Started My Railroad


The last time I posted was on my introductory thread where I explained my decision process and plan forward. Here is that original thread.

http://www.modelrailroadforums.com/...-Just-Another-New-Guy-in-the-Decision-Process


I have stuck to my plan and have started building. Basically, my plan was to first commit to a scale and gauge. Then to come up with a track plan for my limited space that I would be happy with. Those two had to work together. When I started to build I wanted to start small to test my chops at it to see if I really wanted to do this, or not. You see I am a complete new guy starting from zero experience. The idea of working on only a small section of the layout was to assure that the mistakes I would make would be limited to just a small section and not transmitted throughout the entire project. I felt that as I moved ahead I would be learning more and more with better ways of doing things.

The section I decided to start with is a terminal section on a shelf part of the layout. This area included a lot of things that I needed to be able to learn how to do. This has taught me basic bench and track work, wiring, structures and scenery. I chose HOn3 for all the reasons mentioned in my first thread I posted the link to. I don't have a name for it, a specific time, or location. So, I have tried to make everything very generic so I could flesh out those details later on as the project grows. In a general sense I see it as somewhere in the northwest maybe around the late 20's, or 30's, and then maybe not.

I designed and scratch built the structures from my own imagination. Nothing follows a real prototype. I was shooting more of a representation of a reality rather than a specific one. Once again I am new to this and so don't look too close. I have seen true master modelers at work and their projects. My work is not there, yet and to be honest I am not sure if I am willing to spend that kind of time. I think that might take some of the enjoyment out of it for me. Right now I am enjoying just seeing my own imagination starting to come to life.

These photos only show the first 4 linear feet of the 11 foot shelf section. This is all I have been able to somewhat detail out. I would say I have the detail set to around 85%. I will come back to finish this area off after I move ahead a bit down the track. The longer I wait and plan the better I think things have a chance on turning out the way I imagine.

Here are the first 4 photos:
 

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Thank you for the link. He does have an interesting project going on there. I will be having a mine switchback on the far side of my layout. Soon I will begin the cookie-cutter section that rounds the corner off of the shelf section to the larger 9 foot peninsula part. There will be a curved trestle and rising rocky hills on that curve.

All of this will be new things that I will need to learn along the way.
 
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Thank you everyone. Yes. I think the backdrop is very important and so that is what went up first, even before the benchwork. I have been building in the scenery to match it and attempt to bring it forward on to the layout. I learned how to build the trees on YouTube and picked the foliage colors to match that backdrop. I chose a series from Trackside Scenery.
 
For a first time modeler I have to say, It looks pretty professional. A lot of talent. I like the layout a lot, and will be following along and hope to see it's progression to completeness. Keep up the great work.
 
Do you do other modelling as well? There's another modeller on here, goes by the name armyairforce, did a large N scale layout "1943, Somewhere in England". A commercial modeller of all sorts of things. Your skill level made me wonder.
 
It isn't very easy to see, but this is what my overall plan will look like. The other photos are of the backdrop and lighting valance before the benchwork went up.20170528_010221.jpg
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Do you do other modelling as well? There's another modeller on here, goes by the name armyairforce, did a large N scale layout "1943, Somewhere in England". A commercial modeller of all sorts of things. Your skill level made me wonder.

Thank you for saying that. It means a lot coming out of a forum like this. But no, I don't really have a lot of modeling experience at all. I have just been getting ideas and learning from YouTube and posted pictures.
 
I have started building my first bridge. I will eventually need to blend in the upper and lower sections at the transition level. It is my own design and doesn't follow any known prototype. I did find a single narrow gauge bent template online that I based all of them on.

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Lookin really good,


I think I have seen your work somewhere before, maybe it was on here. Do you have any youtube videos?
 
Lookin really good,


I think I have seen your work somewhere before, maybe it was on here. Do you have any youtube videos?

Thank you Dave. No. I do not have anything on YouTube, but it has been a good inspiration generating ideas for me. I am actually brand new to all of this and learning as I go.
 
Looks better than some people's much larger layout! Look up Ben King some time, and his layout. He passed away in the 80's or so, and used to have photos in Model Railroader all the time. He built his own cameras and everything else. My advice would be keep on doing what you're doing-looks great. Learn by doing. 'Best learned lessons are self taught.'
 



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