The new layout has started!

[cwclark]

Hi folks...I'm new here but have been modeling since 1978 when I was on leave from the Navy and did my first layout for my brother's HO scale Santa Fe F-7 "War bonnet" train set he got for Christmas. It turned out to be a bit of a disaster when it came to soldering wires to the rail but I have improved over the years. Anyway, I would like to give you my progress as my new layout goes up. First, the room lighting is very important. I installed twelve colored lights in the ceiling of a 23' X 25' room. There are 4 white bulbs for daytime scenes, 4 yellow bulbs for morning and evening scenes, and 4 blue bulbs to represent night scenes. I spent two days in the attic wiring the light cans and when I hit the three switches for the three different light colors.. Walaa! It was a beautiful sight!...Next time I'll let you know how the benchwork goes...Southern Pacific thru West Texas is the theme....See ya!...C.W. Clark

[Anonymous]

So... ya wana come over and do lighting... [:D]

Looking forward to the updates.

[Noah Hofrichter]

I learned something today. I didn't know that was how you could create evning and night scenes. I got to try that someday. A qusetion for you, does it look realistic enough to pass for maybe pictures and things?

Noah

[cwclark]

To answer your question..It looks really good in R.T... Photography is different..it requires that you get the lighting down around the scene you want to photograph...I'm not good at remembering every article that ever came out in Model Railroader but there was an article a few years back that showed how to light your layout for photography....It took a lot of trial and error with the camera f stop and a lot of reflective lighting devises around and behind the scene you want to photograph ...The colored lighting is more for those observing the layout giving a sense of the different times of day...and to answer the other question...I'll do the lighting for you after the bruise across my chest has healed...Those joists in the attic can really be painful when a person lays across them for two days solid wiring recessed lighting cans...Remember to turn off the breaker!..Your dealing with 120V not 12V!...(unless you get off on being lit up like a christmas tree)

[CBQ_Guy]

Welcome.

Now put each color group of bulbs on their own dimmer for even more variation, mixing and control of effects.

[cwclark]

I did put them on a dimmer switch!...oh..i said switch didn't I?...well that's what i meant...a dimmer switch....

[cwclark]

ok...so the benchwork lumber has been stacked and now i'm wait'in on the carpet guy to get in there and lay the carpet...2 weeks???....oh well..i guess i'll start by taking the 1 x 4's and make table legs... does "L" girder with 16" centers sound ok to you guys?..I used to use 1' centers but that sure does make a mess when an under the table switch machine goes directly where an "L" girder board just happens to be....and nothing less than 3/4' plywood for the sub road bed....(cookie cutter style)....[:D]

[Anonymous]

I've been thinking of something similar I want to do with my layout, when I finally get to build one: in addition to the different colored lights, which I didn't think of but is a great idea, I would use fiber optics, or maybe punch some tinny holes in the backdrop with lighting in the back to simulate stars for night scenes.[swg]

[Anonymous]

Carpet?? Buy a lot of extra kaydee coupler springs - carpeting eats them like candy! [xx(]

[cwclark]

I have boxes and boxes of kadee couplers..(without springs)....they are a booger to find in the carpet if you find them at all

[CBQ_Guy]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cwclark

I have boxes and boxes of kadee couplers..(without springs)....they are a booger to find in the carpet if you find them at all

Quick tip:

When installing these, put a piece of thread through the spring. It will act as a "leash" and keep them from flying off into the ether in case they try to go AWOL.

(Having typed that, have I ever gone to the trouble of actually doing it myself, well, uh, er, ya see...can I get back to you on that?!)

[cwclark]

we all really never do it by the book...so what's a guy to do?...go buy more kadee coupler springs!...so let's see..i have to thread that little bitty thread into that little bitty spring....ok...now...I take a hobby knife and get it pinched in between the middle of the spring and carefully feed it to each of the two knuckle tips (while holding on to both ends of the string with the other hand and holding my breath,) finally get the spring in place, and then when i pull the string out there's a 50/50 chance that i - 1...accidently cut the string prematurely with the hobby knife or - 2. unlatch one end of the spring from the knuckle tip which is going to send it to who knows where anyway....sheez!..nobody said it's an easy job attaching kadee coupler springs....

[cwclark]

I guess the guys at MR do more than just edit the magazine....bet they have lots of playtime!....look for the rolling stock in the next issue that they're having a hard time keeping coupled....