...and it only took 2 years!!! Pics added 4-26

[n2mopac]

I actually layed my first track this weekend--almost an entire yard's worth. Not so impressive until you learn that I started building benchwork on my 17' X 17' N scale layout over 2 years ago. I layed the main, A/D track, and 6 through classification tracks over the last 2 evenings. This weekend I hope to get it all wired. Next week the drill track goes in and I can test and do switching operations. SCORE!!! A true celebration time at my house.

Ron

[GAPPLEG]

Congratulations, now you can really fly, nice size for an N scale layout, you can do a lot.
pictures man we love pictures.

[Anonymous]

Congrats I remember doing mine, some 12 years ago now, just wait till you do the wiring (nope not converted to digital yet) now thats the fun part!
Underneath the boards looked like a telephone exchange been repaired.
Still it was great fun, now I am looking at doing digital.

[selector]

I hope you can capitalize on the new momentum! Good work.

[n2mopac]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Greenys37

Congrats I remember doing mine, some 12 years ago now, just wait till you do the wiring (nope not converted to digital yet) now thats the fun part!
Underneath the boards looked like a telephone exchange been repaired.
Still it was great fun, now I am looking at doing digital.

I am wiring this layout for DCC, but I expect it will not look too much different, especially under this section--my major yard. Any way, I'm getting the schematic all worked out not to start wiring next week. Wish me luck.

Ron

P.S. I rolled some cars over the track to test rail joints and switches last night. It wasn't quite the same as running a train, but it was quite exciting none the less. I'm like a kid in a candy store.

[talon104]

congrats , on your progress, happy to know your moving right along
C.C.

[1train1]

Any Pictures of your progress ?

[pcarrell]

Don't cha just love it when a plan FINALLY comes together?

[trainfreek92]

very cool good luck

[n2mopac]

QUOTE: Originally posted by 1train1



Any Pictures of your progress ?

I will try to get some pics on in the next couple of days. Thanks for the interest.

Ron

[Budliner]

heyyyyyyyyy good work
lets see some pictures

[n2mopac]

As promised, here are some pics of my progress so far. I am not a great photographer, but you can get an idea.

First pic is the main body of the yard that I just layed. I ran the power bus, wired the main, and test ran my first train on it last night. You cannot see iw well here, but I scratchbuilt the yard office/tower in the extreme foreground of this pic.
[click images for a larger view]


Second pic is my early progress on a large ADM grain elevator complex (in Saginaw, TX) that I am modeling.


Third pic shows my bridges (BNSF in foreground, parallel UP in background) over the Trinity River in Fort Worth, TX.


Fourth pic shows a plate girder bridge over a 2 lane highway in the Texas hill country.


Final image shows a grain elevator that I transfered from my previous layout. Many of you can see that this is the ever popular Walthers ADM kit, but I am going to kit bash it by cutting away two silos and reworking the elevator tower to model a small elevator that sits beside the yard at Wichita Falls, TX.


Enjoy. I look forward to your comments and suggestions.

Ron

[SpaceMouse]

Looking good. Looks like it will be fun to poerate.

[SilverSpike]

Great job and congratulations!

Gentleman, start your locos.....

[AntonioFP45]

This layout is going to be a grand slam! [8D]

The yard with the ladder tracks on both ends looks sharp and is a smart move on your part, which would allow "run throughs" if needed. I've noticed that some modelers tend to "stub end" yard arrangements similar to yours, which puts more of a limit on yard movements.

[n2mopac]

QUOTE: Originally posted by AntonioFP45

This layout is going to be a grand slam! [8D]

The yard with the ladder tracks on both ends looks sharp and is a smart move on your part, which would allow "run throughs" if needed. I've noticed that some modelers tend to "stub end" yard arrangements similar to yours, which puts more of a limit on yard movements.

In this yard, which will the be the centerpiece and most active yard on the layout, I will utilize both. What I have layed and what you see so far is double ended with and arival/departure track, thoroughfare track, and 6 classification tracks. I wanted more classification space than I could fit in here, so I will have an additional 3 stub-ended classification tracks further to the back (left in the photo) of the yard. these have not been layed yet, thought you can see the cork where the ladder to this portion will be. In the foreground you see my RIP and engine fueling/sanding tracks.

Ron

[Anonymous]

The great thing about your layout is that you are basing it on things that you know and see around you and that is so neat!

My Poor layout is going to be such a mis-match! I want to do the old Santa FE Yard in Clovis NM, as part of my layout, with aspects of my local area too. (Upstate NY)

Crazy but true!

Nice Job!

[beegle55]

The pics look good. Wanna wish you good luck on your layouts and even if progress is slow, the rewards are of plenty.

[outdoorsfellar]

From one N scaler to another....keep up the great work !

[Anonymous]

Very nice work!

I may stick with the stub yard to save on switches while retaining the run thru for arrival/departure tracks.

[coborn35]

SAWEET! I just added another spur track yesterday.

[howmus]

[tup] Lookin' good. I think the laying of track and getting ready to run those first trains is the most exciting time with a layout. Looks like you are having fun!

[Anonymous]

thats going to be one awesome grain elevator! that's huge.Your progress is looking great

[Anonymous]

Cool! I've been doing some pretty heavy work on my layout, just tired weathering some track and ballasting it...not really sure if i like what i see for my work. On another note i just picked up a kato NS SD70M in N

[n2mopac]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ammoguy5

thats going to be one awesome grain elevator! that's huge.Your progress is looking great

The prototype after which it is modeled is the largest in Texas under one leg and was once known as the largest in the world under one leg. I have selectively compressed it by about 15%, but I wanted to capture its massive size. One of my primary interests, having grown up in an agricultural family, is to model the interaction railroad and agriculture.

Ron

[spidge]

Very nice. I especialy like the backdrops. You did quite well on the clouds. My address is......I have abot 35 feet of backdrop I would like to Repaint.
Also, when do I bring my trains over? We can claim that it is borrowed locos.

[icmr]

Looks good. Keep up the good work.



Victor

Happy Railroading.[swg][swg]

[CMSTPP]

Very nice. I do like the bridges. That is really cool and I like the industries your adding. The yard looks really good too. I may not be into N scale but that is impressive.
Nice pics!!![:O][:P][bow]

James

[n2mopac]

Thought I'd add one more pic. The very first step I took for this layout, when I knew I was moving and was designing the layout but bad nothing in concrete and no benchwork or even a basement yet, was to build the yard tower and office at North Yard, Saginaw, TX. Here it is.



Ron

P.S. spidge, the backdrops are super easy. If you got the first sample of the Dream, Plan, Build videos, the clinic where they paint cloud backdrops, I do it exactly like that. The best part about clouds is that nature has such a great variety that you really cannot mess them up.

[mikesmowers]

Nice work. I am building an HO railroad am going to have a grain elevatot, I like the one in your pic. How did you buile it, from scratch or from a kit? Mike