Thank you Orind!!
it is a tribute to what a group effort on the OGR Forum can accomplish. I have to thank John C, DoubleDAZ Dave, and Moonman Carl for taking my initial thoughts, putting them into an imagitive plan, and working with me to adjust to what you see now. I am really excited about this plan and the whole concept behind it! Thank you everyone!!
Mark- I haven't commented lately but I have been following your progress. I like the evolution of the track plan and the mock ups. Can't wait to see the real thing in action.
Bob
PS- sorry to see that the room got smaller. Too bad it wasn't the other way right?
Mark I just got done catching up on your layout update, you sure have covered a lot of ground. I like the way you mock it up to give an idea of what you have and what you might want to change or tweek a little.
Sure is nice working with Carl and Dave, they are wiz-kids with that SCARM stuff! Keep up the good work and don't let the room get any smaller!
Mark, what are the new room dimensions? The design is based on 136"x138", so if the room shrunk, the layout will have to shrink and the grade/loops may need some changes. With all the curves, there are no easy ways to shrink things. The upper loop already fills the space, so if the width is no longer 136", that's going to be a problem.
Thank you RSJB18 and Mike for the comments! Yes at least the room isn't smaller, just my calculations make it seem smaller. ;-)
Dave the dimensions are still 138 x 136. I just meant that I had estimated it was a little less than 12' x 12' or 144 square feet. Yesterday, I actually calculated how many square feet the room actually is. 138" x 136" = 130.3333 sq ft. So no adjustment to the plan is necessary. Thank you for asking, because if I had realized I had measured wrong initially, it would have needed adjustments.
Man, I like the track plan Mark. I know you have got to be excited to see this starting! I look forward to more updates and the start of construction!
Corey,
Thank you. Yes I want to get started building too. We will have to wait until I get the painting and lighting done, and who knows what other things besides the layout will take precedence.
Whew! Glad to hear that Mark. I never thought to do the math to be completely accurate in your title. 
You have your track plan. Why don't you just build it. You can have trains running in a week. Or less.
Hmmm.....If I got the materials gathered up, then took a week off work, or less, maybe I could get trains running.
The plan and mock up look great. After spending 6 years driving to Morgantown WV from NJ and around the Morgantown area, you certainly have captured the look and feel of the area as I remember it. This should be a fun project.
necrails posted:The plan and mock up look great. After spending 6 years driving to Morgantown WV from NJ and around the Morgantown area, you certainly have captured the look and feel of the area as I remember it. This should be a fun project.
Thank you! That is always good when someone familiar with the area thinks so. I think I would find it harder to convey if it was an area I was not familiar with in person. I look forward to trying to convey the same feel in the real layout!
I read above...was going to ask about what happened to 144???????????? You mean you aren't done yet Mark?! :-)
Its the shrinking layout!
Yes DoubleDAZ Dave might have had a heart attack thinking I had measured wrong at first!!! No, we are okay!
I ordered the track lighting yesterday, and it should be shipped to the nearest Home Depot in about a week. I haven't had a chance to do anything more since last report.
Thank you for the nice responses!
Wow I'm embarrassed that I haven't seen this thread until now....yeeesh I must be living under a rock. I really like the track plan and the pre-planning you are doing for this, it will make all the difference when it comes time to put things down for good. I'm going to be watching this build closely....
Chris,
Thank you for the nice comments! I know what you mean, not finding an ongoing topic earlier. It's happened to me several times. Then I feel like I have to play catch-up before asking something that had already been covered. Ha ha! I'm glad to have you following my planning and building topic as I am enjoying yours!
Just got my self caught up......wonderful plan....I am looking forward to the execution. I love to see plans like this....I am only a 2 dimensional thinker and have no capacity to think in 3 dimensions.
Peter,
I am in the same boat! I can't say enough about the help DoubleDAZ Dave gave me with SCARM. The only way to show what I am thinking for scenery is to find a photo of some place similar or build it up with a mock up. Thank you for your interest!
I received an email that the track lights are in at Home Depot. I plan to pick them up on the way home from seeing my aunt in assisted living and getting her taxes done. I had hoped to get some room prep done this week, but there were too many other things going on. I'll post when I have them and seeing what I can get done.
I'm sorry I haven't had much to report as of late. I have been gathering materials, but finally made some progress in the appearance of the room. I took down the shelves and spackled the holes in preparation to cover that awful pink with a nice light blue. I am going to keep the shelf on the bulkhead that covers the furnace vents exiting the house. I also shipped out some extra long cars that I am not going to use to get some more funds for the project.
It s a start Mark, no where to go but up now! Just enjoy the ride! LOL
You are right, Mike!! Thanks!!
Item # 1.
Here is an excerpt from a comment I made on another topic yesterday. It will tell you the latest in my line of thinking.
Now, if you look at my topic that I have a link to in my signature (I'm on the iPhone now, or I would put a link here) I weighed the options, and decided against designing a plan that would let me run my Premier J 611 and 18" passenger cars. My space is only 11 1/2 ft x 11 1/2 ft. I even decided against running my J on my Ceiling Central RR in the next room, not because I was afraid of it falling off the track, but because I was afraid of dropping it when on a ladder trying to place it on and off the track. The cars were sold last week, and I'm going to sell the J as well. I don't have money to leave several hundred dollars just sitting on the shelf. Ha ha!!
While this course of action may seem drastic, it was one of those decisions I pondered for a while, then all of a sudden it was a no brainer!! I know my limitations lifting items to or above eye level, as I have a shoulder that was injured falling on ice 10 years ago that is not surgically repairable. I would absolutely not ask anyone else to lift that engine either, because I would feel terrible that he would feel he let me down if he dropped it.
I didn't mention my Weaver Gold edition B&O P7d Cincinnatian 4-6-2 or the MTH 18" cars that go with it. I will process that after I sell the J 611.
Item #2.
A Facebook friend gave me a tip on a shop where I could get GarGraves track at a very good price. I worked with the guy over the phone and email to get a good parts list of the GarGraves track. We had some stainless track sections on the plan which we are replacing with standard Phantom line. To make a long story short, he sent my order to GarGraves, and the whole order is to ship directly to me from GarGraves in another week or two. If receive what has been promised, I will share the gent's name and Web site here, but I don't want to make a recommendation until I am sure the deal is completed satisfactorily. I will still have to get the Ross switches, and; Oh yes, the lumber for the benchwork.
So while nothing is happening on the layout build, per se; there is a lot of behind the scenes action staging the big build!
Mark,
Sorry to hear you are getting rid of the J. I know you really liked that set. I understand the whys of the choices you made though and when the new layout is operational, the loss will be forgotten.
Mark,
Wish I lived closer to help you get your lumber!
That pink is going to be fun to paint over! The third bedroom in our house was dark purple and I painted it white and converted it to a walk in for the Mrs. It took several coats!
Mike
Pat Kn posted:Mark,
Sorry to hear you are getting rid of the J. I know you really liked that set. I understand the whys of the choices you made though and when the new layout is operational, the loss will be forgotten.
You are right, Pat! It will be long forgotten! Thank you for the comment.
mjrodg3n88 posted:Mark,
Wish I lived closer to help you get your lumber!
That pink is going to be fun to paint over! The third bedroom in our house was dark purple and I painted it white and converted it to a walk in for the Mrs. It took several coats!Mike
Mike,
Thank you! I'll get it done. Our daughter, who painted it pink, was over and made the same comment. Since I'm not painting the brick wall and another wall is half taken up with the glass door; I won't have that much painting even if that wall takes several coats.
Mark Boyce posted:We had some stainless track sections on the plan which we are replacing with standard Phantom line.
Sorry about that Mark, it's easy to pick the wrong section when making quick changes. I wish the 2 types were separate in the library.
DoubleDAZ posted:Mark Boyce posted:We had some stainless track sections on the plan which we are replacing with standard Phantom line.
Sorry about that Mark, it's easy to pick the wrong section when making quick changes. I wish the 2 types were separate in the library.
Dave, that was no problem at all. I know what you mean about the library. When I printed the parts list, it showed up. I told the guy what a great job you did on the plan. I sent it to him and he really liked it
You know I'm going to try to come see your layout when it's done, right?
I would be happy to have you visit Dave!
Soon I will start a construction topic in the 3-Rail Forum, but I have a few more things to add to the planning topic.
Yesterday I painted the walls blue, so the Pink Walls are gone forever. Sorry John! 
Here are before and after photos.
Normally I would have painted the white ceiling first, but we entertained the idea of painting the ceiling blue also, giving the effect of blue sky overhead. Now, I'm leaning towards white.
Tomorrow I am supposed to receive my order of GarGraves track. I think I will put the pieces out on the floor just to see how it all looks with the proper diameter track. I have a large, well seasoned workbench at my mother-in-law's that she doesn't use and would like me to get out of there. It looks like a lot of the wood could be recycled into the layout. Interestingly, there are two large sheets (12' long) of homasote on the workbench. I will have to do some disassembly to move it over and take inventory.
Mark things are looking up for you! First the blue paint, and now a free workbench! Then to top it all off new track coming!
Mike,
You are right. It all takes time.
Slow, but steady and sure progress.
I received my track Wednesday. I still have to buy some Ross switches.
I also painted the ceiling white Wednesday. I need to do some touchup, then take the plastic dropcloths off everything and hang the new light. I hope to do that tomorrow since they are still predicting rain, and I can't get out and rake up the winter leaves. That really breaks my heart!
I'm sure that breaks your heart.....not.
Good luck hanging the light and getting the switches you need. I've been too busy to even think about my layout.
Mark: Are you going to put your overhead lights on dimmer switches?
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