Construction has commenced!

Finally, after several weeks of adjussting to a new job with new hours (nights, with Tuesdays and Wednesdays off), plus negotiations with the local BLM (read: the wife), I have started construction of my new N scale layout. It will be on a hollow-core door, with a foam top. I'm looking to add something along the side, also with foam, for either a staging or switching area.

I picked up a 26"by 78" door for 15 bucks from the local discount supply shop, and pink foam insulation and Liquid Nails foam cement from Home Depot. After cutting the foam to size, I applied the Liquid Nails with a caulking gun to the foam, and glued it to the door. Right now the cement is drying, and when it's dried I'll affix legs to the door, and it will be above a dresser and TV in our bedroom.

I'll be working on trackplans with my Atlas RTS software, and when I have soemthing I'll show it here for comments.

However, I'm happy to say that I'm one big step closer to running the Frisco in N scale!

 

The base of the layout, as stated earlier, is a hollow-core door to which pink foam board has been attached. I haven't figured out what to use for legs (1x4, 2x2, or whatever), but I want to get a 48" "table-top" height on the layout, which will get things closer (essential for N scale, and especially for this presbyopic layout builder). Woodland Scenics foam roadbed has been acquired, and will be used underneath the track. Atlas code 55 track & turnouts in the visible areas, code 80 in staging. Basic cab control, block wiring, two power packs for control.

Other "givens & druthers":

• Frisco, late 1970s, secondary main, either Southern or Central Divisions
• Four-axle diesels
• Paper mills, poultry feed, plastics, lumber suppliers
• With about 11-12" radius, no cars longer than 60 feet.
• Separate motive power for the paper mill (gives me a reason to use the switcher I bought off of Jeremiah when I was in Cheyenne)
• Code 55 track, cuz it looks better than code 80. May use code 40 on spurs if I can find some.
• No DCC.................yet
• Slow speeds on freights
• Lots and LOTS of greenery, meaning beaucoup trees!

I foresee a trip to Addison and/or Denton in my future....does Silver Spike in Denton carry Atlas code 55? What say ye, D-FW modelers?

 

So far, nothing to see but a big expanse of pink on a hollow-core door. I plan on drawing out the trackplan when I get it, and posting it here, and later under-construction pics if & when I can borrow the missus's digital camera.

 

Here's the layout trackplan, version 1.0, drawn using Atlas's RTS software:




To the left is a paper mill (Walthers' Superior Paper Mill), while to the right is a grain elevator (ADM Elevator) to be used as a poultry feed mill. Curve radius on the main is 11.25 inches, with some 10" radius on the industrial trackage. Track running off at lower left is an interchange (not sure with who yet), and all track behind the line at the top is code 80 (the rest is code 55, for now).

This is actually pretty darn close to the Carolina Central trackplan MR had out some time back, difference being that the door I'm using is 1 inch narrower, and I'm going with slightly looser curve radius. Again, the locale is in the southeastern US on the Frisco, loosely based on the A&A Subdivision that ran between Hope, AR and Ardmore, OK. I'll have a bit of a lip around the edge, esp. on the back end, to keep the cars from making the Big Drop. The scene divider hiding the backdrop will be 1/8" Masonite, and will be probably 6 to 8 inches high.

Again, layout height will be 48 inches.

Comments/criticisms/suggestions are welcome- please keep my list of givens & druthers in mind, is all I ask. I'm a big boy, and have a pretty thick hide...

 

Instead of Masonite 6 to 8 inches high, how about foamboard only as high as needed to make an easily removeable/replaceable, light weight view block?

With viewblock:


Without viewblock


With view block:


Without view block--That's the removed view block near front of the shelf.

 

Consider putting 4 to 8 inch high background tree flats against the backdrop, like this:


And keeping the medium height view blocks in place in front of the tracks you want to hide, like this:


I think you will be able to create a sense of greater depth to the layout if the sky backdrop (12+ inches tall??) is all the way to the back of the shelf, there is a 4 to 8 inch background tree flat against the backdrop (behind the hidden tracks), and the 2 to 4 inch masonite or foamboard view block in front of the hidden tracks is made of all trees with no sky.

Look through my Background Trees Album for more options. Most of the pics are from a diorama I used for a NMRA Clinic on background tree flats, and the track centerline was only 6 inches from the backdrop sky.

 

That has crossed my mind as well-I was looking for removability with the Masonite divider as well.

After looking at the above plan, I got the idea of switching the locations of the paper mill and feed mill. Then I remembered I have seven woodchip hoppers I bought off of Hemi that need a home, so I may remove the feed mill altogether and put in a spot track for the woodchip hoppers, and one for the woodracks. With all the trackage, that little green & black goat I have will be kept busy shuffling cars.

 

Version 1.2 of the trackplan, this time showing the addition of a woodchip yard.

 

Update

Tracklaying crews have been busy on the Frisco Arklatex Sub, laying code 55 out in front and code 80 in the staging area. I'm relying on the Carolina Central trackplan from Model Railroader as a starting point, but will use the Walthers paper mill complex. Also, contrary to the plan, I'm flipping around the locations of the paper mill & feed mill.

Also, I'm over due a trip to the hobby shop for more code 55 supplies (joiners, more track). Also, wiring. But first, I'll clip wires on the track, plop an engine down, and do a test run to see how the trackwork looks.

 

Welcome to Trainboard, Norm! Glad to hear you're considering a door-sized layout.

As for updates- I'm running trains using my Atlas Frisco diesels, plus my LL SW900. So far, I have one siding in the front laid with code 55, and one in the staging area with code 80. However, I have turnoutss installed where I plan on putting in spurs, and I'm waiting a shipment from Internet Trains (one of our sponsors and adveretisers, BTW) which should have some code 40 flextrack. Once that's laid in, I'll test-run the spurs, then later install the buildings. Once that is done, I transform the Arklatex Sub from a pink wasteland to a green, lush forest.

And as soon as I can find the USB cable to my %^&(%% digital camera, I'll have pics.

 

The code 40 arrived from Internet Trains, and I took it out of the box (along with the 3 new tank cars) and fit one piece into the interchange track. I sawed off a tie or two on one end, carefully bent the track to the shape I wanted, and laid it on the foam roadbed. It mates up very well to the Atlas code 55 turnouts. It was shortened at one end using a Dremel on low speed, and it cut just fine.

Now to start laying industry spurs.....

I can see where I may have to get lo-pro wheelsets for some of my cars to replace the MT pizza-cutters.........

I can hardly wait to paint & weather the track, then add ballast- I'm looking for a slightly weedy look, a little run-down, not a whole lot of maintenance, top speed 25 MPH.

 

Atlas' software only has files for O, HO and N- no G files, sorry.

 

Bob, however did I manage to miss this thread?!?

You have got a nice start going there, and a neat plan to boot. How fragile is c40 flex? I didn't know it was available. Who makes it? Micro Engineering?