The James River Branch Z Scale Model Railroad: Milestones

Milestones

With images and brief anecdotes, the James River Branch layout construction is presented in reverse chronological order. Click the thumbnails for 400 x 600 pixel enlargements that open in pop-ups. See the Gallery for more images.

	28 September 2008. The movie theater (second building from the right) is taking shape, and is checked against the other structures to make sure its proportions are pleasing.

	15 September 2008. After a year of layout construction, details are now being added, including a relay box and a switch ground throw.

	13 September 2008. Roads are now getting paved. The first bit of paving leads right into a "messy" grade crossing that cuts through the middle of a turnout.

	1 September 2008. The first trees to be added to the layout were made from split-up SAM Trees bamboo bunches.

	30 August 2008. Ballasting—including talus—is completed on half of the lower line, which allowed greenery to commence in this area.

	22 August 2008. With earthworks under way and ballasting finished on the upper line, the layout gets its first greenery, namely grasses and weeds made from Silflor Prairie Tufts, a great scenery product.

	16 August 2008. Earthworks have begun: tinted Sculptamold fills in the area round the coal trestle. This is a significant step as it allows ballasting to proceed, followed by greenery.

	7 July 2008. The town of Naughtright is totally redesigned—again. Using rulers for streets, the buildings became chess pieces in a strategy game, the goal being the best aesthetics.

	9 June 2008. Not only is the station done—officially the first building to be completed for the layout—but so is the scratchbuilt disused coal trestle across from it.

	30 May 2008. With only the roof left to go, the Naughtright Passenger Station—a scratch-bashed brass project—is positioned on the layout.

	5 April 2008. Kit-building/bashing got under way on the lumber yard, shown here posing for evaluation.

	1 April 2008. All "permanent" rockwork—that is, rockwork that's part of the layout base, as opposed to an access panel—is done.

	9 March 2008. Molds for rockwork are selected and positioned, supporting structures are fabricated, and casting is ready to begin.

	31 January 2008. The "low rider" Reading caboose is test-assembled prior to detail painting and weathering.

	29 January 2008. The access panel on which the town of Naughtright will sit is completed, which allows construction of the town to begin.

	21 January 2008. AZL Pennsylvania GP7 #8557 is transformed into Reading #632.

	13 January 2008. The handlaid track was spray-painted, and after the rails were brush-painted, the ties were individually stained using a variety of washes.

	6 January 2008. Trains are running! Shown here is a frame grab from a YouTube video of the layout's maiden run, which took place the day after the trackwork was completed.

	5 January 2008. All of the trackwork is done. The turnout had to be modified in order to accommodate different wheelsets.

	13 November 2007. The throwbar for the handlaid turnout was fabricated and installed in about ten minutes (it took longer to take the pictures).

	10 November 2007. The "world's first" handlaid Code 25 Z scale turnout is nearly finished; all that remains to be made is the throwbar.

	6 November 2007. The first rail of the handlaid track is soldered in place on the upper line, across the deck bridge.

	27 October 2007. After waiting for a delayed shipment of paint, the caboose finally gets its proper brown roof and frame.

	7 October 2007. The caboose has been modified to lower the ride height for vastly improved appearance.

	4 October 2007. The deck girder bridge (shortened from the prior version of the layout) is installed, marking the point at which rail can go down.

	30 September 2007. Ties are in place for the upper stretch of handlaid track, including the coal trestle turnout. Ties are attached to the styrene roadbed with the same double-stick foam tape used for the sectional track.

	25 September 2007. All sectional (hidden) track is laid. 1/2-inch wide by 1/16-inch thick black double-adhesive foam tape was used to attach the track to the 1/8-inch thick styrene roadbed.

	23 September 2007. The roadbed is cut and installed on the layout base. Here, the riser height is determined using an AZL GP7 sitting on a piece of sectional track as a height reference.

	22 September 2007. The Gatorboard base parts are cut and laminated together. A full-size printout of the track plan, the hidden sectional track and some half-built structures populate the space to get an impression of the future layout.

	15 September 2007. Shelf space is prepared for the new layout. Nine compact under-cabinet fluorescent fixtures provide illumination; a photographic panorama poster mounted on foamcore serves as a backdrop.

There are loads of photos of Version I archived in Picasa.

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