3rd Annual International Winter Layout Party of 2011

I'm going to try this layout party again as the layout is pretty much stuck in time from the last one that I did in 2008 and virtually nothing has been done other than making and fine-tuning the track for full operation. The summer after the last party the garage door spring broke and had to be replaced and I saw that the layout was too close to the door for any maintenance to occur. After a lot of trial and error I finally came up with a reasonable redesign plan but I need the motovation to execute it. For this layout part I want to:

1. Clean out/move everything from underneath
2. Remove/recycle the west end staging (Brooklyn Yard) and the adjacent engine terminal section.
3. Shift the layout 2' towards the back of the garage
4. Rebuild the combined Brooklyn yard/engine terminal benchwork and new fiddle yard
5. Start on roadbed/trackwork as funds/time permit (thinking about servo-controlled turnouts with microswitches to help get around the continuity problems of Code 55 Peco switches.

Peter

 

I just went through your album on photobucket. Very nice layout room and photos of the layout. :thumbs_up:

 

party fun

Well greetings from the train cave under the house. I have no layout per se but I am an avid Ntrak modeler. I am a memeber of a internet based club called the Central Carolina N Scalers that is a piedmont area of NC group. Most of the group(since it is internet based there is simply a collection once a year to pay for the web site) have home layouts but alas I gave up my layout space to my second child 5 years ago. I only have modules. I have a pair of 2x4 ntrak modules that are one scene. Those do not lend much to home running though. Another club member has brought oNetrak to my attention and that has created some new interest in having something I can set up and run at home when I have the time. I converted a shelf layout I had partially built to make it oNetrak compatible. I built a pair of offset modules that are typical onetrak modules.(IE 12 inches wide with track centered on them) I built two 90 degree curve modules to form one end of a loop. Those are plywood plains at the moment but have scenery and buildings fully planned. I made a couple of short filler straight units to account for the unusual length of the former shelf layout. Today after receiving inspiration from the layout party thread I began the final 180 degree set of modules to complete a loop. Once these are done I will have a full loop once again and the kids will be able to drive the trains again without my fear of them ending up in the floor. Seems children are more interested in continuous running than I am, LOL.

Here is the start of half of the 180.



Here is the plan for the 180:



Here are the rest of the modules in a "is this really feasible?" moment in the back yard earlier this fall:



This final set of modules is the first time I have used foam in my construction. I have been a plywood guy for so long but foam really seems to be the way to go in modular construction so I am taking the plunge. Clear drying caulk is being used as adhesive and the pins are brad nails separated with pliers as that was what I had. Connecting the two sides on a curve will be fun. I have done it on the NTrak modules with private trackage but not on this scale. But I am sure it will be fine. Mainline track will be code 80 and the interchange track will be Atlas code 55. Fun will be had if it kills me.

 

Week 1 update on the Greenbriar Delta & Rutland.

This was a good week even though I was not able to work each day and somethings did not go as I had planned.

The first thing I did was to remove all of the structures and vehicles from the area that I planned to work on (orange section in image below).

Within the work area I was able to paint all the rails and ballasted the main along the walls and around to the front up to the switch that serves Customer 9.

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While ballasting the track in the curve along the two walls, I was considering what to do with the area that is outside the track in that corner (the top right) that a water tower would sit on. The water tower is seen in the image below. I have to admit that its placement there was an accident, I had set it there to get it out of my way while I was working on temporary placement of some buildings.

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“Before” ​

The area of discussion located behind the buildings​

[FONT=&quot]I wanted to make it appear that the water tower is accessible from some place on the other side of the tracks via a dirt road that cuts through the forest.[/FONT]

​

“After”​

While working on this area I was able to try different and new for me scenery techniques.

• Trying out my home made Static Grass applicator. This is similar to one built recently by another TrainBoard member. The areas that I applied the Static Grass, looked surprisingly good for a first attempt. All the area that I applied Static Grass was covered over with forest. This was planned so that I could hide the test area. It did provide a nice under bush ground cover.
• Zip Texturing
• Zip Weathering
• Experimenting with different mixes of plaster and dry paint pigments to get some different colors for both the Zip Texturing and Zip Weathering

From my goals list I can mark off

1. Finish weathering all the rails in that area. This includes the section of track that is hidden by the foam block.
2. Ballast the entire section of track in that area. This includes the section of track that is hidden by the foam block.
3. Build and detail the portion of the city that will be located there.
4. Work at finishing the chemical plant area (customer #4).Place the storage tanks
   1. Overflow containment wall around storage tanks
   2. Road into and within the area
   3. Add a chain link fence.
5. Work towards finishing the Scrap Yard area (customer #9).
   1. Ramp for loader so it reaches over Gondolas
   2. Maybe some junk yard dogs.
   3. Add recycling bins (have them to build)
   4. Some type of fence could be a wood wall or chain link or a combination

Thanks

Gary

 

I don't plan to change the color. Structure in place.


Adding a fence out back along the track plus a few details. Man! That roof looks bad! Thinking, thinking...

 

I sure do like the trees. Blue Ridge Mountains style. :thumbs_up: Reminds me of Allen McClelland's Virginian and Ohio.

 

I do hope if you narrow the bridge you keep those nice abutments in the scene.

I have made no progress as had to work to late at night to have someone wait for me at the shop for my supplies. I don't need much so I think a trip to Lowe's is in order. I am also on vacation until the 4th so hope to make quite a bit of progress on the layout and freemoN modules. So no progress yet.

Flash, I do like your scenery textures. What do you use?

Specter3, I see complex track work is a passion for sure. The modules are looking good.

MOPMAN, I like the idea of the speed restriction as it does look precarious on that curve. I always cringe when a train rolls over my viaduct. Maybe a metal maintenance walkway is in order.

Merry Christmas guys and gals. I hope to post progress soon.

 

I dove in headfirst last night so I could get something done before Christmas and cleaned out garbage bag's worth of junk that had been accumulating for the last ten plus years and a couple armloads of recyclables. A lot of it was "I should save this" stuff but if I haven't touched it in 15 years i'm not likely to. So when i do the "move" after Christmas there will be less to take out and put back. I physically disconnected the existing yard section from the rest of the layout and moved it out of the way. Next week I will move the rest of the layout and start on reconstruction of the yard section.

Peter

 

Thanks, glad you like it. It really comes from my start in NTrak modules and the need for making lightweight construction. I use blue construction foam covered with paper maché-paint mix. The paper maché is mixed with latex paint for the earth color. This mix is about 50 percent water or the consistency of breakfast oatmeal. After that I use commercial foam for bushes and other ground cover. It is mostly Woodland Scenics. In most cases, the scenic area is completely covered with foam and none of the paper maché paint shows.

You notice there are no real trees. It is all low bushes and ground cover.

 

Powered up, turnout controls started

Today (after raking nearly 2 feet of snow off my roof, trying to head off an ice-dam-induced leak), I ran the power bus for the layout, started dropping feeder wires, and figured out the method I want to use for turnout control.

First, the feeder wires. I'm trying very hard to do minimal, clean solder points, to make the feeders as inconspicuous as possible:




For the turnout controls, I decided to try a control cable for an R/C airplane. It works GREAT!!!! Easy to embed in the foam surface, enough tension to hold the switch points, and VERY smooth operation. The only thing I haven't figured out yet is what to put on the other end for user control. I've thought about maybe concealing the controls as part of the scenery, under a movable vehicle, pile of crates, or other scenic element.



A video showing the turnout mechanism in action: http://dmirhillcitysub.blogspot.com/2010/12/turnout-controls.html

 

I used an R/C control rod on my layout and I operate it with a ball point pen. You can see it in the fascia in the picture below.



Go here to see more ball point pen applications in the Trainboard How To forum.

 

No festivities until Christmas day so I worked on the layout. I was able to glue the roadbed and track down and add feeders (18) to the track. The pictures don't say much until I take close ups where the track separation has been reduced by 3/8" for the mainline passing sidings reducing them from around 22' to 16'.
I like what I have so far. The Summit passing siding holds an 11 (50') car train a caboose and two locos with some room to spare. It still wont hold the 10 car Daylight but I could run a seven car Daylight on the layout. I did not lengthen the siding in the small town (Victorville) but having the tracks closer sure looks much better, especially when there are trains on the rails. Even though the feeders have been soldered to the tracks I still need to connect them and power it all back up. (fingers crossed)

 

Thanks, Flash!
Terry

 

Update.
Got some forest planted last week:




Terry

 

Well, here we are and I hope I am not too late. Better late than never I suppose. Anyhow, here is what I have going on for the next couple of months.

My layout is yet in the paper stages, actually it hasn't even managed to hit paper yet, it is stll on the computer. I have however, got a start on my brand new train room. Over the weekend, I have been hard at it in the basement tearing out the old and building up the new. Our house was built in 1938, and the basement doesn't look like it has been updated since the 50's. You will see in the photos that my train room is the first step in re-finishing the basement. It may not be a huge room, but it beats no room at all.


So here are my goals for this year's winter layout party.

1. Finish the room. Framing was done yesterday, and all the supplies for finishing off the electrical, re-routing some plumbing, and drywalling were purchased today at discount Boxing Day prices (10% off). I absolutely detest mudding and sanding drywall, so we will see if that is incentive to get it done really quickly or not.
2. Build the benchwork. Plans are to have the mainline about 48" to 54" off the floor. I will have to mockup a bench to see what is the most comfortable. I want to have so storage space under the layout for all sorts of miscellaneous stuff. (Sort of a compromise with my wife) Plans are to have open grid benchwork with a luan sub-roadbed. In time I will infill with XPS so I can carve and build up as desired. I don't think that will be done by the end of this party though.

Well, have a look at where I am at now. I attached a picture of where I am currently at with the room from the outside (Don't worry, the toilet isn't in the room), as well as a picture of my trackplan. Before anyone jumps all over me for my grade changes and switchbacks, I based my plan loosely off of the Gum Stump and Snowshoe layout. I am less concerned with running trains (the mainline roundy-round is good fun, and there is potential for a little shunting), and more concerned with good photo-ops. That being said, wish me luck. I look forward to keeping an eye on everyone else's layouts as well.

Cheers,

 

Add a few signs. That will fix those roof problems! I should have weathered/ stressed those signs. It's the "City Market Cafe."


See Rock City.

 

Things are good. I hooked up all the feeders, but had to add one more for a siding and turnout to be reliable. I cleaned everything up and ran some trains. I do have a couple turnouts that need work as they are a little tight on the gage but no biggie. I decided to shorten the Daylight train and 8 cars fit just fine in all the sidings so only two chair cars rather than three and one parlor car rather than two. It works and looks good on my size layout.
I may tackle the yard to as I am off this week. I want to put the mainline and A/D tracks in a more protypical situation(closer) and the yard track can be tightened up significantly to. I have a friend who has some Peco medium radius turnouts I may be able to trade for so my yard would also be Peco as all my mainline is. The Peco are more reliable IMHO anyway. So until I get those I will hold off. Instead I will work on closing up that hole and adding some scenic interest.

Woo Whoo!

 

Way cool!!! :thumbs_up::thumbs_up:

 

Cleaned the rail a bit more and began stacking foam for the mountains.

Love the "See Rock City" sign and link. Thanks!