Steve's SOCAL BNSF layout

[goscrewyourselves]

Looks great, very impressive ... really good in fact!

 

[logandsawman]

Looks really nice, Steve, makes me want to do a N scale layout!! Do the neighbors ever come over and check it out??

 

[steveparkinson]

Looks great, very impressive ... really good in fact!

Thanks for the feedback Tony, it's got a long way to go still!

Looks really nice, Steve, makes me want to do a N scale layout!! Do the neighbors ever come over and check it out??

Thanks Lasm, I'm glad I did N scale for the room I currently have. If/when I move and get a dedicated train room or basement I would probably consider upgrading to HO if I have the room to run long trains. If I don't have the room I would probably just keep the N. Some of the neighbors come and check it out and love it. I don't really advertise it though, usually it's just the ones that pop in as they see me working on it with the garage door open.

 

[goscrewyourselves]

Steve,

I know that feeling all too well

 

[syrous]

Great progress Steve, keep it going. Like the expansion, keep up the great pace.

 

[steveparkinson]

Thanks guys for the comments and feedback. I'll try to get some more work done and photos up this weekend.


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[A2TwrOpr]

The scenery is looking good Steve. I'm excited to see the expansion work progress

 

[steveparkinson]

The scenery is looking good Steve. I'm excited to see the expansion work progress

Thanks, made some progress this weekend on finishing up the tops on the benchwork......

I also started the tricky part of making the frame for this area that will come from that far left mainline and wrap around to the foremost part of the extension.

Should be able to wrap up the rest of the benchwork this weekend, I'm off to Lowes for more materials!

Steve


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[steveparkinson]

Forgot to add a new toy I purchased....

Should have bought one of these years ago. Makes it a breeze working under the layout and getting to the middle section.


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[Lynnb]

I have a 5 gallon bucket and a two step wooden step. My stool on wheels in out in the garage though. Great idea.

 

[logandsawman]

Looks like you are going with the divider, couldn't see where you filled us in on your partition decision?

 

[steveparkinson]

That's still up in the air. Haven't decided yet, I had already cut the wood before I had started second guessing the original decision. I can still fill in/hide that gap with scenery or insert a backdrop whichever route I go.


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[steveparkinson]

Got the benchwork on this end completed this weekend. I completed the main section and then finished the small narrow section that connects the two.

I went ahead and laid the track and wired the small narrow section before installing since it would be hard to do once in place...

The section locks in place once inserted in the notches on both ends I made...

More to follow, on to laying track and installing backdrops. I'll use some backdrops to hide that black trash can (my saltwater aquarium auto top off reservoir) in the center of this new section.

Steve


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[unkaboose]

have not read every page so i may have missed it but your mountains look permanently mounted, how are you going to access rails for cleaning or problems in the future.

 

[Pacodutaco]

have not read every page so i may have missed it but your mountains look permanently mounted, how are you going to access rails for cleaning or problems in the future.

Go back to page two and you can see he left access from under layout. I had to go back and check myself since I have been following this thread for a while now and didn't remember myself.

 

[Sirfoldalot]

Got the benchwork on this end completed this weekend. I completed the main section and then finished the small narrow section that connects the two.

I went ahead and laid the track and wired the small narrow section before installing since it would be hard to do once in place...

The section locks in place once inserted in the notches on both ends I made...

More to follow, on to laying track and installing backdrops. I'll use some backdrops to hide that black trash can (my saltwater aquarium auto top off reservoir) in the center of this new section.

Steve


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EEEKKK! .... I wondered where my trash can disappeared too!

 

[steveparkinson]

EEEKKK! .... I wondered where my trash can disappeared too!

It wasn't me I swear! [emoji41] Mines definitely hasn't had anything but water in it. Maybe I could just leave the lid off and it'd be the best looking "real water".


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[steveparkinson]

have not read every page so i may have missed it but your mountains look permanently mounted, how are you going to access rails for cleaning or problems in the future.

Page 2 shows the access before the mountains went in.

Page 4 (post 70) shows the access from the underside after the mountains were built. I took the pics from inside when I had to repair a track!

Steve


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[steveparkinson]

Did several mock ups of the grain elevator and tracks going to it tonight. Consists of the double mainline and two siding tracks to the grain elevator. I like the way this one flows with the mainline.

What do you guys think before moving on with it? Not sure why but I have a hard time placing sidings etc to make them look like they should actually be there......

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[logandsawman]

Looks good to me.

I usually like my spurs to end at the same place and make them as long as practical space provides.

I think a reason we sometimes think things aren't natural looking is that it is usually impossible to get enough space. There would be some pretty big parking lots around a grain elevator, also a very wide crossing grade; not really practical to fit all this stuff in. But, that is what we are used to seeing when driving by these.