Railway Expansion

[Anonymous]

I hope to add a considerable amount of track (USA) in the spring of 2004. The key for me will be to buy it a little at a time over the winter. I am lucky to live in USA train country and go to the store for it. You get a nice discount when you buy it there. I also hope to build a few structures over the winter too.

[vsmith]

I dont think it will ever be "finished".

I have the benchwork done, the track down, and all the wiring done. Now its buildings and scenery next. I dont think I will be anywhere near done for a few more years. Got to re-learn alot of stuff. So far making the switch from a planned "10 foot rule" garden layout to a "1 foot rule" finescale indoor layout I have had a couple of rude shocks.

Shock 1, Damn these trains are BIG...I mean you can see details from across the room. So I have been slowly adding details and bits to each engine then I will do the same for each car. 4 locos and 3 diesels have gotten cabs added to them, the goal is not "prototype accuracy" just "gee, that looks good". The same is true for the cars. I am currently planning on adding interiors to all of my cabooses and interior "loads" for my frieght cars (maybe even a hobo riding under on of the cars)

Shock 2, damn my HO modeling skills dont work at this scale...My skills which were good for HO and N dont mean squat in G. Painting and weathering in HO you can get away with leaving a lot off, but with large scale I have to think about what would it really look like, and paint accordingly. I used a dry bru***echnic on my HO stuff, its looks pretty weak on large scale so now I have to master the airbru***o get truely effective looks. I saw an airbrushing display last year at the Big Train Show by "Mac" and in large scale weathering in an absolute must in my opinion after seeing the effects up close.

Shock 3, Damn I can see INSIDE these buildings. NO ONE models the insides of buildings in HO or N, at least no one I knew. But I can see inside the smallest buildings in this scale which means I will have to plan out what I want the veiwer to see when they are looking around the layout. I'm planning some funny views hidden inside some buildings. (lady in tub, man in outhouse, the usual stuff)

So even though my layout is a large scale Micro-layout (only 8' x 20') I have YEARS of projects ahead to keep me busy. I'm in no hurry and wont do something on it until I can make it fun. The hard part of building the benchwork and wiring is done, all thats left is just the modeling.

[Anonymous]

Earlier this year I thought I was done with my historic model railway, of which the prototype is the Copper River & Northwestern Railway, Chitina Local Branch, which operated primarily as an ore carrier for Kennecott Copper from 1911 until 1938.

But after much consideration, I have decided to build an entirely separate line using 10 foot and larger diameter curves for larger engines and rolling stock than is on the present line with its 8-foot diameter curves. Also, the new line, which will probably take three years to complete, will be an up-to-date Alaska Railroad set-up.

Structures on the older section are 1:24. The modern one will be in the same scale. Among the models contemplated are a modern Alaska wilderness hotel and a section of the Alyeska Pipeline.

[Anonymous]

All the track is in place and a most of our wire mesh/morter cement scenery is also built. Plantings are mostly in place but only a very few buildings are finished. Next summer I hope to fini***he scenery and get more plants in the ground. Durring the winter I better do a few of the things on my honey-do-list or I'll have to do them in the summer when I would rather be playing trains. If I can sneak a little time I may also build a bridge or a building this winter.

Personally, I hope our railway is never finished since, for me, its the journey of model railroading in the garden that I enjoy not so much the final destination of a "finished" layout if there is such a thing.

Latter...OLD DAD

[Anonymous]

Model Railways outside are in my opinion much different than the inside variety. Inside layouts are notorious for never being complete, certainly as far as scenery goes. Outdoor layouts have to be completed within a reasonable time period, otherwise your yard will look like hell!! Always looking like an archaelogical dig is going on next to your garden layout. Personally, I hope to have a nice workable layout all done in the next 2 years. After all the rail is down and everything is working, then, I will be able to work on the structures etc.
Peter

[bman36]

Hey All,
I'm with OLD DAD here. I don't think any Garden RR is ever done. Things deteriorate, need repair, or maybe a town gets redone. Our LD&C Mountainview RR will have a loop added next year. This loop will allow running our trains in through the basement window to a staging area in our laundry room. Should be neat. Keep building everybody! Later eh...Brian.

[Anonymous]

pfd586

I hear you, I wouldn't want a DIG going on in our backyard either...and we don't. I always try to take each project to completion and tidy up that which isn't finished. The dirt piles have long since disappeared and I paint things or plant tall annuals to give a finished look to the unfinished.
An interesting side note.....at our open house days, club members tell us repeatedly that they learn more from our unfinished railway than if it were complete.

bman36

A basement in CA, is this common?
It is neat we also enter the laundry room of our MN home. Ous is a split entry so track level is at chest height and is fully sceniced indoor style.

Untill then...OLD DAD

[Anonymous]

Umm, no. I can not think of a single person I know here in CA that has a basment, I live in the Bay Area though, so there may be some other places that do have basements, but there are a number of factors here that don't agree with building basements. I wish I had a basment in which to build a layout, but i'm content with working outside.

[mkblk]

I've declared eminent domain for the Buttonwood Valley RR (F scale) in one corner of my yard. The area has been cleared but needs much fill. In the meantime, I've constructed a temporary right of way around my wife's herb garden. The track is laid on 4x5 landscape ties (which required some SERIOUS leveling for live steam operation). This area is about 16' by 5' with 5' diameter curves. It's a little scary watching the Ruby rock around the curves, even at a minimal throttle opening. It appears that the future BVRR will require some broad curves and easements. Since this might require an area larger than the currently available 16' x 8', the surveying crew is eyeing some other property. But, we'll see if we can open up the curves a little in the currently authorized location. The "surveyors" are going out tomorrow to see what can be done.

My better half, in reviewing the plan, observed that it seemed like a tangent could come off the loop and head toward the northwest corner of the yard. What a shock! I guess she really likes the little steam bugger. Only problem is that the track would require a really serious trestle at the far end for a return loop or else a run-a-round track with the loco runing backwards to return. If this expansion is built, I'm sure, at least initially, it will incorporate the run-a-round since economics will demand it

Finally, I don't see the BVRR as ever being completed. So far we have only one structure - a station converted from a birdhouse! Enjoy!!!!.