In the spirit of Jim's thread I decided I would keep all the BN Boise Division progress in on thread. I have made quite a bit of progress on the garage. Built a 8' x 19'7" room in garage. Layout will also include a 9'7" by 12'7" room off the back of the garage. Will be a multi deck. I will post track plans when I am done refining. Layout is a proto freelance based on a Transcon based around the Camas Prairie. First photo is second deck and background color painted. Second and third show mock up of yard done on the back side of wrapping paper.
Great idea! Seeing your mock up on paper, I wonder is the track plan all hand drawn? If so, can you readily make changes? Or must it be completely re-done?
Track plan has to be redone as I did it in marker. I used fast track templates for all the turn outs. I already have some changes. I will transcribe pieces of this to the blue foam once I lay it down. Also can cut out pieces of it where needed.
Looking great so far, Tony! That track plan is eons ahead of anything I have ever built. I generally go off a crude MS Paint JPEG and estimate everything by hand onto the roadbed surface!
Tony,, progress looks great!! I love the yard.. nice work. Have you started any fast tracks turnouts yet? See ya, Wyatt
Wyatt. Thanks. I am going to make some slight modifications to make it look a little closer to the Lewistion yard. Going to add the turntable and four engine tracks in back corner. Also going to move the yard in by about 2" in order to add a couple of sidings on the front side. No I have not done any turnouts yet. I have been spending my time in the room getting it prepared. I have decided to get the room completely prepared, base terraforming done and backdrop painted before I lay any track.
Interesting. My Montana Western is a bridge road based on the Camas Prairie running from Butte to Pasco via Lewiston. I'll be watching your progress carefully. I'm still in benchwork stage.
Some progress shots of the layout. Have been slowly making progress because it has taken forever to build the Clearwater River lift bridge. Was able to save the town of Vernon on the last layout and modify it to be a fictional version of Grangeville by adding the elevator district. Also have made some progress on East Lewiston Yard and a few of the Lewiston industries. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Am I impressed or what? Wow! Keep the reports coming. Oh and by the way you will make changes. Usually on the run as you are installing something. Light bulb!
Wow! My Montana Western is essentially going to be the same concept. Pasco-Lewiston/Anaconda/Butte section is what will be modeled.
Love the lift bridge! Is that scratch built? It looks like it. I am sure most of us would like to know more!
Lift Bridge section is scratch built while the two truss sections and sway bridge section were kit-bashed from Central Valley 150' truss bridge kits.
Benchwork again at present - about 50%. Before the hasty move and health issues 8 years ago I had track on the Grangeville line laid and all benchwork in. The new townhouse has less space.
Ditto, Tony awesome bridge look forward to seeing your scene finished. Great to see something different than the same commercial bridges available regards Vic Fitzpatrick
Great to see you back,Tony.! I am digging the progress. Love the yard area. Maybe a video tour with description...hint hint. Adios,Wyatt
Finally settled on a track plan. This is loosely based on the Camas Prairie and some areas will match the prototype. Upper level in the garage (7'9" x 19'6") is already in and all track laid except the East Lewiston Yard. Just began prep of the back room (12'6" x 9'6") I decided to add a peninsula off the back wall. Although it takes up space in the middle of the room the aisles are still wide enough and the peninsula gives me additional space for some industries.
This is the lower level. The peninsula gives me the longer run I need to do a decent representation of Lapwai Canyon. Tunnel 1-5 will be based on the prototype (although portals will be a tad higher to provide clearance for auto-racks and double stacks). Grangeville was pulled from my previous layout and will have some prototypical structures but the track arraignment and town are not prototypical.
This is the lowest level, or the staging level. I struggled with where to stick the "Points East" staging yard and ultimately would have had to take up some of my actual garage stall (and then have zero garage space) or stick it under the middle level. Because most of the switching happens in the garage portion of the layout I decided to stick it under Lapwai Canyon. I am toying with the idea of putting the staging yard on wheels so I can pull it out from under the layout to stage trains and then wheel it back under and hook to layout via a section of flex track. Since I would have to get trains from the helix to staging I figured I would scenic this portion but have zero industrial switching. Just a long run with a few passing siding that represents the a fictional run up the Salmon River Valley towards Boise.