New year. New layout.


chessie_system3

Well-Known Member
Started construction on my layout this past weekend. Took roughly 9 1/2 hours to construct the table itself. I had some technical setbacks early on with my battery powered drills. However I received some help from my brother and we got it finished up. Next step will be getting track laid and get a layout design going. This build isn't what I had initially planned but settled with for ease of construction. Seeing as I failed at my bench work on my previous layout I figured it would be best to rebuild what I lost with a completely different approach. I had wanted to build a bigger layout but after numerous conversations with my wife we decided that this would be the best plan going forward. So let's keep the flames down as yes this is another sacred sheet and yes it's going to be an HO scale layout.
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Justin
 
Chessie,

That looks like a nice solid start with your bench work. I well understand the long conversations with your wife. That looks like it is 4' X 8' ? One thing I did was put my 4' X 8' on casters. That way I could move it around the basement if the wife needed a project done and I needed the space. What kind of track plan are you considering? I did a variation of the Virginian that was in MR some years ago. I basically have a double oval with industries in the middle served by small yards. One other thing I did was place turn outs on three corners off the outside oval main line for future expansion. These three turnouts are just for small spurs that end at the table edge for future expansion. I will be going out this weekend to Lowes for the lumber for a 2' X 8' addition of a yard for building trains to run around the main line outside oval and serve the industries. It will be on casters. One 2' side of the new bench work will be attached to an 8' side right about where your Diet Coke is located in your picture. This will make it an L shaped layout.

Good luck and keep us posted with pictures. I am looking forward to watching your progress and learning from what and how you do things.
 
This is a 4x8. I am very confident in the durability of this table. it's actually level all the way around. I'm itching to put some track down. I have a good start on my flextrack collection. I refuse to use sectional track this time. It's ok but when my joiners get to floating and causing me headaches I draw the line. More pics to come!

Justin
 
This is a 4x8. I am very confident in the durability of this table. it's actually level all the way around. I'm itching to put some track down. I have a good start on my flextrack collection. I refuse to use sectional track this time. It's ok but when my joiners get to floating and causing me headaches I draw the line.
Joiners should not get loose unless they are taken apart and put back together. Was the track not fastened in place? My rule is - A rail joiner only gets used once. If a joiner comes off it is replaced with a new one.
 
Joiners should not get loose unless they are taken apart and put back together. Was the track not fastened in place? My rule is - A rail joiner only gets used once. If a joiner comes off it is replaced with a new one.
The track was nailed in place. All joiners were new. I didn't force any on to the rail ends. Temperature fluctuations maybe? I don't know. I do know I had some that were loose and were floating. I could move them from tie to tie with little effort.

Justin
 
Ok my plan as of now is to service two coal loadouts. I will use the up and over idea model railroader used in their Virginian layout. It won't match what they did to a t as I'm modifying their plan to fit mine. I'll have a very decent run up to my yard. I need no more than 4-5 yard leads in which I would like to have a run around track as I don't wish to shove up to my loadouts. My plan is to pull the hoppers up short cab forward and come down long hood forward. Then the plan is to get the loads off to a staging yard off layout and return with empties. That's my plan as of now. I'm playing with track configurations but nothing solid as of yet.

Justin
 
Good to see you getting started Justin. A little compromise with the boss isn't a bad idea.
This isn't a build I wanted given I have the space for bigger. However laundry days do happen and we'll she felt I'd take too much space and take up space for our laundry baskets. Sooooo......I settled. But best believe I'll be set up to expand. Just not towards the washer and dryer.

Justin
 
JUSTIN - my-o-my!
I cannot believe that you would at least not added ONE lousy foot to the width so you could have a slightly larger radius for your six axle power?

Also I would use the sectional track in some places - only I would solder all the joints beforehand.

Well - I will follow what you do anyway! Just on a downer at the moment.
 
The track was nailed in place. All joiners were new. I didn't force any on to the rail ends. Temperature fluctuations maybe? I don't know. I do know I had some that were loose and were floating. I could move them from tie to tie with little effort.
Interesting. I guess I've been lucky and not had that problem. I guess that is why some people actually solder their joiners, which is heresy on my builds.

So, back to the benchwork. It looks like you have access all the way around that layout. Are you planning to run a divider down the middle and have a "scene" on each side? Or have you not decided on a track plan yet?
 
Interesting. I guess I've been lucky and not had that problem. I guess that is why some people actually solder their joiners, which is heresy on my builds.

So, back to the benchwork. It looks like you have access all the way around that layout. Are you planning to run a divider down the middle and have a "scene" on each side? Or have you not decided on a track plan yet?
I started working a track plan some this morning. The plan I have in my head is going to need some work to accomplish. I do plan on two scenes with a divider. It appears though I'm extremely short on turnouts. Especially right hand turnouts. May be the reason my yard on the last layout was the way it was. I wasn't happy with how I did up my yard on the previous layout so I will change that up. I'll only have leads to match the loadouts I switch. I wouldn't mind a storage track for loads which isn't too far fetched I don't think.

Justin
 
So I now have budget woes at the present moment. My plan is to atleast get my mainline laid this weekend. It may be only an oval of track but it'll be a start. It'll have to go without being nailed or glued in place as I have plans to add expansion pieces to it as well. I may be able to pull it off this weekend with buy my #6 turnouts to do up my expansion sidings. I doubt it but who knows. I'll have to score some roadbed to really get a start at it.

Justin
 
How about loads out of the mines into a power house on the opposite side of the layout. The loads into the power plant would would go through a mountain from the power plant and become loads out of the mine. Empties out of the power plant would go to the other side of the layout and would become empties into the mine.
 
How about loads out of the mines into a power house on the opposite side of the layout. The loads into the power plant would would go through a mountain from the power plant and become loads out of the mine. Empties out of the power plant would go to the other side of the layout and would become empties into the mine.
Something like this then. It does give it a point to point idea to it. Will cut out two trains running at once. But really do I need to run two trains? I've even questioned building a yard this time as well. Do I really need a yard? I could very well build a yard off my layout. Gives me the reason to use my 2x4 sheets of plywood again.
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Justin
 
Chessie,

I like the Cumberland and Ohio track plan. You can have one train running on the outer oval main line while having a local set out cars on the inner spurs to industries. Yes, you can use your 2 X 4 sheets to make a yard with the turnouts coming off of the outer oval. This is a nice track plan for adding on when you have the time and the funds.
 
Justin - That track plan is exactly what I was trying to get to. Instead of just loading at a mine and running trains around the layout, you're have a place to deliver the loads to. Your railroad will have a purpose. It created a lot of action when I had a similar set up on my N scale layout. A Yard??? They sure eat up a lot of real estate.

Maybe a little bit of negotiating with the war department :) will allow you to add the 2 foot section for a small yard and possibly even a small engine servicing facility.
 
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Justin - That track plan is exactly what I was trying to get to. Instead of just loading at a mine and running trains around the layout, you're have a place to deliver the loads to. Your railroad will have a purpose. It created a lot of action when I had a similar set up on my N scale layout. A Yard??? They sure eat up a lot of real estate.

Maybe a little bit of negotiating with the war department :) will allow you to add the 2 foot section for a small yard and possibly even a small engine servicing facility.
I like your thinking Chet. Now all things considered I don't need a yard at all really. Case in point here. Thurmond, WV had everything but a holding yard. They sent loads to Hinton,WV I think. My thoughts are I'm more than likely just going to have a local to switch everything. Opens the door to throw in a team track as well. Means I can switch more than just hoppers.

Justin
 
Anyone got any ideas to share on what elements I should try to put into my layout?
Lots of considerations there. First I can presume we are talking about Chessie here and imply those limitations. That gives a time 1972-1980, and place south eastern USA.

Lets see that time period was:
during the decline of steel in Birmingham,
the very beginning of standardized containers,
for coal there was the big movement away from hoppers and toward rotary couplers on gondolas and hence unit trains,
passenger service essentially gone other than Amtrak but before the massive razing of train stations

Are you wanting mainline, branch line, or industrial flavor?
Urban, suburban, or rural?
Raritan, coastal, plains, hills, or mountains?

Do I really need a yard?
Of course not. I think that many (most?) model railroads waste too much space with yards and not enough on the interesting things. Having said that, yards are nice for storing cars/trains while not running (staging) if nothing else. A wing yard can both save the layout for its design elements while still having a place to park stuff making it a place for all types of cars to "go".
 
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Ok well this will be the beginning of something bigger down the road. So there will more than likely need to be a mainline. I would venture to go with more of a local for switching. Industries of course I'll have a mine loadout. Plan for a team track maybe. Reason I brought up Thurmond, WV is well it had all the elements of a yard except for the yard trackage. It's focus was engine service and caboose service. I would say they served the branch and took loads to either Hinton,WV or Clifton Forge, VA and return with empties. There was a siding there. Now I know of only a few other industries in that neck of the woods. Logging and a rock quarry.

Justin
 



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