Third Annual International Winter Layout Party Back by popular demand! The Moderators of the Layout Design Forum are proud to host: The Third Annual International Winter Layout Party Since the first one in Spring 2002, the Layout Parties have traditionally been hosted in the Layout Design Forum. Why International? Trainboard has members from over 75 countries around the world, so the Layout Party draws its participants from throughout the international community. Why Winter? Threads for the 6 Layout Parties held in the Spring had 180 to 240 posts. The 2009 Winter thread had more than twice as many posts…so we decided to arrange future Winter Layout Parties. (If the Layout Design Forum moderators receive enough requests between mid-February and mid-March 2012, we will host a 2012 Spring Layout Party starting in Late-March 2012.) We know you're out there!Yeah, you… and you… and you with the potato chip hanging off your lip and the half drunk beverage sitting beside you. We know you're not working on your layout as much as you hoped to. You may have ideas for a new project that you always wanted to try but never got around to. Or there is a stack of kits on your workbench you’ve been meaning to start. Or you have a partially completed project that has been neglected for far too long. Or you have an almost-finished project that just needs some final fine-tuning and attention to complete. The purpose of the Layout Party is to provide recognition, encouragement, and support to all participants who are working on a layout project and inspiration to those following others’ progress in the thread. We hope to have a group of people who will post about the work completed on their layout at least once a week for 8 weeks. We will, of course, congratulate those who have worked on their layout, and encourage those who haven't. The kick-off date is Today, Saturday, December 31, 2011, and the Layout Party will end on February 26, 2012, the 4th Sunday in February. Rules for The Third Annual International Winter Layout Party thread: 1. In your first post, please include descriptions of: your layout (brief), the area of your layout that you intend to work on (“before” pictures, please…if available), and a description of what you want to accomplish in the 8 weeks of the Layout Party (don't make it grandiose). 2. At least once each week, post a brief description and/or pictures of your progress--or lack of progress, so far, and what you hope to accomplish in the next week. 3. At the end of the Layout Party, post a description and/or picture(s) of your accomplishments. FWIW: Some observations and suggestions: Life Happens. By joining this group, you are already acknowledging that you haven't worked on the layout as much as you know you should have or could have. The idea here is for us to have some fun and act as an electronic support group so we can each get more done on our layouts. Make a firm commitment to post at least once each week about progress on your layout project. If you fall off the Layout Project Work Wagon, acknowledge it by reporting it honestly. Then climb back on the Layout Project Work Wagon. Declaring exactly what you plan to work on during the next week will help you get back on the Layout Party Work Wagon. When we have others coming over to see our layouts, we tend to get more done because we plan and prepare better, and then actually follow through so we have something to show our visitors and can garner some strokes for all our efforts. Posting in the Annual Layout Party works in much the same way…we plan, prepare, and follow through a little better when we know someone will be seeing our progress. If you encounter difficulties on the layout project, remember that the other participants and all the Trainboard members following the Layout Party thread can be a resource for encouragement and problem-solving. If you have any problems posting pics, let us know so we can do appropriate problem-solving. Many participants have enjoyed this format and have commented that they accomplished more work on their layout in the short time we ran a Layout Party thread than they had in long time. Many members posted pictures, asked questions, moaned about problems, and encouraged others who were working through their frustrations. Check out these links to our past layout parties. 2010-11 Second Annual International Winter Layout Party 2009 - First Annual International Winter Layout Party 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
I'll bite, and I think I will actually make some ground this time around. FreemoN modules; Rebuild a bridge to create a more prototypical scene on one of my freemo modules. Add turnout controls to include both sides of the modules. Add the foundation and pavement ares for structures on the modules. Add some signs here and there. Home Layout; Lay out a road. Add a more finished look to the desert/mountain pass side of my layout. Either update the car cards or try out the JMRI operations. Ballast more track. Re-align the yard tracks. Build a small addition to extend my tail track in the yard to allow for an additional industry. This does sound like a little much, but the module modifications need to get done this week in preparation for the GTE Anaheim show. I will post photos as soon as I take some fresh shots of the layout, but attached are the module bridge photo and the prototype.
rolleyes: Hey, this sounds like a serious commitment to make ... scary. To actually finish what I plan in the short term and to show it all as it happens may be too much. Let's see if I have a contribution shortly. smile:
Does starting a layout count? If so, I will be starting constuction of a portable layout here in the next week. The plan is based on the Kato "Tri-R" layout with some modifications. I will post pics after I have started.
And here I've been woring on benchwork this weekend...... OK, I'll join in. So far, my layout consists of shelf brackets and a couple of hollow-core doors attached to the walls of a 6x11 1/2 foot room. The HCDs come from the remodeling I've been doing, with the screws, foam & brackets coming from Lowe's. By end of February, Lord and the IRS willing, I'll have enough track down to run some trains (no roundy-round layout here- it's a point-to-point switching line).
In for a penny... I'll jump in too. I've let the layout slide due to other committments but need to get back to it. So, my aim is to complete the point (turnout) indication wiring, reconfiguration of the 3 power districts and completing the frog wiring to the Tortoises and Blue Points then install the fascia. I will also aim to design the layout's lighting valence. A good friend is a gaffer (film lighting tech) by trade and is entering into specialist lighting solutions using some very interesting products, both fluorescent and LED, that may have an application in lighting our layouts.
I'll give it a try. I actually started in December, 2011, on a project that has been stagnant for years. This is the hump yard area on the Canyon Mountain N-gineers club layout. The last picture shows the project about the end of December, which is where I will start.
It's not the end of the week, but I don't know how much more time I will have so I will post the progress up to this afternoon. I spent a little more than 2 hours today... painting and arranging structures to get a "feel" for how the hump yard might eventually look when finished. There's more to be done on the back side of the hump yard and still a lot to do in front, for that matter; but I tend to get impatient. Here's another angle.... I'm also going to attempt to add a video of the hump in action to my Facebook page.... We'll see what happens.
I'm in. I have been neck deep in building a snow scene, and have learned some stuff about doing snow scenes I haven't before encountered. My layout is a HCD 3x7'. Atlas c55 N scale, cork roadbed, foam scenery base. I want to get the snow scene to a 90% complete stage for detailing at a later date. I want to get Tunnel 19 area to basic scenery stage, about 60% complete. I have a busy travel schedule during January, and in Feb, I start a new college class. Time is limited, so are my modest goals for this party. Before the layout party began, this is the proposed snow scene location: This is the unfinished Tunnel 19 scene: The snow has fallen, trees sprouted out of the snow, the ROW has been covered with "snow". I heavily utilized Mike Danneman's Jan/Feb 2007 NSR mag article to build the snow scene. I used Hydrocal for the scenery snow, and AZ Rock & Mineral "Snow" for the ROW. The snow scene so far: Reposted beflow from my layout thread, some lessons I learned bears repeating for those desiring a snow scene. As the old saying goes, you learn best from your mistakes. In that case, I'm learning a LOT! A few commandments to making a snow scene: 1: Thou shalt not use ground foam beneath any snow product. It shall bleed though, and cause thyself many troubles. This shall include thine trees, scenery base, shrubbery, etc. 2: Thou shalt not apply too much glue to snow product on thine right of way. Snow product shall not remain how/where it was placed. Thou shalt gently mist IPA over installed snow until slightly moistened. Thou shalt also apply glue mix slowly, drop by drop until the area is slightly soaked. 3: Thou shalt not disturb snow material while soaked with glue mix until most of the visibly liquid has diminished. 4: Thou shalt not allow the ROW to completely dry before cleaning out flangeways, and railheads of snow material. After it has dried completely, it shall be nearly impossible to remove. Thou must always check thine tracks with a large-flanged locomotive and railcar that normally runs acceptably on regular ballasted track. 5: After thou hast cleaned undesired snow material from flangeways and railheads, thou shalt clean the railheads (and wheels of the test loco/car) with track cleaning solvent of your choice to prevent snow material from being permanently bonded to railhead. Mike Danneman built his layout using Atlas C80 track. I used C55. The amount of snow buildup between the rails on my layout is much less visibly mounded, unlike Mike's. I might add more snow between the ties where I disloged some during the flangeway cleaning this morning, but the tracks are about done.
Here we go. My name's Josh and I hail from Bloomsburg, Pa. This is my second layout (technically my third). My first-first layout was built by my dad when I was 10-ish years old and I proceeded to throw all kinds of homebrewed details my 10-year old mind could conceive. It was nice for a kid. I left trains behind until I was about 24-25 years old. The first layout I built as an adult was a small portable one. I made many mistakes but I still managed to build a nice one for my first attempt at modelling. It also helped me cut my teeth for what was to come. *I also update my Trainboard Blog somewhat regularly so if you are interested check it out. Post #1: My goals My layout is a 74"x108"x36" L-shape foam base on a wood bench. It is a dual-main figure 8 with a few sidings for industry. This is the most recent picture I have of it: Trackplan: (edited for possible new track additions and possible scenery) The area I intend to work on is actually all of it for now... since it is in the beginning phases. In the next 8 weeks I hope to accomplish the following: - Finish track work. I have made a few steps but ran out of turnouts. - Finish gluing down risers - Wire up track. I also need to acquire a auto-reverse module to wire up my return loop for DCC. - Start piecing together some of the buildings so I can mock them up on the layout (Start being the key word, not finish hahaha) - Start plaster work (See above) - Install a few decoders since I am new to DCC and all of my Locos are analog This thread is a good idea. Maybe I can stay motivated. :thumbs_up:
I got to work about 3 uninterrupted hours on the hump yard today, so I added Sculptamold to the back side of the ramp, on the down hill side of the ramp, and anywhere else there were still some holes to fill. With that done, and allowing for just a little drying time, I added the base coat of paint and cleaned up some areas where I had slopped paint that I didn't want it. Not wanting to wait until the next session, I grabbed a "shake" can of brown paint and sprayed over portions of the base paint to tone down the red colors. Unfortunately, I got carried away and hit a few places that I will now have to repaint; that's what I get for trying to hurry. I still have some track to lay along the back wall, which will probably be done in the next session. I'm also going to have to come up with some structures to replace the one's that I've borrowed from other yards on the layout to make this one look more finished than it really is. I may add some washes and paint a few areas to bring out highlights and details of the slopes.
This is the overall scene so far: This is a closeup of the ROW: And this is the first revenue train through the blizzard's aftermath: Still much to do. More gesso to blend the two "white" tints in the snow, more gesso to clover the green ink bleed through, and a bunch more trees to go yet.
Hemi - Very nice! I'm looking forward to trying some of those techniques on a fairly large section of my layout! My layout is a two-level (with partial third for staging) around-the-walls layout that fills my basement. It is meant to represent the transcontinental version of the PRR mentioned in my signature and described on my website: http://www.pennsylvania-railroad.com Lower level: Upper level: As of the beginning of this party, the upper level benchwork and mainline had been completed from the end of the layout through River City through the back of the alcove. The roadbed had reached Walnut Hill, and the benchwork was in place, awaiting final positioning through the California/Colorado transition and into the Snake River Valley. My goal for this party is to push the upper level east over Loveland Pass and on to Idaho Springs. This goal is somewhat arbitrary, as progress has been pretty steady of late. Really, I just want to push the upper level as far as I can, as fast as I can, life permitting. Here goes!
This week, between the Gandy Dancers' efforts and my own, we got the completed benchwork and roadbed into the Snake River Valley, Got more track laid, pushing through double crossover in Walnut Hill and toward the CA/CO transition, After one final burst of tracklaying, the Pennsylvania Special made a trip to the end of the line.
Fine then, make me post three times in a row. I guess I'm the only one getting work done around here. :we-rolleyes: The Gandy Dancers came over last night, and we got a lot accomplished. I've now got more track feeders than I know what to do with, and some other mind-numbing tasks were completed. Also, the upper level benchwork has been expanded around to Loveland Pass. Next task is to lay out and construct the cookie-cutter around this area. Unfortunately, my work schedule is about to change to conflict with our normal gandy-dancing time. I think I'll manage to get at least one more work party in before the end of the Layout Party, but I'm going to be doing a lot more on my own for the foreseeable future.
Digging Holes on the Saginaw Transfer Railroad My layout is the Saginaw Transfer Railroad. It is pretty simplistic and set in the late 90's/early 00's era, very loosely based on BNSF and UP in Saginaw, TX (having the overall feel based mostly on rolling stock and a grain elavator flat) which is mere minutes away from BNSF's world headquarters. It's a two-piece setup, and built on foam and designed to be portable and/or stowed if needed. It's a somewhat unconventional construction consisting of a 1" layer of foam that will be (eventually) laminated to a 2" layer of foam sitting on bookshelf benchwork....that's it! One side is a yard scene and the other side is a simple out and back double-track loop. Lightweight, and Unitrack to make construction fast and simple, minimize tracklaying and switch machine headaches, and to survive the bumps of being portable/stowable. Overall, a "stepping stone" layout...very spartan and minimalist, although I still plan to use it as a testbed for DCC, detection, and signalling so there will be some complexity behind the curtain. And there will be some scenery and structures to add interest. This shot is somewhat dated, but mostly represents how the layout exists right now. When I first saw this post (this morning...missed it on NYE for some reason...hehe) I thought no way. I'm busy at work right now, about to move at the end of February, and I'm also in the middle of helping plan/market the BN convention in June. So not a lot of free time. But, moving means that everything gets packed up, and it represents a perfect opportunity to do some work on the layout that essentially requires that it be (empty, and) disassembled. SO, my list won't be terribly long but I think I can get a few things done in the next two months. The area of the layout to be modified is...all of it. The next tasks to be done on the layout include wiring, installing switch machine decoders, and weathering the track. I don't expect I will do anything with the latter, but to accomplish the wiring and decoders, I have to carve cavities in the lower section of foam to house the decoders and also eventually detection and signal boards. And just so there is SOMETHING that can actually be seen layout-side (and while I'm carving anyway) I will also do a "rough-in" carve of the creek the runs on the right side of the layout. So, here's the list: 1. Cut cavities in the 2" layer of foam for four DS64's, two BDL168's, and two SE8C's 2. Cut a cavity in the 2" layer for the Walthers pump jack motor. 3. Carve a rough representation of the creek on the right side of the layout 4. OPTIONAL: Might also drop the switch machine feeds from the Kato turnouts, a few track feeds, a may wire up one of the DS64's. Also might weather a few pieces of track while I'm at it. Not very exciting stuff, but if I can get 1-3 done, I'll consider this a resounding success! EDIT: Here's a view of the construction, to give you some idea how it's built and what my task involves. At this time the two layers are loose, but will eventually be laminated together with foam-compat glue.
Welcome to the party, Doug! Grab a beverage of your choice from the fridge, glad that you have joined us. Like you, I have modest goals, so I can actually complete this party and meet my goals.
Ahh, gotta love Trainboard. Well, I went back to edit typos and apparently my 60 minutes was already up. Between that and the "wait 15 seconds after I click on just about anything because it thinks I'm trying a D.O.S." is why I hardly ever post here anymore. Frustrating. :thumbs_down: EDIT: Hey Hemi! Thanks for the welcome. You posted while I was replying I guess. Yes, I figure I can get those items marked off my list and show off the new layout a little bit. This site just drives me crazy though...argghhhh...
OK so I'll quit whining now. smile: I had a few minutes to kill this morning, so I hacked into the creek project first. No major progress, but I snapped a quick photo of the mess I'd made! You can see the pump jack on the far right...I'd already cut a hole for it but it only goes through the top 1" layer of foam so I need to cut further down. Well, that's it for now! Looking forward to the other updates!
