The yard looks so good with that Super Fleet locomotive in the back and no Armour Yellow! :tb-biggrin::tb-biggrin: Always great to see your layout Jim! Just fantastic fueling scene too!
Thanks, Guys! I think next week will wrap the tour - then hows about "Hidden Oakville"? Also experimenting with mirror shots that you just can't get any other way. And I have added (and changed) a few things as well..
The Oakville Sub Tour Concludes! Yard crossing: Overall west yard view: East end of the yard; one of the things I like is the "escape track" where incoming power can run around the train to get to the servicing area. Here we see a lashup backing through the crossover: Finally, still on the yard's east end, a stacker on the main departs for Mojave: Next week: Hidden Oakville!
Thank you for sharing the wonderful photo tour of your layout Jim. Your layout is stunning, jaw dropping awesome!!!! The long trains making their way through the vast mountain range must provide for some great scenic running enjoyment. Hope you will consider doing a video in the not too distant future. Jerry
Thanks, guys! Video IS being thought of - but I'd REALLY like to be able to dub some prototype sound in...haven't been able to find the correct sounds. Need AC's flat out, heavy dynamics, and flange squeal...
Here's my go-to source for ambient/general sounds. I'm sure you could find some specific sounds if you go through it all. Dynamics and flange squeal are often labeled. Locomotive type is rarely labeled. http://www.sounddogs.com/
And now: The seamy underside of The Oakville Sub. In response to absolutely no requests, I thought it might be interesting to see the hidden bits. Although not exactly hidden, the work area IS out of the way and yet easy to access: Here's the business end of the staging area. It's great to be able to look in there to get a loco number for throttle selection. The section on the right are the sensor occupancy detector boards: You don't wanna know what it took to get this shot! You're eye is approximately at the throat of the staging yard. Outbound is at the left, and you can see a couple cars at the tail of the inbound side. I find that I can easily park a train just over the sensor and it won't foul the switch. As I took these there were eleven full trains in staging. All the switches you see were built by Rob De Rebel... Finally a view under the main peninsula in staging. It's a lousy shot, you can't begin to see all the cars in there, but it does give you a sense of the area. Very visible is the mountain underpinning...
WOW Jim. Those "behind the scenes" are fantastic! I see we're using the same type of storage bins, but I am jealous of the amount of space you have under the layout (of course, I am jealous about the total square footage you have, too....) Thanks for those shots.
Yup...those storage cabinets from Walmart are great and fairly cheap! I didnt put the casters on mine and they fit perfect under my layout (32 inches off floor). I have 2x4 legs every 4 foot and one of the narrower cabinets and one of the wider...deeper drawers...ones fits nicely betwen them. I have a total of 10 !! :thumbs_up::tb-cool:
Thanks for those under the scenes photos. Its important for us to see how it all gets built up to the finished product. I like your work area. Tidy and easy to move around the layout room if desired.
Thanks, guys. Casters are a must - I'm about to move the main work "bench" into the south room where things are getting interesting...I screwed a multi outlet tap into the side so I've got a handy plug in right close to the work. Oh! Forgot to mention the work area is in the north room where the yard and engine terminal is. When I have power to the layout and am working at the bench I can listen to an 8-40B charging air and blowing off occasionally...about the only consistent use for sound I have.
Will you be adding curtains hung behind the fascia? Or is the idea that if you have an open house you could roll the workbench/shop out of the layout space.
Jim, Just when I thought your layout was already fascinating.. You out did yourself again.. Amazing staging and work areas.. If I make a layout that is even half of yours before I kick the bucket.. I'm gonna be really happy. Thanks for the excellent tour! -Jon
What an amazing thread !!! The layout is fantastic !!! Sense of perspertive, atmosphere, track laying, Benchwork ... all is neet and perfect !!!:tb-shocked: Realy one of best layout i have seen in N scale, congratulations ... Many many Thank's to show it here !! :thumbs_up:
Love the underworld shots Jim. They lead me to a question about train handling: do you switch out cars from time to time, or do you have your entire operable stock on the layout at all times? If the former, where do you rotate stock? On the visible tracks, or in the hidden staging? Thanks, Gary
Thanks everyone for the comments! Gary, all my cars are on the layout (Somewhere!). Except for those I'm selling off, which is done because the prototype is approaching its life limits. As time passes, you'll see more and more of the older cars disappear. I don't change trains all that much, and there are probably two more trains worth sitting in the Oakville yard. Every now and then I'll do some swapping just for fun, I rather enjoy the occasional switching session. With todays' dedicated trains (stack train, earthworm, auto rack, auto parts and so on) moving cars around doesn't have to be done very often, just like in real life. At this point in time I don't think I'll be doing curtains. I think that would tend to close things in quite a bit. I like the open feel...
