More construction - pictures included

[Anonymous]

Brent:

Quite impressive!  Are the two levels independent?  On your drawing with all of the levels together, their is a point to point line on the left side, is this a trolley?  A logging line?  How many trains will you be able to run at one time?

Regards,

John

The two levels are independent, but you can move a train from one level to the other.

The point to point is for a coalmine train. The town will have a trolley line running on SuperStreets.

I will be able to run two to four trains on the lower level, most likely two at a time. Then one or two (shooting for two) on the second level, 1 on the point-to-point, and the trolley... for a total of 5 or 6 trains/trolleys.

[Jumijo]

 

Brent,

That is really shaping up! Can't wait to see more photos. Keep posting your progress.

Do you intend to use a sound deadening layer like Homasote? Or are you going to just use something like cork roadbed?  

Jim 

[johnandjulie13]

Brent:

Quite impressive!  Are the two levels independent?  On your drawing with all of the levels together, their is a point to point line on the left side, is this a trolley?  A logging line?  How many trains will you be able to run at one time?

Regards,

John

[Wes Whitmore]

Fair enough.  The city is one of the things I really want to get working on, even though it's pretty complicated construction for me.  Integrating roads, sidewalks, and transition to "not-city" areas still leave me with a ton of questions.

Wes

[Anonymous]

Wes,
I honestly have no clue right now.  That area is about 1 - 2 years from actual construction so anything is possible!

[Wes Whitmore]

What are your plans for the city?  Those are some unusual building in there.  Is it basically a city block, with some park in the center?

Wes

[Anonymous]

DJ,
These are what I am working from. What is actually on the layout is slightly different. And may change again when I get home... been thinking about it more today.

This is level 1:


This is level 2:


This is the whole mess:


Level 2 is actually 2 levels itself.

[johnandjulie13]

Hello Brent:

Your layout looks great!  I am envious of the space you have.  I echo the previous request, can we see your computer rendering?  It looks like it is going to be quite extensive.  Keep posting pictures!

Regards,

John

[kpolak]

Looks Great Brent!  Keep those photos comming!

Kurt

[thatboy37]

nice work you have going there. you really makr me miss my layout even more the more i look at yous and even everybody elses. keep up the great work as i will live through your layout. keep us posted on your progress.

[Anonymous]

Sure looks great! How exciting! Will you have pop-up access to the far end of the layout? Oh, maybe that's a photography thing and you can walk all around.

Doug, There will pop-ups so I can get to the inner workings of the layout, and yes it is a walk-around too.

Brent: I'm a tubular guy (for now) and may take the plunge into another system. What made you decide on Atlas track? As always, thanks. 

Mostly I like the look as it looks like real track. I'm not going for the hi-rail look, or the toy look, but something inbetween. One thing that I like about the Atlas track is the outer rails do not share a power source so it makes creating isolated track very easy. It is definitely rigid track so you have to be very accurate in your layout planning (I used RR-Track), there is a little play (about 3/8 inch or so) but not much. Once it is secured together with the track clips it is as solid as FasTrack (but without the molded-in-place ballast). The ballasting was the other thing I like as I always wanted to do my own ballasting which the Atlas track allows for.

[traindaddy1]

Brent: I'm a tubular guy (for now) and may take the plunge into another system. What made you decide on Atlas track? As always, thanks. 

[cnw1995]

Sure looks great! How exciting! Will you have pop-up access to the far end of the layout? Oh, maybe that's a photography thing and you can walk all around.

[Anonymous]

Stopped by Lowes on Friday and picked up 3 sheets of plywood, had the fella cut them into 30x48 sections.

When I arrived home I started laying them out on the frame work:


This shows the plywood pretty much in place.  There is one section that needs to be cut into 30x24 sections and one on the layout has to be trimmed the same. Here you can also see the crossover between the two mainlines, the lower level reversing loop, and the two switches that will be used to transition into the yard (right side just above the blue switch boxes, and the second level transition spur (just to the right of the box os O-45 curves)


View from the other end of the layout:


Beginning of the yard taking shape:


Yard in place and the second level transition spur starting:


Close up of the yard:


Closeup of the far end with the RS-2 and some High-Cubes... 491 Yellowbelly makes an appearance:


Looking back toward the opening... the second level transition spur is missing a few sections of track! No trains heading out there.... yet.


Another overview:


Started messing around with second level transition area. Here you see two Lionel underarch bridges, the one in the foreground is where the first level to second level transition comes up, there is a 10 inch section right after the bridge, this will eventually be replaced by an O-45 rh switch that will cross another Lionel underarch bridge and lead to the underground passenger station.  The underarch bridge in the background is the begining of the river line.