Construction
The operating HO scale (1:87th the size of real trains)
layout is the centerpiece of the exhibit.
Originally constructed in five sections, each 94' long by 42" wide,
the layout now includes a 52"x52" corner section that turns the
layout 90 degrees in the middle.
Construction of the layout begins with the trackplan, which
is similar to a blueprint for a house. Certain items must be considered when
designing a train layout, such as the size (radius) of curves and the location
of other features such as water, major buildings and mountains.
After the plan was roughly established,
physical work began. The benchwork, or table, for the layout is made out of
2×4" lumber. This provides a sturdy foundation for the track. On top of
the 2×4" frame, 1/8” luan plywood is attached, and two 2" thick
layers of blue insulating foam were glued down. Foam provides a sturdy base yet
can be easily cut and shaped. In the areas where there was going to be water, the
top layer was left off.
Now that we had a base, the roadbed could be
laid down. The roadbed is a cork strip that raises the tracks up above ground
level, just like on real railroads. It creates a profile for the ballast (rock
that holds the track in place) and deadens sound. This cork was laid out on the
route of the planned track and glued down with regular white glue. The cork and
the foam to the left and right of it was painted gray, which keeps blue from
showing through the ballast if it is not applied thoroughly.
Next the track was laid down. The track runs in an elongated
loop. First the mainline was laid down. A special feature of this layout is the
lack of operating turnouts. Turnouts allow trains to move from one track to
another. Real turnouts are the biggest problem areas for models. When a train
jumps the track, it is called “derailing.” Derailing was a major concern for
the layout because of the inaccessibility of the case in the Atlanta Airport.
Instead of real turnouts, strips of rail were laid to
simulate a turnout. This way there are far fewer opportunities for the wheels
to leave the tracks. Side tracks, called “sidings” and used for unloading cars
at industries and letting trains pass one another, were laid out next, and
connected with these fake turnouts. The roundhouse and turntable, where you can
store and turn locomotives, was placed and secured on top of a lift out section
for access.
Ballasting was the next step. Ballast holds
the tracks in place on a real railroad. It is crushed rock, usually granite,
and allows water to drain from the tracks. This is sprinkled over the tracks,
formed with a brush to the desired shape, and glued down. To glue the ballast,
it was sprayed with a “wet water” mix, which is simply water with a couple
drops of dish detergent. This breaks the tension of water and allows it to flow
freely. It is glue with a 50/50 mix of white or yellow glue and water, again
with a couple drops of detergent. . We also painted the sides of the rails at
this time to get rid of the metallic shine.
Now that the track was laid, we could begin work on the
mountains. Stacks of the same insulating foam were formed into the mountain. A
hot knife and a regular steak knife were used to shape and cut the foam,
creating a smooth slope. When the carving was complete, a layer of Sculptamold was added. Sculptamold is a paper mache type product which dries to a hard white finish. It is ideal for staining in the next step. While the Sculptamold was still wet, rocks were worked into it by folding the Sculptamold over itself making ridges as needed.
After the Sculptamold was dry,
stains were added. Starting with the lightest color, a yellow, we dotted the
colors on. The colors got darker each time until the entire mountain was
covered with a realistic brown color.
Next, ground foam was added. Ground foam
simulates grass and small bushes. Larger chunks are used for undergrowth.
Trees, made from wooden dowels that were tapered to a point at one end with wire
limbs added, were planted with metal pins glued into the bottom of the trunk.
About a third of the trees were ready-made trees from Woodland Scenics. How to Make Trees
Roads on the layout are painted straight onto
the foam in many places, with thin balsa wood for the grade crossings. Automotive
striping tape was used to form the lines and other markings on the roads.
The buildings had to be trial fitted several times, and
changes were being constantly made to the town designs. Many of the buildings
on the layout are scratchbuilt - made from strips of
wood or plastic, not from a commercially available kit - by Karl Warden, master
designer of the exhibit.
Vehicles on the layout have
license plates added to them. Many of the cars are from Classic Metal Works, but some are scale cars from Wal-Mart or other places.
The water in the port is made from sheets of glass that came
from a shower door and cut to fit. The ripple effect in the glass creates realistic looking water with some waves in it without a lot of work. The ships are all scratchbuilt
by Karl Warden. Each ship took over a year to build and includes an amazing
amount of detail, such as laundry hanging on the deck and realistic cargo.
Details are what brings a layout to
life. Some of the things that you can find on the layout are amazing: workers
cleaning fish, a girl jumping rope, cases of cokes, deer fighting, an eagle
soaring in flight, an old rowboat pulled halfway out of the water, and so much
more. The list is endless. Every time you look at it there seems to be
something new to find.
Photos
While the exhibit was built, Karl Warden took hundreds of photographs of the process. All of these images can be viewed on our photo website located at cgmrc.smugmug.com.
Click Here to go to the site, or select a category below:
Benchwork
Basic Scenery
Basic Scenery Part 2
Scenery
Scenery Part 2
Landscape
Towns
Modules
Trestle
Starting on Finish Scenery
Keep on Working
More Working
Detailing
Details
More Details
Bridge Pier
Details Still
Before the Move
Moving the Layout
The Layout in Atlanta