The saga of my ever shrinking railroad

[Anonymous]

Victor, you like the same sort of stuff that I do. Below is a video clip of my Lehmann Porter in action:



http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/BillC/Porter_Harmonica.wmv

Regards,
Bill C.
South Jersey

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Bluebonnet - 71

Looking great Matt and Vic! Keep up the awsome work......[:)]

Looking great Matt and Vic! Keep up the awsome work......[:)]

[Anonymous]

HEY GUYS! The pics are of what VIC BUILT! I just post them here from MLS to make easier for everyone to view. I only wish I had a locomotive as nice as theseor one period ![:(]

[Anonymous]

Looking great Matt and Vic! Keep up the awsome work......[:)]

[Anonymous]

matt
I like your little engines and station , one day i will learn to post pictures, i hope. ben

[Anonymous]

Vic, I like the fact this one is weathered, It looks great! Any plans on weathering the others? Let me know and I'll post links to photo's in the future, I have broadband and a pretty fast computer[:)]

[bman36]

Hey Vic,
Just goes to show what a little paint and a lot of detail can do to any loco. Great job. Later eh...Brian.

[vsmith]

Thanks guys, Matt thanks for reposting them, sometimes my home computer is as slow as molasas in January and it takes too long to repost photos from MLS storage site. Heres one I didnt post with that bunch, my first LS purchase. An LGB TOYTRAIN Porter repainted, detailed, and weathered. It now looks like a real 8-10 ton Porter from the 1890's, it even has a complete backhead.
[:D]

[bman36]

Hey Vic,
Neat stuff. Thanks for posting them Matt. I like to see the other end of the spectrum where everything is kept compact. Great job! Later eh...Brian.

[Anonymous]

Vic, as always love the pics! brought a few over here for easier viewing. I like the antlers on the Falk[:D]

[vsmith]

Posting a couple of links over to a bunch of photos I posted over on MLS for a bunch of new Critter projects and a new station I've been doing lately.

Critter-mania:
http://www.mylargescale.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=25661

New Station:
http://www.mylargescale.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=25659

Hope these links work. I love modeling more than running , and the critter photos show what my tastes in engines run towards. Later Vic.

[Anonymous]

Hey Vic I like it, however based on your past posts somewhere you mentioned you use link & pin couplers. I think I would switch to kadees with the magnetic uncouplers for me to get the most fun out this layout. Then you can sit out there with a shot glass waiting on a fresh batch out of tequilla plant switching out cars and locos.[:D]

[tangerine-jack]

Ever thought about an inter-urban theme? Trolleys don't take up much room and you could have as little as one stretch of track with a few buildings to set the scene. Much better than trying to cram too much into too little space and not having it look right. Way better than nothing. Also gives a good excuse to buy stuff you will need later. Just a thought.

[bman36]

Vic,
I know the feeling. My wife was not terribly crazy of a train layout in our yard. Once she saw a few on our holidays she was gung ho. After we got home she was standing in the middle of our garden sizing things up. She enjoys the gardening end of it most. She commented on our choice of shrubs so far and started talking about changes for next year. If you can get your wife around other ladies in the hobby it will do wonders. All the best! Later eh...Brian.

[vsmith]

Hey Brain,

I'm trying thru subversivly subliminal messaging to get her to go to a Garden RR open house out here in a couple of weeks, but she's a hard sell. I still think if she saw one up close she'd come around, but the way our yard space is laying out it doesnt look good for a GR at the Smith residence.

[bman36]

Hey Vic,
Reminds me of my early HO days. [:D] I had a 4x8 layout in my bedrooom as a kid. I was forever trying to pack more action into that space. You sure have a lot going on in that area! This is good. So I take it the roundhouse will only serve as a backdrop to the turntable? Ever thought of going out the wall to just along the outside? Then you would have an indoor / outdoor line without ever touching the ground. [;)][;)][;)] Build a planter on the outside wall so the missus can see how nice a train looks running outside with the vegetation. You never know where that could lead! Later eh...Brian.

[vsmith]

Updated layout plan



not the greatest photo, sorry. Click on it and a bigger version pops up.[;)]

I have flipped the brewery and siding closer to the access aisle so I can operate couplers, I have also added sidings at the front and a mining siding at the right side mostly because I had the switches and wanted to maximize the operation of the layout.

I have also reduced the number of buildings to a bare minimum on the town. i wanted some open space between the fore buildings. On the yard side I added a turntable and a roundhouse facade, this is so I can turn engines around. All the track has been revised, i still have to build the turntable out of a lazy susan, winter is coming and when the days get shorter! Project building time![8D]

[Anonymous]

Hey Vic, I understand the slow progress due to the heat thing. I finally brought all my precut boxcar parts into my home office for assembly in the AC. To make my garage/shop hotter and more humid I have yet to relocate the clothes dryer vent outside, the previous owner's [%-)][D)]located it there.

[vsmith]

I am going to use this thread as a progress log so I can keep track of changes and milestones.

Progress has been sloooow! too danged Hot and too busy with other house projects.

Updates:

Track:

I changed the plan yet again, this time flipping the brewery siding from the right side of the layout to the left side so that its closer to the access aisle. This frees up the back corner for town and scenery. I am thinking of adding a partial portable back drop over by where it is next to the new workbench area, removable, only up for visitors or photos, down most of the time. I have also reduced the total # of building on the layout and my eliminate even more. i am finding that "Less is More" in terms of clutter and visual perception of the layout. Need to replace last two AC switches to LGB.

Structures:

Repainting and adding corr metal roof to the coal tower.
Repainted the Yard Office, need to weather the corrigated metal roof.
House of Balsa station completed and placed.
HofB Saloon and Hotel will need small extensions built to the back sides to complete the structures.
Rebuilding LGB water tower into something more realistic
Completed some new facade buildings based on Piko cheepie structures.
Modifying recently aquired Korber Elmers Station for use as main RR station as the Piko Clear Creek I got proved too big fot the downsized layout. New station works much better.

Trains:

Recently completed kitbash of MDC hustler with two Mack hoods into a centercab, photos to follow in the MLS Modelmaking forum, also the kitbash of the Mack I got the hoods from into a M.A.C. inspired "flatbed" railcar.

Kitbash moving along nicely of LGB short island passenger car into railbus. Need NWSL Magic Carpet power drive and need to build operators seat and controls.

Thats enough for now, more to follow as progress continues.[8D]

[Anonymous]

Cool [tup] Looking Great!

[Anonymous]

I am sending over to Graypower and he has offered to put photos up of an idea of my area 3 which is similar in size 7.2 m X 3 m (23' 7" X 9' 10") and i am utilising a double dogsbone straight out of "Garden railroading the hobby". It will have 65 m track (not too shabby) and pass over itself several times and be interlinked with the rest of my layout. It will have a climbing ramp and level circle as well as a deviathon and 4 m long viaduct, 2 m tunnel and several cliffs and a crossover track all of which I will do with as few switches as I can. But I must have 5 in the long run, to get into it to get out to area 4 to get into the reversing loop etc and to get from area 2 and 1.

I have not done all this in theory, I have hust worked my way through with a vague idea of what i hoped to achieve and it has changed dramatically along the way, for practical reasons.

photos and layout coming soon and you will see clearly how i am able to transfer plans on paper to a layout in the dirt.


Regards


ian

[Anonymous]

Hey Vic, Glad you figured somewhere to post pics and link 'em to here. I myself vaguelly understand how. After seeing that article in GR on the RR in a tiny space I imediatly thought of you and your challange. Have you ever thought of using a sector plate? I myself previously to this article never knew they existed.
I really thought it was cool idea. I myself might use this on my indoor home office layout that might be S or HO. I'm still trying to figure out a clever way to cross a doorway in which the shelf(Plate shelf type) would look right at 50" of finish floor. I really want to be able to watch it while sitting down.

[vsmith]

KICK ***!!!![:D]

Here is the original 8 x 20 foot layout before it got downsized with a chainsaw..[;)]



Excellent! now I can add photo examples to the mindless blather I spew out here [8D]

[vsmith]

this is a test to see if I can post a photo here...If this works its the new revised shrunken head glorified Lionel layout of mine...[;)]

[vsmith]

QUOTE: Originally posted by John Busby

Hi vsmith
Followed the link as snoopy would say "good grief"
In large scale terms that is a small space.
It can be made to work.
But oh boy have you got your work cut out for you.
The unfinished corner store?? in the middle caught my attention
looks like it could be a scratch build and is very small are you working from a drawing or is if so can you E-mail me a copy or am I out of luck because its a kit ??
I hope you will be so kind as to keep us informed of progress
looks like your the man to talk too the next time any of us want to fit two gallons in a one pint bottle.
regards John

Hi John, that building with the corner cut is a "Best Buns" Bakery from Railroad Ave. its a resin kit and is a long way from finished. I will try to document its progress and post a link to it.

[Anonymous]

Hi vsmith
Followed the link as snoopy would say "good grief"
In large scale terms that is a small space.
It can be made to work.
But oh boy have you got your work cut out for you.
The unfinished corner store?? in the middle caught my attention
looks like it could be a scratch build and is very small are you working from a drawing or is if so can you E-mail me a copy or am I out of luck because its a kit ??
I hope you will be so kind as to keep us informed of progress
looks like your the man to talk too the next time any of us want to fit two gallons in a one pint bottle.
regards John

[Anonymous]

Vic, the pics looked good. The coaling tower that I had seen before turned out great.I have a feeling when it's all said and done you might end up being Malcum Furlows hero, with your clever use of space Glad to see you were able to keep a loop no matter how small it is, nothing like tossin back a cold one and watching it go round and round.[:D]

[vsmith]

Ian you crack me up! LOL

Dont worry about my lack of space, like I said, what I cant to in scope i can make up for in detail. I think I have a couple of years of work to get even this small layout finished to the level i'm thinking of. I have alot of new skills to develop, and a whole lot of new detail parts to look for.

It being so small the level at which the viewer can focus on is going to be intense. Almost every building will need and interior and lighting. I picked up a copy of the "Manchaster & Franklin RR" a super detailed HO layout with tons of ideas, I will also be expanding my library to include everything I can find on Malcomn Furlow, and increasing my back issues of the Gazette.

So I think I will be busy enough with having to break out the pick-axe!


BTW if anyone is interested I have posted photos of the layout plan and latest progress shots over on the MLS forum under "Indoor Layouts" with the same topic heading as this one.

http://www.mylargescale.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=23036

[Anonymous]

Vic

This is my last attempt at finding a solution. If you cant go out and you cant go up, what about going down?

You could dig a huge pit in your garage and install an ungerground railway, similar to the London Tube or the Paris Metro.

You could have tunnels with see through sides and lower yourself and friends down into the pit and watch the trains stop at underground stations.

If you dig it dep enough you may come out obn the other side of the world near us.


Rgs


Ian.

[Anonymous]

Hi vsmith
Thanks for the referance.
By the way I was serious about starting at floor level and working up wards.
Not my idea though found it in Model Railroading with LGB By Robert Schleicher a Greenberg publication
But there has to be a better way to do it than the way it was done in the book
the timber work looked a bit lacking in stabilaty department.
regards John