Open Thur - Sat 11:30-6:00 | Newgate Mall | Free
TO BUILD A MUSEUM QUALITY MODEL TRAIN LAYOUT
Structures and Detail
Building committee members and some others are modeling structures and planning details such as trees, grass and other scenic items. This list of items will grow and models are completed.
Personnel
The Hostlers are fortunate to have many talented craftsmen and artistic types that are helping to build the museum's layout. A lot of meetings and work sessions have been held to make this a reality.
The Plans.
Professional layout plans were drawn up by Bernie Kempinski. The goal was to translate the plans into an operating layout for the museum.
Getting started
A major donation was made by Wheelright Lumber Company of Ogden, Utah in the form of 11 4x8 sheets of 3/4 inch plywood. This was hauled to the home of James Gronwald and using the design plans by Gary Brooks, a group of us met and began the process of cutting, drilling and assembling.
Construction begins at the museum
The precisely cut sections were transported to the museum site for assembly. Legs and crossbeams are attached to the shelf frames and then are screwed together in the U shaped pattern.
Building the skyboard
The skyboard is a vertical structure that divides the entire layout into two sides. It is painted sky blue and provides area for painting clouds, mountains, trees and other scenery.
Constructing the Helix to Park City
Gary Brooks expertely designed a helix that will bring trains on a gently grade from the mainline to the Park City tracks.
Installing the Park City shelf
Gary Brooks expertely designed a helix that will bring trains on a gently grade from the mainline to the Park City tracks.
Attaching fascia
As part of the cosmetic appearance of the overall layout, a fascia made from Masonite is attached around the periphery and will later be painted.
Roadbed and Track
Strips of cork are glued to the plywood surfaces according to the plans for mainlines, sidings and yards. Later on the tracks will be painted and ballast will be applied as the finishing touch.
Photos added April 25, 2022
The "Power Plant"
110 volt power is fed into the DCC (Digital Command Control) and converted to 13 volts AC for operating of the locomotives on the layout. It can also be used for signal and switch operations. If you want to know about DCC search the web using DCC and model train.
Building Mountains 1 and 2
Our first scenery project is building a mountain to resemble the sandstone cliffs of Echo, Utah. Simple materials such as cardboard strips, a hot glue gun, gauze cloth and plaster begins the construction. This is followed by thicker layers of wet plaster that is worked and carved to resemble the formation of a rocky surface.
Mountain #2 is west of Echo leading into the Ogden Yards.
Photos Added August 2022
lay·out /ˈlāˌout/ - a thing arranged or set out in a particular way. "a model railroad layout."
Cambridge Dictionary
Designing the Layout
Once a location for the museum had been selected, the space in the Newgate Mall was measured space and found a idea for a layout on the modelrailroaders website. Wanted to be able to walk all around the layout. A freestanding layout.
Theme/ Talented modeler and scenic artist Robbie Spangler proposed that the model represent rail areas in Northern Utah. Steam through diesel 1950's - 1960's. Transition period steam to diesel. A popular era for modelers.
Locations depicted are -Ogden, Riverdale, Morgan, Echo, Weber Canyon, Taggart and Park City.
Brian Brendell recommended renowned layout designer Bernie Kempinski who designs for Model Railroad Magazine. Robbie Spangler designed on paper, sent it to Bernie who put his computer skills to the design.
The layout has 2 main lines, sidings at Echo, Morgan and Ogden, and industrial sites in Riverdale and Ogden yards.
After discussion and agreement on the basic layout design, the layout was rendered on computer CAD software. Each part of the layout foundation was translated into pieces of wood (3/4 inch plywood). Assembly was began in May of 2021.
As is usually the situation, a number of alterations in some aspects of the design have been made but the basic footprint has been preserved.
Preparing to Build
Skilled with a saw.
Gary Brooks designed the framework in CAD, numbering each piece so it could be assembled like a kit. On Friday May 21, 2021 Hostlers begin cutting the wood for the framework of the new permanent layout at James Gronwald's home for the Railroad Museum at Newgate Mall.
Cutting the plywood and misc supplies donated by Wheelwright.
What else went into planning how to amazing wood workshop
12 sheets 3/4 plywood
Entire framework is build entirely of plywood cut to size. more stable the dimensional lumber.
Nearly Sections were assembled offsite at James then assembled like a puzzle in the museum.
Preparing to Build
Drill press to make designated holes
The layout construction crew prepares the wood pieces according to drafting plans made on a computer by Gary Brooks.
Preparing to Build
Drilling mounting holes
These will be to join the sides of bench frames. However later we found that they didn't work quite as well as we'd liked.
Preparing to Build
Assembling layout shelf top sections
These frameworks will be transported to the museum site
Power using the DCC (Digital Command Control) system
Steve Markos and John Griffin
Wiring the command station is a tedious task.
Command Station
Currently the station is attached to the layout with wiring partially completed.
Layout Wiring
Two large gauge bus wires (red and black) are installed throughout the layout. Smaller gauge wires will be soldered to track about every 3 feet and attached to the bus wires.
Layout Wiring
Smaller gauge wires will be soldered to track about every 3 feet and attached to the bus wires.