Howdy all, Back in April I had this thread in the Layout Design forum, http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine...houghts-on-a-diesel-servicing-area&highlight= Well since then I made up my mind and just started working on getting some tracks down and go from there. I just counted WOW 5 months,,geez I move slow. LOL. Yesterday I worked on the Walthers Backshop kit, so I could place it on the layout and see what I have to work with. After seeing how big the structure looks, I will probally go with pikestuff family of kits. I also have plenty of the old B-Mann car shop kits,I could use one of the those for the engine shop. I used the drawing of the Santa Fe yard throat by David Barrow in MRP 1997. After laying the track and running some switching moves, I really like it. Plus it just looks cool!!! I placed the building where I thought it looked ok,, then just laid some quick trackage to it. Since I was out of #7's, I used the #6 fasttracks turnouts that I constructed about 3 years ago. I know using those,, I DEFINITELY have to check the gauge of some of my locos. The tracks that you can barely see curve behind the engine shop are the leads and the main. I did the math and used a test train and I have enough room to classify a 9' train, and that is using lead 2 which is the shorter lead of the two. Now I just need to drop a whole bunch of feeders, install 20+ switch machines ( mini slide switch, tortoise, blue point). I still have not decided on how to throw switches. Now I have spikes creating tension so I throw them by hand. Some pics for what ever reason.. Well see ya'll later, Wyatt
Looks good, as always. Glad to see you have time to work on your own layout. Yes, that yard throat does work well, and allows two switchers going at one time. I gave that up in my last yard for some reason, maybe just reliability, or I needed another turnout into the engine terminal. Not sure what you mean by having track spikes creating tension for throw bars? In any case, as you know, I have no problem with hand throwing turnouts, since that is how we do it at several local ops sessions. The Atlas C55 are a bit of a problem. You saw mine. Maybe slide switches, or maybe bury the Caboose ground throw and cut off the grossly oversized head. Or slide switches with Ole's switch stands made from MT bolster pins? Could they be strong enough to grip and move switch points?
I think SOO,MILW,CNW is a bit disappointed at the lack of response to some real layout progress, vs. sniping at LHS, new products, Ebay and the like. Is it my memory, or was there a time at TB where real layouts were the focus of discussion?
TB, like most forums, goes through cycles that test some peoples patience but overall, I think it has been fairly tame since June. I hope this is not why Wyatt is not posting but if it is, I would suggest that his posts are the type that most of us prefer to see.
How is non-participation therefore a solution? We live in a nation today were everyone sits around, complains, and waits for others to do the job. If you want folks to talk about layouts, someone needs to stand up and step ahead. Look at the following of Jerry's layout. Or Mike Highsmith's RGW construction. People ARE interested. But they can't read, let alone comment, about the unpublished. Posting and PERSISTING with a topic might require a small bit of effort. And perhaps it would draw people away from the other stuff which flourishes when other worthy threads are lacking. That absence of worthy topics is the real problem. Fill the void.
Hmmm...I think I will go back to my rock and model what I want..when I want. And I can soundly say that I will not waste my time taking pics putting said pics on web site...then typing the info. That time can be better used. Wyatt
I can recall when Wyatt started planning this layout, so it's neat to see progress. I'm going to buy some materials to start on my own this weekend, since it's been too dang long to not work on anything. Wyatt, forget the grumping from others and post some pics. Anyone has questions, let them ask. I used some small slide switches I got from Radio Shack for my last layout. I just ran a piece of brass wire with a Z bend for the switch throw. The hidden staging on the layout got BluePoints. I used music wire and some wooden round knobs from Rockler. I liked both to be honest and they worked well. A friend building a nice layout of the ATSF Porterville branch is using sliders along the front of the bench work and the wires under the track level. That has worked really well also. MR did something like that with Caboose ground throws as well. I liked that idea and my go that route with the new layout.
I'm not certain why you feel this way. Over 300 reads so far. We cannot make anyone read or post. Other folks have persisted. Giving up after much less than five days? Why not give it some time?
Wyatt, I hope you reconsider, I really enjoyed reading about your progress, I hope you'll share more of it with us in the future.
Wyatt, Hey Brother, sorry I wasn't able to call you back this weekend. I kinda feel responsible for this. :-o Wyatt and I (and Jeff/Rossford Yard) are good friends, and I think Wyatt and I are very much alike in that I think we are both pretty good model railroaders but circumstances just keep us down. Wether or not that is of our own doing is up for debate but for either of us to achieve success and/or progress is definitely a high five moment. Kind of like a troubled sports star....you know they can do it, but when the overcome some stuff to do something you know they are capable of, it's still special. I know other modelers in similar circumstances but I'm very well-versed on our situations. Anyway, I understand Wyatt's frustrations, and me being one that does often wax poetic about things that really don't make a damn, I should....and we all should....be jumping at the chance to see a new n--scale layout (or an update on an existing setup) getting some airplay. But (and Wyatt knows this and understands) I've spent the past four days with my son and I don't get that opportunity often. I will say that Wyatt is not being selfish here....the root of the issue actually began with some updates about Jeff's layout and similar "crickets chirping". And it's not about expecting attaboys....quite the contrary... Some feedback --good or bad-- is nice! The reality is, he's right....layout updates don't raise the interest level like a good gripe session does.
Doug hit the nail on the head. I am not looking for atta boys, heck,, I wouldn't mind if someone said,,hey man that looks like junk or what ever. Feed back is feed back. I know some people don't like to post and that is fine, I just get discouraged that with 300+ views and a couple of replies makes me think that I am wasting my time posting. A very wise friend once told me,,we use model railroading as a cover for our real hobby,,complaining and whinning about what we don't have or what the manufactures are doing wrong. I don't need pats on the back,,I know for fact that I am pretty good modeler. That is why I don't belong to a club, why deal with all the hurt feelings and people getting butt hurt. So in closing I will say that I may or may not continue to post. I feel that a big part of our hobby is sharing, so I share what I do, is it wrong to expect people to share back? If I could ever figure how to update my blog I would post there instead, so that people who are interested will see and the ones who are not wont be disturbed. Wyatt.
I have seen many a topic I have started, asking a question or hoping a few might enjoy, pass with little or no notice. I have not packed up my bags and left, disappointed. I have kept right on trying, perhaps it is my Irish or German ancestries, I do not give up. I would like to hope you'd stick with it. You might be surprised and the subject would take off. It might be slowly, but why not give it a chance? That is what I fail to comprehend here. It has been less than five complete days, including a weekend where many of us pursued other aspects of life. The brevity of topic exposure before making this choice is just puzzling for me. For myself, I've posted compliments many times previously in your topics. Other times, I simply read. What more can a person do?
Disappointed is not a word I would use, I would just say it is a waste of time to post. Who knows if heritage has anything to do with it, really I don't care. ( not opening those worms). Maybe you are correct about the number of days, and people have other lives. Ok you win,,, I will quit feeling like it was a waste of my time. Bravo 6 out
Whenever someone, anyone, takes the time to take photos and post a summary about a work in progress, I for one am encouraged and often even motivated to go do SOMETHING. Even if its just to take a train out of it's box and run it on the test track for a few minutes. I will always admire those people who DO. The hobby, (all hobbies?) I think are about sharing and for someone to use their valuable time TO share with 100's of others via the internet has got to be a task worthy of the plethora of adulation that is deserved yet seldom received. I think that of every response given to a post there are 20 others who probably feel the same but are unwilling/unable to articulate their thoughts. jmo Sometimes...for me anyway... all it takes is one person to reply "Thanks for sharing" and I am motivated, rejuvenated, inspired, encouraged, and even enthusiastic about sharing future progress. So... for all of those who DO; thanks for sharing!
Wyatt, I appreciate you sharing your layout's progress (especially since with school, family and work, I have almost no time to work on my own), and I also like the MILW power on your layout. You have the basics of a great layout, now to get more scenery down...
IMHO, Wyatt is really one of the heavy hitters in N scale. His layout should be somewhere in a magazine, and yet he chooses to share here. I can understand his disappointment at getting literally no feed back. Hey, we all want some recognition when we "do gooder" than the average model railroader! As many of you can ascertain, I use him greatly to assist in construction of my layout, especially the carpentry, etc. His layouts are built to the highest standards there are. And, while his current layout doesn't show it yet, he is almost as good at scenery as he is at the heavy work. Short version, usually when Wyatt posts something, I would bet you have something to learn from looking. He is pretty good at answering questions, too! Worth both a look and a response from many, again, IMHO.
Wyatt, so Here's a tad bit of a different take. You post here. You post at The Railwire. I'm a member on both. I generally respond to a post on which ever board I happen to first encounter it. Do I really NEED to report on the other? Many of us are in the same boat actually. What TB needs (as does TRW) is a number of times read counter. That would be a far better metric by which you can judge your impact then how little or how much feedback you receive in typed word form. If you want, we can all sign up for a day to be the Designated Wyatt Critic (Patent Pending) so you don't round up Atta Boys. Which is all I can generally give you unless I happen to be scoping out your techniques.
