ROCK AND SNOW SHEDS

Continuing the tunnel and landform preparation, four of my ten tunnels had open gallery rock and snow sheds that extended from their portals.  Tunnel Ten had sheds on both ends.  My third post on tunnel preparation (https://espeecascades.blogspot.com/2017/11/tunnel-preparation-3-more-parts.html) showed a prototype photo of part of the shed at the RR-West end of Tunnel Five.  That post also showed my master for the shed portals.  The gallery rock and snow sheds were a signature feature of the Cascade Line.

I fabricated the open gallery side of the sheds using Evergreen styrene strip.  Experimenting for visual effect, I settled on using 5/16-inch square tubing for the posts.  This seemed to give those posts the right “heft.”  That choice settled the rest of the construction.  The top chord was fabricated from ¼-inch square strip with 0.060 x 0.250-inch strip added to the lower chord and 0.125 x 0.250-inch strip laminated to the upper chord for the desired overhang.  The 0.060-inch strip laminated to the ¼-inch square strip for the lower chord provided the width to match the post dimensions.  I assembled the gallery sections on top of copies of my sketch plan.  I added a strip of 0.010 x 0.250-inch to the bottom of the posts to help keep them in alignment and to resist breaking off from the upper chord.

The rest of the shed was fabricated from ¼-inch MDF (medium density fiberboard).  This material provides a smooth surface of the right thickness.  The rear walls were segmented for the two long sheds intended for curved track installation.  Similarly, the roofs were cut into segments with end angles to match the curve. 

Components for the shed at the RR-West end of Tunnel Five.  The plan view began as a track rubbing, helping to define the shed segments.

The walls and roofs were glued together with yellow carpenter glue.  Liquid Nails “Fuze*It” was used for the bonds between dissimilar materials (MDF, styrene, and plaster for the portal).  I learned the hard way to use “Fuze*It” with my plaster castings.  The bonds between plaster segments for the tunnels kept breaking with conventional Liquid Nails for Projects.

Shed Ten East Gallery fit test of assembled gallery.

Tunnel Ten gallery rock and snow sheds in place with the tunnel portals and liners.

Tunnel Nine and RR-East shed.

Shed 7-East.

Tunnel 5 and shed.

With the tunnel portals, liners and, now, shed galleries in place, I am almost ready to begin scenery land-forming.  A critical test for all of the new potential obstructions around the track will be the next operating session in early January.  The railroad is moving along!