What's New on the PRR Panhandle 2.0?

[G3750]

Updated 8/9/2018 (AM):

The shellacking is DONE!!!!!!

And I never would have gotten it done so fast without the wife's assistance.

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As soon as these dry, we will remove the backdrops from the wall, store them in the workshop, and then prepare the walls for hanging the backdrop. I've also got to fill, sand, and smooth the masonite divider wall.

George

[G3750]

Updated 8/9/2018 (PM):

Didn't get to everything I wanted to do today, but I did:

• Move all the newly shellacked wood into the workshop.
  

  

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• Cleaned up the area in preparation for major work next week.
  

  

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• Laid out parts of the backdrop on the floor so that they can uncurl.
  

  

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George

[G3750]

Updated 8/10/2018:

Not a whole lot of forward progress today, but I did manage to spend some time fine-tuning the bench work design for the Steubenville area. It was too humid (we had lots of humidity and rain today) to seal the walls. That will probably happen tomorrow. I did manage to take down all the backdrop sections and store them in the workshop. Then I moved a number of train bins under the Staging Area tables to get them out of the way.

Here's the train room at the moment.

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George

[G3750]

Updated 8/11/2018:

I got the layout room walls sealed with Zinsser Peel Stop, which I had to buy on-line (store didn't carry it). They make you buy 4 cans of the stuff; I barely used half a can. The other 3 cans are going on Craig's List.

It will probably be the same deal for the wallpaper adhesive. Anyway, it's done.

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It will probably take a few hours to fully dry. If there are missed spots, I will re-coat it.

George

[G3750]

Updated 8/11/2018 (PM):

I decided to start work on the Stone Arch at the eastern (WV) side of the bridge. The prototype arch was definitely part of the 2nd bridge on the site and might even have been constructed for the first bridge over the Ohio at this spot.

I'm thinking of covering the western face of the arch with 1:12 stone blocks (printed paper) from the Brickyard program (set printer to vivid, landscape, best). The paper will go inside the rectangle of the bridge. It seems to match up pretty well with the Chooch #8264 Large Cut Stone Wall sections I'm using to cover the arch.

I turned the stone arch on its end (western face up) and test fit the spacer block, pedestals, bridge feet, and 15” plain (no nipple) bridge section. To make the track on the bridge section level with the stone arch, I will use ¼” Vinylbed roadbed on the arch. The track east of the arch will use 3/8” Vinylbed roadbed.

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I used orange paint on the end of a toothpick to mark the holes in stone arch where the bridge section will mate up with it. We will need wood screws with a flathead (Phillips) about 1” long. GarGraves track screws of that length might work very well – we’ll test fit them.

I glued the spacer to the base of the Stone Arch's western side.

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George

[G3750]

Updated 8/11/2018 (Late Night Edition):

The first backdrop is up (and we're still married!!! )!!!!

Actually, my wife is just awesome at hanging backdrops (no, she is not for hire).

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George

[G3750]

Updated 8/12/2018:

Backdrop installation continues. Steubenville (Panel 1) was installed last night. This afternoon, we have installed Panels 2A and 2B (Hills on the Ohio side of the river).

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We forgot to apply Peel Stop wall primer to the area that will hold Panel 3 Bottom (the river itself), so we did that and are now waiting for it to dry.

George

[G3750]

Updated 8/12/2018 (PM):

More backdrop sections were installed today - the Ohio River itself and the sky above it.

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I also worked on the stone arch some more. Here are some shots of the arch interior getting its stone lining.

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George

[rogruth]

George,
I may yet get to see this layout. Looking forward to that event.
Right now I don't have any life threatening problems but I am now older than any male in my father and mother families.
I still got a few years to catch the female members. But who knows. I do have a vision threatening problem.

[G3750]

George,
I may yet get to see this layout. Looking forward to that event.
Right now I don't have any life threatening problems but I am now older than any male in my father and mother families.
I still got a few years to catch the female members. But who knows. I do have a vision threatening problem.

Roger,

Being retired means that I actually have time to work on the layout. It's not the like the first one, which was built in 30 minute slices using dubious short-cuts. I am working at it and trying hard not to cut corners.

I really do anticipate having the backdrops fully installed before the end of August. A friend is coming by this week to help with the bench work. I expect to get a lot done. With some good fortune, we could be looking at completed bench work just before Fall York.

George

[Rufus T. Firefly]

The first backdrop is up (and we're still married!!! )!!!!

A cause for celebration!!

Mine just comes in and tells me I should do better, that's crooked, and that part is in the wrong place......after it's glued into place.

[rogruth]

The first backdrop is up (and we're still married!!! )!!!!

A cause for celebration!!

Mine just comes in and tells me I should do better, that's crooked, and that part is in the wrong place......after it's glued into place.

At least she comes in. Mine only comes in when she wants somebody to see it.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

The first backdrop is up (and we're still married!!! )!!!!

A cause for celebration!!

Mine just comes in and tells me I should do better, that's crooked, and that part is in the wrong place......after it's glued into place.

At least she comes in. Mine only comes in when she wants somebody to see it.

Actually, I quite value her eye and opinions. Her orthogonal view can be very constructive.

[G3750]

Updated 8/13/2018:

We installed the final backdrops on the long wall of the train room.

For the Ohio River backdrop (2 pieces - 1 top & 1 bottom) we needed a level line higher than the 50" bench work height marker. That's why the laser level (on the tripod) is sitting on a table.

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This photo shows both the top and the bottom of the Ohio River panel in place.

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Here's the West Virginia side (panels 4A & 4B).

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Finally, the troublesome panel 4C was installed and then trimmed to fit the space. That worked!

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The divider between the Staging Area and remainder of the layout was then prepared by spackling and then sanding.

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We're done for the night.

George

[rogruth]

Great work, George.
I hope it all goes as well as this part has.