I always love looking at your photos, Dave. I find them inspiring. I like that car tunnel with the yellow warning signs.
Yes, your Northern Central idea sounds great. I had to laugh, though, at your desire to make all your plans now so you can start laying track the day you leave the service. You know that you have some time, right?
I think that for the first time I'm going to be really happy with a layout, and here's how I did it:
1. I spent a long time learning and researching, but kept a piece of paper at my side. On that piece of paper went all of the things in a layout that a) I absolutely had to have, and b) would also be nice.
2. Then I picked up some graph paper and started drawing layouts. I drew many of them, and changed many of them many times, until I got something that gave me most of a) and b) above.
3. I gave it a rest and did other things, and after a month or so came back and tried it again, getting even more of a) and b)--and revising the a) and b) list as well.
4. (Repeat #3 until true happiness is achieved!)
You might want to plan several layouts. You could plan for an immense room, a medium-sized room, and a small room. Who knows where you'll end up? And who cares, anyway, that everyone else is doing something? I'm sure whatever you do, it will be completely individual.
WOW! Love the pix! Would it be too much trouble to post a track plan or an overall photo? (pleasepleaseplease!)
I am not a PRR modeler, but I am interested in your work and your layout.
Overall photos, trackplan, construction photos, description, operations, and more can be found by following the link at the bottom of my signature.
In the meantime, here's a shot from a train show last November:
I'm the one with the Pennsy shirt! Don't know who the spectators are... My wife and kids were at Grandma and Grandpa's that weekend.
Modeling the Rio Grande Southern First District circa 1938-1946 in HOn3.
Dave,
How did you make the bridge/viaduct. Is that an Atlas viaduct that you modified.
Great pictures!
Kevin
It's two Atlas viaducts, sanded on the inside, glued together with spliced piers, a new styrene deck, and steel reinforcment straps and bars from styrene (PRR added these in the early 50s).