Well its been 4 months since the 1st video update, and 9 months since we began construction. It was long overdue for the second update for you to see the progress so far: :-)
Doug, Great in depth video. Thanks for sharing.
Great video Doug....really enjoyed it!!
Thanks,
Alan
Doug,
thanks for sharing your layout, and thanks also for using triPod for shooting the video.
lou la sasale oh btw Merry Christmas
Laidoff - Did you say CFL or CSL? Specifically, what bulbs did you use?
I think your lighting is fantastic, not to mention the layout.
The bulbs are CFL Flood lights... 23watt, 5000k, 1050 lumens, equal to a 75 watt incandescent. There's 30 of them right now, with 7 more coming soon. They are expensive bulbs at $19 each, but that's because they are DIMMABLE. If you don't want a dimmable bulb, you can get them for about $10, but we don't recommend that. The dimmer is just about a must, if you ever want to do night scenes.
This is the difference between the PAR30's that I used on my switching layout, and the PAR38 CFL we used on this layout. Difference between night and day...litterally, especialy the heat output and energy usage.
Par 30 vs Par 38
Have to use different style cans to accept the large PAR38
The PAR30 Halogen just doesnt put out enough light, and generates 10 times the heat, especially if we used 30 of them!
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Thanks -
What had confused me was the dimmable part. I have tried to purchase dimmable CFL bulbs from stores only to have them not be dimmable. The would end up like strobe lights. I guess that the technology has advanced!
The other part was the brightness of your bulbs. With the exception of 3 dimmable incandescent bulbs in my house, all the other bulbs are CFL. Although I worked at it a couple of years ago, I need to recheck the bulb outputs again.
It looks like I will have to do some shopping. Thanks for the help.
Most likely you will not find the dimmable bulbs at a local store. We had to go online and even that was limited. We got them from BulbORama I believe. The color range is the big difference in output. Our bulbs are FULL SPECTRUM with a Kelvin rating of 5000K, you can get a 6500K but that has a very blue look to the light output.
Wow Doug that was a great video. Thanks for the thorough update,I really enjoyed it
can't wait to see the next one. The layout is coming along very nicely, and it looks like a lot of fun to run. Great track plan. Happy Holidays to you and your family.
Thanks, Alex
It's coming along quite nicely - thanks for sharing!
--Greg
An exceptional build and operation. Thanks for the video. Best wishes for the Holiday season and the New Year.
Wow Doug!
Outstanding video!! Great in depth look at the construction process..
I love it... Thanks for posting.
Here's a few shots of some recent progress:
Control panel finally installed at started putting in some of the fascia panels.
Installed inbound and outbound tracks to the turntable. Wired up and operational.
Wiring on the inside of the panel so far. Many more hours to go on that project!
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All tracks and switches are now wired up to the panel and operational. That really makes running multiple trains very interesting. You really have to pay attention and be familiar with the control panel, and know how and when to cross trains over from 1 track to the other.
Control panel in with switch indicator LEDS.. Green for normal, yellow for alternate.
As well as On/Off block toggles for sidings and all engine service/industry tracks.
2 Access hatches for the engine service area. Diesel shed sitting where the roundhouse will be. Tracks yet to go in for all that.
Panel meters will be mounted at the same angle, right next to the main control panel in order to monitor the 4 180 watt bricks.
Cleaned up the distribution block wiring. 2 power districts each for the upper mainlines powered by the 4 180 watt bricks, and the lower loop is all 1 block powered by one handle of the Z4000.
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Extremely nice work. Neat too. Great layout plan. Keep up the good work. Great videos also.
Rick
I agree!
How did you wire the LEDs? In fact, could you tell me as much as you can about them. I just had to send back the ones I bought from Amazon. They were nice with pre-wired pigtails and resistors, but the were 2,000MCD and they could blind you. They're for automotive applications and not for control panels.
Send me a private answer if you don't want to clog the thread.
Laidoffsick
Every aspect of your train room and layout is very well designed and built.
You can do it all.
Really enjoy watching your update videos.
They are an education.
Trainman2001,
I'm an idiot when it comes to electrical work. I read a lot and ask questions in the forum here, and find videos on youtube for just about everything. I can tell you that I finally found some 5mm bipolar green/yellow LED's online. There are wired in series with one leg of the power going to the Tortoise switch machines, controlled by DPDT toggles. The Tortoise has built in resistance so no resistors were required at the LED. The Tortoise instructions show you how to do it using 2 different LED's, wired in series. I saved a lot of wiring by using the bipolar green/yellow LED instead of 2 different colored LED's. I can also tell you that if I can figured it out and do it..... anyone can do it. If you have some specific questions, email me and I'll try to answer you the best I can. In the next video update, I'm going to try and explain it so people can understand it. I don't even know if it's right, but it works!
Great Job Doug!
Amazing!
You are a very talented individual Doug! Great job! Great photo and video update! I can't wait to see the scenery begin!
Looks are changing as we put in the fascia boards, extend walls, frame the display cases, paint track, and prepare for scenery.
Bending masonite for the fasica. Spackle, sand, paint... repeat!
We broke 3 pieces getting this one bent.
Big S curves with the fascia board.
We have my mother-in-law working on the pleated skirt that will velcro behind the fascia board, black of course.
Original frame work.
Extending the wall under the case.
Framing the display case.
Building the foundation to the canyon where the liftout bridges will go. The Stainless Unlimited Bridge should be here this week.
Painting the track with an airbrush. Hours of painting, and more hours of cleaning the rail head.
4 tracks for the diesel shed (passenger car just there for testing clearances)
Kitbashed Pecos River building... 3 tracks inside the building, 1 outside.
Remember, this is the formal living room and dining room, and the 1st thing you see when you walk in my parents house. It's gotta look good, or my Mom will never let us hear the end of it 
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LOS,
as always your photos are excellent, and I spiriting a joy to look at. Can you share the technique for making the control panel.
lou la SalleSalle
Fantastic, I am jealous , I wish my room was as clean as yours! Great progress
Your layout is incredible. Thanks for posting pics.
Bob
It's looking better and better and I'm glad mine is in the basement where my wife is reluctant to go. I'm putting up fascia to cover the joist ends, but I'm not investing the money to hide everything to the floor. If I've got extra money it's going to buildings, scenery, cars and engines.
Looking beautiful and making a lot of progress. Superb craftsmanship!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks, Alex
This is by far the best track plan I have ever seen.Originally Posted by Obsidian:
Will,
I stated the reason for the disappearing O-82 track in my post.
Laidoffsick,
This plan is a variation of your original. I'm glad you prefer the bridge plan. I know some may be concerned about how to access hard to reach locations but there are lots of places for hatches. I left the whole right loop end open for a town or mountain scenery. I'd use trestle or curving girder bridges where the main crosses at either end of the yard so you can maintain line of sight during yard operations. I'd also consider splitting the main to go around not through the middle of the yard (more prototypical). This plan was done with MTH Realtrax. Since you are using Gargraves, I'd make the curves leading up to the bridge over the yard as wide (bigger than O-82, perhaps flex track) as possible.
This is a pretty big layout and could be executed in phases: Main, Yard, Turntable. In my experience, the longer the main the better so that you can run more and longer prototypical trains. With such a big yard you'll be able to park complete trains and keep a lot of your collection on track.
I stated the reason for the disappearing O-82 track in my post.
Laidoffsick,
This plan is a variation of your original. I'm glad you prefer the bridge plan. I know some may be concerned about how to access hard to reach locations but there are lots of places for hatches. I left the whole right loop end open for a town or mountain scenery. I'd use trestle or curving girder bridges where the main crosses at either end of the yard so you can maintain line of sight during yard operations. I'd also consider splitting the main to go around not through the middle of the yard (more prototypical). This plan was done with MTH Realtrax. Since you are using Gargraves, I'd make the curves leading up to the bridge over the yard as wide (bigger than O-82, perhaps flex track) as possible.
This is a pretty big layout and could be executed in phases: Main, Yard, Turntable. In my experience, the longer the main the better so that you can run more and longer prototypical trains. With such a big yard you'll be able to park complete trains and keep a lot of your collection on track.
Great Job Doug. Looking forward to the scenery
Very nice!
Dave
Originally Posted by rockstars1989:
This is by far the best track plan I have ever seen.Originally Posted by Obsidian:
Will,
I stated the reason for the disappearing O-82 track in my post.
Laidoffsick,
This plan is a variation of your original. I'm glad you prefer the bridge plan. I know some may be concerned about how to access hard to reach locations but there are lots of places for hatches. I left the whole right loop end open for a town or mountain scenery. I'd use trestle or curving girder bridges where the main crosses at either end of the yard so you can maintain line of sight during yard operations. I'd also consider splitting the main to go around not through the middle of the yard (more prototypical). This plan was done with MTH Realtrax. Since you are using Gargraves, I'd make the curves leading up to the bridge over the yard as wide (bigger than O-82, perhaps flex track) as possible.
This is a pretty big layout and could be executed in phases: Main, Yard, Turntable. In my experience, the longer the main the better so that you can run more and longer prototypical trains. With such a big yard you'll be able to park complete trains and keep a lot of your collection on track.
I stated the reason for the disappearing O-82 track in my post.
Laidoffsick,
This plan is a variation of your original. I'm glad you prefer the bridge plan. I know some may be concerned about how to access hard to reach locations but there are lots of places for hatches. I left the whole right loop end open for a town or mountain scenery. I'd use trestle or curving girder bridges where the main crosses at either end of the yard so you can maintain line of sight during yard operations. I'd also consider splitting the main to go around not through the middle of the yard (more prototypical). This plan was done with MTH Realtrax. Since you are using Gargraves, I'd make the curves leading up to the bridge over the yard as wide (bigger than O-82, perhaps flex track) as possible.
This is a pretty big layout and could be executed in phases: Main, Yard, Turntable. In my experience, the longer the main the better so that you can run more and longer prototypical trains. With such a big yard you'll be able to park complete trains and keep a lot of your collection on track.
I played around quite a bit with that plan. We just had to many things that didn't fit into our idea for the space. I even tried flipping it and it still didn't work.
1. We want the engine service area clearly visible from the front of the layout, so that when people walk in the house, they see all the engines and the front of the roundhouse.
2. There was not really any space to have the lowest loop like we have now, and connect it to the upper loops.
3. The yard would have been the main focus of the layout as viewed from the front entry. Car storage was not a priority for us, engine display is.
4. After messing with the track plan in RR Tracks, a 34" TT and 7 stall RH, plus additional tracks outside the house just would not fit.
So this plan might be better suited for others, their particular space, and their particular goals.........it just didn't fit OUR needs.
Way to go Doug! Coming along nicely!
your a inspiration, great layout
Its been 1 year since we started.................
Its FULL HD, so make sure to change your settings in the YouTube window (the round gear looking thing towards the bottom right with a red HD tag) and go FULL SCREEN
Great job Doug, thanks for the video.
Andy
Your not Laidoffsick your just Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiick !!! Wow really nice Doug. Amoungst many things i like that you said, i like the part where you said, gotta get the mother in law to get it finished. LOL. You got it made buddy! Cant wait.
Hi Doug,
That was so nice to watch, I enjoyed it. Such great info and you guys are doing such a wonderful job on this layout. Doug In the beginning of the video, There's a Lionel TMCC Challenger.It's hard to tell did you upgrade it to 4 chuffs and change the speaker to a Fat boy. Thanks for sharing
Alex
really enjoyed the video, lots of ideas there, I especially liked the shot of the tortoise machinery, having never seen one up close. Are the switches Ross? Good luck.
WB47, yes all the switches are Ross Custom, mostly Regulars (11 degree) with a few 072, 080, and a couple 096
Thanks Alex. The engine in the beginning is the Legacy Bigboy 4014, all stock. I have the same Tmcc Challenger as the one you bought and modified, thats why I had ask you about it because yours sounds so much better now and smokes a ton more. I want to do the same to mine after watching yours. The Bigboy in the video is my Dad's, but I have the same one and want to weather it, just havent had the guts to do it yet.
Thanks Alex. The engine in the beginning is the Legacy Bigboy 4014, all stock. I have the same Tmcc Challenger as the one you bought and modified, thats why I had ask you about it because yours sounds so much better now and smokes a ton more. I want to do the same to mine after watching yours. The Bigboy in the video is my Dad's, but I have the same one and want to weather it, just havent had the guts to do it yet.
Hi Doug,
First I want to say please keep the progress video's coming, they are so informative
and enjoyable.
I should have realized that was the Legacy version,not only from the sound but from the cab number. I don't know if you seen or heard the last video I made of the JLC with the Fat boy speaker installed. If you didn't I can email it to you. When you get around to upgrading your JLC just let me know I will be glad to help.
Alex
Alex I have watched that video so many times I had to stop. It is so much better than factory sound and smoke, I was ready to take my Challenger off the shelf, down to the bench and tear into it. I have too many projects already to start another one. When I do.... I will definitely get a hold of you because I wouldn't even know where to start ...as in removing the boiler! 
