My layout (In SCARM) with Scenery and Buindings

Roger, You certainly have everything planned out in SCARM!  It looks great!  Lots of running and a nice big yard!!

I like it too!

Outstanding SCARM modeling and a thorough layout plan. My personal preference would be to have fewer tracks and sidings, and more structures and scenery. Perhaps some hills with structures atop the hills, or water and a bridge. Bottom line though is it will be a fine railroad if built as shown on your plan.

MELGAR

Yes, I have been working on this for awhile, a couple of years to be exact.
I would love to put in some hills and bridges and things, but don't feel that I have the room.
I really want the passenger station, and the yard, and that puts limits on the other things.
Considerations............................

I really like it, it's my kind of play with the ability to run 2 trains unattended while controlling a 3rd. There are plenty of different routes to take and lots of drop off.pick up opportunities. The added scenery in SCARM really makes the design come to life. Good job in my book!

Looks like a great design,  you can tell you have some time and thoughts into the design.  The 3 dimensional gives a great prospective on the layout. To bad you couldn't enter this in a giant 3-D printer, bingo your layout is done. Nick T. 

I need to look into SCARM,  I'm in the process of a new layout.  As of now I have been drawing it out on paper.

I am doing some finishing touches to my table and then I can start laying track.
BTW, my table is plywood with a cushion pad that would go under Pergo Flooring, covered by a Woodland Scenics vinyl mat.

I am looking at a lot of different trees and things and see that many do not have a stand, but simply a straight stem, or trunk. I looks as if they would poke right into a foam bed, but I am curious how I might mount them to the, thinly cushioned, plywood base.

I am thinking that I would drill a small hole thru the mat and cushione, and part way into the plywood, and stick them down in, maybe with a drop of glue. Does that make sense?

t8afao posted:

Looks like a great design,  you can tell you have some time and thoughts into the design.  The 3 dimensional gives a great prospective on the layout. To bad you couldn't enter this in a giant 3-D printer, bingo your layout is done. Nick T. 

I need to look into SCARM,  I'm in the process of a new layout.  As of now I have been drawing it out on paper.

SCARM works great. It allows you to, exactly, plan out your layout, and there are lots of tutorials on line for it as well. There are a few tips and tricks that others, here and elsewhere, have helped me with, and f you get into it I would happily share those little nuggets of gold with you.

What are the overall dimensions of this layout?

Mark Boyce posted:

What are the overall dimensions of this layout?

Top Long Side= 114"
Right Long Side = 152"

Upper Rectangle Width = 58.5"
Lower "L" Width = 50"

So that is 12’ 8” by 9’ 6”.  You did fit a lot in!

Mark Boyce posted:

So that is 12’ 8” by 9’ 6”.  You did fit a lot in!

Using SCARM really did help to be able to know exactly where everything is.
I did also have to use a lot of O31 curves and switches.

Yes, I’ll say!  You are quite proficient at it!!  Do you know when you will be able to start to build?

Mark Boyce posted:

Yes, I’ll say!  You are quite proficient at it!!  Do you know when you will be able to start to build?

Hopefully soon.

I have the upper rectangle portion of the table built, and I was going to start with just the upper full outer loop, with the two switches in place (top one for long siding, and lower one for crossover), then build out the lower leg of the "L", and add the rest of the main loop later, but I still have to order more track and the switches.

I just got a new job, that I have been trying to get for almost five years, that will pay a lot more than my previous position, and with very good and inexpensive benefits, so I may take the time to go ahead and add the L to the table and lay out the entire outer loop with switches in place and then go from there. There is also some storage shelving in the area of the lower "L" that I will have to reconfigure.

I am, however, glad that I waited till now, as I have gotten a lot of good guidance from this forum, and have had the time to really improve the layout from what it would have been a year ago, or even a few months ago.

I am really happy with the long siding, and the fact that it and the yard are more segregated from the main loop. I am also very happy with the spur off the main line in the lower leg of the "L". This is a much more interesting community than it would have been before.

Again, thanks to all of you for your honest comments and opinions, which really helped me to see a bigger picture.

Roger

Roger, Congratulations on the new job!  That will make it a little easier to buy everything needed to build this nice layout!

Mark Boyce posted:

Roger, Congratulations on the new job!  That will make it a little easier to buy everything needed to build this nice layout!

Thanks. It will most certainly make things a lot easier. This happens to be a union engineering position for the local utility company, and they pay really well, with consistent raises to boot, and as I mentioned, really good but inexpensive benefits.

My biggest goal is to have my wife retire in a year or a year and a half. She just turned 60, and I would like to see here be able to spend the time doing the things that she likes. This position should make the year and a half mark reachable with relative ease.