Lessons Learned


Hey joed! You are very close. From facsia to backdrop is 34" The empty space behind the backdrop will be more staging eventually when I get the $. Btw here is a pic of the boys with their layout. My youngest did not want 2 pose for the camera. My older boy is a ham
 
How Cool

The boys having their layout right there in the layout room, how cool! Thanks for the great idea I will now build the brio wooden train for my 4 month old grandson right in my train room.

Oh...good work & progress on your layout also
 
boatwrench said:
The boys having their layout right there in the layout room, how cool! Thanks for the great idea I will now build the brio wooden train for my 4 month old grandson right in my train room.

Oh...good work & progress on your layout also
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;)

Thank you very much Boatwrench. My youngest is a bit like godzilla on the layouts but we enjoy ourselves down in the layout room :D
 
LOVE these Caboose Industries ground throws :D made a little extra $ last week. I collected about 147 lbs of scrap wire over the past year from all the remote starts I install at work! Turned it in at the local scrap yard. Picked up 2 packs of the ground throws, this Bachmann GP7 and an Atlas Master centerbeam :D What a nice model
 
Finally got my control panel finished up. The best part is I used materials that were laying around left over from other projects! :cool: It is made from a piece of clear lexan spraypainted gray and the diagram is vehicle pinstriping. The top is the hidden staging. The toggles control track power (or blocks) and the pushbuttons control the turnouts remote switch machines.
 
I finally built up the courage to paint the backdrop. I think I did OK for a first timer
 
Give yourself a pat on the back. The thought of trying to do more than a few wispy clouds on a backdrop gives me the heebie-jeebies.

Anyway, looks like you "saw the light" and went with a good plan - rather easy to build and a good railfan's layout. I like it!

Only questions would be if you can get to that staging easily and if you might want to add more staging tracks back there.

Keep the updates coming.
 
Thanks Beachbum! Access to staging is no problem as I am able to walk all the way around the layout. As for more staging tracks, that is definately in my future plans. I just need to set aside the funds for more turnouts. I remember reading an article by Tony Koester where he said to think about how many staging tracks you want then add two or three more ;) I recently started thinking about making the staging area a classification or sorting yard, but I want to finish the industrial area first. I am in the process of building a tethered handheld throttle on coiled phone cord with jacks mounted around the layout so I can easily operate on either side.
 
Nothing says that you can't change the hidden staging to open staging / yard tracks. Might need to rejigger your backdrop (supports) a bit, but maybe not.

Ruh roh... I've been thinking, "Shelf, shelf, shelf, shelf" but now I'm starting to think about a moderate traffic doubletrack mainline like yours (if I can fit something decent into my space). Of course, I *could* put an N-scale dbltrack above an HO branchline shelf... ;-)
 
Managed to get started on some scenery. The 2 coffee cans represent two aboveground storage tanks for fueloil
 
Got some work done on the factory. Happy with the results so far. Also got my tanks built for the fuel/oil dealer. The rectangular piece of wood is the foundation for a scrtchbuilt lumber shed I am planning for the building material dealer. Tell me what you think! :)
 
Working on the tunnel entrance through the backdrop. Just going to use some black cardstock for the inside of the tunnel. Using brown Rustoleum in a rattle can to weather the track : )
 
Blue- I really like the progress your layout is making. Your doing a good job man.
Hows the rest of the layout coming? or is this the area that you've been concentrating on?

You gotta keep us updated with pictures man, your doing a fantastic job!!

Blue- I must have missed you asking if i have some pics of my layout yes i do, but i hate to post them here, i do not want to post on your thread bro.
 
OCN Guy said:
You know... it wouldn't take a lot to make those coffee cans into fuel tanks...:)
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Very true, but already had these Rix kits from last B-day. Finally got around 2 building them. Thinking I should paint them white like an oil dealer by where I work. Any thoughts?
 
Joed, thank you so much for your compliments. I am kind of all over the place with the layout. As you can see in my earlier post I finally got the factory nearly complete after starting it months ago. I started scenery on the other end where the river and culvert will be, then I got an itch to work on the tunnel. Fortunately, I have stuck with working on the tunnel/hillside area until my ADD kicks in and I decide to work on my oil loading platform... oh wait... I think I will start on my lumberyard shelter... oh wait... I want to finish that NS GP40-2 I started buiding and decaling... then again there is the two turnout motors for the two staging tracks I added... ;)
 
Tunnel progress. Got the black construction paper in there to block the outside light. Note 2 self... do the inside of the tunnel BEFORE starting the cardboard lattice :mad:
 
Ok... tried paper towels soaked in soupy plaster. Fail... tried newspaper soaked in soupy plaster... almost as messy and aggrevating as the paper towels. Plaster cloth gets the nod. Another lesson learned :rolleyes:
 
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