Fifth Annual International Spring Layout Party

**okane** · February 4th, 2007, 01:36 AM

Fifth Annual International Spring Layout Party

Introducing the renewal of the original Layout Party established in 2002. Several members have expressed an interest in reviving this Trainboard tradition. The Party has traditionally been hosted in the Layout Design Forum, and we will follow that tradition.

Why International; did you know that Trainboard has members from over 75 countries, so this is truly an international forum. So we are looking for involvement from the international community that is Trainboard.

We see no need to change the rules from the past Layout Parties, so let the party begin

Fellow Modelers

We know you're out there. Yeah you, and you, and you with the potato chip hanging off your lip and the half drunk coke sitting beside you...lol. We know you're not working on your layout as much as you hoped to. Well what we are proposing is a layout party for a 5 week period - a layout design self help group.

The purpose of the group is to encourage others to get out of their armchair and do some more work on the layout. And also to motivate you (and us) to do more work on our layout. We are hoping we can get a small group (but no one will be rejected) of people who will be committed to posting their work on the layout from the following week. This means for 5 weeks you are committed to posting once a week (or more – several did). We will of course congratulate those who work on their layout, and encourage those who haven't.

Rules:

1. Brief description of your layout to present, with what you want to accomplish in the next 5 weeks (don't make it grandiose is my recommendation).

2. Brief description of what you hope to accomplish in the next week.

3. A commitment to posting once a week describing what you have or have not done. It is important to report if you have "fallen off the wagon (not worked on the layout" so that we can see all are human here, and that we can encourage you). You can include pictures, problems you have encountered, get bragging rights around the cooler, etc. I’m looking for you to walk the walk, as well as talk the talk.

4. A commitment to not fudging your reply so that you look better than you are really doing. By joining this group, you are acknowledging already that you haven't worked on the layout as much as you know you should have. The idea here is for us to have some fun and act as an electronic round robin self help group. When I have others coming over to my home to help me build, I am more efficient because I have to plan and prepare, then work when they arrive. Well, this is the internet round robin group, we may not be able to physically help you out, but we can support you and your efforts.

Many had a good time with this format. It was not uncommon to hear people say they had accomplished more work on their layout in the short time we ran the thread than they had in long time. Many posted pictures, asked questions, helped others, moaned about their problems, and encouraged others through their problem. We are including the threads to the some of our past layout parties if you want to check out what happened and what is expected out of you. This is hosted at www.trainboard.com in the “Layout Design” forum; We have found it is easier to keep track of one longer thread there than in some other forums. Also trainboard has free Image hosting (picture hosting) so you might want to take advantage of that forum. You have to join the trainboard to participate, but it is free.

If you have any problems joining trainboard or posting pics, let us know. And I will get some one to assist you.

Past Layout Party Threads for Reference

2005 – Spring Layout Party
http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/...=door+knockers

2004 – Spring Layout Party

http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/...light=Armchair

2003 – Spring Layout Party

http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/...2&pp=25&page=3

2002 – Spring Layout party

http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/...light=Armchair

**Flash Blackman** · February 4th, 2007, 01:45 AM

I'm going to build a structure. I made a whole downtown block last party and, of course, construction stopped when the party ended. Might as well finish the next to last building this party.

Let's see how many we can get to join here and get the party started.

Did we decide when the party starts yet?

It doesn't matter how much you do. Some will carve out a mountain and some will fence a parking lot. It isn't a contest so you can't lose. Just jump in and plan something; if that is as far as you get, that is good, too. :thumbs_up:

**okane** · February 4th, 2007, 01:52 AM

Flash

The party Starts Sunday February 4, 2007

**Flash Blackman** · February 4th, 2007, 01:57 AM

I'll get some "before" pictures to show progress and then post each week.

**HemiAdda2d** · February 4th, 2007, 03:19 AM

In 5 weeks, I hopt to have the mainline completed, and debugged. I am about 30% done with that now. Roughly Tunnel 10 is my current end of track.
I also want to get the layout wired, feeders dropped, and install the DCC system. Wiring the 2 reversing loops will be something to tackle, as will installing Tortoise switch machines.
That's what I want to accomplish in 5 weeks. Anything after that is gravy! After that, I want to paint the track, weather it, and begin some scenery.

**HemiAdda2d** · February 4th, 2007, 03:28 AM

Here's where I am at now:
Staging, helix, wye to Plainview/Tunnel 1 completed. Roadbed from Plain wye to Tunnel 10 complete, track from the wye to Tunnel 7 completed.
Roadbed/track at Tunnel 7-10:

Helix, wye to Plain:

West Plainview Siding:

East Plainview Siding:

**ppuinn** · February 4th, 2007, 06:23 AM

I have not done much beyond this Halloween season picture.

In 5 weeks I will:
1. Get the nearer houses set into the ground
2. Install background trees
3. Paint and install the road
4. Plant trees all the way to the tracks located just off the bottom of the picture

**Cleggie** · February 4th, 2007, 08:23 AM

Ok, I'm up for it. My layout at the moment is benchwork and track and my commitment for the next 5 weeks is to:

1/ finish laying track - the siding for the coalmine.

2/ sort out the wiring as I still have short outs when running trains
around the reversing loop.

3/ wire up the remaining points.

4/ finish scratch building signal bridges wired up and opperational.

5/ maybe begin applying some scenic layers.

There is so much that I need to do and I am committed to making progress over the next 5 weeks.

Cheers, Ken.

**Flash Blackman** · February 4th, 2007, 11:20 AM

I'm liking this already. Big layouts and little layouts, too.

Last party, I was going to complete my N scale downtown area called St Paul's Square. It was too much. I did get a lot done, but I didn't finish the roofs or painting all the DPM buildings. Still, I did complete that in the next few weeks. Here is a current picture. The area does not include the larger buildings to the right of the track with the coal hoppers.

See the big white triangle in the lower right? That is the new project. I need a building with a small parking lot on the pointed end. There are three separate sections with loading doors that follow the curved track. My project for the first week is to get all of this designed and laid out for forty foot boxcars.

There is a prototype for this called Central Distributing Company. I don't want to make an exact copy of that, but I do want to make it recognizable. I only have pictures from the track side, so I will have to imagineer the street side. Here are the pictures of the prototype.

Oops. Just noticed a chain link fence along the track across from the building. This may hamper track cleaning. The yellow truck at the far end is unloading at a small dock. I need to create a track bumper, too, or I will have cars in the street!

These pictures are taken from the Building Specialties parking lot, a steel erection and custom steel building company.