2019 is the year I finally stop planning and start building. I tore down my old layout after Thanksgiving and am in the process of putting in the benchwork right now. My goal is to have trains running this spring. We'll see how it goes...
Scott
Mike,
No kidding! Even though this home was built in 2006, it was neglected and has been needing some remedial work done on it and no doubt will need some more.
It was a boost to have the basement framing already in but the studs are somewhat uneven (and twisted) so I had to spend some time shimming most of the walls before hanged each section of drywall, which slowed that phase down.
It is a big job but since we are having some of the work done for us like the electrical and plumbing, we are doing as much of the work we can ourselves. We had a carpenter, who also does tiling, tile our kitchen subway tile and bathroom shower tile. The kitchen came out pretty good but we the bathroom not as much. We have our own tile saw and will probably redo some of the bathroom tile ourselves. Some of his cuts on the tile are ragged, the shower floor isn't right etc.
For the basement we obtained for free about 900 sq ft of suspended ceiling we removed from an outbuilding from a guy who is going to remodel. So we will use that for the basement to save money. We will probably do the basement bathroom floor in the next few weeks after getting the drywall mostly done - would be really nice to have that in operation to save trips upstairs while working on the layout.
Yeah, you need to hire some of the work out - can't do everything.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
hon30critter I really, really, really (I mean REALLY!) need to clean up my workbench!!! It is a disaster! The problem is that I ran out of storage space a long time ago so various projects have ended up just being stacked up on the workbench. I just pulled some boxes out of the garage and I will put a whole bunch of stuff that likely won't be touched for a long time into them and put them in the garage. Years from now I will have the pleasure of discovering things that I had long ago forgotten and I will be like a kid in a candy factory. Either that or I will just be piling more boxes of stuff on top of them! Dave
I really, really, really (I mean REALLY!) need to clean up my workbench!!! It is a disaster! The problem is that I ran out of storage space a long time ago so various projects have ended up just being stacked up on the workbench. I just pulled some boxes out of the garage and I will put a whole bunch of stuff that likely won't be touched for a long time into them and put them in the garage.
Years from now I will have the pleasure of discovering things that I had long ago forgotten and I will be like a kid in a candy factory. Either that or I will just be piling more boxes of stuff on top of them!
Dave
I had a similiar problem, which I solved this past week by putting my surplus track building kits etc. into a bin for the garage. My workbench consists of an old computer desk. I converted the slide out keyboard tray into small tool and part storage and placed a bin underneath for larger tools. my wife finally cleaned up her half of the room so that the room is now presentable too.
Joe Staten Island West
Looking good Jim. 2015 we built the daughters house, although much of it was contracted out, ( I played general contractor) I hung the drywall, and then I got them to work with me doing the finishing.
It's a big job!
Mike.
My You Tube
mbinsewi riogrande5761 My project is finishing the basement so I can start building a layout in a few months: Lookin good! I'll be following along with your progress, as I was with your last layout. Mike.
riogrande5761 My project is finishing the basement so I can start building a layout in a few months:
Lookin good! I'll be following along with your progress, as I was with your last layout.
It's hard to wait and finishing 700 Sq Ft of basement is a big job. My wife and I are working on it every weekend. Most of the drywall is up and well into taping and mudding now.
Here is what we had at purchase:
And at the start of last weekend:
Have started to work on boxing in the ceiling beam/vent sections.
In early 2019, I am continuing my coal mine project which I started a few weeks ago. Progress is slow mostly because I have other irons in the fire at the same time. I hope to be done with the coal mine this winter.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
I don't have any specific goals or projects for 2019, but that doesn't mean I don't have a plan. My plan is pretty much the same as what my plan has always been: to keep on keeping on.
My layout is a little ways beyond the Plywood Pacific stage. That is to say, the trackage is all in and functioning, the electronics and controls are all in and functioning, the signals and detection blocks are (almost) all in and functioning, and I can run trains. The layout is in what I would call a stable state and could remain so indefinitely, for years even.
But there are some milestones I'd like to reach in the coming year.
I am currently working on landforms, and that is a messy business (dust from the hydrocal rocks and the sheetrock mud chinking and millions of less than weightless flakes from carving rigid insulation). I'd like to complete terra forming and get on to the landscaping and vegetative stuff.
Another milestone that marks the end of plaster work would be painting the fascia. Most of the seamless fascia is in place and the push button turnout controls and Digitrax plug-ins (one UR-92 and three UP-5s) are in place and functional. I'm anxious to see the finished look that a clean fascia can provide. I'm not too concerned with the mottled brown color of the masonite hardboard. Personally, I think it looks perfectly good, but there are dozens of white spots where I spackled joints and tiny nail gun nail heads. I'm going for a smooth, continuous look. I think it'll turn out okay, but you never know until the last brush stroke of the topcoat.
Another loosely defined goal is to continue acquiring rolling stock. My previous layout was much smaller, and my current roster could be entirely deployed and would still appear lost in the expanses. I am particularly adding intermodal containers. I figure I'll need a few hundred, and at the moment I am just over fifty.
Anyhow, plenty to do; what hotshot jet pilot Tom Cruise might call a target-rich environment.
Robert
LINK to SNSR Blog
I am finally making some progress on a few covered hoppers I started last month!
Decals, I hate decals.
My projects for the new year are all the ones left-over from the old year (and from the even older years before that, too).
Wayne
SeeYou190I want to finish the house remodel so I will have my layout room.
.
I have a window company coming by next week... hopefully that will be the start of forward motion.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Howard Zane Years back I dropped the New Year's resolution bit and just came up with what I plan on doing with/on the layout for the new year. I dropped the new extension project a few years back due to my being a certified relic. And then my now 2850 sq.ft. is certainly enough, although a bear to maintian. I do have several projects I want to complete for 2019.... the first being the complete deplastification of everything. So far I have completed over 1200 wood cars from kits or scratch.....being passenger cars, box cars, covered and open hoppers, flat cars, maintenance of way, poultry cars, cow cars, and other specialty cars. This year will be the construction of tank cars and gondolas...all from wood. Then my main city which is now a composite (kit bash) of just about everything ever on the market, but in plastic or resin will be done over in basswood buildings. 95% of other structures are scratch-built from bass wood and sheet styrene. Next... this year should bring the layout more towards completion with additional trees, signage, and power poles with lines. (one of my cats took down the last section of telephone poles). Why build everything instead of purchasing ready to run or install? There was once a saying that "Getting there is half the fun", but pertaining to travel. Well for me model railroading is similar as the building bit is the same as the "getting" bit. I just recently visited a pike with all plastic locos, rolling stock, and structures of which many were ready built. The overall look of the layout was spectacular and extremly well done. I can certainly understand why the builder went this route as operation was first and he obviously wanted a layout ASAP. My wood everythings do not look nearly as good, although quite different, but I had the enjoyment of building, which for me is paramount. Possibly some of you could again discover the shear thrill of building vs. buying for the new year. Have a good one, HZ
Years back I dropped the New Year's resolution bit and just came up with what I plan on doing with/on the layout for the new year. I dropped the new extension project a few years back due to my being a certified relic. And then my now 2850 sq.ft. is certainly enough, although a bear to maintian. I do have several projects I want to complete for 2019.... the first being the complete deplastification of everything. So far I have completed over 1200 wood cars from kits or scratch.....being passenger cars, box cars, covered and open hoppers, flat cars, maintenance of way, poultry cars, cow cars, and other specialty cars. This year will be the construction of tank cars and gondolas...all from wood. Then my main city which is now a composite (kit bash) of just about everything ever on the market, but in plastic or resin will be done over in basswood buildings. 95% of other structures are scratch-built from bass wood and sheet styrene. Next... this year should bring the layout more towards completion with additional trees, signage, and power poles with lines. (one of my cats took down the last section of telephone poles).
Why build everything instead of purchasing ready to run or install? There was once a saying that "Getting there is half the fun", but pertaining to travel. Well for me model railroading is similar as the building bit is the same as the "getting" bit.
I just recently visited a pike with all plastic locos, rolling stock, and structures of which many were ready built. The overall look of the layout was spectacular and extremly well done. I can certainly understand why the builder went this route as operation was first and he obviously wanted a layout ASAP. My wood everythings do not look nearly as good, although quite different, but I had the enjoyment of building, which for me is paramount. Possibly some of you could again discover the shear thrill of building vs. buying for the new year.
Have a good one,
HZ
Course, Howard a lot ofmodeling projects, first finish my working High lift coal dumper in N scale which stay in a state of half finish because of many life changes.
And about live changes, well there is a big one in 2019, I'm in the way ( just wait for my papers) to emigrate to Canada this year.
And for sure, you never read such a story, my N scale layout, the Maclau River RR, will follow me in Canada, so a US Nscale railroad build in Belgium, will go to the next side of the Atlantic......
Happy new year for all of us.
Marc
riogrande5761My project is finishing the basement so I can start building a layout in a few months:
My project is finishing the basement so I can start building a layout in a few months:
Got started a couple weeks ago and spent Christmas day, the following weekend and New Years even and day hanging drywall. It's about 80% done now.
I have half of my eight bridges done. Not painted but done. I love Bridges, they fascinate me but I need a break.
Since I found the micro-engineering track that was referred to me by another Forum member here. How it holds its shape after you bend it.
I'm going to buy my track and lay my track, so I can start running my trains while I'm working on my layout.
I hope I'm on the right track here. I'm starting to think this will get me to do my modeling faster, unlike when I was younger and all I did was play with my trains. Hope I'm right!
I'm going to give it a shot...... TF
My 2019 to-do list is to continue making good progress on my layout. Other than that I would like to try building a “challenging“ kit like a Proto 2000.
Alan
Bubbytrains
Going to scratch build a TT scale two stall engine hosue for my TT scale module.
CAD drawing of the frame work. The "W" is for where the windows will go.
Bernd
New York, Vermont & Northern Rwy. - Route of the Black Diamonds
protolancer(at)kingstonemodelworks(dot)com
I am surprised at the number of active contributors here who have no active layout. Many seem to be in the category of "tomorrow I am going to......if I can just get started". For me, I am starting a new venture to add signaling to my operating layout. I did not realize how complex signaling could be until I got started.
Paul D
N scale Washita and Santa Fe RailroadSouthern Oklahoma circa late 70's
Get a new house, finish tearing down the old layout, saving th lower bewnchwok for reuse.. Design new layut and begin construction.
Ira
I am planning to replace the Redwing Flour Mill structure on my BRVRR layout with a slightly bashed Golden Valley Canning Company. Its a Walther's kit. I don't know how complex it is, but almost everything I do structure wise, turns out to be complicated.
Remember its your railroad
Allan
Track to the BRVRR Website: http://www.brvrr.com/
Well, now that my new layout space is complete, the resolution is obvious. Decide on a track plan, then start building benchwork and laying track. Will need more track, and maybe some turnouts too.
Oh yeah, forgot, I also need to build a new workbench.
I'd like to finish the remotoring of a Mantua steam locomotive, go through the boxes of stuff I have and sell off what I don't want or need.
Then I want to organize everything I have, make a list of repairs and projects, then get started.
SeeYou190 hon30critter I really, really, really (I mean REALLY!) need to clean up my workbench . As far as I know, this is an impossible task. . I clean my workbench at least four times a year. If it stays clean for two days I count that as a miracle. . -Kevin .
hon30critter I really, really, really (I mean REALLY!) need to clean up my workbench
As far as I know, this is an impossible task.
I clean my workbench at least four times a year. If it stays clean for two days I count that as a miracle.
I know, I know, I had a VERY messy workbench and train area until yesterday, when my model RRer friend came over and made me clean up. I am sure glad he did though. I'll have some pictures coming.
Harrison
Homeschooler living In upstate NY a.k.a Northern NY.
Modeling the D&H in 1978.
Route of the famous "Montreal Limited"
My YouTube
hon30critterI really, really, really (I mean REALLY!) need to clean up my workbench
The building aspect can be quite enjoyable since you're making progress. Moving foward in this hobby requires esetablishing a set of goals. I expect them to grow beyond the below list. Of course don't hold me to only the below::
1. Show off my layout to my dad who got me started on this hobby but we never progressed beyond
2. Add foam padding on the layout floor
3. Buy the last two structures
4. Add scenery
5. Get the sidings and yard wired properly
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Project 1 is making a list of projects and determining which are close enough to completion or have enough on hand to complete with minimal investment.
Project 2 is suspending all non debt servicing unessential spending so we can direct more money to the house fund. Spend less on trains now means a layout room sooner.
My plans calls for building a 1'x6' N Scale ISL since I am in a rest home.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
Here are my goals and projects, copyed from my blog.
Here are some of my goals and projects for 2019:
Well, that list should keep me busy for a while, so happy new year! -Harrison