Working the layout - time to party

rsn48 Jan 12, 2004

  1. rsn48

    rsn48 TrainBoard Member

    2,263
    1
    43
    Pete,
    You'll look back on today as some of the real "golden years" with your family. Most adults don't "play" with their kids and miss a wonderful alternate universe.

    If my son wanted to do something "strange" with the layout, I'd let him do it and help him as I know when he leaves the home for good, I will be able to do whatever I want. But I also know - more importantly - I will miss his companionship even more when he is gone, than me getting my way on the layout.

    Sounds like your layout is giving you some incredible family time.
     
  2. Brando_T.

    Brando_T. E-Mail Bounces

    2
    0
    13
    Brando_T,

    I built that same layout in HO about 8 years ago! Great layout. You'll have many hours of hair pulling fun!!! [​IMG]
    </font>[/QUOTE]oh hey, interesting.

    My plan to work on the layout this month have been derailed (pun intended) by my 15 month old daughter contracting pneumonia, a week long visit by my mother, and two consulting jobs I picked up. At $100/hr, I tend not to turn that work down.
     
  3. Jon Grant

    Jon Grant TrainBoard Member

    2,040
    1,020
    36
    Thanks Rick,

    I hope to get some progress done on the Baseboard(module) fixings this weekend, but a Rail Power SD40 arrived the other day and ....I....must ....resisstttt...

    Sparky - sorry, Eric the Cat - takes a keen interest in modelling but he is a harsh judge.......

    [​IMG]


    [​IMG]


    He also has a keen interest in music......
    'Some Budgie or Kate Bush methinks'

    [​IMG]
     
  4. Mike Sheridan

    Mike Sheridan TrainBoard Member

    1,763
    0
    33
    Wow Jon. I've not seen mention of Kate Bush for years, but just a couple of weeks ago I bought 2 CD's of hers to replace my vinyl copies (we don't have a 'record player' any more). Now you make that comment. Spooky [​IMG]

    Report for the week:

    Well, as expected, temporary absence of wife has seriously affected progress. I did quite well last weekend and got the extract fan for my airbrush station installed and working (this was quite a big job, involving a hole through a 12" brick outside wall about 15 above ground). I also spent time in used furniture shops hoping to find a suitable cupboard for storage, but no luck yet. I may have to build something, but that will be a couple of days work I don't need :( and also needs fair weather as I have to do power sawing outside.

    I won't say that working 9 hours a day and then attending to domestic chores left me with no time or energy to do anything, because there are plenty of people who work longer hours, etc, and still do lots of modelling. But the resulting time available tended to be odd half hours and I'm not very good with them. I am what I call a 'high inertia' person - it takes me time to get going on something, but once I'm going I tend to get a lot done before stopping. So basically I did nothing during the week [​IMG] .

    Today I am continuing to clean and sort my workspace, but also get chores done (shopping, washing, ironing) so I have a fairly clear day tomorrow. Wife is back Monday night, so I hope to get more done next week.

    Targets for next week:-
    Build the fiddle yard (just a shelf and two tracks),
    Get most of the rest of the coke complex built and decorated.
     
  5. Dwight

    Dwight TrainBoard Member

    23
    0
    15
    What is this, like week 3? Aaargh!
    Yesterday I decided I couldn't stand the 4% inclines and tore the entire thing down and started over. [​IMG] Surprisingly, a new track plan evolved in an afternoon. Just have to fine-tune a few things and plan the scenery a bit more. I swear I'm not going to change it again! :rolleyes: So my progress has been, uh, negative. [​IMG]
     
  6. Hoss

    Hoss TrainBoard Member

    753
    400
    32
    Week Three Report

    Well, due to getting sick and due to an overall lack of time this week, I didn't get much accomplished. I did manage to accomplish the goals I set though.

    I put the remaining plywood down on the benchwork and did perhaps the smartest thing I've done since I started the layout....put casters on the legs. That thing was a BEAST to move around....now I can move it with very little effort whatsoever.

    Now....because I now have the ability to move the layout easily, that doesn't put so much pressure on me to get the backdrop and lighting on right away. Therefore, I'm pushing those things off and will continue working towards getting track down.

    My goals for Week 4 are to draw the remaining track centerlines on the plywood, raise it all to the appropriate grade and get the cork roadbed down. That's probably two or three good nights worth of work.
     
  7. Hoss

    Hoss TrainBoard Member

    753
    400
    32
    Hehehe....you just doomed yourself. ;)

    Can't be as bad as me though. I went through weeks of track planning, built the benchwork, transferred the plan to the benchwork and had all of the foam subroadbed down when I decided to start over COMPLETELY from scratch. Track plan scrapped, foam trashed and benchwork dismantled......all so I could build a bigger railroad. :D
     
  8. rsn48

    rsn48 TrainBoard Member

    2,263
    1
    43
    BEGINNING OF WEEK FOUR

    Note: the party has been extended two weeks so there is now 4 Weeks left, enough time if anyone else wishes to join in.
     
  9. William Cowie

    William Cowie TrainBoard Member

    2,113
    22
    38
    I am at least one week behind schedule, but here are the two modules, foam painted and track laid, with roadways laid out.

    [​IMG]

    Next step will be dropping feeder wires to below the layout and painting the rails.

    Then it'll be adding backdrops and the fascia, and laying out foundations for buildings and paved areas for lots. Then, thanks to advice from Pete Nolan, two-sided painting of the styrene used for paved lots and crossings, so it doesn't curl.

    I plan to do ballasting and the unpaved lots after that, at the same time, since ballasting will be "to the brim" and run into the unpaved areas, except for a very few places.

    At least we're showing progress again... [​IMG]
     
  10. rsn48

    rsn48 TrainBoard Member

    2,263
    1
    43
    William,
    At first I thought you were using homasote as that is what colour it is, that grey tone in your photo. Then I read your description slower to discover it was painted foam. Since extra weeks have been added on to the party, you're really one week ahead now.... lol.
     
  11. up mike

    up mike E-Mail Bounces

    1,206
    2
    27
    Looks Good William!! Myself I will be posting new pictures in the next couple of days. I am now set on Atlas code 55 Flex track with Peco for my yard. I did get some of the WS risers glued in place. I will be working on getting that done and painted.
     
  12. Jon Grant

    Jon Grant TrainBoard Member

    2,040
    1,020
    36
    Hi all,

    I got totally sidetracked with the SD40 and did'nt get any work done on the layout, but I've got a couple of days off this week, so I hope to get something done then.

    In the meantime here's a few shots of the offending item, just to show I haven't been lazy.

    Jon

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  13. Pete Nolan

    Pete Nolan TrainBoard Supporter

    10,587
    237
    125
    My report for Week 3:

    Jan 26—Mon

    Too busy today. Another 16-hour day.

    Jan 27—Tues

    Ditto. Damn.

    Jan 28—Wed

    Went out to the train room at lunch. Hmm, 48 degrees F in there. Blew a GFCI. Went back to work. Wonder what blew it, and when. I'll bet something leaked through on Sunday night. Or the snow? Hmm.

    ARAARUGH--big fish pond nearly empty! Blew out drain due to extreme cold. Filled back up, after shutting off pumps.

    Looked, fruitlessly, for best drawings of new layout. ARGH! Need to modify, can't find.

    Jan 29—Thurs

    One of three furnaces out. Hmmmm. Jiggered it back to starting. Control electronics board probably starting to fail--damn Rheems! All these problems may be related?

    Laid some ballast on the front and back side of the yard, with matte board roads curling as expected. Glued and pinned them back down--hey, aren't New England roads notoriously bumpy and uneven?

    Jan 30—Friday

    Finally tackled finishing the harbor the full length of one side on the first deck. Started laying up the stone wall for the harbor, and capping it with plastic I-beams. Probably should have used L beams, but didn't have any. Painted up the seepage pit between roundhouse and yard. Roofed Pete's Fish Processing. Tried to unclog Radiograph pens to do road striping in place of tape--yeah, right, after ten years of sitting with ink in them.

    Jan 31—Sat

    Poured first coat of WS new water in pit--looks suspiciously like artist's Gloss Medium to me! Chopped out section in Downtown for Jeanne's gas station, and made new pad. Helped her with fine details of it. Ballasted and turfed a large section behind Downtown, with predictable results for the matte board on the edges--not just curled, but ruined. No big deal--the old pieces served as a template for the new. When will I ever learn?

    Printed 8-foot x 13-inch backdrop to roundhouse, using NM Jemez Mtn's Caldera for pastoral New England. Mounted it on foam core, gave it a light coat of DullCoat--evacuated garage of people and cars! Gave it a second coat before bed.

    Feb 1—Sun

    Mounted backdrop. Will probably overlap next attempt rather than butt the 13 x 19 pieces. Is a slight white line better than an overlapped seam? I'll have to find out--I can't afford my digital printer friend right now for seamless printing. He'll mount it for me--there's two pieces waiting at his shop--but how do I get them home? Need long-bed pickup again.

    Lots of other work. Built a nice loading dock for one "Behind Downtown" building flat--boy, gota work on these neighborhood names. Build a two-story interior for one of DPM's kits. Planted Jeanne's station.

    [​IMG]

    Second pour on seepage pit. Ballast, rocks and turf in the roundhouse section. Finally fixed Superior Auto Parts building--glazing and a new roof. Jeanne worked on the detail parts from WS--whoa, the flash--no wonder WS bundled them into their big 13-building kits.

    Jeanne got me one of the Miller Engineering diner kits for my birthday--talk about revenge! I think it looks more complicated than it really is.

    Watched Patriots WIN! Nice New England dinner of scallop stew and fresh Maine lobsters for ten people at half time. GREAT LOBSTERS for $8.99/pound. Probably cheaper than in Maine.

    Pete
     
  14. Bama Red

    Bama Red TrainBoard Member

    59
    0
    16
    No real work done except some ballasting. My mother fell and broke her hip Wednesday and my wife and I had to take off for Alabama - just got back yesterday. Hope this coming week is better.
     
  15. Pete Nolan

    Pete Nolan TrainBoard Supporter

    10,587
    237
    125
    Here's another new one of the backdrop behind the roundhouse. This wasn't on my list, but it struck me that it was doable, so I did it:

    [​IMG]

    Wow, shooting one light with an effective lens of 18mm doesn't work well!

    (SIGH) Perhaps some day I'll find the time and motivation to light it correctly.

    Pete
     
  16. DWaneet

    DWaneet New Member

    9
    0
    13
    I know that I'm getting a late start with is "Party" but I want to join just the same!
    I have been following along with the different entries of others for about a week now. I enjoyed the successes and hope that I will also have some myself. In the four weeks remaining I plan to :cool:

    1. finalized my layout plans
    2. build a small model of the layout
    3. build all needed benchwork

    The layout is going to fill a room that is 9X9
    and is based of layout #17 in 101 model layouts by Lynn Westcott. I plan a couple of changes for it, like adding some staging tracks and a second branch line.
     
  17. Lance Miller

    Lance Miller New Member

    4
    0
    13
    I stumble upon this thread during its mid session so since its now extended I will join in.
    Well, I guess I am a begineer. I started a large HO layout a few years back, but with its complexity I lost track and my layout ended up being a storage table. I had the track laid, bvut there were several problems. I have decided to redo it and go with the Woodland Scenics River Pass kit. I know it lacks a lot of operational action, but I think it will be an easier task to take on. I have the kit ordered and should be here by the end of the week. I also have ordered the scenery kit as well.
    Anyways here are my goals:
    1. Clean up layout room (its currently a disaster).
    2. Separate my bench work down to one 4'X8' section.
    3. Begin the subterrain of the River Pass.
    4. Begin laying track while soldering joints and wire in a Bus configuration (Both seemed to contribute to problems on my old setup).

    I figure this will take up 4 weeks, but after that I hope to begin the scenery.

    I don't know if these are unrealistic goals, but I'll give it a go.
    If anyone have any experience with this kit or other Woodland Scenics kits have any input I would appreciate your comments.
    Sorry for the long winded posting.
    I will keep you all updated.
    Lance
     
  18. DWaneet

    DWaneet New Member

    9
    0
    13
    I'm sure it is doable for you if you put your mind to it. I think I would get the track up and running before dealing with the scenery though, cause what if you have to replace a section of track that is covered ? [​IMG]
     
  19. rsn48

    rsn48 TrainBoard Member

    2,263
    1
    43
    DWaneet and Lance Welcome aboard. We need some enthusiasm as I am doing something I am not enjoying at all on my layout, so I'm sure it is reflected in my updates (no enthusiasm). I have been stripping paint off of some old legs I found that I will be using on my layout.

    The stripping is actually consuming a lot of time for little gain. The good news is that I should be done stripping the paint off in about 3 more days. Then the fun part starts for me, as I move back to finish off some benchwork. I'll never be a professional furniture stripper.
     
  20. DWaneet

    DWaneet New Member

    9
    0
    13
    rsn48, how are you stripping the paint of the legs? I know that that there are chemicals out there that could speed the process for you.

    Keeping you interest in high gear could simple done by also working on other projects that you can complete in a short time say an evening along with still slowly working on your leg project.

    As I work on getting the finalized plan drawn I also have several projects in the fire like painting a 57 foot boxcar to my railroads colors and trying to figure out how in the world I going to replace motor parts for a FP-45 that I have.

    In the painting of the boxcar I consider it a success when I able to get my airbrush to work properly and I get one coat on it. Im new to airbrushing. For my motor replacement drama I surf Ebay looking for parts. Cause there is no hobby shop in Alaska that carry the parts. Mind you, you can buy an engine here but tweaking it or replacing parts in a different matter. [​IMG]
     

Share This Page