Virtual Layout Tour ( Many Pics, Dial Up Warning)

[Anonymous]

how come there are so few tours?- here's my layout- it's 4'x12' and I model Chicago Great Western in 1968 and Illinios Central in 2006.



C&NW GP35 stopped w/ a short train on the circle track


GP40 w/ a GP40-2 on the track behind it


FP7


U33C


GP40-2

[Anonymous]

[bow][bow][bow] [swg][swg][swg]
Great job.I love the cops eating doughnuts.

[Anonymous]

[bow][bow][bow] [swg][swg][swg]
Great job.I love the cops eating doughnuts.

[Walter Clot]

grande man, that was GRAND
Dito on the children getting involved. My boys weren't that interested, but my grand kids (even the girls) really like it. One grandson constantly says, "Granddad when you die, can I have your trains?" My response is, "There will be plenty of trains for everyone."

[grandeman]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Walter Clot

grande man, that was GRAND
Dito on the children getting involved. My boys weren't that interested, but my grand kids (even the girls) really like it. One grandson constantly says, "Granddad when you die, can I have your trains?" My response is, "There will be plenty of trains for everyone."

Wow, talk about thread resurrection! Thanks for the comments, Walter. I'm glad to hear you're enjoying the hobby with the grand (grande?) kids. It's a great way to spend some quality time with them.

As for the Platte Canyon Sub, here's a few of the later pics...

Diamond action south of town.


A very up to date mid 60's mainline consist.


C&S coal train entering the yard at Mine #4.


Hey buddy, watch the hands!


Rocky Mountain switch action...


F9 waits for it's next assignment in the yard at Sedalia, Colo

[sledgehammer]

grande man
nice pics. excelent detail. Has your layout benn in any of the model magazines.

[Anonymous]

Everyone does DRG@W and gets pubished in MR - this is truly one that needs to get published.

[grandeman]

Hey guys. Thanks for the comments. The RR has never been published. I think we'll wait on that till the next one. I'm thinking it may be the "real deal". [;)] Some of the plans for down the road are for a considerably larger RR that's very detailed and fully signaled. That's a project I'm looking forward to!

[Anonymous]

But your layout is a good example of all the operation that can be packed into a small space.

[myred02]

This is when I love to have DSL. [:)]

Awesome work, by the way[tup]. Maybe some day my layout will be good enough to show off to everyone on th forum. Some day...

-Brandon

[grandeman]

dingoix, I'm glad our layout can be an example of operations in a small space. The original idea was to operate but also have a "railfanning" type layout. With the staging that became a reality and made things much more fun since trains appear to be going to and from distant places. During a typical session, an operator sees 9 to 11 different trains.

Brandon, This post is a great case for high speed internet! [:D]

BTW, after several operating sessions, we've decided to add an extra crossover to our double track main loops. This will prevent trains coming into town from the south from having to make two trips thru town when if they need to take the siding (inside loop). With the added crossover, they'll appear to just enter town on the siding. That'll be an improvement and our next project.

[Anonymous]

I suppose you have to have some 18" curves? Until you posted that pic the "shows it all" I honestly thought you had a huge basment filling 20x30 layout.

[grandeman]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dingoix

I suppose you have to have some 18" curves? Until you posted that pic the "shows it all" I honestly thought you had a huge basment filling 20x30 layout.

We do have some tight radius curves. They are my one regret, but were neccessary to "get it all in". Everything is a trade off. As someone mentioned earlier in this thread, we managed to get a decent amount of RR in without using our whole basement. The tight curves were the comprimise that had to be made. Still, I dream of the day the basement is covered with trains and scenery. [8D]

[Anonymous]

I'm going to expand my layout shortly. It's either going to have a double-track mainline w/ 18" insude curves and 20"-22" outside curves or it'll be single-track w/ 20-22 curves. I'd love to be rid of these 18" curves forever but I do get by w/ them. I'm going to run long trains and 6-axle power. Tight curves is a compromise I'll have to make if I want double track.

[grandeman]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dingoix

I'm going to expand my layout shortly. It's either going to have a double-track mainline w/ 18" insude curves and 20"-22" outside curves or it'll be single-track w/ 20-22 curves. I'd love to be rid of these 18" curves forever but I do get by w/ them. I'm going to run long trains and 6-axle power. Tight curves is a compromise I'll have to make if I want double track.

Fortunately for us, the Grande ran mostly 4 axle power during the time we're modeling. I'd suggest the single track main with 22"+ radius curves for your 6 axle locos. Any way you can fit a couple of passing sidings in?

[Anonymous]

Unless I want to compromise train length there isn't an easy way to have a passing siding. But the yard lead / arrival / departure track could serve as a siding if needed. Double-track would introduce wiring complications as I'm still using DC. And if I went single-track I'd have a lot less track to buy which is a big +++ in my book.

My layout is going to be 4'x20' when done so 20"-22" curves is the most I can have. I'd love to have 30" curves but my layout is WAY too narrow for that. My next layout will have wider curves for sure.
Even when my layout is CGW in 1968 there would still be 6-axles (SD40s)

I'll consider your advice. It would be nice to not have to have area that are off-limits to the big diesels.

[ramoutandabout]

great pics guyes!! boy would i love to see a lot more of this one.

ray

[grandeman]

dingoix, Best wishes on the layout whatever you decide on the curve radius. I look forward to seeing your pics!

Ray, Thanks for the interest. Check out the top link in my sig line for more pics.

[Anonymous]

Well, I've decided to L-shape my layout- it'll be 4x16 with a 4x4 (or 4x5) section on one side. I think it'd look more interesting than a long, narrow 4x20. The tightest curve will be 20"-21" and the rest will be 22" or slightly more. Except my curved yard lead, which will be 18". I'm hoping to have all the track laying finished sometime in July. But there's plenty to do first- raise the layout from a low 29" to 50" or so. Then I'm going to rewire it (it's hard to do good wiring when your layout is only 29" high)

[jeffers_mz]

Hiya Grandeman. I noticed the backdrop in your last switcher pic above, very very nice. Looks almost like part of the Blanca/Ellingwood/Littlebear massif..yes?...no? Is that a photo or a painting? Excellent either way.

I think your thread is caught between a rock and a hard place. People with finished layouts have already published them, and there is a tendency to want to avoid re-publishing the "same old tired pictures".

Others aren't done yet and don't want to spoil future images by publishing them when they are only partially complete.

It shouldn't matter, your layout is more than enough to carry this thread.

I've always wanted to 4x4 up the old Monarch Pass road, but I'm usually in a hurry to get to the San Juans, not to mention in a hurry to get out of the darned truck after a 1300 mile drive. If you ever pass the Monarch Pass parking lot on the paved road and see some idiot out there doing jumping jacks and pushups at 3 am, that'll be me, trying to sneak in a little early acclimatization since Monarch is the highest I get until way deep in the San Juans.

Getting older, all the way from Indy to Lake City (usually Capitol City) in one stint is getting tougher to do, it runs between 22 and 26 hours. It'd be nice to hit the old Monarch Pass road, pull over near the summit and throw up a tent for a few hours. That something you can get away with or is it all private property populated by unfriendlies?

[grandeman]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jeffers_mz

Hiya Grandeman. I noticed the backdrop in your last switcher pic above, very very nice. Looks almost like part of the Blanca/Ellingwood/Littlebear massif..yes?...no? Is that a photo or a painting? Excellent either way.

I think your thread is caught between a rock and a hard place. People with finished layouts have already published them, and there is a tendency to want to avoid re-publishing the "same old tired pictures".

Others aren't done yet and don't want to spoil future images by publishing them when they are only partially complete.

The backdrop is 1/8" masonite painted with matte interior latex "Stratosphere". The scenery was done with artists acrylics. It's totally a figment of my imagination. There was no photo to paint from. I'm not much of an artist, it's actually very easy to do and a fun project when building a RR. I started out with a few practice runs on poster paper, then painted the backdrop. I'd like to take a few painting courses because I really found it to be enjoyable and wouldn't mind doing more of it.

Yo may be right concerning other virtual tours. I was really hoping it would catch on here. I enjoy seeing other layouts very much. It doesn't appear that that's going to be the case though. [V]

dingoix, I think the L shape will add much appeal to your RR. Post em when you get em. [8D] I'm looking forward to seeing your progress.

[Anonymous]

L shape really would look better than a long, narrow layout. I'm hoping to have the benchwork completed in a few weeks but it's "iffy". I need to move a LOT of stuff in the basement and I may even have to wait until some realatives have a garage sale so I can sell some of this junk in the basement to make room for the layout. But garage sale money can be used for track[:D]

[Anonymous]

BTW, I can't wait to see the progress either[swg]

[Anonymous]

That is a very nice train layout and was bar none some of the best modelling that I have seen in a while.

[grandeman]

Hi all. Thanks again for all the positive comments.

LGM and I have been having a blast operating the RR. He typically runs the mainline trains (9-11 per session) and I've been working the Sedalia switch job and local. We've pretty much settled on a 3:1 fast clock after gaining some operational experience. I'm amazed how much there can be to a session. We're considering incorporating helper service into our schedules. That would add some more complexity...[:D]

I posted these in wpf, but thought I'd update the tour since we've got a few new pics. For anyone interested, most the "night" pics were done by shining an LED flashlight off an aluminum foil reflector on the ceiling.


FT powered coal drag departs Mine #4.


"Look Jim, just get in the cab and show up SOBER tomorrow."


CB&Q night shift action.


Platte Canyon passenger service.


F9.


"Seriously guys, I know the alarm went off, but I'm the night manager!"


Hobo camp life.


Night Shift at Mine 4.


Daybreak departure.