Building layout sequence

Lay all of your track first and make sure that your happy with the design. Once the track is the way you want it, make sure if functions correctly, use a good 16 or 14 ga wire and make sure you have adequate feeders. Make sure you have the blocks where you want them if any and all turnouts are functioning smoothly.

Obviously,its alot easier to make track/wiring corrections or adjustments with no scenery down.

Once you have the trains running good, add any mountains and/ structures to the layout, then you can begin scenicing  from there.

I usually paint the bare top with a earth colored paint then add ground foam bushes, etc. Trees and telephone poles can go in after the ground level scenery is done.

Ballasting the track should be done after the ground level scenery is done. Its much easier to ballast over the top of grass/ground foam than it is to try to scenic next to ballast already laid.

Don't rush the scenery, run your trains on the empty benchwork and be sure there aren't any changes you would like to make. Sometimes a layout on paper looks different on the benchwork, you may want to add or remove track, industries or whatever.

Less half of my layout is what I originally started with, the rest was changed along the way, for the better.

Thanks Rick, this give me a good sequence to follow.

forest

Backdrop painted, start benchwork, preliminary track laid - temporary wireing, test run, add more benchwork, track laid, test run, final wireing, test run, adjustments made, test run, preliminary scenery, test run, . . . . . . . .   Oh yeah, have fun!  Russ

Keep in mind the prime directive...It's a TRAIN Layout, not a scenic diorama. Trains come first, scenery second. I like the idea of grass before ballast. I've got over 300ft of track and it's going to take close to 100 pounds of ballast so I want to do it as easily as possible. Now I understand that there are those in the hobby that view the trains as an actor in a scene, just as the little cars and people are actors too. But, I've spent many thousands of dollars on engines and rolling stock to see them moving and doing train things. The scenery is there to showcase the trains, not the other way around.

I'm wondering if you wanted to include water effects such as rivers and lakes would it be best to cut them out in conjuntion with laying the track? Maybe lay the track and run the trains for a while as you formulate how you want the finished layout to look. Then if you deside you want rivers or lakes you you can cut them out before permently adhering the track.

Good point Matthew. Once the track is down you get a better feel of the space available and that alone will spark ideas, did for me.

Dan

Along the lines of sequencing, how do you guys layer the layout?  For example, if you lay track right on top of the plywood bench top and then want to add some ground layers, will that alter the track height too much, making it too low?  Is a roadbed layer really necessary?

And keeping with the same line of questioning, do you all use a foam base layer or not?  Sound doesn't bother me so I don't care about the deadening benefits, but I assume foam makes it easy to stick things like trees into the landscape.

The type of track will affect how you secure it to your layout. I use fastrack, layed over carpet underpad to deaden the sound. In general the track sits loose on the underpading (which is painted and covered with ground foam grass). A friend with atlas track has it sit on a foam roadbed product that comes in rolls (not sure of the brand name). His track is held down with plastic straps, rather than screws which can transmit sound to the train table wood structure. You may not be happy with the noise if you lay track directly on plywood. However, you can lay some track to test out any method you choose to use.

Be sure to run all your engines in both directions, through all your switches and sidings. I was surprised at how many changes I had to make to accomodate all my engines, due to pickup roller centers and unwanted S-curves. This is especially true if you have switches that attach to curved, rather than straight track. For example, my 0-8-0 steamer would derail going backwards over one switch in one direction only (out of 40 switches on the layout). I had to add a 5" straight track section leading into the switch to resolve this problem. Test, Test, Test.

I also found that once I was switching cars, I wanted more sidings and more siding track. This was a personal preference, as I wanted a switching layout and ended up with a layout that can accomodate about 70 cars comfortable (85 cars is a little too crowded)

Once you have a reliable operation, then go on to the other steps suggested above.

Good Luck: Joe K

Track, flexibed, OSB in that order. I have three places where bridges will be built so I constructed the framing underneath for the waterway, ravine, etc. that will be there and then built temporary sub-roadbed pieces to span the gap. They don't have any cleats under them so I put a vertical rib underneath to stiffen them. This way, I can take my time constructing the bridges and scenery without affecting train operations. Since I'm building modified truss bridges from Plastruct and scratchbuilding some curved plate deck bridges for another spot, it's going to be a while before they're constructed.

OK, To the original query;

Stop and thing about what kind of area you are going to make.

Is it flat like Kansas or rolling hills?

Is it mountainous like Colorado or are you doing New York Harbor area?

These details make a big difference in the end product.

Build up rough terrain features to the proper height and then lay track on any roadbed you desire.

I put 3" of the pink sheet house insulating foam between my Plywood and the roadbed. More in some locations (elevated areas, it's a mountainous area).

It makes varied terrain so much easier, such as Lakes, rivers and gulches.

This opens up places for bridges and trestles to add flavor to the look.

I know you may not care about track noise but it really bothers me (Tinnitus), so I'm using foam roadbed under solid rails now. The screws are minimal and only reach roadbed & foam. Once the Ballast is on the screws are coming out.

Also using cookie cutter vs table top can reduce noise a lot.

Hi Forest,

I am on a similar quest, although I am further along with planning.

I would suggest as the next step, since you already have the benchwork completed, would be to install a power and communications bus right down the center of your benchwork end to end. Place an 8 or 12 conductor terminal block every four feet. Then use at least 3 terminals for 12awg wire red, white, and yellow for + and 1 12awg wire black for -, common. The other terminals can be used for accessory voltage lines in 16 awg your color choice and perhaps a Gray for a direct earth ground.(not the pipes , not the house panel, go pound a spike in the ground) This is common GPT low voltage wire found at the big home stores, hardware stores and auto stores. Use spade terminals crimped.

Then, it will not matter where you place the power source, whether you choose conventional or command of any manufacturer, where you place the track, switches accessories now or later, the bus with the terminal blocks will provide a place to connect to reliable power and ground.

This is a busy step under the layout and gives you time to ponder all of the other choices to make. It gets a primary task completed and it finishes the foundation to your rail empire. Then you build the empire in confidence. Take things in small bites. You are building your own empire.

Check out this photos of your control panel and a wiring layout search in the forum here. Read the electrical forum posts. Plenty of good reading and knowledge of what to avoid now to prevent headaches later.

I have found the OGR forum and it's members experience and knowledge invaluable. Don't re-invent the wheel or think too much. It's here if you need an answer or the source can be identified for you here.

If you are comfortable with a computer SCARM(free) and AnyRail(free for 50 pcs of track) can help you build your empire virtually and save you a lot of time.

Please post your progress. Good building to you and have fun!

Thanks to all for your responses. I have started to set up my main wiring points and will go from there.

forest