Modeling State Line Interchange Yard & Rising Junction part 15 - Structures

Bridge #10.33 

The State Line bridge numbering indicates that it was located 10.33 miles west from the junction point with the Berkshire main at Rising Junction.

Reference photos for modeling State Line bridge #10.33 over Flat Brook are scarce. The only photo reference of the bridge decking available to me is a photo I took of a TV screen during a paused VCR tape. This VCR tape was purchased many years ago, its title unknown now and not even sure that it is still my collection plus the means to play it no longer available. I believe this recording was taken during a fan trip to State Line, possibly late 40's early 50's. Some good reference here for modeling the station building too. Glad I had the foresight to take this paused screen photo, although blurry, and save so long ago! 

The main issue with modeling the bridge deck is the switch stand located on the bridge itself and the switch points possibly being on the bridge also. Because the switch on the layout is powered by an underneath switch motor there was no practical way to make that work and the switch was moved the minimal distance from the bridge and switch stand not modeled.

The deck is modeled with Evergreen styrene, instead of individual styrene strips to model the deck planking V-Groove siding sheet was used to ease construction. The railing is various sizes of styrene strips.   

The finished bridge permanently in place, painted and ballasted

I decided during installing the bridge to also complete the scenery and trees to the west end of the State Line diorama in preparation of modeling the B&A station building.

While completing the fore mentioned scenery a "foundation" for the station building and parking lot were installed at the same time.

Modeling the station building next project.

Modeling State Line Interchange Yard & Rising Junction - Structures

More structure modeling for State Line interchange yard.

The next two modeling projects for the New Haven RR State Line interchange yard diorama will be to complete the decking of bridge #10.33, then build a model of the State Line Boston & Albany RR wood frame station building, both were located on the far western end of the New Haven yard. 

The map below shows the location bridge #10.33 over the Flat Brook and the B&A station building. The New Haven yard is completely located in the state of Massachusetts, the end of the New Haven RR property indicated on the map is very close but just east of to the border line between Massachusetts and New York. 

The Boston & Albany RR portion of the interchange yard is completely located in New York state just west of the Mass/NY border line, off-scene to the left on the map above.

Below, a pair of New Haven RS-3s pull a string of interchange cars from the B&A yard onto the lead track to the New Haven yard located behind the photographer who is standing on the borderline between the two states.  This photo is probably from the winter months of 1956-57 correct for the era of the layout judging from the 1957 Cadillac Fleetwood on the advertising billboard to the left. 

On the layout, the B&A yard will be represented by an off-scene staging yard with a reverse loop that will facilitate fully interactive interchange operations with the on-scene New Haven State Line yard diorama.

By agreement between the NH and B&A railroads, the NH would pull incoming interchange cars from the B&A yard, reciprocally the B&A would pull outgoing cars from the NH yard during interchange operations. 

This agreement offers an opportunity to run some NYC locomotives on the visibly modeled NH State Line yard adding interest to the live interchange operations.

Modeling bridge #10.33 and the B&A station building 

Completing the bridge decking with pedestrian safety railing, track ballast and associated scenery will be first, followed by modeling the station building.

Below, the bridge deck and railing are just beyond the switch points of the center track, the B&A station is to the right.

The B&A interchange yard is just behind (west) of the house on the left, both will not be visible to the modeled portion of the State Line diorama.

New Haven station agent George Ford's black Plymouth sedan parked in its usual spot in front of the station building will need to be modeled too!

Modeling State Line Interchange Yard & Rising Junction part 14 - Structures

State Line roundhouse model in place on the layout 

The roundhouse model permanently set in place below.

Tracks from turntable to roundhouse installed, ballasted, individual rails inserted into slots provided for them in roundhouse floor, wired and operational.

Grasses and trees blend roundhouse into the State Line scene.

In a present day LIDAR image below, the turntable pit, three roundhouse inspection pits and steam pipe trench at the back of the roundhouse can still be easily spotted.

A raised bank in the terrain at the rear of the roundhouse offers a scenic advantage on the layout.....  

Below, the modeled raised bank behind the roundhouse conceal where the tracks from State Line to Rising Junction exit the diorama stage right.

An overall photo from the operators aisle below shows the roundhouse in place within the State Line diorama on the lower level. 

The Danbury Connecticut diorama on the upper level and mid level staging for all locations south (railroad west) of Danbury terminating in the New York City area are located above State Line.

The turntable and roundhouse were not included in the original layout plan, now finished, pleased by the additional scenic interest and prototype operations they provide.     

Modeling State Line Interchange Yard & Rising Junction part 13 - Structures

Roundhouse Roof

Locomotive Smoke Jacks, Monitors & Boiler Room Ventilator

The side elevation drawing below shows the locomotive smoke jack, monitor and boiler room ventilator detail to be modeled and positioned on the roof. The locomotive smoke jack and monitor will both require 1 of each over the 3 engine bays. The boiler room has a single ventilator.

Smoke Jacks

A tape covered socket wrench extension was used to wrap .010" styrene around forming the smoke jack, a short length was added to the circumference dimension for an overlapping flap to glue the smoke jack ends together, Tamiya extra thin cement worked well for this. Dimensions for modeling the smoke jack were scaled from the elevation drawing above.

Two circular pieces of .020" styrene that fit the inside diameter of each smoke jack, one near the top and bottom will hold the round shape of the thin styrene jack, a hole in the center of each piece to accept a styrene rod will later locate the smoke jack onto the roof and support and center the ventilator cap.

The conical ventilator caps start with a circle inscribed into a piece of .010" styrene, a pie shaped cutout is marked leaving a flap for glue ends together after the cutout is removed.

The cap after cutting out.

Gluing the now conical cap together.

These are all the components of the 3 locomotive smoke jacks. The caps will lower to the correct height when the center rods are inserted into the locating holes on roof. The conical lower collars positioned where the smoke jacks meet the roof were made using the same methods as the caps but with the center cut out for the jack. 

The Roof Monitors 

The cross section drawing below offers dimensions to model the roof monitor with the exception of the length which is scaled from the side elevation drawing.

Using the dimensions provided in the cross section the monitors are modeled by a simple .020" styrene 4 sided structure. 

The monitor ends caps are slanted at an angle corresponding to the pitch of the roof so they stand plumb when the monitor is mounted on the roof as shown on the side elevation drawing. 

The scale 2x4 studs shown in the cross section are glued in place then the interior of the monitor and studs are painted flat black before attaching the monitor cap. The cap is .020" styrene and cap ends are .010", the cap pitch was determined from the cross section. 

Assembled monitor.

The Roof

The roof is modeled with one piece of .040" styrene.

The drawings only stipulate that the roof is covered with "roofing material". Rolled roofing is the easiest to model and choosen, black masking tape was used. To give the tape a dull weathered look (after below photo was taken) a dark gray RUST-OLEUM automotive primer from a spray can was applied.

Completed Roundhouse

In this photo the roundhouse fabrication is basically finished.

The roof is not permanently attached nor will it be, eventually a small piece of double stick tape will be placed in each corner to secure the roof. It is desirable to have the roof removable for the placement of interior details and track cleaning should the need arrive.

A boiler room ventilator similar to the one in the elevation drawing was a lucky find in a box of chimney parts on hand, it's origin unknown. A small conical collar for where the ventilator joins the roof was made for it using the same method as the collars for the smoke jacks.

The code 70 rails from the turntable to roundhouse will insert into the vacant slots in the roundhouse floor,  joining with the rails already inplace on the sides of the inspection pits.

Next the roundhouse will receive some more weathering, then placed permanently into the layout

Modeling State Line Interchange Yard & Rising Junction part 12 - Structures

Painting and assembly

Interior colors

The interior colors of the State Line roundhouse are not documented and available black and white photos offer no proof. 

Several photos of New Haven roundhouses show a two color scheme of a dark color on the lower portions of the walls where dirt would most likley collect and a lighter color for everything above affording reflected light.

An interior photo of the then new Danbury CT roundhouse below is an example this two color scheme.

A dark gray on the lower portions and a lighter gray on the upper portions of the interior seemed to be a good guess for the roundhouse model.

Assembly begins by gluing the two color machineshop walls to the roundhouse floor below.

Exterior color

In a rare color photo of the prototype below, the entire exterior of the structure appears to be a monochrome light tan/brown color used on many New Haven structures, this scheme will be used on the model.

A different view of the model shows the chosen light tan/brown color applied to the exterior front wall of the machineshop.

The prototype roundhouse floor is 5" thick concrete covered with 3/4" of asphalt. An asphalt color was weathered and applied to the floor before assembly of the walls and roof supports.

Two exterior walls over the door openings are assembled with the painted roof supports between the engine bays.

The remaining engine bay wall, side wall and rear walls complete the sides of the roundhouse.

Next roof is next.

Wordless Wednesday (almost)

Jim Dufour stopped by for a visit today. The hours flew by while we had great fun running freight train RI-2 between Danbury CT and the interchange yard with the B&A at Stateline MA.

Jim says I need to start posting on this blog again, he is right, will do Jim! 

More to come.

Modeling State Line Interchange Yard & Rising Junction part 11 - Structures

Roundhouse roof supports

The blank left exterior wall will not be seen once the structure is in place on the layout. The interior side of the same wall will be inclosed as part of the shop/boiler room and also not be seen on the completed model, this makes a good surface plate for a jig to assemble the floor to roof supports.

The styrene blocks glued to the interior wall below will locate the prototypical 10"x10" vertical support posts while gluing the roof joists in place completing the assembly. 

It is worth mentioning that the set of plans acquired from UCONN have a separate roof support plan that would allow a model to be built exactly complex as the prototype. This would not be seen on the completed model, so the much simplified support below will be adequate. 

The vertical supports have a hole drilled into the center of to bottom of each post to glue in a .025" diameter locating pin, see below.

These pins will exactly locate the roof supports to the floor when inserted into the base plates glued on the floor in part 9 as below.  The posts are now free standing but removable for painting before final assembly.

 

Painting the all the structure components to this point and assembly will be next.