The Dixie Donut Lives on as the Augusta Railway

Old layouts never die...

They just move around.

The Dixie Central is ALIVE!  Yes, ALIVE!

The design has been reinvigorated as the Augusta Railway!

Come visit us on The Model Railroader's Notebook Blog and follow along as we build it.

Reduce Price for Benchwork - $150

Entire layout benchwork for $150, ready to go!

Dixie Central Layout Benchwork for Sale!

Dixie Central Layout Benchwork for Sale

Price $240

Delivered in Salt Lake City Area only, or for pick up.

Contact:

Scott G. Perry

2142 DeBeers Drive

Sandy, UT 84093

801-930-5180 Home

801-349-5038 Cell (best)

scottgperry@comcast.net

Summary:

The Dixie Central is a rare donut-style layout designed for display.  It is a four section layout designed to be very light weight and easy to assemble.  Unfortunately it doesn’t really fit in my basement, so I need to part with it.  The layout is being sold for what it cost me to build it, so the price is not negotiable.

Each section is built with Luan playwood in a waffle grid format which makes each section very lightweight, yet strong.  Perfect for moving to a train show.

The trackplan was designed for HO standard gauge but it can easily be converted to On30, Hon3 or N and Z.  Broad curves allow for any type of rolling stock.  The layout comes with leg extensions that provide for track to be as high as 50  inches, but you can make it almost any height you want be reducing the legs with a saw.  There are side boards that, when mounted, allow the layout sections to stack for storage.

The layout comes with only the benchwork and legs, along with the foam that is attached.  No rolling stock, electronics or track is included.  Photos of each section are below.

I’ll be glad to take cash or check, and will deliver in the immediate Salt Lake City area, Orem to Provo.  Anything else will have to be discussed and will increase the price.  My goal is to clear it out in the next 30 days so that I can design and build a new layout.  The pier section is NOT included in the sale.  If you want it we can discuss a price.

You can see descriptions and details on design and construction at the Dixie Central Blog located here:  http://dixiecentralrailroad.blogspot.com/

Have a question?  Give Scott a call at 801-329-5038

Moving the Layout Downstairs

See the Model Railroader's Notebook for the latest update!

http://modelrailroadersnotebook.blogspot.com/

We're BAAACCCCKKKK!!!!!

Welcome back to the Dixie Central!  Its been a long time, but we're back to work.  Tonight I reassembled the modules in the cleaned out garage (its finally warm again) and we'll start to work this week on construction.  The goal is to get it ready for track laying before it gets cold again.

 The wood changed shape after the move and storage, so we've got some work to do.  I also kicked around changing it to an HOn3 layout, but I already have all the buildings, locos and rolling stock, so I'm going to stay with it as it is.

 Plenty of room in the garage to work.  Let's hope my daughter doesn't whack it with a bicycle before I get the sections locked down.

Lighting is poor, but normally I work with the garage door open.  We'll just do heavy construction (foam, dividers, wood working) here and once it is ready for track, it will go to the workshop.

First, we need more foam!

#021 04 Tybee Pier - Flat Top

Let's check on the patient tonight and see how she's doing...

 We remove the Popsicle Rick Handy Cheap Weights and she is flat as a pancake!  Perfect!  The patient will live!

It will sit up straight again.  But before we do any more work on her, let's leave her for 24 hours and check to see if the warping doesn't come back.  Sometimes it does.

#020 04 Tybee Pier - Damage Control

Yeah!  We're finally back working on the Dixie Donut!  Tonight dispare and repair!

The question is: rebuild or repair?  This is for an AP award, so it must be good.  Most of the structure looks ok so maybe we can just straighten it up.  Its worth an evening's work to see.

 We'll need some toothpicks and glue.  I keep a supply of ketchup cups and a big bottle of round toothpicks in the supply drawer to my immediate right.

 Upon further investigation, we find that the top of the pier is racked slightly, meaning that it twists from right to left and is warped.  Not good.

 I carefully removed all of the loose or almost loose boards and pilings.

 The pier won't sit level on the table.  We'll have to unwarp it.   Mr. Sulu, unwarp factor 5.

 I'm going to use my handy dandy weights that were given to me by the legendary Popsicle Rick as a birthday present.  I can't tell you how often I use these things!  There tin cans with Sakrete in them.  Heavy and very cheap.

 I'll also need the alcohol sprayer.  You can't use water because the glue is water based.  This penetrates the wood better.

 I soak the pier in alcohol and get it really wet.  This way the model gets flexible.

Then we'll take the weights and press the model down to flatten it out.  I hope this works!  If not, there will be a pier building party next weekend!

Working on Section #1 - Set Up

It is time to get to work on the modules again.  First thing I have to do is to get #1 set up.

 It has been sitting in the corner like a big pink lump.  I want to set it up and begin the trackwork.

 The leg extensions slide on easily. 

 I rest the module on its side while the legs go on, and then I tilt it up and set it on the spare legs.

 The spare leg is held in place with very strong pinch clamps.  It is pretty stable.

The pier takes its place on the module.  Next step is to put Module 2 up and get the track started.

Back to Work on the Pier

If you follow along with my Model Railroader's Notebook Blog you'll know that I just unpacked the Pier.  It has some damage and needs repair.  We'll be working on it in the next few days.  Welcome back, Dixie Donut!

Working on the New Workshop

We'll be working again on the Dixie Central soon!  I'm getting the workshop in order now.

http://modelrailroadersnotebook.blogspot.com/2010/11/new-workshop-part-3.html

Take a look!

Dixie in the Desert

It's official.  I'm moving my family from Atlanta to Utah.  I've taken a new job in Salt Lake City and will be relocating soon. 

Please don't be surprised if I don't blog between now and December, but look forward to new things happening in January!

The Dixie Central will be moving with me.  I'll not have a room for it so it will have to be set up either in the downstairs family room or the garage.  Paring down my tools in the shop will be the biggest issue.

Look for some post on how I accomplish this amazing feet!

#019 04 Tybee Pier - Installing NBW's

Hey!  I'm back.  Well, sort of.  The baby is keeping us up nights and I'm doing laundry, cooking and cleaning most of the day.  But over the past few days I have had the chance to do some modeling.

This weekend's project (took three days due to interruptions) was to put nbw's in the pier.  To do this I used tweezers, white glue, hobby knife, Floquil Roof Brown spray paint, pin vise drill, #70 drill bit and Grandt Line HO scale 3" nut and 4 1/2" washer nut/bolt/washer castings #5099.

First I sprayed all the nbw's with Floquil Roof Brown from a spray can.  For the extra buck or two it was easier than cleaning up the airbrush for just this little bit of painting.

Actually, I sprayed some nbw's for my Howe Truss Bridge in O-scale.  I put painted or partially assembled parts in this handy cabinet so that they aren't in my raw details drawers and I can find them easily.

I have this small drill keeper and fished out a #70 bit.  There is another case that I have full of #70's as they break very easily.

These small bits are easy to mix up so I often check them with my drill bit gauge.

There are tons of pin vise styles out there.  I am using this heavy one with the moving top so that I get even downward pressure without pushing the bit.

As recommended by a few MMR's I cut the nbw's off at an angle making them easier to insert into the hole.  They tend to bounce everywhere, so I keep my finger over them when I cut.

I carefully drill a hole just deep enough to take the nbw.  Then using some sharp and curved tweezers I dab a little white glue on the end and place them in the hole, then push them down with the tweezers.  Actually, this goes rather quickly.  The look of the nbw's is amazing.

I tried a close up shot but didn't have enough light.

A bit blurry, and a blurry bit.  Normally I do this right handed.

Here is the first squadron of nbw's in the planks.  This extra little touch is AMAZING!  More to come this week!  If the baby cooperates!

#018 04 Tybee Pier - The Nuts & Bolts of Nuts & Bolts

Here, live in the Dixie Central Blog, two modeling geniuses explain the fine art of NBW castings...which I've got to mount hundreds of very soon.

From the legendary Jack Burgess, MMR

Regarding nut, bolt & washer castings

Plastic ones are much better than metal for most applications (metal castings are much more expensive and more difficult to bond in place.) I generally use Grandt Line N-B-W casting since they have such a large selection of sizes and washer types. (Note that wood trestles generally use

those with large washers.) However, Grandt's dies are getting worn out for some sizes and the resulting parts are sometimes mismatched. Some of the smallest HO N-B-W castings should work for N scale size a 1" nut in HO would represent a 2" nut in N scale.

Some of my tips for using them on wood trestles:

Stain the wood and assemble all of the bents first and then drill the holes.

It is much faster to use a drill press to drill the holes...while I have a precision drill press, Micro-Mark and Dremel ones should work since you are drilling into wood.

Drill all of the way through the wood; you need to represent the bolt head and washer on one side and the nut and washer on the other.

Of course, paint the castings while still on the sprue. The prototype bolts and hardware I've seen start out a dark brown/black and eventually start picking up rust. Air brush a couple packages of castings a brown/black color and then go back and add a very light dusting of rust to some of the sprues.

Measure the sprue shaft diameter and use a drill one size larger. This will

make it easier to insert the casting into the hole.

Cut the sprue on the casting so that the sprue is just short of 1/2 the thickness of the wood you are inserting them into. You can cut all of the castings off of the sprue at the same time if you are careful and don't let them shatter. This makes the work go much faster.

Put a spot of regular white glue on a scrap of paper/wood/styrene, pick up a casting with tweezers by the shaft, dap the end of the casting into the white glue, and insert the shaft in the hole. Once started, push the casting the rest of the way into the hole with the side of the tweezers. The white glue doesn't actually stick to the styrene but fills the hole enough so that the casting won't come out accidentally.

Repeat...repeat....repeat....etc.

One the modelers in my club scratched a 30 inch long trestle on a 33" dia curve Double track. He claimed the only pieces of wood all the same length were the ties. 1500 pieces or so. He told me later that putting the NBW's in it weakened the structure. All redwood.

If the timber sizes were prototype and he wasn't drilling oversize holes, there shouldn't have been any weakening of the structure...the prototype timbers had holes drilled in them! Assuming he was using prototypically-sized timbers, I suspect that the problem was actually the choice of wood since redwood is not a strong wood but really a softwood. The prototype (in the West) tended to use Douglas Fir which, although not classified as a hardwood, is a very strong wood, good for house building, freight cars, etc.

Note that not all bridges used bolts and nuts for every joint. Many bridges, especially driven pile bridges, used spikes (not railroad spikes but extremely large-diameter "nails") rather than bolts and nuts for attaching the sway bracing. So, the lack of N-B-W castings should not automatically result in lost points for the Prototype score. However, you those cases, you should represent the head of the spikes. The problem is that, except for very large wood trestles, there isn't a lot of places to gain points for Detail. But there are also other details that can typically be added. For

example, most bridges use multiple stringers in pairs and those stringers should have an air gap between them. These stringers would therefore be bolted together with special large washers between the stringers to provide that air gap. The washers I have from YV bridges are in an "hourglass" shape and are 4" in diameter on the ends, 1.5" in diameter in the middle, and 4" "thick". Larger trestles also need fire protection items such as drums of sand to extinguish fires. If running coal, the tops of the bents might need to be protected from dropped cinders with tin sheets.

Jack Burgess, MMR

AP Chairman, Pacific Coast Region

And from Martin Pequod…

Pretty much the same way that I apply nbw's although a few variations and additonal tips.

When you're cutting the "bolt" free from the sprue, cut at an angle to put a bevel on the

tip -- makes them a little easier to insert into the hole.

Tichy makes a decent selction of nbw's and rivets, in a rust-brown which looks pretty decent in many uses with just some stain on them. Been buying them as much as Grandt line now for that very reason.

I prefer ACC over white glue for just about all materials; having some nbw's magically some back out at the most inconvenient time can be truly irritating.

Plastic vs. metal; plastic is far cheaper, but sometimes the brass parts are better particualrly if soldering things together, and sometimes I've used brass ones for their strength.

Small variable speed drill press is a tool worth investing in and beats a day with a pin vise for this and lots of other chores.

Martin

#006 02 Four Way Cotton Gin - Rust Bucket

How to Use Archer Etchant by Alaska's Wisest Man

I am about to build the cotton gin, and Darryl Huffman's post on using Archer Etchant is brilliant...

I started using this stuff decades ago and love it.

I keep one of my small plastic drawers in my parts cabinet labelled ETCHANT
and I use it for nothing else.

When I am done with the etchant, I wash the drawer out and put it back in
it's place.

I know you should use gloves and glasses with this stuff but I never have.

But I do spread out newspaper under the little tray as this stuff platters
everywhere.

I have one tip for newcomers.

Pour some of the etching into a plastic tray so that it is about 1/4 inch to
3/8 inch deep.

If you are using Campbell's Corrugated Siding, cut the siding into the right
sizes and put one piece into your tray containing the etchant and go away
for 15 minutes.

When you get back the piece of siding will be completely dissolved.

But, by doing this, you speed up the action of the etchant.

And, as you continue using it, it works faster and faster.

In addition to just sticking the sheets of siding into the etchant, you
should also try spraying one side of the siding with gray primer first.

Let it dry and then put the siding into the etchant.

With just a little bit of practice, you will be able to turn out great
looking, weathered siding in no time at all.

After removing the siding from the etchant, I just drop it into a bowl of
water.

So people recommend adding some baking soda to the water first but I have
never found a need to do that.

I let all the pieces sit in the water for about 30 minutes and then spread
them out on a paper towel to dry.

The stuff I did 30 years ago still looks great.

I demonstrate my methods on my Easy Weathering DVD:

http://darrylhuffman.50megs.com/custom3.html

Darryl Huffman
12020 Old Seward Highway
Anchorage, AK 99515
dlhuffman@alaska.com

#002 The Great Turnout Project - Details, Details

I got some good coaching from Frank Koch, HLM and Executive Assistant Manager of the NMRA AP Program...

Scott

Some members of the chat group may give you grief for two reasons - requirements say operational as defined by powered locomotive able to negotiate all routes while under power with an assumption you will use an NMRA gauge to establish clearances, but some will say you need to build to all the track standards (not the requirement).  Second, some may ask where your plates, tie rods, point braces, NBW, and all the other minor elements are - they are details that add to your score.  Lastly, paint and weather the rail and ties, and add the little details that are around a turnout (switch stand, control boxes, etc.  Talk to your local AP manager and ask how they judge trackwork.  Then build and include their comments.  Good luck.

Frank Koch

I had not planned to highly detail the track items, but may change my mind.  First, I'll do as Frank recommends and will reach out to our Division AP Manager Bob McIntire to see what they look for.  Since the items must go on my layout, they have to operate flawlessly so that is the priority.  Detailing is second.

I've bought Proto 87 parts before for turnouts and will probably do so again.  They are readily available at http://www.proto87.com/turnout-details.html in a variety of different types.  The site also has printable diagrams:

http://www.proto87.com/handlaid_track_templates.html

Number 6 Turnout RH diagram

Ok, well maybe we won't be added store bought details.  I added up what I needed at the Proto 87 store and it came up to $81.  Forget that.  I'll make my own details like I usually do.

Being an MMR cost a lot of money, that's for sure.  It is probably something you should take into account.

Scott Perry’s Blogs

The Model Railroader’s Notebook

A guide to hints, tips, techniques and products related to the hobby

The Dixie Central Railroad in HO

A portable sectional layout designed for benchwork, scenery and trackwork skill development

Building The Okefenokee Swamp Model Railroad in On30

Exciting coverage of the On30 Okefenokee Swamp Railroad, a model train layout constructed in On30. This unusual layout is based on the prototype Hebard Cypress Company and the Waycross & Southern Railroad that occupied this large Georgia swamp in the 1920's.

North County Interchange Operating Group

The NCIOG is a Model Train Building and Operating Club Located in the North East Atlanta Suburbs. This is a Round Robin Club with Limited Membership.

The Heart of Georgia HOG Layout in HO Scale

My Better Beginner's Layout that features operations and simple construction to help new modelers get the most out of their layout!

Layout Design Service

Follow Along With Me as I Designs Model Train Layouts!

Traintools - Model Train Tools Digest

Descriptions, Ratings and Demonstrations of Modeling Tools

The Georgia Northeastern in HO Scale

Watch as I design I. D. Jackson's version of the Georgia Northeastern, a modern 3rd class railroad that runs in north east Georgia.

Baltimore & Ohio II in HO Scale

Layout Design Event Featuring the B&O's Cumberland and Mountain Divisions

Modeling Water on Train Layouts

Join us as I test techniques, tools and products while building water scenes.

The Georgia Southern Railroad in HO Scale

Look at Dan Berman’s Layout, Designed by Me Just For Dan

White Pass & Yukon in On30

Welcome to Scott Perry's next On30 adventure! A small layout in On30 based on Alaska's White Pass & Yukon Railroad.

Peñoles Mining Company in On30

This is a small mining layout based on a real 30" railroad. Follow along as we design the layout.

#001 The Great Turnout Project - Civil Engineering

My coach and mentor Larry Smith, MMR says that I need to work on my NMRA Achievement Program Civil Engineering Certification next.  For Civil one key element is the construction of three types of track elements and have them judged.

http://www.nmra.org/education/achievement/ap_civil.html

I've outlined the three elements that I want to build (see Trackwork)  and they are:

Turnout RH #5
Turnout Building Guide

Three Way Turnout
Building a 3-Way Turnout Guide

Crossing 30 degree

Assembly help:

Fast Track Turnout Assembly Video


Fast Tracks Assembly Videos

My first step is to start gathering materials.  Luckily at the train show this weekend I was able to buy an HO 3-way turnout by Shinohara (Walthers) to use as a model.  For $20 I'll take that!  The next thing was to purchase some HO pc board tie strips.  There were none at the show so I had to order them.

The first place I tried was Fastracks as they have really nice punched pc board ties that don't twist.  However the cost to ship them was as much as the ties themselves!  Ouch!  They are based in Canada which probably has something to do with it.  So I went back to my old stand by The Clover House and bought them.  They are hard to buy from as they are internet averse, but I was able to get $20 worth shipped to me for $5.00.  They will get here quicker, as well.  I did ping my buddies in the NCI Group to see if they had a few to loan me in order to get me started, but as it looks it will be about two weeks before I can start laying the track.

I have unweathered code 83 rail available, which is what I prefer when soldering to pc board ties.  Next I'll dig out some cross ties (I have tons of them as I used to have a company that sold crossties) and will start staining them this week.  Micro Spikes from Micro Engineering are here, and I'll need some stock basswood for the longer ties.

One thing I'm not sure of is what kind of roadbed I want to use.  Since there isn't a low profile cork roadbed for sidings and yards, I'll probably just use cork sheet, and I think I have some of that.

To me the crossing is the hardest of the two to build as I've built a dual gauge crossing before.  The wiring of the Three Way turnout might kill me.

We'll start with the plain Jane turnout first!

NMRA Achievement Program Yahoo Group

NMRA Achievement Program Yahoo Group is a new way to find information, guidance and the sometime necessary kick-in-the-pants to help you earn your Achievement Program Certificates and become a MASTER MODEL RAILROADER.

If you are an NMRA member and would like to join, just go here…

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NMRAAP/

I’m Scott Perry, long time Yahoo Group host and found of several groups such as…

Traintools

Trainbooks

HOGRR

And others!

So come join the fun, make new friends and make a plan to Achieve!

Scott Perry

http://modelrailroadersnotebook.blogspot.com/

#005 02 Four Way Cotton Gin - Photos of Homer Cotton Gin

My wife has a cold and is still very pregnant.  About six weeks left to go.  So, she through my daughter an me out of the house.  Oh goody!  Time for a spontaneous trip to Homer, Georgia!  Its only about 30 minutes north of me.  More on Homer, GA in my Model Railroader's Notebook as I hit a gold mine when I went there.  I promised Popsicle Rick that I'd take him, but we left before Church was over.  We'll go back, for sure!

Click on Photos to Enlarge

The cotton gin sits on the side of the road just like the old timer at the gas station told me, between spits of tobacco and lookin' at me funny.  Naturally there is a !@$#^% telephone pole in front.

The cars on the front loading dock are quite amusing.  Since this is a used car lot and that I'm known to be shot at, I kept my distance and shot with a telephoto lens from the Post Office across the street.

The large vent pipe is still in place and most of the building is in great shape.  While I didn't get to go in, it is obvious that some of the machinery is still inside.  It is quite large compared to other gins I've seen.

Continental Ginning Systems were quite common at one time in the south.

This is a rough looking shot, but you can see the unloading machinery still in place.

Amidst the junk you can make out the really worn looking cotton storage building, still connected by a seed pipe.

There is a road behind the building but I still couldn't get a clear shot of the gin.  Here is the back of the cotton storage building which is outside braced and very interesting.

Here is the back side of the gin and the seed pipe going to the storage building.

This building is also on the property but I'm not sure if it is part of the gin or not.  It has a very long overhang on the roof which leads me to believe that it is.

Yes, this is the one that I'll build and I'll get started on the drawings right away.  It is much easier to build a prototype that you can go see again if you need to.

I shot over 150 photos of the building, many of them detail shots.  Let me know if you want to build your own and I'll send you the photos.  They will come in handy when I begin drawing.

Idiots that Rate Hobby Shops

PLEASE NOTE: The article in question was pulled from the internet at 9:31 pm est. and is no longer an issue.   Mr. Truett's reply is in the comments section.  We appreciate his quick response on this matter.


I love the fact that anyone can prove they are stupid just by logging on to the web.  Take this latest Rocket Scientist...


The Top 10 Model Train Shops in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia by Larry Truett

It's obvious that he's not a model railroader because he missed the one of the largest model train stores in the Southeast!  How does Mr. Truett do-it?  Well, he says he bases his rankings on on-line chatter.  So he ranks Kennesaw Trains & Hobbies as number one!

Larry, did it ever occur to you that chatter is just what it means?  Chatter!  Worthless talk about nothing.  The reason that Kennesaw Trains is getting chatted about is because we are all watching (sadly) for when they might have to close their doors and we'll lose another hobby store.  Not because it is great, bigger or sells a lot of stuff.  Trainmaster Models, one of the finest hobby shops in the Southeast didn't even make the list!  Absurd!

Let's compare...

Click on Table to Expand

How can a small store with no traffic and nothing much on the shelves beat out the largest model train shop in Georgia?  How can a hobby shop with one employee beat out a hobby shop that has seven folks and gives free clinics in a huge clinic room built just for that purpose?  Why is a cat lover that lives in San Diego, California rating hobby shops that he's never been to?  Simple!  He's hoping you'll hit one of the advertisers on his website.  Yup, posting bad info to drive you to his website so he can favor his advertisers.

So please...take a minute to leave a comment on his site telling him that we aren't fools and that he's way off base by providing this garbage on the internet.  Our goals (no, not just me) is to get Larry to pull his bogus Ezine article off the web. 

LEAVE COMMENT

Please note that I'm not disparaging Kennesaw Trains.  I think the owner is a great guy and I shop there when I'm nearby.  Its just that this information on Ezine is far from accurate and I think Model Railroaders should hold their feet to the fire.  Meanwhile, visit every hobby shop you can including:

Trainmaster Models

Kennesaw Trains & Hobbies

Support your local hobby shops!