Mister Beasley....

[csmith9474]

Would you be kind enought to post more pics and info on your subway modeling? I saw your camera car in a thread last week and just say some pics of your subway stations in another and would like to see more. I have always been interested in subway modeling and have never seen anybody that actually did it. Great stuff from what I have seen so far. Is that all you model?
Thanks

[MisterBeasley]

The subways are just a lower loop of my layout. I've only got 5x12 feet to play with, so I have a free-standing table. Having the subway allows me to build a surface layout on top of it. All the subway tracks and tunnel scenery is in now. I've built one station, and the other one is "framed" but not finished. The subways can come up to the surface level via a pair of inclines, and they pop out of the tunnel briefly at "George's Gorge." I'm in the process of installing liftouts so I can access the hidden parts of the tunnels.

I just got the camera car completed this weekend, and I've been playing with the car, the receiver and the video camcorder. I hope to put up a video of the trip around the tunnels in the next couple of weeks.

There are a few additional pictures at http://www.railimages.com/gallery/bruceleslie if you're interested.

[csmith9474]

The lighting effects are really nice. I am looking forward to seeing the video. I always thought that would be a nice way to cram in some more trains. I did notice the subway cars are kind of pricey but seem well worth the expense.

[MisterBeasley]

The LifeLike R-17 sets are $130 at Trainworld or MBKlein. Not bad for an engine and 3 cars, though. They list a lot higher. Still, they are quite unique, and I'm not sure if Walthers will keep them in production.

To get the lighting right, I had to go back to a film camera on a tripod, and shoot a long time exposure. For photography, I typically have to add lighting from the outside of the layout. Both of my stations are on the layout edge for visibility reasons. Now that I'm seeing this with the camera from the motorman's perspective, I realize that the camera sees the outside of the curve, while the station is mostly on the inside of the curve. I'm now planning an additional outside platform to give the motorman something else to look at.

[csmith9474]

I always had visions of fully detailed tunnels with signaling and all with plexiglass to protect everything from little hands. I would like to have at least two trains running. I still can't figure out how to duplicate the smell. The Grim Reaper is a nice touch too.

[railroadyoshi]

really nice. I really like the pic of Saint Anne Station covered and lit.

[MisterBeasley]

I've just posted a video under the title Beginning-of-the-week Video Madness.

I hope you have broadband...

[JohnT14808]

Cool work, MisterBeasley, cool work!! I do have a design question, tho....
If something derails, how do you handle access to the enclosed parts of the tunnels? Were you able to design a way to allow fairly quick access to most parts of the tunnels? I'm assuming that even though the subway is on the edge of the layout, you have plexiglass covering the edge, so how do you get to a derail?

[MisterBeasley]

John - The scenery above the tunnels will have a number of liftoffs. I've just started working on these, so I don't have a lot of details. It's another one of those "design challenges" I've encountered. The scenery is hard-mounted wherever a track above crosses the subways below, but other than that, I plan to have these access panels. Basically, it's just a carefully cut and scenicked piece of foam. I will probably use a piece of masonite for a couple of the very flat areas.

I do not have any plexiglass around the edges. The track there is all completely straight. I plan to have removeable non-transparent side walls to totally close up the tunnels when running in "video mode."