Construction Update #8 - The ATSF Olive Depot, LokSound CV Settings, The Redbanks Team Track and a Drainage Ditch.

Pump House... No, Depot... Yes!

My good friend Kurt Boyd set me straight on that small "adobe" structure across the tracks from the Olive Heights Packing Association.  Turns out it was the Santa Fe Olive Depot.  The Santa Fe closed the depot in 1960 and it was used by the US Postal Service for a few years until about 1963.  It was eventually demolished for road improvements.

Ken Mason built the really nice HO Scale model pictured below.  More pictures and details can be found on Ken's Facebook page.  The link is just below the photo.  

https://www.facebook.com/southwestandsantaferailway/mentions

LokSound Version 5 CV Settings

Up until a couple of months ago I had used Tsunami2 decoders exclusively for both steam and diesel locomotives.  Lately, I have picked up several Walthers Proto series locomotive equipped with LokSound Version 5 decoders including two Southern Pacific SD-9's.

Southern Pacific SD-9 #3865 switching the Redbanks fertilizer dealer.

I made a few simple programing changes that I think make these locomotives better suited for a shelf layout in a spare bedroom/office; lower volume and more realistic throttle response.   The changes took about 3 minutes using a NCE Power Cab.  The default values were changed as follows:

• CV3 to Value 25 - Acceleration (Momentum)
  
• CV4 to Value 25 -Deceleration (Momentum)
  
• CV5 to Value 124 - Max Speed (Reduced Max Speed)
  
• CV6 to Value 44 -  Mid Speed (Reduced Mid Speed)
  
• CV29 to Value 46 - Enable Long Address
• CV63 to Value 128 - Master Volume (Reduce Sound Levels)
  

CV16 and CV17 were used to set long address.  Simple DCC long address calculators are on the internet.  Reducing the max speed puts the speed steps closer together and this along with some acceleration/deceleration (momentum) creates "weight" and a more prototypical "notching" of the prime mover.

The East Redbanks Team Track

January 12, 2025

Since it will take about a week or so for materials, progress on the Redbanks Fruit Company structure will have to wait.  In the meantime, I decided to work on the East Redbanks Team Track which is located on the near side of the mainline in front of the packing house.  I started out by using a Sharpie to outline the team track's asphalt pavement.

Measurements were taken from the outline and transferred to a piece of 1/8" thick rolled cork.  It was glued down with Titebond.

 

 

 All the cork in place with push pins holding it in place until the glue drys.

The edges of the cork were then chipped away with an X-Acto knife and smoothed with a finger.  The track and edges of the cork were sprayed with a earth color and the pavement was brush painted with Apple Barrel "Pavement" and weathered with a combination of craft paints and powdered pigments.  It could probably weathered up (lightened) a bit more. 

Drainage Ditch

January 14, 2025

Drainage ditches running along the side of railroad right-of-ways are common.  I decided to add one along the tracks near the front of the module in Redbanks.  I used Sharpie to draw the outline and then cut away the top layer of cork and gouged out the pink foam to form the channel.  The culvert pipe is from Green Belt Models.  The channel was painted with Folk-Art craft paint, the culvert pipe glued in place and the initial layer of rock was glued in place.

,

January 16, 2025

Here is a up-to-date photo.  Ground cover is a combination of paving sand and Woodland Scenics ground foam.  Shrubs were made from course ground foam, Woodland Scenics shrubs and saplings, Heki wild grass and Scenic Express scale leaves. Grass tuffs came from Walthers, JTT, Scenic Express and Noch.  Crossing and whistle posts came from Tichy and switch stand came from Details West.  I still need to add static grass and water.

 

 

Also, slowly adding a few details to other areas.  The very cool Milwaukee Road box car was given to me by Bob Graff

Wanted

My Redbanks depot need shingles!  Somewhere along the line the shingles for this modified AMB Southern Pacific Type 23 depot got lost.  AMB has ceased production so if anyone has any extra AMB HO 3-Tab shingles, part #285, I would love to acquire them.

As always, your comments, questions and suggestions are welcome

sdepolo@outlook.com