Tomorrow!!:tb-biggrin: Well, I tried to find some material for the background just before Christmas, but was not succesfull with that, so I have planned to go out tomorrow to find some lumber and plywood, etc and start to build the background. This will not go fast, but actually I hope to dig the first hole tomorrow. Btw up mike, you inspired me to take with the Loop design. Thank You!.
Playing around with 3rdPlanit I am playing around with the terrain using 3rdPlanit. Here is a rough rendering showing the principle of the layout. On the right, the city building skyline, with relief building along the wall, covering the shadow station on top level. No bridges are installed, no tunnelportals and no water, but hopefully you will have an idea of how I think it could be. On the lower level you can see the Tehachapi Loop. Link to blog.
Wow. Very ambitious layout you are planning there. How much between the bottom most level and the top? Side question: Finish your Challenger DCC project? And if you want to use it on this layout, keep the portals nice and wide on curves. That boiler swings over a lot.
I have not decided 100 % yet, but at the moment the distance is about 400 mm, giving a helix with about 8 circles. That will a long run in the dark. I am very close to finish(busys with other projects), but I have some problem with the current pickup that need to be fixed, and I have no track to run on at the moment, so I have not made a video yet. But I have many pictures and plan an article when its finished. I have also got another decoder for my GS4, so I think there would be a nice image(and sound) with both in the same image. I plan to use Challenger on the layout, and have good curves everywhere.
Svein-Martin, That looks very promising! However, I would put the Tehachapi part to the uppper level (if still possible), since that requires less interaction with rolling stock. And in my humble opinion, it might look better since it is mainly scenery.
Thank you. Everything is possible. Good point and I have not 100% decided the distance between the levels. One problem to change levels, is that under the roundhouse, there is a refrigator, so I need some height anyway on the main level. Another thing also is that if I don't make Tehachapi completely to the right wall, I could make that level mobile because it's only 2 track penetrating the wall and I could make a connection there that can make the level mobile. But now I need to go to the lumberstore and buy some plywood!!
I have had some progress with my layoutroom the last weeks. Soon the backdrop is finished and I can start painting. Some electrical changes for the room power have been done and the preparation to actually start to build the layout is near finish. Check out the blog here: http://www.platelayer.com/project-blog.aspx
Some more progress tonight. All the plywood and corners for the backdrop and roof are installed. One of the corners are in place and the plastercloth model works well. Below a panorama of the layout room, made by 5 images. Check out the Projectblog
Yes, I have done some more with the background, even when I was busy planning another layout for a friend.:tb-biggrin: Now the surface is ready to have the final surfacematerial glued on before the final painting. Have started to mount the frontboard above the layout also. Check out the projectpage. Here is the right part of the background, with the rounded corner, giving a nice "never-ending corner" effect. You can also see both levels. The lower level is not so wide.
Good progress with the framework I have good progress with the framework, using traditional L-girder and plywood. Soon I can start to install the first tracks. The trackplan has been edited until yesterday, but now I guess it is how I want it. Check out the blog.
It's a pretty challenging frame work, I like the more "functional" approach. For sure, your layout is going to be a big hit in Z.
The total width of the room and the visible part is 170cm/5,5 feet, the right leg is 65cm(2+feet) wide and 2 meter long(6,5 feet). The left part is 170 cm deep and 40 cm wide(1,5 feet). The distance between each part is about 60 cm(2 feet). In addition comes the helix and the track in the laundry room. Including the lower level with Tehachapi loop, the total track length is 68 meter, a little over 200 feet, on the current plan for the layout, An earlier version had about 300 feet with track.
This is what is going to put a spot light even more so on Z scale. Nothing wrong with suitcase and silverware box layouts, but when we start to see more home "empire" layouts, we will be thought of as more main stream. Who else besides Jim OConnell and Svein have done room layouts?
The final version of track plan? Is this the final version of the track plan? Thats a good thing with the hobby. It's nice to play with the PC and develop the layout before the actual building. Now I have some last minute changes done, just when I have started the building of the framework. Today my "empire" will look like this, but you never know what the future brings and new ideas pops out of the PC. Check out more images in the project blog. The layout blog.
