connect with the braces. Click on the picture to open a larger version in a new window.

This should make things a bit clearer, giving a better idea of how the various parts relate to each other.

Next to come: I've started getting some things together on the permanent layout, with some basic scenery going in where the tunnel and bridge will be, and pinning down some roadbed for track planning. I've started picking up flextrack and roadbed, too... a bit every time I get to the hobby shop. I won't start laying rail for a while yet, but expect it to go quickly when I do.

I've got a train show with Dayton N-Track coming up this next weekend in Greenville, Ohio, so should be able to get some pics of layout progress ready after that.

Posted by barr_ceo at 02:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I took some time off working on the permanent layout to do some things on my Huffman Prairie N-Track module in preparation for the NMRA Division III show coming up on the first weekend in November. The module represents the area near Dayton, Ohio, where the Wright Brothers learned to actually control their aircraft in 1905. It was right on the local interurban line, so the fit with N-Track was a natural.

The field was boarded by two roads, and roads demand traffic to give them a reason to exist. I had a couple of bicycles (also a natural when the Wrights are involved!) and a horse-drawn lumber wagon... but automobiles were beginning to make their appearance in 1905, so I wanted one.. but automobiles of that era are difficult to find. Thanks to MicronArt, I was finally able to find one - a 1904 Oldsmobile runabout! By happy accident, it's also the car that was in one of the display cars of the American Freedom Train back in 1976, which my wife is wanting to re-create in N scale.

I had never assembled an etched brass kit of any kind before, and the Oldsmobile is rated as a "Craftsman" kit... but I never let something like that stop me before. I'm always jumping in at the deep end. So, I got out my tools, CA glue (and my Optivisor!) and got to work. A few hours later, I had finished the first of the two cars in the kit. I was absolutely stunned at the tiny parts included in this kit and the quality of the etching. It's really a shame this little gem "has" to be black - it hides much of the gorgeous detail, such as the quilted upholstry of the seat!

The photos below show the Olds on the module (though I haven't fastened it down yet, so the position will probably change...) and the hangar, catapult, and Wright Flyer. The aircraft is animated, orbiting the field in a rough oval and banking into the turns as it circles over the trees and cattle at about 40 feet - a scale altitude for the aircraft.

Huffman Prairie is under the administration of the National Park Service, and is on the grounds of Wright Patterson Air Force Base. I visited it several times while I was constructing this module, walking the same ground that the Wrights did and the flight path around the prairie.

Posted by barr_ceo at 06:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)