Petra Pizza - a continuous loop American outline - in 4 square feet

Discussion in 'Members Personal Layouts' started by James76, Nov 16, 2020.

  1. James76

    James76 Full Member

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    Passenger depot improvements for the HO scale Petra Pizza micro layout.

    Since I built the Petra Pizza layout, the Petra Depot area was a fairly basic ground level gravel area with a shed.

    01-ModelTrain_Pizza_1010404.jpg

    In the last few weeks I had a growing desire to do something to improve the scene. And in the last few days that desire translated into action. The first thing I had to do was remove the existing depot scene down to the baseboard including removing most of the ballast along the outside edge of the track.

    02-ModelTrains_PetraPizza_Depot_1030623.jpg

    I decided that I would raise the platform using some foam core. This meant I had to cut a piece of form core to fit into the corner where the old depot area was – not an easy task as the area had unusually tight radius track that isn’t a constant radius. I cut a triangle section of foam core, and then slowly trim off the foam core near where it would be next to the curve until I had the right shape. Eventually I completed this so the platform was the required shape. I then added a platform facing / retaining wall made of coffee stirrers and matchsticks along the edge near the track.

    03-ModelTrains_PetraPizza_Depot_1030626.jpg

    Next I covered the new foam core platform with PVA wood glue, and sprinkled a local sand mixture on it. I then placed the shed, a fuel tank, some foliage on it. At this point in the project, with the glue still wet it looked like this.

    04-ModelTrains_PetraPizza_Depot_1030630.jpg

    The last thing to do was to add some extra scenic detail to blend the new depot into the surrounding area including two stetson wearing locals, and ballast the track that had been un-ballasted for the first step in the improvement.

    05-ModelTrains_PetraPizza_Depot_1030637.jpg

    06-ModelTrains_PetraPizza_Depot_Completed_0427.jpg

    There is still a little more to do though. I want to add some decorative fencing on the platform area like what is often seen on passenger stations / depots to make it look a bit more pleasant to the eyes. But as it is now, it is ready to receive trains of 1:87 scale railfans and mountain dwellers.

    While I was doing this redevelopment, I realised I could also improve some other parts of the Petra Pizza layout to include a freight platform and / or bulk transload area which will make operation a bit more interesting, but that’s a post for another day.

    Regards, James

    (From: https://www.jimsmodeltrains.ws/2021/09/22/better-depot-for-petra/ ).
     
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  2. Gary

    Gary Wants more time for modelling.... Staff Member Administrator

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    Model railways are a funny thing as we think we have finished them but there is always something we can do to enhance or modify the layout. As they say, "a model railway is never really finished..."

    Love your work. :thumbs::thumbs::thumbs:

    Cheers, Gary.
     
  3. James76

    James76 Full Member

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    Thanks Gary.

    My experience over the years has been that I get a layout to a certain point of 'near-ish to completion' fairly quickly with most scenery and trackwork more or less completed, then I enjoy operating it for a while, then start seeing all that can be improved (whether track arrangement, scenery, electrics, etc), then I embark on making those improvements much more slowly than it took to get it initially 'near-ish completion'.

    In the past, with the larger layouts I have had, I would get the layout to 'virtually complete' (not actually complete), then invariably something would happen and I would have to dismantle the layout and either start again, or change the configuration. Usually these changes were the result of moving and the space being available was a different shape / size, but once the garage I had the layout in sprung a major leak which got water over the layout and I had to dismantle that rather large layout (approx 14 x 10 feet L shape at time of dismantling, called the Chicago & South Forest Terminal RR, see https://www.jimsmodeltrains.ws/csft-chatham-case/ ) in favor of having a small 6x1 feet switching layout inside the house (assuming and hoping the house would not spring a leak like the garage did). That small 6x1 feet layout eventually expanded (see https://www.jimsmodeltrains.ws/dolton-illinook/ ) to being about a largish U shape layout but then a move or two later, I was fed up with re-configuring existing layouts to fit space, and embarked on the multi-micro layout journey I am currently on. Even those micros are not 'actually complete' - these is always something that can be done to enhance them.

    So, my experience (probably much like your own) is that layouts seem to be never completed.

    Regards, James
     
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  4. Gary

    Gary Wants more time for modelling.... Staff Member Administrator

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    The Chicago & South Forest Terminal RR is/was a sizeable layout and looked like a blast to operate ! I know your Dolton layout well, it was the one that inspired the layout my son and I built !

    Many years ago my now deceased mate and I built a sizeable NSWGR layout that was first built in his garage. This was moved to a shed in the back yard of my home and expanded width wise and slightly shortened overall. It was in my shed for approximately 8 years before I relocated and it was dismantled and stored for many years afterwards. When my son Jack took an interest in railways, I decided to scrap the layout, to that I removed all track for reuse as well as some baseboards. The boards and track were reconfigured (smaller) for Jack's layout, 'Jacks Corner', which can be found at YMRC : https://yourmodelrailway.net/view_topic.php?id=9886&forum_id=21

    The other baseboards were eventually tossed out in a garage clean out. I still have Jack's layout and will hopefully be putting it up for sale, unless of course I remove the track (points only) and build something else ! ;)

    I started building Kelly Bray (based on Callington in Cornwall) several years ago using the lifted track. I got as far as track down, trains running and the scratch built structures. This layout was also scrapped too and the baseboards repurposed for my O gauge layout 'River Dee Meats'. All the HO/OO track was repurposed once again for Jay Dubyew North Yard (reverse copy of your Dolton layout), and the extension, 'The JSRR'. Tomlins Creek and Casula Sidings were also constructed using the 2nd hand track (maybe 3rd hand or 4th hand now !) and are all smaller shelf layouts that I am very fond of building.

    Anyhow, I'm going to go have a read about the Chicago & South Forest Terminal RR. Thanks for providing a link !

    Cheers, Gary.
     
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  5. James76

    James76 Full Member

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    Hi Gary.

    Had a look at Jacks Corner on YMRC. Looks like an interesting layout, and fits in a corner - a good use of a spare corner somewhere in the house or shed.

    Yeah, the C&SFT was a 'blast' operate especially at it's largest size - it was my first 'made-for-DCC' layout, had 2 active staging areas, a thoroughfare track / mainline between them, a largish yard, MPD, RIP Track, and 2 branch lines and about 10 industries. It could keep 3 operators busy for a few hours. I handled safe working using a Rule 80 / Track Warrant system (when more than 1 operator) and used to like allocating other operators (especially new ones) to the South Forest Local, which had some operational constraints due to track arrangement, so I could see how they handled it. But there wasn't really any part of that layout that I didn't like operating.

    Regards, James
     
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  6. Gary

    Gary Wants more time for modelling.... Staff Member Administrator

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    Thanks mate. The layout was fun to operate and behind the largish hill is the continuation of the track with another passing loop. The layout was possibly a little advanced for a 6 year old ! Regardless, Jack enjoyed this as much as his original timesaver I built him !

    I had a good read about the C&SFT, excellent layout with plenty of operation. Pity it had to go to the train gods, but that's life...

    Cheers, Gary.
     
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