Golden Valley Route


This is my second version of Golden Valley. This time I'm opting for the Fremo F96-profile.

Golden Valley is a typical small town in the western US. The time is the early 50's when passenger service was still running.
The station features a depot with a passenger platform and a freight house. Two industries can be seen in the background next to the industry spur.
My plan is to use Ties and turnouts from Central Valley

The first trackplan

track plan

A Revised trackplan

After some feedback from the model railroader forum a more prototypical plan can look like this.


...And yet another version

With Fremo modules of 50 * 100 cm (20" by 40"), I had to revise it a bit, again. This time the house track runs behind the depot.

The House Track

Where to place the (freight) house track?
The house track usually ran either in front of the depot or behind it.
In the drawings below, The 'outer' and the top spur switches are #6 and the ones connecting the house track are #5.
For faster drawing (couldn't find the items in the otherwise superb XtrkCad tool), the signals and structures seen in the other pictures have been omitted here.
Only the depot, freight house and platforms are shown.

House track running in front of the depot



The option of having the house track running in front of the depot gives the advantage of:
However, this version does require two more turnouts: the crossover separating the freight house from the depot.


House track running behind the depot

With the house track running behind the depot, one gets away with fewer turnouts.
But there is less room for platforms and it's a bit harder to add extra segments to the module later on.

I think I'm in favour of the first option...


Plywood base

I picked the version with the house track in front.
The first step before cutting plywood etc, was to create a 1:1 drawing of the track plan. Then I drew the track plan on the plywood and cut away excess plywood. I cut away as much as possible to keep to weight down.
On the picures one can see the CV-ties I've used. I try to stay with #6, but the house track uses #5s. This is a trade off between my desire to use #6 and the maximum length of 100cm (40") per segment of the module. #6 for the house track would've bumped it up to 120cm (48").
(The pictures are in reversed order compared to the plan above...)



Cork

Using regular white glue (carpenter's glue) the cork roadbed is now in place.
This time I took photos that match the orientation in trackplan above :).




The main track's road bed is regular 5mm cork, the siding and house track is 3mm and the industry spur uses 1,5mm cork.

Styrofoam base

As a base for my landscape I use 20mm regular white styrofoam.
This town module is basically flat, so I use white styrofoam only as a base for cork and later on I glue felt and sprinkle with ground foam (On more undulated lanscape, where carving is needed, I use pink/blue foam). I attach the foam using hot glue.

Fascia

The sides are covered with a 4mm plywood. I use the 4mm to keep the weight down.
So when I pick up the modules, I make sure it's by the ends...
I use white glue, a few nails and latex caulk to secure the fascia to the end plates and styrofoam.

Here I have beveled the fascia. The cork will also be beveled for a smooth transition between the landscape and the fascia.

Hobby Felt

Instead of using plaster cloth as I've done many times before, I have now tried using sand colored hobby felt. Less mess and no white shining through (you know the spots you always miss while painting the plaster cloth...)
I glue it using regular white carpenter's glue.
In the picture one can see the birth of a country/service road. I glued 1.5mm cork on top of the styrofoam. Then I spackled the top. Next step is sanding the spackle and painting it.
I'm Not sure if I want asphalt or dirt road yet...

Ground foam and ties

Asphalt road it is! After I sanded the spackle, I painted it PS grimy black. I will weather it later on...
Ground foam (dried grassland mix) has been applied and secured and some ties (Central Valley) has been glued in place. The turnouts, a #6 and a #5, got a pre paint job (PS tie brown). I used mainline ties and siding ties from cvmw.
Now I will repeat this process on the other two segments...