Well I have finally started construction on the new version of the layout. I had to take the last one down due to a move.
I have spent the last 3 months planning it. Here is the 2D track plans and a 3D rendering of what has been done so far. Comments are appreciated!
Here is the lower Level:
Here is upper level:
Here is the 3D version. Its not quite done yet but its close.
Here is the first leve getting put up along with the vertical supports for the second level.
Colorado Front Range Railroad: http://www.coloradofrontrangerr.com/
Renegade1c:
You have made pretty good progress for only being three months into the project. The plan looks very interesting. One comment I would make is that some of the track appears to be pretty close to the edge of the layout, but of course that can be adjusted as you go if you feel the need.
I will make one other observation. That is that your train room is very neat and organized. That takes a certain amount of effort to do. I have noted over the years that the best work seems to be done by craftsmen who stay organized and keep the work space clean.
I'm looking forward to watching your layout develop.
Regards
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
I visited your web site and there is tons of useful information. I saved a copy of your wiring schematic for the three-way switch using tortises. Since I use rotary switches to dictate turnout direction, I can easily modify the wiring to suit my needs.
Keep up the good work!
Wazzzy
Well the subroadbed of the helix is complete. I'm working on getting the road bed ordered from flexxbed which takes a couple weeks. The helix is 3.6 turns all made from 1/2 inch plywood and the verticals are 1/4 inch all thread.There is 5 1/4 inch rail head to railhead spacing vertically. It is a 35 inch radius which means the grade is about 2.4%. I'm good with that since all trains will have at least two locomotives on the point end.
Lastly. The helix starts at 42 inches from ground level (benchwork is at 36 inches). There is staging tracks at the 36 inch level and the main portion of the layout sits above them.
Really nice design. I like the way it winds and curves around the room. Neat and clean build so far also.
Have you considered adding a track for (dare I say it) continuous run? When friends and family come over they just want to see the trains run.
Steve
Gnarly helix there!
It's always a pleasure to see D&RGW modeled during the caboose era - and it looks like you actually have some correct 3-window cabooses as a bonus! I managed to acquire 6 so far but they are hard to find and never cheap. One of two I picked up unpainted for $150 around 9 years ago is finally painted; there is a photo posted by the painter in the ARF Sunday Photo fun here:
http://atlasrescueforum.proboards.com/thread/4673/sunday-photo-fun-8-2016?page=1
Cheers, and keep posting progress photo's. Jim
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Choops Have you considered adding a track for (dare I say it) continuous run? When friends and family come over they just want to see the trains run.
I have been trying to figure out just that, however, it is proving difficult with the current design.
riogrande5761 It's always a pleasure to see D&RGW modeled during the caboose era - and it looks like you actually have some correct 3-window cabooses as a bonus! I managed to acquire 6 so far but they are hard to find and never cheap. One of two I picked up unpainted for $150 around 9 years ago is finally painted; there is a photo posted by the painter in the ARF Sunday Photo fun here:
I suppose you mean this caboose. This one is scratchbuilt. I developed a set of plans based on a lot of photos and and some basic plans. I also was lucky enough to get 3 proto west resin models off of someone ebay who was selling off his stock of them. They are beautiful kits but take a while to assemble. They are on the to do list.
The caboose I saw in your photo's was a yellow/silver caboose rather than solid orange - I think it had 4 stripes from what I could tell in the photo's on you blog.
I am aware of the proto west kits. I've seen a few completed with varying results - one completed kit looked a bit lumpy and not the greatest; another pretty good. When I get caught up a bit, I might scavenge for one of those kits to do a solid black version. Right now of the 6 brass cabooses, I have:
1 rivited version in 4-stripes (factory painted Division Point [I didn't care for their modernized windows however - too deeply in-set)
1 rivited OMI in single strip - it's a nice looking caboose.
1 rivited OMI in solid orange 1972 paint - the orange is rather dark shade.
1 welded OMI in solid orange
1 welded OMI being finished now in black with "radio equipped" side stripes.
1 welded OMI waiting to be painted - want to paint in yellow silver single stripe.
Well the backdrops for phase 1 of the layout have been mudded and painted. The blue I used looks much darker in the photos than it does in person.
Here you can see (on the right side) I have installed the pivot points for the lift-up sections that connect the layout from the phase 1 portion in the main room the phase 2 portion in the storage room. The pivoted lift bridges are on a 22.5 degree angle to help with the track radii on the phase 2 side of the layout.
The paint wasn't yet dry when i took the photos and has evened out a lot. I can actually start working on sub-road bend now that 95% of the phase 1 benchwork is in place. The helix needs roadbed and track before I can put the facia board up. I can do wiring while it is enclosed.
riogrande5761 The caboose I saw in your photo's was a yellow/silver caboose rather than solid orange - I think it had 4 stripes from what I could tell in the photo's on you blog. I am aware of the proto west kits. I've seen a few completed with varying results - one completed kit looked a bit lumpy and not the greatest; another pretty good. When I get caught up a bit, I might scavenge for one of those kits to do a solid black version. Right now of the 6 brass cabooses, I have: 1 rivited version in 4-stripes (factory painted Division Point [I didn't care for their modernized windows however - too deeply in-set) 1 rivited OMI in single strip - it's a nice looking caboose. 1 rivited OMI in solid orange 1972 paint - the orange is rather dark shade. 1 welded OMI in solid orange 1 welded OMI being finished now in black with "radio equipped" side stripes. 1 welded OMI waiting to be painted - want to paint in yellow silver single stripe.
Let see I have one division point black 1400 series, another black OMI 1400 series, 1 4 stripe OMI 1400 series, 1 single stripe OMI 1400 series, and a few various 1500 series by OMI. One is painted the other is not. I also have a few kitbashed athearns that a friend of mine worked on to make them look more like the Rio Grande 1400 series.
I only have one orange 1400 series caboose and that is the one I showed earlier. I am not sure what I want to paint the Protowest Caboose. I might do one of each scheme.
Its been way too long since I have posted a layout build update. Here are some progress shots on the new layout. These aren't even the most recent. Much has been done even since these shots were taken. Refinery track is all laid. Lighting is all installed.
Life bridge is in place. It truly is a bridge in this case.
The lift bridge in the down position.
Here is the benchwork and lighting of the second room. The backdrops have had the joints spackled and sanded and painted. The blue backdrop definitely brightens up the room.
I made a choice to use only LED lighting for this layout. Some things I have learned along the way is not to use the full 16' length of the strip because it dims significantly on one end versus the other. I cut it half into 8 foot lengths and supply power to them from both ends. This makes sure the strip recieves even power across the LED strip.
I got my bridge that crosses Indiana ave. installed. Here is the actual bridge on Google Maps.
Here is the newest section of the layout. Originally this was going to be last phase of the layout but phase 2 and phase 3 got switched in this case. The backdrops have since been painted and LED lighting installed. The plan is to only have LED lighting on when operating. Overhead lights are to be worklights only. This keeps the focus on the layout.
I got the refinery backdrop images in place. I still have quite bit of the structures and roads to build up.
Here is loading racks for the tank cars. Still far from complete.
I hope to take more photos soon to show the most recent progress.