Progress has been slowed now, as I have fully functioning mainlines. So now the fun begins. Testing the track by sitting back and running trains. I still have to finish wiring the sidings and the turnouts, but for the most part, it runs quite nice. If I am going to run long trains (70 cars), I need to remove a bridge that has tight approach and departure curves (about 10"-11" radius) and replace with a custom concrete looking bridge and a wider 15" radius.
Excellent Garth! You have made quite an improvement since your last post. Enjoy running 'em and keep us informed. Russ Hoffman Valley RR (N-Scale)
I always thought the "CATS" where on the internals of the diesels? Not the engineers! He looks like he might be a good brakman! (break-man) HA! Also by the looks of your control panel their, your layout has alot of multiple tracks. The kittie looks to have a one-track-mind! HA! Ok enough of bashing! All in fun.. for seriousness.. Looks great! I wish mine was as nicely laid out as that looks! But being its so indepth.... I still would trust the furry critter! He might get the new virus out... Cat'zillaitis.... Then you'll have some real trouble. The engineers and crew isn't going to like that awhole lot! I've had my furry critter to catch it and man it devistated everyone! Engineer, crew, passengers.. It really got him! And then he really got it! [ 09 November 2001: Message edited by: 7600EM_1 ]</p>
Garth, Thanks for posting the photos of your layout it seems to be progressing nicely. Once you are happy with you track work what is your next stage???
Hey, just thought of something...since our cats love our boards, take a little 0-4-0, dress it up as a mouse, put a small squeak sound in it, and then set it off on the rails...of course, you would probably want to do this right before you tear down the layout, cats can be known to do pretty crazy things when chasing small furry objects. Cat just might trash the whole layout, and then decide that everything else is a mouse too.
Paul, I think the next stage is to start ballasting the hard to get to track, cover the hidden track, add the tunnel portals and finish the construction of buildings that help determine track positions (mines, Army Base, etc) and finish the wiring for the sidings and turnouts. Once these things are completed, I will then focus on the scenery. Benny, I have an undecorated RS-2 made by Kato that I used to run on my previous small layout. The cats both thought it was a mouse. My wife wanted me to add a tail and some fake fur. I didn't. They are really very good with my trains. They will sit there and watch them go around. One even used to sleep under the previous layout while I was running the trains. Once I was done and left the room, she would get up and follow me. This is a picture from about two weeks ago when I was running a 48 car coal train. Last night I was running a train with 3 Kato SD90s pulling about 70 or so cars (mixed freight). I am going to try to post a couple more pictures over the weekend.
Garth, you have made wonderful progress! I bet you are enjoying running trains The control panel looks superb! Great job
It does look great Garth! I'm afraid if I get that far, I'll get to running trains and never finnish any scenery at all.
Thank you for all of the kind and positive words. I will admit though, it is very tempting to just sit there and run trains. One lap at a "reasonable" speed takes 1 minute 40 seconds. I figure that when I start to assemble buildings on my pull-out table in the train room, I will have a couple of trains running around the layout, to provide insperation.
Garth, The layout is incredible! Nice shots, and good luck on scenicking it, and adding all the details! I only wishe I had one now...
<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by PF2488: [QB I think the next stage is to start ballasting the hard to get to track, cover the hidden track, add the tunnel portals and finish the construction of buildings that help determine track positions (mines, Army Base, etc) and finish the wiring for the sidings and turnouts. Once these things are completed, I will then focus on the scenery. [/QB]<hr></blockquote> Garth, I would hold off on the ballasting until after the scenery is complete. There is nothing worse that dripping a glob of plaster, paint, or glue on ballasted track.
Hey looks great can't wait to see more of it completed. Just remember play for a while, work for a while that the master plan I use. But the trains always overrule the work. See you got a helper, just watch that rascle if you got a rock quarry modeled in your layout like me. My cat thought the rock quarry was a litterbox and took a dump in it. Ever hear that saying SH*# going to hit the fan. Ask the guy that was driving the end loader in the quarry. That poor dude got the whole pile. LOL......
