My layout is currently in two different stages of completion. There is a yard side and a town side. The yard side is waiting for second stage scenery (mainly trees), while I have the town wired up and will hopefully begin ballasting soon.
Sawyer Berry
Clemson University c/o 2018
Building a protolanced industrial park layout
I began building my current layout about four years ago. It was origanally designed to span a double bed in a spare room that had to be available for occasional use by house guests. Thus, portability was a prime issue. Four by six feet was about the maximum size, and for light weight, I chose the foamboard construction used by Model Railroader’s Jim Kelly for the Cripple Creek Central (HO Railroad from Start to Finish, Kalmbach, 1993). For extra rigidity I added an L-girder sub-frame made from 1”x 2” and 1”x3” lumber. Before the benchwork was fully completed, my wife graciously agreed to make a corner of a much larger “spare” room available, so the layout could be at least “semi permanent.”
I tend to work on the layout in irregularly-spaced spurts; so who knows when it will be “finished,” if ever.
http://richmond-terminal.blogspot.com/
I'm building benchwork, laying track, wiring, and running trains to test.
Since I am building a multideck railroad, that is about the only way to do it.
I'm about 60% done with the lower section and that will take me to the halfway point and op sessions can then begin.
Happy to say I have a new 13 foot loop in operation on my O gauge layout. I used O-36 Lionel Fastrack so I could run my Hogwarts Express. Bench work is complete for this section, and the top is painted. Scenery and buildings to follow later as the year progresses. This will be part of an around the room (13x20) layout and connect to my incline and two around the room upper shelves (which have been complete for around 15 years!).
Also, last summer I completed the bench work on my permanent 5x10 Christmas theme HO layout.
I started my layout (and the model RR hobby!) in early 2004. I worked on it the most during that year and 2005, then I slowed down a bit. I stopped in early 2008; I had lost some interest, plus I was recovering from major illness at the time. I've just recently jumped back into the deep end, and I swear, I'm going to finish it this time! :)
Finished carving the blue foam, added the base coat of paint ready to do the detail coat of paint then add the ground covers.
I'd show pics but doing G scale on a 6'-6" x 5'-0" layout means alot of "selective compression" and I'm not quite sure how some of the more hardcore types would react, dont want to be responsible for any epileptic seazures when they see it
Have fun with your trains
My current layout was started in 2005. Originally 1x4 frame "dominoes" with braced foam on 1x4 legs. it was 15'x19' around the walls in a room tha talso functions as a den/office in the center. About 1/2 way around the room, I switched to hollow core door dominoes (bought scratch and dent), on home made shelf brackets screwed to the wall studs.
The original trackplan was doubletrack with two switching districts, an interchange and a yard at either end, and a bridge section across the door for a continuous run. this was built out to the "proof of concept" stage and operated for a while. I soon found that the "West" yard was way too small and difficult to operate as it was bent around a curve. I also found doubletrack too complex and too space intensive to place and operate crossovers for switching the "other side". making a workable doubletrack yard was also a pain. I also found that models had "no place to go" when trains terminated a run, and that physically rotating rolling stock on and off the layout sucked.
last year I solidified my operational goals (see below) and decided to singletrack, remove the West yard, add a second, lower deck with visible staging, and an industry or two, and construct a helix between levels. I also decided to go with double row metal standards and shelf brackets to replace the home made ones. this will allow me to support both decks, and an additional storage shelf, and also allow some adjustment of the level heights.
Currently I have the trackplan for the upper deck back to the "POC" stage on single track, with a small town with passenger station, freight station, house tracks, an industry, and a turn table in place of the West yard. I have mocked up the first turn of the helix, and that is acting as a staging destination for one train. So far I am satisfied with the operation, but have yet to have any guest operators over.
Scenery is currently bare, but key most structures are in place in various states of construction. Think Cat Mountain.
I have one section of shelf brackets installed and matched to the current height, which is 42". I believe I will go with 38" and 56" for the new heights I'm 6'3", but my 5'3" wife can still see the 56" level. this gives me an 18" spacing between levels that seems to be a good compromise between what I have seen elswhere of 16" minimum and 20". It also makes my helix come out to 2.2% on 5 1/2 turns, to get a decent grade and the orientation I need. Additionally, I can stil lkeep my office desk, workbench and guitar amplifier under the lower level
Goals: my original goals were to have a decent mainline run, to have 2 trains moving at the same time, to have an "acceptable" length of train, and to have a decent ammount of operational activity including classification, car card routing, etc.
My new goals retain train length- 6-8 cars for locals, 12-15 cars for through freights, and classification and routing, but now in lieu of 2 trains circling, I have substituted through freights originating in lower staging, traversing the lower level, climbing the helix, stopping at the classification yard, dropping/adding cuts for the "branch", then continuing over the branch (with a possible stop or two) and returning to staging via the helix. This allows locals to originate in "the yard", and run the branch making set outs and pick ups, arrive at the town that replaced "West", turn, and return to the yard, where those cars destined for staging can be swapped out for a frsh set from the next through freight. I can also dispatch a local to work the industry on the lower level, and some through freights can turn at the upper deck yard, and return in the opposite direction. Singletracking the yard neted me more capacity, and removing the second yard actually increased the operating potential, including opening the door for passenger ops. I am retaining the interchange, and both other switching districts, but added passing/runaround tracks.
All in all I think I have a very flexible plan. As soon as I get the rest of the shelf brackets in, I can build the Helix base, and have a raising party. Then i can start work on the lower level, and start the scenery on the upper. I'm starting the helix out on the back porch, and I'll bring in what I have done when the base is built.
Hopefully I can get a track plan done with Right track or something. I'd love to get feedback from this forum. Even though I enjoy that aspect of the hobby I find it tedious.
TheRock http://richmond-terminal.blogspot.com/ I'm building benchwork, laying track, wiring, and running trains to test. Since I am building a multideck railroad, that is about the only way to do it. I'm about 60% done with the lower section and that will take me to the halfway point and op sessions can then begin.
It seems we have simillar goals.
Lucky you to have more space!
I'd like to see your track plan.
I am able to use about 35% of our basement for layout; a shelf around the walls of roughly 13x30. The room is shared with a furnace, treadmill, and storage shelves under the layout. The layout is a freelanced shortline, kind of a combination of several shortlines located here in Indiana. Operations and modeling philosophy are simple, since I am too. I will, at some point, be able to wrap the basement walls and have a more complex approach to things. That's at least five years away.
Most track is complelety laid with a mixture of code 83, flex (mostly), sectional (came cheap), and Atlas and Walthers switches (work fine for me); with the exception of the destination town where the track arrangement is being tweaked to accomodate some larger structures. Bus line wiring and drop feeders are substantially completed. Some ballasting is done but I will wait to complete scenery to do the rest. I like experimenting with different track arrangements and have changed up the trackplan quite often.
Most of, what I call, the necessary chores have been completed. Its now on to the fun stuff like building the structures and scenery. I have been operating the layout for a while now and I am happy to report no derailments occur, with the exception of some blue box hoppers that I need to investigate, or just toss.
And, I have to replace the masonite backrops in some places, since I did not account for humidity and/or expansion when I butted them together. They are now wavy.
- Douglas
1948PRRIt seems we have simillar goals. Lucky you to have more space! I'd like to see your track plan.
I have it in XtrkCAD, a open source track design app; I don't remember if I have postable output from it or not.
I have the staging and main level designed; the top level is only an outline at this point.
I'll see if I can find it somewhere.
Cool.
I have that app, but haven't spent to much time learning it. I did use the helix calcultor, though.
I spend a lot of time on computers at work, so I really don't want my MRR to be too computer oreinted, or more specifically require anything resembling a steep learning curve or writing code..
I did the main yard in it's former confixuration and some basic portions of other areas in RTS. Eventually I will go back and finish. I export the sections into PhotoShop, and modify them slightly for use as control panels.
My layout - Westport Terminal RR - is in the operation era. All tracks are laid. Scenery is done for over 50%. I can operate my trains.
Wolfgang
Pueblo & Salt Lake RR
Come to us http://www.westportterminal.de my videos my blog
My layout is still in the planning stage - this will be my 7th layout in 47 years, so I take my time to plan it properly within the tight framework in terms of space and budget I have available. I am considering a change of scales, from HO scale "down" to N scale, as this scale seems to gain popularity and the choice of gear n´ stuff gets better year by year.
Again, not yet decided. One thing is sure - there will be a lot more scratchbuilding and kitbashing than before - I am even pondering to handlay my track and turnouts.
Ulrich, you have been an inspriation to me as you have a story of "starting over", as am I at this (middle-aged) stage in my life. I was in the re-planning stages of my HO scale switching layout which I have in my apartment. I even printed the track plan that you posted on your earlier thread. Although my layout is not configured the same as the one you posted, and it does not feature a "rail-to-ship" port, I did get some good ideas from that plan - - helped me to think outside my own box alittle.
Thanks
Well after the Honeymoon, my lovely wife said I could use one of the spare bedrooms to have for a layout...
A 18 months and three houses later, last weekend I finally had it at a point where I could run a train or two. I'm not sure how I'm going to have the final layout set up (or where either) but I'm happy with the current set-up.
Now the photos:
T-Sax(My Mind intentionally left blank)