Just as a reminder, here's the evolution of 'Ross Run', the logging module, that links up to the Hickory Valley Railroad. These two modules are both small enough I carry them around like big suitcases. The HVRR is only 18x36" This logging module is a shade bigger because I didn't want to stress the Atlas Shay out with tighter than 9" radius any more. Note that the 'uphill' switchback is designed so you watch the gears, always, from the right hand side pushing uphill. So this one came out to be 21"x42". Since I had the mill on the HVRR module, this is self-contained to go between the log landing (upper switchback) to the log pond (lower level). Original paper plan: I added a three-track storage yard under it, along with a full reverse loop for any future module. Several of the hard-shell sections lift out for maintenance of that hidden yard. A 'few' years later, here's where I'm at: Basic scenery is in, track now painted, bridges and wood structures in like the log dump, log pond and creek bottom painted. This was down at Altoona this year, hitched up to the Hickory Valley (which is basically a stacked loop-to-loop with 8" curves) At 21x42", this is about as big as you want to go and have it one-box portable. It's a bear to carry up and down stairs by yourself and was the reason that subsequent modules were done to T-trak standards of 14X34" (more or less). Point of all this is to prove just how small you can go in N and have a viable logging railroad. The way this is designed each module also connects on the lower level to make a continuous loop, although in practice I've never used it much. But you can NEVER have too much storage track, as long as you can figure out a way to get to it, and I designed 'off layout' connections that may or may not ever get used, but I'm sure glad I designed the original HVRR that way back in 1976.
Thanks JM, already have one shed. It'll take a crane to move it over the house. Finished wiring my 24x45 inch layout this morning, and have been running my new Shay. Wow, what a sweetheart. My tiny layout is sitting on my work bench in my shed.
What am I seeing for the surface? painted MBF? Homasote? After what I've been through on humidity-based expansion and contraction I turned into a tyrant on everything - material, painting, humidity control. No homasote, no chipboard, and paint everything both sides, particularly if you have any water-based scenery in your future. If you look at the Ross Run module framing you'll see everything painted latex $hit brown. The only thing I ever did any dumber back in the day was use Rit dyes for scenery materials - for lichen and sawdust. Anyone ever tell you that stuff is salt-based (surprise, that white stuff leaching out is salt!!)? Know that that did to track and subroadbed nails? I had my subroadbed literally come apart off the L-girder supports.
Good to know, I have a pillowcase full of white polyfiber. I'll dye it with india ink or acrylic paint wash as planned instead of Rit.
Well, You can expand on ideas after the track is laid. On my layout My lumber mill is basically the mill and sidings, I envision that the logs come down the water way and delivered with logging trucks, I didn't have the room for a forest too. I just completed the water features-now just some slight scenery mods and add trees to the surrounding mountains and I'm done. Then off to the Coal operations.
I'm in the same boat with a 24x45 inch layout. I'm working on my sawmill right now. It sits on a piece of 1/16 x 5 inch balsa sheet. If I ever get a shot at a bigger layout I can take my sawmill with.
Yes, that is what I did, I built my first layout May 2016 and put it to rest Dec2016, Began second layout then and just unglued and disassembled all track and items to add to second layout which is still in progress today-of course all roadbed was destroyed and stuff like mountains... Basically went from an L shape to a U shape framework.
My sawmill is coming along ok I think. More to do yet. the sawmill will not be permanently attached in case I get a bigger layout some day. I can move this and not have to build another.
Randy, my layout is a piece of shelving type material my wife got while I was looking for a piece of plywood. The carp she got,(free) is heavier than lead. It's white on both sides. I won't take her along again. She was looking at the price. Shoulda left it and done What I'd planned on. Trying to build light to not add much weight.
I have an 18 ton climax kit I bought from Randy. Great kit, but in trying to get in to buy a motor listed in the instructions, I get a lot of other stuff. Has anyone bought a motor? If so, how did you find it? I want to use the motor he lists.
My layout trees. I used green furnace filter material from Home Depot, cut it into squares, split it into two or three pieces, then using scissors cut those into a round shape. Then using skewers I glued the furnace filters onto the pre painted skewers. When that dried, overnight I used a spray adhesive on the tree. I then sprinkeled ground foam over that. This is the result.
