UPS has me scheduled for delivery today! I ordered the Scenic Ridge package 3 weeks ago, and have hardly been able to stand the wait. Last night, I finished up my benchwork. It is built out of 1"x4"'s for the frame, and supported by 2"x2"'s. It's 40" tall. I made the mistake of adding the legs to it before moving into the house. I discovered that I didn't quite have the clearance to make it through the door. The legs came off, and it made it to the train room. Now I just have to clean up enough space to set it up and be able to get in and do some work. My train room is also our office/storage room. I was lucky to get the space. I can't wait to get home tonight to see all my goodies. I feel like it's Christmas all over again.
Everything has arrived!!!! I freaked out yesterday afternoon when I opened the box- Only the scenery kit was there. I thought they shorted me a bunch of stuff. I had to recheck my order and found that UPS had another box slated to be delivered today. My wife just called and said it was there. This is going to be a blast putting this thing together. I'm going to try to borrow my mom's digital camera soon so I can put pictures of my progress on my web site. Only problem with delivery was a small hole in the Hydrocoal package- everything is slightly coated in it. But not too much leaked out, so I should have enough. Construction begins tonight- I have already read the instruction book 3 times- and will probally read through it about a million more before I am done. The hardest part of the whole thing will be keeping my 3 year old involved with something long enough for me to get anything accomplished. Maybe I'll set up a small track off to the side for her to play with while I build. She loves to run the trains.
Now don't get too excited. When I do that, I get in a hurry to put that something together and end up breaking a part. Remember those exit tracks for the future addition, when you get bored with the layout. I share your excitement, too bad we couldn't come over for a couple of Friday nights to help you and motivate you. Remember to invite a friend, you need to grow an operating partner (I know you are already growing one...your daughter...as I have...my son) but you still will need some one else to run the second train coming at you in the opposite direction....lol. Think DCC!!!!
Hey Guppyman, I know you will be up to your arm pits in scenery right now, but do try to get some sleep. Tomorrow really is another day! I have tried to put it all together in one night and be running by breakfast, but I haven't made it yet! Enjoy, wish I could be there to help, hinder, kibitz, or just drink the coffee!
Last night I started test fitting track- I only got about half way around before I had to try to get my daughter to go to sleep. It only took 3 hours to finally make that happen. So not too much accomplished. How do you folks go about painting track? I noticed as I was looking at the bridge especially, that it looks too much like the plastic that it is. I'm just looking for some methods, colors, techniques or suggestions that you might have. Building the scenery and all looks pretty straight forward. I am a little intimidated by the building kits they sent. Lots of tiny detail parts that I will have to paint and put together. Luckily, that part is a long way off. After I had some track layed out with a couple of switches, I ran some power to it so I could play with switching tracks. I noticed that at slow speeds, my loco would stop on the plastic part on the switch. Is this fairly normal, or is it just my cheap little engine? I have a Bachmann 0-6-0 steam locomotive that came with a train set. Anyway- thanks for the encouragement. This is going to be a blast!
Glad to hear that you are having so much fun. Just remember, Rome was not built in a day. Take your time and savor the total experience, as the knowledge you learn will last you a lifetime of model railroading. You will even develop some methods of your own that you will be able to share with us. As for weathering the track, I lay it down first and then apply a light spray of some brown primer (available at any hardware store) I then ballast. There are many different methods but this is one that I use. (It's the easiest without having to go out and buy any fancy airbrushes or paints) On the topic of the Bachmann 0-6-0 switcher, this is typical operation for this little loco as the frogs on the turnouts are insulated. The only way to correct this is to wire the tender's wheels to pick up some juice or wire the frogs. I would personally just ditch the Bachmann and get a nice kato or Atlas or even Life-like diesel. These are all good runners and since they have larger wheelbases, usually do not stall on switches. Good luck and keep us posted! Russ/NYC The Hoffman Valley Railroad NARA member#28
There are techniques for painting track and ballast, but my suggestion is to wait until you hit that stage before asking for suggestions. A very quick answer is that you air brush on paint on the rails, then add ballast, then spray the ballast. Then clear the track tops with a very fine sand paper. Then add oil spots with an eye dropper. But wait until your track is set in place before getting more advise on that issue. I have questions about my layout but I don't plan on posting them until I hit the stage appropriate for the question. I find I print out answers to questions, then can't find the print outs. Easier to ask the questions in a timely manner. But it sounds to me like you should be looking at air brushes soon. In spraying the track and ballast on your layout would take around an hour in total (with all the spraying, in different stages). Then of course there are the structures, time to start looking for weathering chalk....lol. [ 08 March 2001: Message edited by: rsn48 ]
OK- I borrowed a cheap digital camera to get a few pics of what I've done so far. See them at: http://home.cprk.net/guppyman/nscale/pictures.html Sorry about the low quality pics. My next step is to lay plaster, then the track inside the tunnel areas. I get to do a little bit of ballasting even. Should I solder the track inside the tunnels, or just crimp the connectors real tight? Also- how often should I put terminal joiners in? I have noticed that when I hook up just one or two, there are a lot of dead spots in the track (track coming apart, etc...).
With hidden track you are best to solder them together. Since you are using foam, you won't have the contraction and expansion issues that many have on a wooden layout. I looked at your photo's. You have been busy.
Guppyman, may I voice an opinion? OK Thanks! Before you glue your track to the roadbed, gently stretch a stocking, (pantyhose or get some fine netting material at a cloth material store), and run a bead of glue along the outer edge along the roadbed foam and lay weights to hold the material tight enough to bridge over those gaps in the foam on top under the track. When that has dried for several feet, run a squiggly bead of glue on the table roughly an inch to 3 inches away from the foam, and stick pins, lay small stones, or anything that will hold the material in place to create a slope away from the roadbed. Spray or brush paint water based acrylic on the roadbed surface several coats allowing drying time between each. It may take a little practice, but it hides those slots, and helps start a base for the scenery along the right of way. Use a sharp knife to trim off excess material just outside the glue line down on the table. It is easy to trim where you want a hill or bridge, etc. and just re-glue the material to fit. When you plaster, this material will help support it if you brush a thinned coating and let it dry hard before building up any thickness. Try this on a scrap piece of the foam, or any foam by cutting some slots in it, but glue it to a piece of board for practice before doing the layout. You will quickly get the hang of how tight to pull the material, how much slope looks good, and how the plaster stiffens the material. Stockings are stretchy and that is the saving grace here, because not all materials work like it. It will save a lot of weight, and amount of plaster when trying to fill all those slots in your foam roadbed. Enjoy.
Guppyman - That will be some layout when you start the scenery. Watash has the best idea that I have heard of using nylon or fine mesh netting. I wish I had asked questions before I started my landscaping as my wife is always throwing away ruined pantyhose
Watash, Cool idea! Never used nylon stocking material. I have used cheesecloth, you can get that fairly cheap at a fabric store. I have a friend who is in the Army Guard and his unit was cleaning out a storage building and he found 3 cases of surplus plaster gause for making casts! All he had to do to get it was fill out some kind of material disposal form, he says there was over 1000 feet of it!! He says the stuff is pretty old age wise but it works as good as the Woodland Scenics stuff. Wonder if you could snag some at the Army Navy surplus? 2slim
They gave me a bunch of the plaster gauze in the kit I got. They say to use it to cover the roadbed before putting down track. Nice cheap idea for future reference though. I like those type of tips. Here's another question.... I saw two locos at a crafts store that I went to- Both are made by Model Power: 1 is marked as a F40PH and it is $33.99 the other is an Alco FA-2 for $32.97 Are these locos worth it and are they any good? I am totally clueless as to what is what when it comes to locos. These just happen to be the first I have come across in my price range.
Guppyman I would suggest picking up a Atlas, Kato, or one of the new Life-Like units. Model Power generally has poor running trains. A good choice would be if you have sharp curves to get a 2-axle locomotive. Like a GP- of some sort. I saw your pics and am very impressed. I have never seen anyone work that quickly before! Good luck. Mike
I would second the choice for locomotives. Generally, there are no bargains in N scale when buying new from a store. Oh something might go on sale for a week and it will be a good buy, but in N scale what you pay is what you get. Number one is Kato, nothing has surpassed them yet, Number two is Atlas..and Number three is the NEW Life Like those units made from the SW9/12's onward, but not backward. Up here in Canada, with the dollar exchange things are more expensive, so I don't dare give a dollar amount for something, but here is a rule of thumb. If you are paying significantly less than the average price of a new Atlas or Kato engine, then you're getting a junker. Most people starting in the hobby try and get away with buy cheaper engines (they just don't know). These cheaper engines are costly because they are poor runners and eventually don't get used. So the money is a total write off unless you can sell them to another sucker...I mean person...who is willing to take them off your hands.
I just borrowed a much better digital camera- a Sony MVC-FD88. So this weekend I will take some new pics to put on my site. I added a bunch this past week but they are of really poor quality. This past week, I haven't gotten much time to work on the layout- While my daughter is awake, I don't get to do anything to it that will mess up running the trains. Hopefully this weekend I will get to get some work done. Heather will be staying with her grandparents starting Saturday morning. New pics comming soon!!!! I can't wait to get home to take them.
I would recommend the Life Like GP20. They have them for a good price at Rio Grande right now.... $37 Hopefully this link will work. http://www.Riograndehobbies.com/cgi-local/SoftCart.exe/drgw/lifelike.htm?L+scstore+mbqg9416+985892862 I have three and love them. The SW1200s will also run with them also. Dave D. Los Angeles, CA The Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Photo Archive & E-Mail List: http://eje.railfan.net The Ashley, Drew & Northern Railfan Page: http://eje.railfan.net/adn Southern California Trains: http://eje.railfan.net/socal
Here's a much better picture of where I stand with things right now: If you want to see the rest of the new shots, they are at: http://content.communities.msn.com/isapi/fetch.dll?action=get_album&ID_Community=SeabrookMountainRR&ID_Topic=1 The new ones are all at the bottom.
