I think the party is successful in both of these areas. It has certainly motivated me to do more and I'm real eager each day to check and see how everyone else is progressing. This is a good thing! I've got more track roadbed laid, a river bed cut out, 2 bridges put in and chicken wire in place for the river bed. One thing I have done that I wasn't expecting to have to do was modify my layout design. I increased the length of my mainline by about 16 inches and increased the width by almost 20 inches. I'm finding that when I see the roadbed laid out I want to add a little more. My overall length is now just under 20 feet. I needed this enlargement in order to make a runaround, which is probably only going to be a 22 inch radius. Another thing that I think I'll do possibly this week that I wasn't planning is to put rollers on the layout. It's getting to be a bear if I need to move it at all.
The challenge has motivated me to keep a log. Keeping a log motivates me to do more work, so each day's entry isn't "nuttin!" Pete
I can tell you from personal (and very recent) experience that this is WELL worth doing. My 9'x17' layout in the garage was almost impossible for one person to move without ripping the legs off of it. Two inch casters on each leg made all the difference in the world....and I can now move the layout with ease, which is a great help.
Week Four Report Unfortunately, I got VERY little done during week four. I did manage to draw MOST of the remaining track centerlines out on the plywood, but that's about as far as it got. I only worked on the layout one night last week. Saturday I put casters on the smaller module of the layout and then screwed the two modules together to make one complete 9'x17' layout that can be easily moved around the garage as needed. I spent the rest of the morning cleaning the garage up some and then I didn't touch the layout again the rest of the weekend. My goal for week five is to finish drawing the track centerlines and get all of the track elevated to the appropriate elevation. If I'm able to get that done, I'd also like to get the remaining cork down.....or at least part of it.
Well gang, My first week into the party was not has productive as I wanted it too be but I did make headway on my drawings and hopefully I will get my scanner online this week so I can be able to post them. I have been touch with an " Long time model railroader " Who has under his belt a layout that is in the size relm of 30X40. So I bent his ear and took notes. One thing that I kinda did not think about was real people space and comfort. I don't have a whole lot of room for either ( my layout area is 9x9 )if I want trains & scenery so I guess I will be working the compramise between all the contenders
Week Four update. I started a couple of days before the party officially started, buying the wood on Friday and building the 4x8' (actually 49"x97") table over the weekend that saw the start of the party. Materials purchased for the table: 4x8x1/2 MDF for the top, 1x4x8' (4) for the table support, and 2x4x8' (2) for the legs. This material was augmented by scrap wood from the shop for bracing, plus screws and wood glue on hand. Cost $36. The next week saw the drawing of the track centers on the MDF tables. The track plan is based on Iain Rice's Chesapeake Harbor Belt, but in my case without the harbor. Once the track centers were established I glued down cork roadbed - a total of 21 three foot pieces - with white glue. Cost $22. The roadbed is down and sanded. Here are a couple of shots of the table as it sits today: Full sized images can be seen at my RailImages account at PeterZ's V&ET Rwy. Plans for this week: Since I am (a) working on an extremely tight budget and (b) handlaying the track, I am going to try to cut my own ties on my table saw in the garage. I have some 2x2x20" tight grained heart pine, assorted 1x pieces of oak, and one piece of 2x6 cherry (absolutely the last resort) to try. I'll let you know how it goes. If the tie production doesn't work out I will have to mail order a couple of bags of ME weathered ties. I also need some PC board ties to hold turnouts in position. More to come. [ 09. February 2004, 16:18: Message edited by: PeterZ ]
PeterZ, Glad to see your progress ! Hope you find other projects for oak and cherry woods I'm looking forward to the day my layout is at the level that you are at now! Hopefully by the end of the party
Peter, I don't know about you, but I'd cut my fingers off trying to cut my own ties (especially for N scale).
DWaneet, The cherry has been sitting in my shop for almost 10 years. I bought it for a project I never built. It has sat for so long that the outside is almost prototypical tie color. I have lots of small pieces of oak that usually find a home as strengthening blocks or scraps for jigs. Hoss, That's what push sticks are for. Need any stained N scale ties? I found some in bags in the "stuff" cabinet over the weekend.
Do you have some kind of a micro saw? Seems to me that with the saw I have you wouldn't be able to cut ties very well. Heck, the blade is probably wider than an N scale tie.
Week Four: Feb 2-4 Mon-Wed Nothing much--I do have to work for a living sometimes. Made infrequent ventures out to the train room, looked at what needs to be done, shook my head. The urban sections need more greenery. Everything needs more greenery! Will I ever finish this monster? Did read the latest MRR with Selios's layout. Nope, will never get that far, but then I'm not in the industry either. Need better lights and light stands! Need to wire up the second 20-amp circuit. Need to break the layout into "power districts." Need, need, need . . . I guess it's time to lay off the layout. Feb 5—Thurs Picked up the backdrop from the printer after realizing that it would fit in my car--all eight feet of it. Once home I had to trim an inch off the bottom, and a few reliefs for the second deck supports to fit it on the wall. Not sure I like it on the railroad--but the other version, printed on really fancy paper, is perfect for the dining room! Feb 6—Friday Too much real work. Mounted long backdrop. Played with image to flop and distort for corner—nope! Printed flopped backdrop—too much magenta—nope! Feb 7—Sat Painted a now empty bedroom until about 3 PM. Started scenicking the roundhouse--not on my party list, but well, a lot isn't. I'm the owner--I do as I please, and this was close in. Jeanne's starting on building details and interiors. She convinced me the backdrop was not too magenta-ish, so we trimmed and mounted it on foam core. Made a seawall to cover the bottom of the long backdrop. Feb 8—Sun Sprayed and mounted corner backdrop. Artist's fixative is just as potent as dullcoat, but clears out a lot faster! Covered bottom edge with a tape web and joint compound. Jeanne covered the seawall with moss and stuff, and we mounted it. Then she went to the second deck and started hiding a joint line with a long line of shrubs.
On Friday, my fiancee and I took a dinner trip on the Minnesota Zephyr. I got to ride in the cab of the F7 on the return trip for a little while and chat with the Engineer: http://www.boche.net/trains/2-8-04/DSC01883.JPG http://www.boche.net/trains/2-8-04/DSC01884.JPG http://www.boche.net/trains/2-8-04/DSC01885.JPG Part of Friday and most of Saturday were spent painting all layout benchwork to seal against moisture which has been causing me some layout expansion/contraction issues over the winter: http://www.boche.net/trains/2-8-04/000_0233.JPG Painting the underside of the layout was a major pain in the rear: http://www.boche.net/trains/2-8-04/000_0235.JPG Last night I built this 2nd rate drawer for my DCC system. It works though.. slides in and out nicely: http://www.boche.net/trains/2-8-04/000_0234.JPG Last night I built this permanent DCC programming track. It will be modeled as an abandoned stub end siding with the turnout partially removed when I'm done with it: http://www.boche.net/trains/2-8-04/000_0239.JPG I documented and color coded my bus wiring system in case I have problems in the future: http://www.boche.net/trains/2-8-04/000_0240.JPG http://www.boche.net/trains/2-8-04/000_0241.JPG I picked up this BN fuel tender from Beckers Model Railroad Supply late last week: http://www.boche.net/trains/2-8-04/000_0238.JPG And finally a picture of my 2 favorite SW1500's, both are now fitted with decoders and their speed tables have been programmed so they are a perfect MU together. If you want to move large strings of trains with an Athearn SW1500, you'll need 2 of them MU'd because the Athearn SW1500's are fairly light and wheel slip is common: http://www.boche.net/trains/2-8-04/000_0232.JPG
I installed the 1/8" hardboard fascia Sunday night so technically this update has to be allowed for last weekend's work. I just didn't get around to snapping the pictures until tonight. http://www.boche.net/trains/2-8-04/000_0242.JPG http://www.boche.net/trains/2-8-04/000_0244.JPG Plaster cloth or foam scenery will be used to fill the gaps where the fascia curves around the edges: http://www.boche.net/trains/2-8-04/000_0243.JPG What do you think? Should I paint the fascia or leave it as is?
Hoss, I wouldn't dream of cutting N scale toothpick ties with my table saw. The saw is a Delta 10" saw with a narrow kerf (.010") blade in it. HO ties will be 1/16" thick by .100 inches wide. I figure about 40% of the wood will become ties and 60% will become sawdust.
Hello all, I didn't get much done this week due to the pressing and overwhelming need to finish the Rail Power SD40. It's done now, so maybe I can catch up a little. Jon
Jason, I liked your "second rate" drawer. Hide the screws with some plastic wood, round off the corners of the front of the drawer, paint it and put fancy knob on it and it will look great.
I haven't reported, my stripping is done of the legs I am using for my "nolix" area. I will be taking them over to a friends house to do some cuts in them to fit the area. Then I will be into building the nolix. Once I am building the nolix, I will be much more enthused, the legs bit was really boring.
Just think of it this way.....without legs you'd have nothing to stand on. Now....how exactly are you using legs for the nolix anyway? I guess I thought a nolix was typically used to gain altitude by circling its way around a mountain or something?? Are the legs going to be INSIDE the mountain?? If so, why the need for fancy legs?? I guess I just don't have a good grasp on what you've got going on there.
