First Annual International Winter Layout Party

[okane]

By Popular Request we Introduce the First Annual Winter Layout Party. The Spring Layout Party established in 2002, may depending on interest also be held in March 2009. The Party has traditionally been hosted in the Layout Design Forum.

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

Please review the rules for Layout Party, get ready and let the party begin. Kick off date is Friday December 19th 2008 and will be end on February 13th, 2009, the day before Valentines Day.

Disclaimer: By announcing your intent to participate in the Winter Layout Party, you save harmless Trainboard and other participants in the event that your involvement in the Layout Party deters you from fulfilling said obligations as required to your significant other the day following February 13th 2009 "Valentines Day"

This Thread will be locked until Noon December 19th 2009

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 an 8 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 the work completed on their layout. This means for 8 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. In your first post please post a picture if possible of the area on your layout that you intend to work on

2. Brief description of your layout to present, what you want to accomplish in the 8 weeks (don't make it grandiose).

3. On a weekly basis post a Brief description of what you hope to accomplish in the next week.

4. 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" all are human here, and we can encourage you to repair the wagon wheel). You can include pictures, problems you have encountered, get bragging rights around the cooler, etc. Walk the walk, as well as talk the talk.

5. Do not fudge 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.

6. At the end of the Layout Party you are asked to post a final picture of your accomplishments.

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. T

If you have any problems such as posting pics, let us know. And we will get some one to assist you.


Past Layout Party Threads for Reference

2008 - Spring Layout Party

Sixth Annual International Spring Layout Party - TrainBoard.com


2007 - Spring Layout Party

Fifth Annual International Spring Layout Party - TrainBoard.com

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

[okane]

The Party has now begun. Lets hear about your plans over the next two months!!!

[JKD]

I'm in!

I have no picture to post of my layout.... because I'm using this party to get my benchwork built.

My plan for the 8 week layout party is:

I need to get a 30" x 8' portable N scale layout built. I have a track-plan (that I'll post in my update). I intend to get the table built, have it covered in foam, get the roadbed laid, and get at least the mainline installed by the end of the layout pary.

I also, as a bonus, have a stack of rolling-stock that need to have couplers replaced or wheels replaced. There are 20 pieces there, and by the end of the layout party, I want to have them all rolling with new couplers and wheels.

I'm trying to keep it reasonable. I think these things can be accomplished in the next 8 weeks. I'll get a boost with time off for both Christmas and the New Year, as well as a train show in the area in the middle of January.

[Doug A.]

Here's the current state of the layout. Since I will be working on the entire layout there is no specific scene so this is about the best look at "before" I can give.



Goals (Final completion % in parenthesis):
-Finish "first pass" of detection/transponding/signalling plan. (10%)
-Finish laying track and wiring feeders on the bottom level. (0%)
-Get detection installed and working for hidden staging/Fort Worth. (0%)
-Lay roadbed/track on top level section to get it ready for testing and connection to bottom level. (10%)
-Weather track on bottom level. (0%)
-Install Tortoise machines on bottom level (0%)
-Get transponding working in staging (0%)
-Paint and install center divider/backdrop (10%)
-Finish fascia (0%)

These are goals from the last party that didn't get completely done, or were optional goals I had commented on in case I got momentum which didn't happen. I have reset the percentages...some got close to being done but I figure the percentages will represent the work left to be done.

[DiezMon]

I'm striving to get my shelf layout looking like something. It's going to represend Stillwater, MN.. so I need roads, buildings, you name it...




my main goals are
-roads and buildings,
-backdrop, with photos from real area.

I want to try for details details details...

[Wolfgang Dudler]

I want to build for my module Diamond Valley an oil dealer.
There's already the track.
But I will have to install a fence with gate, some tanks and a house.
I have still to search for prototype pictures from the 1960's. Any help?

Picture from the construction area will follow.

Wolfgang

[Switchman]

The North Wall of my layout needs to have it's scenery work completed before track can be laid. I also want to include "Boyd Lumber Camp" in the area. I'll need to color the rocks, grass, ground cover. trees both alive and dead, tree stumps. The Logging camp will be a static display with a loco, log cars, heavy equipment, and non operation track. This is my seven week goal.

It'll be rough for me. But with the support and encouragement of my fellow members maybe I'll keep at it. Here are the starting pictures.

See ya
Ron

[Wolfgang Dudler]

Here're the first pictures from the "Oil dealeer" construction site:



At first I will have to build a fence. Of course there must be a gate, a movable gate!




Wolfgang

[CSXDixieLine]

I am sooooooooooooooo in on this party! Here is my punch list for the "AFTER" stage:

• complete layout lighting (lower level only)
• complete painting sky on backdrops (both levels)
• build drop-down bridge across doorway into layout room
• build base for helix at end of peninsula

This will get the layout to a stage of completeness where I can begin to install roadbed & track on the lower level. Note that the lower level will be completed before moving to the upper level; the helix will only contain a return loop until I decide it is time to move upwards.

Finally, a few "BEFORE" photos:

Looking down the peninsula. The helix/return loop will go at the end of the peninsula, right in front of where I stood to take this picture:



Looking up the back aisle towards the end of the peninsula, which is to the right in this picture (the helix base will be in the open area at the end of the peninsula):



Looking up the front aisle towards the end of the peninsula, which is to the left in this picture (the helix base will be in the open area at the end of the peninsula; the drop-down bridge will go across the doorway just ahead to the right):



This picture shows the section of lower level backdrop that has been painted with two blended shades of sky blue (the blue is much darker than it appears in this photo, but my photography skills need just as much work as my modeling skills!):



Jamie

[Cleggie]

Wow, some really neat projects on the party already. Bench work, backdrops, scenery, track laying and fitting stuctures to layouts. Lots to look forward to.

So here is my project for the party:



This is the present state of helix two. I need to paint the backdrop, do some more scenery details and plant trees. Oh... and balast the track and weather the rails.

After that I am not sure what I will do as there are sooo many things that need attention. Build some more signals, add water to the river, add more detailed scenery to the upper level and then there is the lower level where I need to finish trackwork and begin adding scenery.

So I will leave that decision till the new year, untill then work, work, work get helix two done!