Layout Expansion in progress 9-24-23 new factory added

Thanks for all the great feedback guys!

I have been completing more of the construction, here are some additional photos. At this point I have completed the framing, legs, girders, cross braces in the bench work, and covered it with OSB sheeting. Next step is to add the homasote. I intend also to add some additional elevation using dimensional lumber, and foam.
I also found a Lionel lift bridge I intend to use in the harbor area.
The gap you can see in the second to last photo is the access to the breaker panel that is behind the framed poster. This will have some lift out bridges to provide better access with less reach.

Bench work Construction complete!
Well back at it again, I have made some more progress completing the bench work construction. The entire layout is now covered with Homasote. I have placed this down as the base on top of the OSB. It is also on the elevated sections at the back of the layout. The grade to and from these elevated areas will be a combination of a trestle extension (I will extend the trestle at the back left of the layout to make a curve to meet he back elevated area) the inside track will ramp up using foam. The same type of approach will be on the back right corner where it comes back down.

The homosote is painted with a flat latex paint, a kind of “sandy – mud - dirt color” I didn’t do this before, and when I saw the results others had here on the forum I tried it out.

After the homasote was installed and painted, I added wood trim boards around the layouts – 1x6 dimensional lumber and then painted flat black to match the existing construction.

View from the bottom of the stairs 

Harbor area in the foreground right, look back across the city to the left. The harbor will have 2” foam to elevate the pier, I plan to install that next. I have removed some of the supports from the elevated line on the city peninsula, I am reworking that to have a line run beneath it, and then two sidings for passenger cars for a large passenger terminal. 

Harbor in the front left, looking at the smaller town and the “mountain” top “ amusement park on the right.


I have started to stage track and switch’s amongst other things in the yards and service area


Yards to the right, the gap you see is so I can get to the breaker panel behind the framed poster. This will have a few removable bridges for easy access.
 

Looking back at the service area

I stocked up on some conduit clamps to start installing for wire management, and while at it I will re layout my central wiring area to get better access to the AIU terminal strips.

Things always seem to take longer than I expect, but I think the progress is OK. I am looking forward to putting the saws away and working on track and wiring next. As always comments and suggestions welcome.

I have had some travel for work recently, and been unable to get things done on the layout, but I had some time this week to complete a few things. I have mostly been working on laying track, and installing the cork roadbed under it. I generally layout the track first following my track plan, and slide the cork bed under the track. I secure the cork to the Homasote buy using some HO track spikes a simple nails.

The first thing I did was to construct a curved trestle to join the side with the back of the layout elevated tracks.

While the track plan didn’t change much in the foreground with this elevated areas (to be part of the city) I have been changing out the all curves to O 81 or O 90 where I can fit it, and a minimum of O 72. (I previously had O72 everywhere, but wanted to expand while I could)


One of the new areas of the layout is to add a harbor area. This is on a peninsula that is about 8.5’ by 6.5’. I built the bench work lower to provide for the depth of the piers. The loop around it has sidings to provide access to some planed oil storage tanks, and a freight house. I built up the piers using some 1.5” and 2” foam. The Lionel lift bridge serves as the entrance to the harbor, and is anchored to some risers of wood attached to the bench work. The back area will have another bridge for the overpass of the track coming from the elevated section on the previous peninsula. This has yet to be fabricated, so I used some MTH bridge supports for the time being.


This view looks back at the small town/city that I had previous stated before I worked on this expansion. This is where the expansion ties into this existing peninsula.



Here is a shot looking back across the layout in the direction of the first peninsula and the stairs.

 

Next I will be laying the mainlines on the last portion, the new yard and service area on the far wall. Once done with that I will begin wiring.

As always suggestions, comments and critique always welcome. This layout includes lots of ideas I have gotten and skills learned here on the forum, so thanks to all who contribute.

9-4-11

Thaks for all the great feedback guys!

After completing some more track power wiring, I moved to installing my bowser 32” turntable. I have had this in the closet for about 2 years now (I bought it form a forum member – very nice exchange). When I got it home I realized that I really didn’t have room on my existing layout, so in a way this was a driver for this expansion. In order to complete laying track in the engine service area (just off the yard) I needed to place the turn table and roundhouse, I feel the rest will fall in around that.
I measures and cut a hole in both the homasote level, and the OSB to support the turntable. Additionally I reworked some of the stringers under the table for support.
 

Once I had the table fitting in the cut out, it went back to my shop to do some quick weathering. I painted the top to match the “sand/mud” color I painted the homasote with, and stated a series of cement colors on the pit. I also added some grimy black, and added some black ballast/coal around the edges as if it fell in over time. I have the detailing kit, and have started assembly and painting the detail parts. I will add that once I get back to the turntable.

 
I also decided, based on some of the feedback on the forum to purchase a mill house power upgrade, only wanted to do this once. Once that comes in I will update the table and wire it in. The paper template is for a korber 6 stall roundhouse I have to build.

I had also been meaning to install a skirt on the layout, and was unsure of what to do. I had read some posts about using landscaping cloth, so I thought I would give it a try. I have a pretty large area to cover, so although something like table skirting looks great, it would be pretty costly for my room. I did one of the peninsulas in about 30-45 minutes, and I am happy with the results.


As always comments and suggestions welcome.

In the past few weeks I knocked off a few projects that don’t show much. I reworked some support brackets to make it simpler to install the backdrops I orders, and re placed some of the last wiring form the old layout that I still had in use.

I completed the skirting around the layout. Given I had such a large area I needed something cost effective. I used the landscaping cloth, and I am happy with the results. I didn’t realize what a different it makes in the look of the layout.

10-9-11



I continue to work on the turntable and engine service area. The first step for me was to install the turntable, and place the template of the roundhouse. With that done I was able to lay the rest of the track for the area. It is accessed from the top of the yard, and has two leads to the turntable, a siding for coal to a tower I plan, and a siding for MOW cars. There is also an area for a two stall diesel engine house I will ad.



On the other side of the layout is a curved trestle area. I spent some time adding more bents, and some cross section supports to the curved part. I placed it with only a few bents to get started, but wanted to make it more realistic with the right amount and spacing of trestle bent supports.



I have removed the turntable bridge, and am adding the detailing kit to it in the work shop. I hope to have that done in a few weeks. I have also started making the base for the roundhouse, and will start to build that.

I am looking forward to making it to York this year. I have work travel, but will be able to get there for Friday and Saturday, especially meeting some at the ORG forum event at the grandstands.

As always suggestions and comments welcome.

10-30-11
Here is some work I did to complete the detailing of the turntable bridge. I picked up both the control house, and the stanchions for the e railing form Al at Millhouse River while at York. He has these new laser cut pieces and new brass castings. Very nice pieces, I think they look much better than the stock parts in the Bowser detailing kit.
 

Next stop is to build the round house. I have the outer walls together, and I am about ¾ of the way thru the wood supports.
As always suggestions and comments welcome.