Model Railroading > 66 car BNSF grain train in the canyon

Just a few pics to share of a 66 car grain working its way up the 1.85% grade through the Canyon section of the train club's under construction upper level. Three motors up front, and a pair of DPU's 48 hoppers back. Soon to be supplemented with a dozen Gunderson grain hoppers from ScaleTrains!


Just a few short weeks ago, this was all exposed blue foam work. Now covered with a healthy layer of plaster cloth, almost ready for color.

see... https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?3,4490800

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One more pic to share. Up hill, around the next big curve and through the tunnels near the summit of the layout. Still just exposed foam-work here, but we're anticipating this area will become a popular spot with the addition of plaster and additional scenery in the coming weeks.

~ Mr. MRL

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How deep is that scene in the second photo? The S-Curves are nicely accentuated in the shot without the track coming too close to the front of the layout or running along the backdrop. This is one part of layout planning I've struggled with from a CAD standpoint, in that I want to convey curvature like that, but the program isn't giving me a good idea if I'm achieving the effect I want without getting close to the backdrop or front of layout.

What's the blue tinting from/for?

nydepot Wrote:
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> What's the blue tinting from/for?


The foam they used.

zwsplac Wrote:
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> How deep is that scene in the second photo? The
> S-Curves are nicely accentuated in the shot
> without the track coming too close to the front of
> the layout or running along the backdrop. ...



I unfortunately don't know the exact dimensions off hand, but the aisle is roughly 24-25 feet long, with the layout deck probably extending closer to 27 feet to the backdrop behind the curve. The winding S curves seen throughout the upper level were purposely designed to be very broad between 48-60" radius. Those broad curves present opportunities for telephoto shots like the one seen above. We wanted there to be spaces to appreciate long 50+ car freight trains in a more natural environment with out things appearing overly compressed.

Mr. MRL

Actually, the dimension I'm curious about is from front of layout to backdrop. Looks like 24-30"?

MrMRL Wrote:
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>
> I unfortunately don't know the exact dimensions
> off hand, but the aisle is roughly 24-25 feet
> long, with the layout deck probably extending
> closer to 27 feet to the backdrop behind the
> curve. The winding S curves seen throughout the
> upper level were purposely designed to be very
> broad between 48-60" radius. Those broad curves
> present opportunities for telephoto shots like the
> one seen above. We wanted there to be spaces to
> appreciate long 50+ car freight trains in a more
> natural environment with out things appearing
> overly compressed.
>
> Mr. MRL

Nice work, Robby!
TC

Outstanding Robbie.Got some Scale Trains Belle hoppers on the way myself.They shipped late last week,should see em here in Australia any day now.
Regards,DK

zwsplac Wrote:
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> Actually, the dimension I'm curious about is from
> front of layout to backdrop. Looks like 24-30"?
>
 Approximately 30"

zwsplac Wrote:
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> Actually, the dimension I'm curious about is from
> front of layout to backdrop. Looks like 24-30"?
>


Ok, standing in the aisle now, tape measure in one hand, iphone in the other... As member atsf5704 mentioned, the depth of those long upper level scenes on both sides of the aisle from the white backdrop out is 28.75”, 29.5” if you include the 3/4” pine facia. The depth of the scene at the far end of the aisle where the double siding horseshoe curve is, is 40” from backdrop to the outside of the facia.

In pic 3 above, the length of the aisle measured from the far right corner of the facia to the near corner (where the creek bed cuts through) is 25’ 2”. So adding in the depth of the far curve, the entire right hand scene is 28’ 6” long.

A couple final layout measurements... The width of the scene at the single track horseshoe curve (half white/half blue at the moment) is 9’ 6”. The depth at this large curve is 36” from the peak of the blue mountain to the edge of the facia.

Track curve measurements... The far horseshoe curve has a center track (mainline) radius of 42”, the closer single track horseshoe curve is 50”. The left and right bends seen in the telephoto shot are somewhere in the 56-64” range, we don’t have any easy means of measuring those bends accurately, our radius measuring devices max out at 52”. The closest those serpentine bends get to the backdrop is 5”, closest point to the facia is 7.5”.

Mr. MRL

The design team for the layout and particularly a majority of the upper level took inspiration from the Free-mo standard of module building by keeping much of the track toward the center of the layout deck. This gives the opportunity for both foreground and background scenery and details to surround the action along the rails.

Mr. MRL

Thanks for measuring that. Really helps give me some ideas on how to potentially model something like that.

Very impressive!

Wow,66 grain cars, must have cost a bundle

Love the train Robby, saw one of those in Utah Friday, but without the DPU's. Probably because its was empty.

Nathan

WAF Wrote:
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> Wow,66 grain cars, must have cost a bundle


Not so much, considering it has been growing since Athearn first announced their original runs of Genesis 5161 cf 10 and 12 panel (12 packs) back in the mid 2000s. This train has really only grown on average about 5-10 hoppers a year. So $150-$250/ year? That’s just one DCC equipped locomotive purchase less a year. Heck, over the last several years I’ve successfully resold some 15-20 of the older “circle-cross” BNSF hoppers on eBay for $30-$35 a pop as the newer “Swoosh” series came online. All the newer BNSF heritage series hoppers were paid for just from selling off the excess older Genesis models.

It may be worth a bundle, but the overall cost has yet to become detrimental.

Mr. MRL

DynamicBrake Wrote:
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>
> Robbie,
> I was wondering if you know approximately when
> and who, whether individual or club, was the first
> to start using blue foam for scenery. Your club
> has produced great looking results. I love that
> second shot BTW.
>
> Kent in CArmel Valley


Kent, I wish I could provide you with an accurate response to that question, but I honestly don't know the full answer. I can say that back in 2012-14 during the initial upper level design phases, my club was greatly influenced on the decision to utilize the blue foam method for scenery construction based on our observations from other area model railroad groups. Namely the La Mesa Model Railroad Club in San Diego, and the various Free-mo module groups throughout Southern California. Both the La Mesa and Free-mo teams have been successfully using the lightweight yet extremely durable foam method since the early 2000s as far as I can tell. Now were they the first? Or did they also pick up the idea from earlier users of the method? That is beyond the scope of my understanding, but a safe bet is that the blue insulation foam board has been used in this hobby for scenery applications at least 15-20 years now.

(PS Kent, your PM mailbox is full and is not accepting any more private messages...)


~ Robby F.

> this hobby for scenery applications at least 15-20
> years now.

Much longer. I first used blue foam - Styrofoam(TM) - in 1978. I'm not at all likely to have tried a material that hadn't been around for a while.

Here is a YOUtube Video of my KCS grain train with 60 cars.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Uye5WOkQoY


Mike