New Bridge Update 2/24/2014

louis, your from the burg also?  cool.  keep the pics coming.  I hope to model the south side at some point!  Primanti's ...  

chris

Sorry its been so long since an update. Ive been working like crazy, the holidays, and then three of our 4 children have January birthdays! The 12th, 17th, and the 22nd. With that being said, I've barely had time for all of that, mixed with some sleep.  Another obstacle is that every time I have had some time, or got home early enough to try and get something done, My 3 year old boy says "Wets chug dem twains daddy! Wets chug dem twains! So maybe there's been a little more chugging than working. But Hey..... who am I to argue   

 

Anyway, I have all of the track down with the exception of the loop that will cross over from the top level to the middle leg of the layout. There are 4 loops total, the yard, and the turntable / industrial area. I should be able to run about 7 trains fairly easy once Im complete. Ive ran 4 already with no problems. One of the things that I like about the layout is that If I want to run a smaller number of trains, I can run from the 1st level, all the way up to the third, and back down with the option to change direction on the 2nd level. Next I will decide on which areas that I will "drop" to create lower looking areas for small wooden bridges, gorges, valleys, etc... The I have some benchwork to cut back so that mountains will slope back instead of being straight up and down. And last but not least, it will be time for wiring..... A lot of it! 

 

Here are the pics, and as always suggestions are welcome. Heck, maybe even Patrick will come back down and throw in his two cents! 

 

 

 Julian telling me how the blue comet works

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Look its Thomas! Santa brought this for Julian and now he tells me "I dont even wike Thomas! Give me the Wegacy wemote, and you wun Thomas daddy" I have a video of this that I will try to post which is sure to aggravate the electronic impaired guys once they see a boy who just turned 3 running the legacy remote. 

 

 

Wow Lou, way to go!! That really,really looks sweet! No wonder your son  left the party early, he wanted to run the BIG trains.

 

I see  the wire arrived .

 

Whats the hold up on that middle island getting cut down where the double cross over is?

 

  I Guess your having the Super Bowl Party.

Excellent progress!

Lou,

 

Looks great!  Did you decide how you are going to power the layout?

 

 

Frank

I love the way this layout build is looking, awesome work.

Please keep the progress photo's coming.

 

Alex

Lou thanks for the invite to view your layout myself and Carp had great time also any 3 year old who can run the legacey system and know his trains is alright with me.

Superb job!  you have a good helper, Nice layout.  what track is that? 

Chris

 

Thanks for the nice comments guys!

 

Patrick - Thanks! Yeah I have the wire. Come on down and show me how to wire the layout. I got that area cut down, just waitin on some more instruction.  Super Bowl Party huh.... Yeah Ill see you in a couple of days. LOL!

 

Frank - All Ive decide so far is that Ive put a drop in like every 11 - 15 feet. I bought 2 TPC's per loop and 8 bricks. 2 bricks per loop. But after all this talk of this new ZW I may put all that stuff online. Im going to know real soon how Im going to do it for sure.

 

Vince - Thanks for coming down. You guys are welcome ANYTIME. Now that theres been witnesses to my boy running the Legacy remote theres nothing left to do but post the video! 

 

Chris - Atlas O 

 

 

Ive tried to get some things done this week despite my busy schedule to keep the momentum going over here. All of the masonite is in for the backdrop. The area in front of the switches that Patrick mentioned has been cut down to provide full access to the switches. And I had 2 Atlas double main line Pratt bridges from the old layout that I did not want to see go to waste so I installed one in a area that I thought looked good.

 

Enjoy the pics!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just a couple quick photos. Tryin to stay movin here. 

Lou,

 

Looks great. Let me know if you ever need a hand. 

 

Frank

Is that masonite on the wall!!!  your rockin again.

Looks great Lou!!  Sorry i couldnt get down there , i told you about my fathers health.

 

Just some  suggestions if its ok.

 

The double cross over - try to get some straight track between it the and  the left and right O72 switch to avoid the hard S curve- I know the one side may be tough but it looks like the others there is plenty of room to move them away.

 

The Pratts- if your gonna leave it there maybe cut the hillside back above it so you dont have a cliff coming down right up against it.Maybe throw in another bridge for the third level or move the track back off the edge on 3rd level.

 

Looking soooooooo   good. I have to get down there next week. Awesome .

 

see ya Sunday

 

 

Awesome, awesome, awesome!  That's going to be a fantastic layout.

Thanks guys! Patrick - I will try and get some straight in there. Also, I had planned to cut back the third level. In fact, now that I cut down that area in front of those switches I may put a small radius loop there going from there, down along behind the bridge, out to the front, at that level if that makes sense. So it will be another loop around that peninsula at the 2nd level. Bridge, step back, loop, step back, then 3rd level. Nicks idea. I understand about your Father hope he recovers fast and well. I was just bustin your chops about coming down. See ya Sunday!

Couple Pics of where Patrick was talking about those s bends where the switches were. I took out the 72 turn outs, and replaced them with 7.5's.

 

 

 

Here's the video of my son running the remote. Sorry for the bad quality. Took the video with my phone. 

 

Louis

 

  That is a priceless video of your son running the trains, and your layout and layout room is beautiful. I can't wait until you start your scenery.

 

Thanks, Alex

Beautiful layout. Amazing construction.ove the video of your son.

Incredible progress in such a short amount of time. Gee... I've seen someone with similar results in such a short amount of time and I see he's been a big help on yours too. I'm jealous of the time and effort you guys accomplish. Excellent job! Love the track plan as well. 

 

awefully quiet down there?

 

Thanks for the Nice comments guys!

 

@Laidoffsick - Thanks! Your moving pretty fast yourself! And doing a great Job as well.

 

@Patrick -  LOL! Its the quiet ones you have to worry about  Surely you remember how much wire needs run for something this size Ive been under the table ALL month. I also took the time to build Julian a viewing platform so that he could see everything. I've set all the transformers and remote base. I have some feeders that I hope to get done this weekend and then I hope to post some pictures this Sunday if I have the time. And of course working 16 hour days is the ONLY way I could afford this layout!

Not much progress to show, but some. Ive had a tough summer, with not much time to commit to the layout. However... The track is completed, and both bridges leading to center peninsula are in. The wiring and transformer location is complete with the exception of the switches, and the turntable area. 4 lines of track, with 2 bricks to each TPC, then to each track. Power was distributed through homemade bus bars that I made with ground bars for electrical panels. A power feed from the track was dropped approximately every 10 feet.I just put something quick together as bridges until I could decide if they are going to be permanent. For now I decided to cut and scribe by own brick columns and tunnel portholes out of foam unless they don't look right later, and I will change them also. Ive started some foam, and hope to have the backdrop in by Christmas. Thanks for looking.

 

Enjoy!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INCREDIBLE. Between you and Patrick I want scrap my plans and start over. Very nice

Looks good buddy!  Can't wait for Austin and I to visit.

 

Andy B.

Thanks for the update! Nice job on the power station and wiring management.

Really awesome. Love the wire mgmt too.

 

Tim

Looking marvelous!

Hey Lou -

 

I had been following your progress on your great layout from the beginning, and had been wondering how you were coming along. Thank you for the update and glad to see that you are still at it. It is coming along nicely, and you are doing a wonderful job.

 

Alex

Lou your layout is starting to look great looking forward to my next visit tell my little buddy I said hey  Vince

Looking awesome Lou!     Very impressive!

Man that is taking shape very ..... I can't even come up with a word!  Looking good, glad to see the update, I was wondering how you were coming along. 

yeah he's over due for an evening session

 

Soon Enough! Im getting closer everyday to a big train party.

Best news I've heard all day!!!

 

Andy B.

Louis

Amazing layout and  PROGRESS!!! 

Steve 

That is one incredible layout!  Can't wait to see more.  A feature article in OGR in the future?

 

Thanks Louis for keeping us posted on your progress.

Can't add much to the other comments, just excellent work.

Larry

Thanks for all the kind words guys. 

 

Ive been at it pretty heavy down here. I had to cut down the height of my masonite to 42" because I had made it to high. I had been dreading having to cut it hunched over while standing on the layout, but its finally done. Now all I have to do is paint the wall just above where I cut. I am ordering the backdrop this week and after studying the backdrop warehouse site for 3 years I think Im finally ready to call.  I've been doing some foam and started some carving. I supported the track around the front of the middle peninsula with temp. braces so that I can begin to make the trestle bents for the bridge. So between all the bents that I have to make, and the backdrop it may be awhile before another update.

 

Thanks for looking, and the encouraging comments.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Louis,

Thank you for posting all the photos.  It is looking real good.  That trestle on the curve will be very impressive.  I'll look forward to seeing pictures, but I know that will take a while.

Mark Boyce

Butler, Pennsylvania