- soldered feeders to all rail pieces, joined/added connector
- added all remaining details
- filled gaps with baking soda/ACC
- spray painted primer brown
- installed wye ties and wye, with PC board ties for alignment
- cut/fit straight section over uncoupler
- drilled holes for track wires, fed them through
Panel work, to allow the barge extension turnouts to be controlled from "internal" and "external" locations:
- cut/marked two switch panels, two uncoupler panels, and a UP5 panel
- mounted switches/LEDs in switch panels, added terminal strips, wired
- connected the two panels with CAT3 cable, mounted to layout, tested all good
- wired turnouts 1 and 2; control and frog polarity control
- drilled out/added "external" UP5, connected to Loconet
Arduino Electro-magnetic Uncoupler Controller work:
- installed development environment on newer DELL3910 computer
- updated the control program to control two uncouplers
- modified original circuit, built new circuit, tested
- Updated two Kadee 307 uncouplers to 309 for better delayed action
(barge extension and north main outside track)
Barge extension Sea walls:
- cut foam core backer, sprayed black
- added vertical slats, horizontal beams, and poles, all stained with India ink wash
Float Ramp work:
- painted the bridge, assembled, weathered
- weathered the dock, added pins to retain the locking bars
- Painted the rails up to the dock extension and the rails to the dock
- installed the bridge on the float ramp, hooked up light wiring
More Barge Extension work:
- painted "water", added two layers of Mod Podge
- painted two panels of backdrop, installed over the room window
- lubed the ramp turnout assembly
- added barge alignment cleats
- weathered the barge
- updated switch panel legends with color and barge tracks
- ballasted barge tracks on the main layout
- painted "brewery" flat
- made back panel, floor
- searched/editted/printed interior views
- built and installed LED lighting
- cut, stained, built loading dock
- added interior figures
- built / primed / painted SS Ltd. rooftop water tank
- added "Old Frothingslosh" signage
- installed on base, added ground cover
Miscellany:
- ballasted more east yard track, north yard feed
- added Blair Line wood crossing to the outside and inside north uncoupling ramps
- built and installed five north main line dwarf signals
- built fencing for east yard, installed
Weathered the barge by "sponging" on a grimy black craft acrylic paint (I think it's called "Pavement").
Painted the masonite base with a 50/50 mix of cerulean blue and dark green, the brushed on a coat of "Mod Podge" gloss.
The sea walls are glued in place and temporarily screwed until the glue dries.
The window behind is blocked with some foam-core signage.
Wiring all installed; two Tortoise switch machines, an electro-magnetic uncoupling ramp, and various terminal strips and connectors (the white one is the umbilical to the main layout).
Lots here:
- the bridge is installed on the float
- a backdrop was painted and installed
- a second layer of Mod Podge was "dabbed" on with my finger, to get waves and avoid brush strokes
- the temporary screws are removed from the sea walls
From a different angle:
Looking down the barge tracks:
Finished and installed:
- "sponge" painted (over the gray primer) with an off-white craft acrylic
- a SS Ltd. water tank was added to the roof
- a foam-core back was installed, with printed interior images attached
- The loading dock was scratch-built to reach the track
- Note: the ground cover is not yet completed between the structure base and the track
Here you can better see the interior work.
The signage was printed from internet images, framed with scale 1x2" lumber.
The building was weathered with India ink washes.
The interior is fully lit; this exposure makes the lights look too bright, they look fine in person. The backdrop lighting is from a desk lamp in the room - oops.
The yard feeder track and all turnouts were ballasted.
The gap between the tracks and retaining wall are needed to be able to remove the whole section for access to the hidden track behind...but...
A removable fence was constructed to hide the gap, especially when some foliage is added behind the fence.
There are music wire posts that go into holes in the sandply that hold the fence up.
This is a foam-core jig I used to build the fencing in 10" lengths. I used my "Chopper" to cut coffee stir sticks to various lengths, stuck them to the painter's tape, and then glued on the 1/16" square laterals and simulated posts.
A total of 37" of fence was built.
Here's the view from track level.
The story is that the fence is there to keep falling rocks off the tracks.
Dwarf turnout indicators installed, along with turnout throw-bar cribbing.
The yard lead also got a dwarf.
