New Layout - Mains are running - In Maintenance Mode - NEW VIDEO 3/29/20 Rock Island Golden State

Hi John, 

Great news ! looks fantastic so far ! 

I'm in my new house more than two years and i still don't have the time to start my layout lol. 

Keep us updated on your future progress 

Alex

Thanks Alex. Time is the one thing we never have enough of.

It seemed like I was in the planning stage for years. I even had to take down a wall in order to open up the basement into one large room.

John

Wow!!! That's one heck of a layout!! Enjoy!!!

Great job! I really like how you have open access on one side, then have a table on the other. Great merger of two layout concepts along with grade. It makes for a great transition between scenes and allows the viewer to feel the train is traveling distances. Awesome technique! 

Looks great, I love your backdrop and use of grades! I'm getting inspiration from your "L" frame benchwork and grades for my next layout...

vthokies2007-2011 posted:

Great job! I really like how you have open access on one side, then have a table on the other. Great merger of two layout concepts along with grade. It makes for a great transition between scenes and allows the viewer to feel the train is traveling distances. Awesome technique!

Thanks! That was partly by design and partly out of necessity. The table area on the right is actually the bench work from my old layout. I didn't want to rip it out and build new bench work. That area will be a steam shop using the Lionel Backshop which you see in the video along with a 2 or 3 stall engine house. I ruled out a turntable based on space and cost considerations.

mattrain posted:

Looks great, I love your backdrop and use of grades! I'm getting inspiration from your "L" frame benchwork and grades for my next layout...

Thanks mattrain. The last thing I would expect is a compliment on my bench work.

I tend to combine lots of styles primarily based on whatever wood is laying around.

Hmmm, I only get the freight service video no matter which link I click on.  Anyone else?

Mixed Freight posted:

Hmmm, I only get the freight service video no matter which link I click on.  Anyone else?

Sorry about that. I fixed the link. Should be working now.

tr18 posted:

Mixed Freight posted:

Hmmm, I only get the freight service video no matter which link I click on.  Anyone else?

Sorry about that. I fixed the link. Should be working now.

Much better.  Thanks! 

Looks nice!

What can you tell us about that backdrop? That’s the best sky I have ever seen for O gauge.

Jim

I got the backdrops from Joey Ricard at Trackside Scenery.

Interesting point about the sky. I preferred one of there Series (themes) because of the variety of scenes within it and that a few of the scenes I really liked weren't available in their other Series. But I preferred the sky from a different series. Joey was able to swap the sky so I got the scenes I wanted with the sky I liked.

I highly recommend them to anyone looking for backdrops.

John

JIM R.-His "Sky and Clouds" backdrop looks like one I seen at Hobby Lobby a while back.

https://www.hobbylobby.com/Art...aper-Roll/p/80890672

I liked this one also. https://www.hobbylobby.com/Art...aper-Roll/p/80890671

Rusty

John, you are well on your way to creating a masterpiece. Very interesting layout design. I love layouts like yours where the trains go to different places. Arnold 

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

John, you are well on your way to creating a masterpiece. Very interesting layout design. I love layouts like yours where the trains go to different places. Arnold 

Thanks Arnold, appreciate your comments.

Here is my track plan. The layout will have two levels, a main level using the folded dog-bone approach and a lower level for the hidden staging yards.

The main level will have a double main, 3 passing sidings and 1/2 of the double reverse. The right side will be mostly flat primarily because this is using a lot of the existing bench-work from my old layout. The wall on the right will have building fronts and flats to simulate a city as well as some passenger platforms. Inside the loop at the lower right will be a steam service area.

The left side will be mostly mountains gradually rising in elevation. Scenery will primarily be grass, trees and rocks with maybe a small building or two mixed in.

The lower level will have 2 staging yards, 5 tracks each. The sidings vary from 14- 20 ft in length. The two lead tracks connecting the lower level to the upper level also serve as the other half of the double reverse.

John

John, those were nice videos. You have done a great job on your layout so far. The backdrop with the buildings in front blend together very well. As was said you are going to have one great looking and running layout when you are done............Paul 2

Thanks Paul.

I can't believe 4 months have passed. Figured an update was long overdue.

After getting the mains operational, I spent several weeks in September running a variety of different trains; a) because I could and b) in order to test the track and identity any issues (i.e. bumps, dips, clearance issues, etc). Found a few but mostly minor stuff.

After that, I focused on getting the 3 sidings on the main level activated. This involved lots of wiring, installing switch machines and getting started on a control panel. This was completed during October and early November.

Since mid November, I have not been able to devote any time to the layout due to a series of family related issues. I'm looking forward to getting back to work in the next week or so.

Here is a picture of the control panel for the main level. I will try to post another video in the next couple of days.

John

John,

Excellent work, and what you have done looks great! I like your track plan, and appreciate your resolve to achieve progress in a timely manner. Looking forward to your updates.

Alex

John, completely awesome.  Count me as another who loves the track plan and the levels the trains transition to.  Also, that backdrop is fantastic, with the bluest sky I've ever seen.

Keep us posted on your great layout.

Regards,

Jerry

John, panel looks great!

Can’t wait to see videos of trains in action 

Alex 

Ingeniero No1 posted:

John,

Excellent work, and what you have done looks great! I like your track plan, and appreciate your resolve to achieve progress in a timely manner. Looking forward to your updates.

Alex

Thanks John. Hope to update more regularly.

JerryG posted:

John, completely awesome.  Count me as another who loves the track plan and the levels the trains transition to.  Also, that backdrop is fantastic, with the bluest sky I've ever seen.

Keep us posted on your great layout.

Regards,

Jerry

Thanks Jerry. Yes, the sky was a major selling point for me.

Alex M posted:

John, panel looks great!

Can’t wait to see videos of trains in action 

Alex 

Thanks Alex. So when are we going to see something from you!!

tr18 posted:

Ingeniero No1 posted:

John,

Excellent work, and what you have done looks great! I like your track plan, and appreciate your resolve to achieve progress in a timely manner. Looking forward to your updates.

Alex

Thanks John. Hope to update more regularly.

JerryG posted:

John, completely awesome.  Count me as another who loves the track plan and the levels the trains transition to.  Also, that backdrop is fantastic, with the bluest sky I've ever seen.

Keep us posted on your great layout.

Regards,

Jerry

Thanks Jerry. Yes, the sky was a major selling point for me.

Alex M posted:

John, panel looks great!

Can’t wait to see videos of trains in action 

AlexThanks Alex. So when are we going to see something from you!!

John

in all honesty I’m YEARNING for a layout. It’s actually getting depressing that it’s just about 3 years without one. Just not possible with all the repair work I have. Don’t get me wrong I’m glad I have the work and I thank God for the business , just wish I had a little Elf that would appear and build one for me. Lol. Maybe sometime soon I’ll be able to get started. 

so please when you get a chance post a video of your layout in action, it’s nice to see  

Alex 

Great layout !!!

Boy that must feel good!. I am way behind you. Gotta spend more time on the layout!

Don

Perhaps I missed an earlier post, but could you tell me the dimensions of your layout and main line radii? 

I have a similar space. 

Thanks,

Earl

John, I'm glad you posted the update after 4 months.  I must have slept through August and September not to have seen your original posts.  The layout plan, scenery, trains, two levels, are great!  I'm really looking forward to following your topic now that I have found it!!

Random thoughts:

Snap a chalk line.  White chalk cleans up, colors stain.

Floor covering supply houses have steel straight edges 4', 6' and 9' long.

Commercial sheet metal shops can shear any width SS or aluminum strips to align tie ends.  8' to 10' are practical lengths.

Expanding R.O.W. considerations, here are some thoughts to your curves.

Camera tripod stands and trammels can give you great curves, photos below.

Spiral easement templates can set up great prototypical curves as shown.

A long straight edge line will work wonders for a straight R.O.W.  (On tangent track I usually allow .017" rail gap at each 3' joint when within the 35% to 55% normal humidity.)

Also, curves are very important to retain consistency, spiral easements can add beauty:

Spiral easements can be clamped in place for edge scribing:

Trammels will keep you honest, the unused blue tape in the photo is the tripod position for other curves:

Sheet metal straight edges bend and bow and are a very inaccurate tool for maintaining flatness.  For a flat plane use the longest level for the setting.   I like the 6' & 8' levels for truing up cross members:

Personally I try to work out as much tangent track as possible.  I find it somewhat uninteresting preferring instead to use cosmetic curves:

Conductor Earl posted:

Perhaps I missed an earlier post, but could you tell me the dimensions of your layout and main line radii? 

I have a similar space. 

Thanks,

 

Earl

Earl

The room is roughly 22' X 22'. The lower left area is where the typical basement stuff is, which you can see in this earlier version of the track plan

The curves vary from a minimum of 072 up to about 0112 with 096 being the most common. The only spot tighter than 072 is on the track leading up to the top of the mountain where it goes down to 054. This will only be used by a switcher engine.

Here is a quick video I shot last night. It shows a modern freight pulling out of one of the recently activated sidings.

Running great!

Ahhhhh that was great to see !!

John looks like curves are super elevated? 

Alex 

Alex M posted:

Ahhhhh that was great to see !!

John looks like curves are super elevated? 

Alex 

Correct.

John - tr18.   I like the under layout storage.  It looks like it will have limited visibility from the main layout.

How will you operate it ?   Cars reaching the end of the stub track,  clearing switches, etc.

HB_Sloan posted:

John - tr18.   I like the under layout storage.  It looks like it will have limited visibility from the main layout.

How will you operate it ?   Cars reaching the end of the stub track,  clearing switches, etc.

I gave this a lot of thought before moving forward with this design.

Each track will have 3 isolated detection blocks, each one activating a detection light on the control panel. One of these will be at the entrance to each siding and be long enough to ensure clearance with the trains on the adjacent tracks. These vary in length but are generally 15-18 inches. A second one will be at the end of each siding and will be 6 inches long. This will let me know I am near the end of the track. The third one will be for the siding itself where the train will be parked telling me if the track is occupied. So if the center light is on and the other two are off, all is good. If the light at the entrance to the track stays on, the train is too long.

Here is a schematic of what the control panel will look like.

Clever and well explained.

Thanks HB

Finally able to spend some time on the layout these last few weeks.

The next phase of work will be to get the two lower level staging yards in service. This will involve about 40 ft of new track to be installed and a 2nd control panel.

Here are the 2 tracks as they come up from the yards and then merge. This track was installed as part of the main line construction and before closing the loop on the mains which are right in front of these tracks.

These last few weeks I was able to get the rest of the track roughed in as it runs south alongside the mains and then starts to climb in the corner and back again along the east wall. Finally, it connects to one of the mains on the north wall.

Still need to do some fine tuning of the track followed by wiring, switch machines and a panel.

Thanks for looking

John