Continuing to fill in the terrain around Salt Creek Canyon, the next major element was the ridge penetrated by Tunnel 12. On my railroad, this is the first major tunnel RR-West of the Salt Creek Trestle and the first of two located high on the wall opposite Wicopee and the turn-back lobe formed by the trestle. This is a large ridge, helping to fill the large space created by a track plan with a 42-inch radius turn-back lobe.
The size of the ridge and the depth of the scene demanded access hatches. The ridge is flanked by a pair of formal access hatches. These eventually will have hatch covers mounted on sliding rails to allow easy access for clearing derailments and maintenance. As I worked in this area, I also found it desirable to provide additional removable hatch sections that will permit working on the scenery on the top of the ridge and then coming down from the ridge into the creek canyon. I eventually plan on covering the hatch edges as I work down with final ground cover, but for now, the edges show up as ugly scars in the terrain.
I used the same basic terrain construction for the ridge as the previous efforts for Tunnels 3 and 5. Basic scenery formers were applied to the wall and at scenery break points. The intervening terrain was formed from four-inch-wide planks of pink insulating foam. The difference for this ridge is that it is formed on one permanent section against the wall and two sections on the removable scenery hatches.
Terrain for the Tunnel 12 ridge has just begun being formed between the tunnel portals and the two permanent access hatches on the right.
The second section of the Tunnel 12 ridge has been formed between the two permanent access hatches. Spray foam insulation has been applied to gaps between foam planks and to help form rock outcroppings. Formers for the lowest portion of the ridge are in place on top of the lower scenery hatch.
The terrain has been filled in with pink foam slabs and shaped.
Final base terrain applied for the Tunnel 12 ridge and Salt Creek below it.
A massive effort with Sculptamold ™application covered over the pink foam for most of the area created by the Salt Creek Trestle turn-back lobe. I try not to leave the terrain in the "pink foam snow storm" appearance for long. Regular operating sessions plus the up-coming NMRA Pacific Northwest Region Convention in Portland serve as incentive to move this process along.
An OGEUY (Ogden to Eugene manifest freight) drifts down grade out of Tunnel 12 and onto Salt Creek Trestle. Scenes like this keep me moving ahead on converting my railroad from a "Plywood Pacific" into something more recognizable as the SP in the Cascades.
are you planning any ops at the PNR convention?
ReplyDeleteNo formal operating session plan for the PNR Convention. Many/most of the prime operating crew members have convention duties. Distance from the convention hotel to the operating layouts was a factor as well. The SP Cascade Line is on the Westside Layout Tour on Saturday, June 2.
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