KC Lines Layout

Discussion in 'Divisions' started by Coonskin, Mar 7, 2009.

  1. Coonskin

    Coonskin Member

    Hi Group!

    yardmaster asked about some of my "PhotoFlats" that I'm developing for use on my current layout. He suggested a new thread. Good point... as any further input of mine into the thread in question would have been akin to hi-jacking it.

    Sooooo thought I would kill a few birds with one stone and start a thread here in the Layout forum.

    My concept was discussed in brief here:

    http://www.frisco.org/vb/showthread.php?t=2641

    My fascination with the West Bottoms in the KC area goes back to my childhood in the late 1950s and my discovery of them at that time. Of course, in the late 50's, the stockyards were still in place and going strong (smell!). I have some fond memories of seeing black and yellow Frisco switchers trundling about the SLSF's 19th St Yard area, as well as a bunch of Kansas City Terminal memories. Oh... and mental images of the Frisco (and Katy) hammering across Southwest Boulevard... and the CB&Q switching in North KC... and...

    You get the idea. I have all kinds of good RR memories from my KC years. That is one of the reasons I decided to forego having a layout dedicated to ONE railroad, and instead decided to try an approach where the layout was more of a prop stage to accomodate a variety of players! (As I explained in the posts in the link above.) So the "KC Lines" concept was born.

    Ready for a change from the small trains of HO, for a while I experimented with a Hi-Rail "KC Lines" in the small multi-purpose room I now will be modeling in. However, I just couldn't be satisfied with the lack of smooth low speed that most 3 rail models suffer from. True, Atlas SW's were better... but still not as smooth as my Kato type HO stuff.

    Enter S scale. I found a much better size than either HO or O, excellent detail, SUPERB running characteristics, at the expense of reduced selection. However, there is PLENTY of stuff available for my target era (mid 60's), theme (urban switching), and locale selection (KC with its 13 railroads). Sooo... after a sample purchase of S scale basics... I was hooked.

    Thus, I reworked my 3R hi-rail layout plan into an S scale plan and was pleasantly suprised at how much I gained switching from O to S.

    To see the layout plan, click on the S_TrkPlan.jpg.

    Note: All benchwork is in place, even the drop bridge is functional. At this point my track laying/work is in the 12th Street Yard area. The yard is in, as well as the service tracks and most of the industry tracks... but I still need to drop wires to power it up, as well as plop in some switch throws. I also need to finalize the selection of PhotoFlats that will be used there.

    To view the S scale progress, click the links to jpg's:

    12thStYd3
    12thStYd5
    12thStYd8

    Now, to see how much I gained by switching from O to S, compare the these two jpgs:

    12thStYd cf/w 12thStYd6

    And these two:

    Flats5 cf/w 12thStYd8

    As you can see, I gained a bunch by switching to S scale. (Even though I was in 3R hi rail. Two rail O is even more space consuming.)

    Oh... and did you read in one of those pics that I have created a PhotoFlat to cover that window? Well... to see a small image of what will cover the window, look at this jpg:

    Sunshine.jpg

    I intentionally left the bottom story "blank" so I can apply dock door openings once the flat is finalized onsite and I can set up the dock doors to fit the S scale 40' boxcars.

    Welp... that's it for this installement. The next time I'll try to give some input on the PhotoFlats I have developed.

    Andre

    P.S. Crud. Just learned that previously uploaded photos cannot be re-uploaded. SOOOOO... those desiring to see the previously posted pics will have to access through the thread link I posted above.
     

    Attached Files:

  2. meteor910

    meteor910 2009 Engineer of the Year Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Andre -

    For we StL folk not totally conversant on the details of the KC area, tell me where the KC west bottoms area is. Is that the low area down where the old airport was?

    We drive over to Olathe, KS often to see our son and his family, but I usually avoid going through KC by ducking down under via I-470 and I-435 to K-10. So, I don't know a lot about the KC area, except how to get to the Plaza from Olathe at Christmas!

    Every time I go in I-70 to I-435 and down, I have go by the stadium, and it brings back nightmares of that horrible Denkinger missed call in 1985. Arrrggggh! :eek:

    Just kidding! - after almost 25 years, I'm about over it. Sort of.

    Ken
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 7, 2009
  3. Coonskin

    Coonskin Member

    Hi Ken:

    The West Bottoms area is over by Kemper Arena. Frisco's 19th St. Yard was also in the area, as was the G&MO yard. It was also the location of the massive stockyards. Unfortunately, SO MUCH is gone. Many of the historic buildings have been torn down. However, there is enough left to give you a feel for what was once there. In its heyday, rails zig-zagged and dodged in and out of alleys and across roads within the industrial area. Plus, you had the yards and as well as the main lines that criss-crossed the area including junctions.

    In short: By lifting this and that aspect of it, and incorporating it into a layout, it can be a perfect prescription for maximizing one's model railroading in small spaces.

    FWIW: Most of my PhotoFlats come from trips I've made to the West Bottoms.

    I have a GCOR Rules Class tomorrow... so I've got to get off to bed. When I return from it and evening church (if I get to attend), I will be more specific in where it is, and what I'm doing with PhotoFlats.

    Nighty-night for now!

    Andre Ming
     
  4. TAG1014 (Tom Galbraith RIP 7/15/2020)

    TAG1014 (Tom Galbraith RIP 7/15/2020) Passed Away July 15, 2020 Frisco.org Supporter

    Speaking of the KC "Bottoms," are you familiar with the Chuck Hitchcock layouts (Earlier Santa Fe passeger layout and more recent industrial layout)? I have only a minimal grasp of the KC area railroads, but it looks to me like there would be plenty of ideas to gather from Chuck's modeling. There have been several articles in MR and the other Kalmbach magazines and also an Allen Keller video.

    Tom
     
  5. yardmaster

    yardmaster Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    Superb stuff, Andre. I'm glad I'm on the right path, vis-a-vis using photo backdrops for my 12th Street. I am going to try to build a reasonable facisimile of the 12th St. Viaduct out of fome-kore to separate my 12th St. Freight house area from some of the buildings to the north.

    I'm enjoying seeing all of the layouts and modeling of the SL-SF or its environs, at least. It's quite inspiring and motivating.
     
  6. Rick McClellan

    Rick McClellan 2009 Engineer of the Year

    Complimentary tours of what remains of the West Bottoms can be had from yours truly and Mark Davidson. It is rapidly disappearing so don't wait too long to take us up on this offer.

    Ship IT on the Frisco!

    Rick
     
  7. Coonskin

    Coonskin Member

    Rick:

    Wife and I are intending to be in KC on business March 21st weekend. I intend to go to the West Bottoms as much as possible while there and hopefully glean some more texture pics. Are there other locations in KC that have similar remaining structures that I can photo? What about over in the area by the old "Western Auto" building?

    Tom:

    I have seen some pictures of Chuck's reworked ATSF layout... but that was a while back and I don't have subtantial mental images of his changes.

    yardmaster:

    I'm sure foamcore will work. I use mattboard personally. Reason is that I can purchase it in different colors, therefore I can best match the brick/whatever color of the photo patches to be applied and thus any slight seam that may appear at least blends better with the base color. A white colored board for the backing will make said seams scream at you.

    PhotoFlats:

    First, some information: I intend to market my "PhotoFlats" (tm) once I get far enough along with it to have sufficient product to offer. They will be available in the popular scales (O to N). I am still debating some of the finer points.

    Now, if any of you out there would like to try your hand at creating your own flat(s) using your photos, here's a very quick primer on what you'll be up against. First off, you'll need:

    1. A decent digital camera.
    2. A good photo manipulation software program. (Expect to spend about $100 or more.)
    3. A reasonable quality color printer.
    4. Time spent learning your software.

    Once you've got the above covered, it's time to hit the field.

    1. Choose a good day for your photos.
    2. Try to get as square-on the subject as you can,.
    3. Distance w/magnification is your friend. This will minimize the "keystone" you'll have to address in your photo manipulation software.
    4. The more structure you can include in the photo, the less manipulation that will be required.

    Regardless of how perfect all of the above seemed to be in the field, you WILL have to import the photo into the photo software and tweak it... usually FAR more than you first realized. There will be such things as anachronisms, powerlines, vehicles blocking details, missing doors, on and on and on.

    To give you an idea of the photo editing you'll need to do in order to use a building as a photo flat, below you will find some annotated pics that illustrate. (SEE PICS AT THIS TIME. :D )

    Now... once you've got the photos edited and all fixed up... it will be time to print out and assemble. Along with the color-coded background mentioned above, here's some tips:

    1. Always use the factory edges to align with for a large structure.

    2. You'll have to determine your reduction or expansion factor that will yield a scale-sized structure upon print out. Can't give you any hard/fast rules here, for each photo/structure will be different.

    3. You'll have to figure out how to print it in sections so they can be assembled, your printer may be different than mine, so again, experimentation will be in order.

    4. Once the sheets are printed, trim the edges using a SHARP X-Acto and straight edge. Trim off about one pixel of color on each side to be trimmed. This helps minimize white lines from non-printed paper once assembled/glued to the backboard.

    5. I use Ross Glue Sticks to coat the back of a structure "sheet" and carefully align before smoothing into place.

    6. Once all sheets are glued in place, use your X-Acto and a yard ruler to trim to final shape.

    7. For temporary mounting on my backdrop (for placement purposes), I use "Tacky Tack"... a yellow putty-like poster stick'um found in the office/school supply section at WalMart.

    Welp...

    All for now! Comments/questions welcomed!

    Andre
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 8, 2009
  8. meteor910

    meteor910 2009 Engineer of the Year Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Andre - Well done! These look pretty neat.

    Your SLSF GP7's would look pretty good in front of these.

    Ken
     
  9. JohnFoster

    JohnFoster Member

    retired slsf engr stsrted working for slsf may 1972 . KC Mo at 19th st is were I atarted to work . The west bottoms switching cars ;industory work , transfer work,Later workin for BN-BNSF till I retired 2007. IT is a shame that a lot buildings are gone plush all track also.Interlocking towers.
     

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