Eric, have you considered using the Kato lever style turnout controllers? The lever position would be as good an indicator of point position as the Atlas lights. Of course, this assumes (I hate that word) the drawer will have sufficient room to mount them. I googled them and found some on eBay with decent pics for reference. Just google "kato n scale turnout controller", they'll pop right up. Just a thought, for what it's worth. Cheers
OK, I am about to pull the trigger on my Kato unitrack purchase. I am a bit nervous since I have very limited experience and virtually no access to anyone who has. One think I noticed is that there does not seem to be a way to create a wood trestle bridge with Kato track. They have viaduct, ground level, but nothing suitable for a wood trestle. I may have to use flextrack for this, but I'd like to stay with Kato if I can - any ideas? Also, while researching the switch controls I read somewhere that one Kato point control can operate more than one switch. Can anyone here confirm that?
Ready to begin. I've cleared out the old flex track and purchased $500 worth of Kato Unitrack. I'm well underway. Having some minor troubles with the foam - it is 5/8 instead of 1/2. PITA. I may have to dig out some where there is an over/under. I have 4 1/2" clearance under the crossbeams... before the foam...
Elevations set and checked, track laid out and tested, ready to start wiring. I plan to cut grooves in the foam to tuck the wire into. When I start sculpting the scenery I will remove sections of track and wrap the wired turnouts. Note how close I had to cut it on some of my clearances! That is my tallest engine, so everything else should run through just fine as well. Getting excited to have it done, but more excited to get my bar back!
Looks great! Tallest engine fits--what other equipment will you be running? I have 2 tunnels on my layout, and all of my equipment except for a pair of Vert-A-Pac cars clear every portal. Might be worth exploring.... Of course, my tunnels are on curves. The same clearance should be checked for all the equipment you intend to run. You prolly have thought about all this, but hey!
Good Show, Eric! I was beginning to think we might have lost ya, but obviously you've been a busy beaver. So glad you managed to make everything fit and work properly, and can't wait to see some green on them thar hills!
Wiring is 98% done - I just need to reverse polarity on a couple of the switches ( I have a bank of 4 on one switch, two must be open and two must be closed to function properly) I am getting a bit nervous about the landscaping part: I am not sure what I should do on the city side of the tracks - put down some flat sheeting and paint it asphalt grey then add grass later or do the opposite and put down grass paper then scrape out and paint the roads? Whichever way I go how do I hide the seams? I also am not exactly sure how to transition from the edge of the tracks to the edge of the scenery, particularly in my hilly part. I am a bit excited that my wife has agreed to help me build the downtown structures - about 14 of them. It could get tedious on my own, but sharing time with my wife never does. She will probably do more in the scenery dept too. I also am looking for a video screen for my drive-in theater. I have only 4.5" clearance. I thought about an old iTouch, but I found a better solution, if I can find the right size. Many of these digital picture frames can play video clips. If I can find one which will fit then I can just get clips from movies and it will rotate them through automatically for me. The trouble is that I can't find the right size - I can only find 7" frames or 1 1/2" keychains. Nothing in-between (that plays video files)
I have the plaster done and ready to paint. A little worried because somehow I got some rather large bumps that showed up in the track bed. I'll probably have to cut them out when I lay my track back down.
looking super, Eric...thanks for sharing the photos...I will continue watching...some really fine work...Gary L Lake Dillensnyder
Eric, the layout is awesome. You mentioned early on, you couldn't find beer cars. Check ebay, there are a bunch available. US brands, european brands, I even have a boxcar, that while it doesn't say Ballentine, is supposed to be the boxcar they used in Newark NJ, and my Grandfathr probably loaded for years. The cook thing about many of these cars, is they are colorful, so that might appeal... Enjoy!
I finished the paint last night and just put on the first layer of grass tonight. I'm not sure how heavy of green I should go with. Should I do another layer? Leave it as is? or 'suck up' some of the surplus? (I haven't put the top coat of scenery cement down yet) What do you think?
Just my opinion, I think it's a little too green. But.. am from So Cal, and we don't get a lot of rain through the year. I wouldn't add more, based on the photo. Up close you;ll notice bare and light spots not evident in the photo. This is a really cool bar. I'll look forward to seeing track laid. Jim J & MH RR
I am just drooling over ythose bottles in the background.........! What a great idea for a layout! Just found this thread and had a browse through it. Very interested in watching further progress.
Use several different color of foam to make the grass look more 'real'. Grass is never just one color and blending and mixing makes it more like real life 9some areas get more water than others). I usually start with the blended grass mix and add other variations of color from green to yellow. Aztec has for years produced beer and brewing cars. http://www.aztectrains.com/printed_main.html Looks great so far, just wish I was closer so I could see it in real life (and help).
This would be great to see up close, in person. I agree with the grass coloration suggestions. Variances will make it seem much closer to natural.
Looks great! I would toss a good coat of scenery cement on everything to really set the grass/scenic materials in good. I would also take a block sander to the ROW to ensure it is level/flat without dips or high spots. Time invested here is very well spent and results in a smoother ROW to lay the track on which also results in smoother running.
Very cool! When I do my "man cave" project I'm turning my layout I currently have into a fold up 5x7 foot movie screen with detachable 2x6 layout extensions (of course ilk have to remove my trains and rolling stock but everything will be securely mounted as to not fall off when it's lifted vertical lol) Can't wait to see how this turns out!! Sent from my Galaxy Note II using Tapatalk 2
Another thought, our club uses only Titebond 2 (the waterproof wood glue) diluted to secure the scenery material. On very damp days, any glue that wasn't waterproof would soften up and allow the scenery to be smeared if touched. Since this is under the glass of a bar, there is the chance of various liquids to be spilled and get on the scenery...just a thought.
[video=youtube_share;F42VfmEl9FQ]http://youtu.be/F42VfmEl9FQ[/video] It is done, but not finished. I have it operating and presentable. There are still many many details and projects which should keep me busy for years, but I can now close it up and operate it. I am still fine-tuning the upper deck (bridge and a place where my Delorean derails) but that is easy stuff. I'll be finishing the water soon and then adding more color variation to the grass and some shrubs and trees. I need to build a fence, marquee, toll booth and snack bar at my drive in. You'll also notice the two wire's I've left to power the 12v motor I plan to bury under the 'shag-wagon' at the theater. The motor hasn't arrived yet. I will be adding a grungy bar next to the brewery called "the Wrong Side of the Tracks" complete with chalk outline in front of the entrance. I'll probably add four or more buildings to my downtown. I'm not sure if I prefer the buildings butting up to one another or if I should include alleys and parking lots. I will definitely have a park with a tank or cannon on display. I have more automobiles on the way. The roads still need a lot of attention, (roadside parking, hide seams and edges, center and side lines, etc) but for now they are good enough. Like I said, I have detail work to last me for a long time. Thanks everyone for your input and interest. -E
