Two more test trains passing each other. I am rapidly concluding that my residual track issues, other than a few of the turnouts in the yard, are really issues of individual pieces of rolling stock. For example, note the blue tank car to the right, through the gap in the cardboard. That car, and a similar black one in front of it, are terrible de-railers at random intervals. The blue tank car is
ridiculously underweight, so even though it rolls fairly smoothly, it jumps the track at any opportunity. The black one (not visible) is less underweight but the wheels and trucks are in bad shape. Three more tank cars led by the steam engine precede it and all perform much much better, except that there's another white one that inexplicably wants to jump the track whenever it passes through the wye turnout leading to the coal mine spur on the right side of the layout. I'm hoping the new wheels will resolve a lot of these problems by being A) smoother B) heavier and C) putting the additional weight low.
My yard with a number of trains. Note the single bridge has changed from the previous picture. I decided to remove one pier girder and replace it with a second warren truss. Its an older grey one that is not the same as the black ones adjacent, but it sort of "steps down" in size and therefore doesn't look too bad. Eventually, I want to replace it and possibly the other pier girder section with black ones, similar to what Jerry did. The reason for this change was to smooth the track on the single bridge. It worked, but I need to stiffen it a little at the joints between the grey and black trusses (off to the right) and the joint between the pier girder and the grey warren truss.
Also, note the two cattle cars on the tiny spur up front. What to do with this spur is an ongoing debate:
1) maintenance-of-way depot. track repair cars, seen behind the steam locomotive, could stay here except I can fit only 2 of them and I really want at least 3, preferably 4 (crane, flatbed, gondola, and spotlight cars)
2) Engine depot. It's long enough for an engine and tender, or a diesel and caboose. Could be either fuel or water. the problem with this is that I would need to re-assign electrical block 12 from the coal spur to either this spur, or the lower portion of block 9 (from basically right below switch 8 over to where blocks 2, 3, and 9 come together would become 12. This isn't a huge issue as electrically isolating the coal spur has so far served little purpose, but it would mean some very delicate re-wiring.
3) Cattle depot. Primarily a scenery issue, and the reason the cattle cars are there right now. This spot, however, is very tight for scenery.
The next coat of plaster/paper towel. I am rapidly coming to realize that working on the inside of that concave is going to be... a challenge. Jerry, be warned!
The back side.
That's 3 applications of plaster to get this far. I'm almost through the first container. Jerry, if you use plaster I think you will find yourself hard-pressed to buy too much of it.
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