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Layout Progress update

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  • Member since
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Layout Progress update
Posted by AltoonaRailroader on Tuesday, January 8, 2008 9:36 AM

For anyone whose been following my layout build here are a few new pics. I have about half the track laid, I'm still missing my transfer yard, my elevation and the coal mine. I had a 10 day vacation from work over the holiday season so I got a Ton of stuff done. I've even started a little scenery just to get a good feel for how this is going. Much more to come as I get progress and remember to take pics.

Bare bones Control pannel. I lined my switches up as to where the turnouts were on the layout. Four across the table, two in the middle and three closest to the control panel. I need to add a few blocks and switches and I need another controller but Hey for now it works for me for now.

Below is the pit where the coal delivery depot will be. It will be sunk down into the foam so there is practically no elevation.

A PRR RS-11 Sits outside the engine house for no particular reason. Smile,Wink, & Grin [swg]

Mainline and engine house. Time for some Ballasting.

 

All comments and suggestions welcome, just wanted to share.

  • Member since
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  • From: Mishawaka, IN
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Posted by jjbmish on Tuesday, January 8, 2008 1:31 PM

Nice bit of progress.  Those long holiday vacations will do that for you.  I didn't get as much done on my vacation, but I finally got the basement cleaned up enough to allow for more progress on the benchwork.  Hopefully I'll get the first level done and track layed before spring shows up. 

 Keep up the good work and keep posting pictures.

 John

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  • From: Delmar, NY
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Posted by DeadheadGreg on Tuesday, January 8, 2008 9:46 PM
Hey, looks really good.  Could you put up a track plan at all?  I like your design for the small space; is that just a 4x8 area?  I'm also curious to how you're going to model a mine, and what model specicially you are going to use because thats what I'm going to do.
PHISH REUNION MARCH 6, 7, 8 2009 HAMPTON COLISEUM IN HAMPTON, VA AND I HAVE TICKETS!!!!!! YAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!! [quote user="jkroft"]As long as my ballast is DCC compatible I'm happy![/quote] Tryin' to make a woman that you move.... and I'm sharing in the Weekapaug Groove Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world....
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Posted by wickman on Wednesday, January 9, 2008 1:20 AM
Very nice start , that foam board is going to really open up the possibilities for bridges and rivers.
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Posted by Autobus Prime on Thursday, January 10, 2008 9:02 AM

AR:

Nice work.  If'n I wuz you, I'd hold off on the ballasting until you've got everything else done and running for a while.  You might want to make last-minute changes after running things, and ballast has a way of making that more difficult and messy. 

Have you had a chance to run any trains yet?

 Currently president of: a slowly upgrading trainset fleet o'doom.
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  • From: Fountain Valley, Ca.
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Posted by Bob grech on Thursday, January 10, 2008 7:22 PM
Nice work! Looking forward to more photos.

Have Fun.... Bob.

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  • From: Sorumsand, Norway
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Posted by steinjr on Thursday, January 10, 2008 10:44 PM

 DeadheadGreg wrote:
Hey, looks really good.  Could you put up a track plan at all?  I like your design for the small space; is that just a 4x8 area?  I'm also curious to how you're going to model a mine, and what model specicially you are going to use because thats what I'm going to do.

 Latest one he has posted seems to be this one:

 Could be that he has made further changes in his plan since then. 

 Btw - a tip: click on user's name above post. Then, on the web page you get, click on "posts by user" - it is pretty quick to find previous posts by any user.

 Of course, some users have thousands of posts Big Smile [:D] In that case, better to use the search function on top of the thread, and search for username and a keyword - e.g "plan".

 Smile,
 Stein

 

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Posted by AltoonaRailroader on Monday, January 14, 2008 10:03 AM

Hi Greg,

The mine is going to above the two tracks on the right side of the layout. There's going to be a long elevation at 3.1% grade from the lower left of the layout design to a 6" rise on the back side where it enters the mine area. The layout is a 4x8 with a 44"x60" table connected to make a small "L" shape. I'm still not certain on what mine I'm going to use. I've been looking at the New River Mine kit but I think I'd have to kit bash it a little to get it to do what I need. Still looking though.

 

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Posted by AltoonaRailroader on Monday, January 14, 2008 10:05 AM
 Autobus Prime wrote:

AR:

Nice work.  If'n I wuz you, I'd hold off on the ballasting until you've got everything else done and running for a while.  You might want to make last-minute changes after running things, and ballast has a way of making that more difficult and messy. 

Have you had a chance to run any trains yet?

Yeah good idea AB Prime. You know for as small as that little yard and building is, it has been the BIGGEST PIA I have had to deal with on this railroad. I think I've torn it up and relaid it two or three times so far, and there might be one more if'n I have to put two blocks in there, which I think I might have to. Ugh!!!!

 

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Posted by AltoonaRailroader on Monday, January 14, 2008 10:35 AM
 steinjr wrote:

 DeadheadGreg wrote:
Hey, looks really good.  Could you put up a track plan at all?  I like your design for the small space; is that just a 4x8 area?  I'm also curious to how you're going to model a mine, and what model specicially you are going to use because thats what I'm going to do.

 Latest one he has posted seems to be this one:

 Could be that he has made further changes in his plan since then. 

 Btw - a tip: click on user's name above post. Then, on the web page you get, click on "posts by user" - it is pretty quick to find previous posts by any user.

 Of course, some users have thousands of posts Big Smile [:D] In that case, better to use the search function on top of the thread, and search for username and a keyword - e.g "plan".

 Smile,
 Stein

Thanks Stein, that's the latest and greatest layout design.

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Posted by Autobus Prime on Monday, January 14, 2008 11:43 AM
 AltoonaRailroader wrote:

I think I've torn it up and relaid it two or three times so far, and there might be one more...

AR:

I call it "analog computing".  My little 3-track yard went through more than that before I even nailed the track down (and yet another after I discovered that I'd fudged the curves juuuust a bit much). I'll gladly take "fix it" over "put up with it later", though.  Good luck and don't forget to have some fun operating.

 

 Currently president of: a slowly upgrading trainset fleet o'doom.
  • Member since
    February 2007
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Posted by AltoonaRailroader on Monday, January 14, 2008 12:15 PM
 Autobus Prime wrote:
 AltoonaRailroader wrote:

I think I've torn it up and relaid it two or three times so far, and there might be one more...

AR:

I call it "analog computing".  My little 3-track yard went through more than that before I even nailed the track down (and yet another after I discovered that I'd fudged the curves juuuust a bit much). I'll gladly take "fix it" over "put up with it later", though.  Good luck and don't forget to have some fun operating.

 

 

And you know that Murphy's law was applied here. If I wouldn't have painted it and put some turf down it would have been juuuuuust fine. Hehe, he**, if I would have ballasted it, it probably wouldn't work at all. Big Smile [:D]

BTW, was it you that asked if I was running trains yet? Oh yes indeed I have. I posted on the other boards about GLEAMing the tracks and cleaning up a few older Atheran loco's I had. And after a little wiring fiasco we have blocks running and trains running and I even bought a $10 Atheran Cab for my industry spurs. Whoo hooo, now it's time for labels so I know where everything goes. :) 

  • Member since
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Posted by DeadheadGreg on Monday, January 14, 2008 1:17 PM
what curve radius and turnout size are you using?  Thats a lot of railroad that you got to fit onto just a 4x8 size
PHISH REUNION MARCH 6, 7, 8 2009 HAMPTON COLISEUM IN HAMPTON, VA AND I HAVE TICKETS!!!!!! YAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!! [quote user="jkroft"]As long as my ballast is DCC compatible I'm happy![/quote] Tryin' to make a woman that you move.... and I'm sharing in the Weekapaug Groove Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world....
  • Member since
    February 2007
  • 649 posts
Posted by AltoonaRailroader on Monday, January 14, 2008 1:31 PM
The curves are just around 18 degree maybe a little less since they're a combination of 9" 18 degree pieces and code 100 flex track and I'm using #4 from Atlas and Model Power for switches. It is quite a bit of track. Right now I have the mainline done, the maintenance yard, my industry spurs my run around on the far side. I have to put a run around on the controller side( plan change) where the transfer yard would be or Staging, then I'll probably only end up with like two maybe three tracks for transfer, which is all I'll really need since I'm doing coal and lumber yard operations.

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