Golden Valley Route

My First Module

This was the first module I built. Inspired by Pelle Søeborg's Daneville and Donner River featured in Model Railroader in 2005, I began work! One of many lessons is that wood is pretty sturdy, one doesn't have to use thick plywood everywhere...

The result:

The journey

My first module, built in the fall of 2006, was a 72cm by 28cm straight section with a bridge. I used 9mm plywood for the frame and 22mm under the track. On this module I used Märklins c-track (it's code 90).
The kit

End profiles

The sides are defined in a specification (guidelines). 12 mm holes spaced 5cm from bottom, 10 cm apart. in the center another hole 12 cm from bottom. The top 'cut out' is for the 22mm plywood carrying the rail (22mm * 60 mm). The bottom is for cables/wires. It is 30 * 60 mm.

Plywood Assembled

Plywood glued, screwed and spiked together

The Girder Plate Bridge

Making room for an Atlas girder plate bridge

Trial fitting the bridge

Bridge Abutments

Since I had no abutments laying around. Me and Evergreen took care of it.
Glued together:

It seems to fit, time to add the good ole' Humbrol Filler

Landscape Contours

Creating the base for the landscape using pink foam. Here glued with latex and drying under clamp pressure

newspaper in place, We're ready for the next step...

Plaster Cloth



Slots cut out to fit the bridge abutments. Didn't turn out too bad...

Rock Faces

Rock faces attached using WS hydrocal

I use aluminum foil between the rocks to make the oozing hydrocal look more like the rocks

Woodland scenics 'Earth Color Kit'


I've used burnt umber, raw umber, stone gray and slate gray.

Ground Foam

Plastercloth painted with a brown latex paint

While the paint is still wet, I sprinkle some ground foam (WS, blended earth)


Tallus

Tallus added (WS fine brown and coarse buff)

The tallus etc is SOAKED with a mixture of white glue, water and rubbing alcohol.

Abutments glued in place using latex. Bridge test fitted (to be painted...)

Bridge abutments, again

The gaps around the bridge support has been fixed with putty


the putty was then painted with the same brown latex paint and sprinkled with earth blend ground foam



Ballasting

Here is a thread about Weathering c-track
The bridge has been prepared for pre-ballast paiting:

Spreading white glue

Ballast in place. Glue to come (hopefully it will look about the same when I'm done...)

The UP ALCO was very eager to check out the new tracks

Weathering the track

Some weathering of the tracks and the ballast. In order to make the main line look like it's busy, I've given the rails some dirt. Using a brush I first added a wash of PS earth diluted with 5 parts water. Then some PS grimy black diluted with 10 part water and finally on the outside a wash of PS rust 1 to 5.





Trees

I used WS Fine-leaf Foliage and Pine trees. In all it took me about 20-30 hrs from start to finish
Finally a few pics with my Mikado possing on the module
More pictures here!