Unfortunately don’t have one to send. Wish I did
Probably just as well Bob, I'd just crash it trying to get the video. 
Yes flying inside might not be the best idea but it would look great
Watching ...
Looking good, John!
Peter
Thanks Peter. Got the rest of my switches in from Ross, just have to find time to make more progress, this is a busy time and lots of other stuff is popping. I don't know how other folks get anything done after they retire, I'm busier now than I ever was! 
John,
I think this is part of the trap, we work to retire then realize it is a swap from a career to home, hobby, family, friends and Mother Nature :-p
Made some progress on one end of the layout, go a bunch of track and eight switches laid in. I don't know why I thought this would go quick with 22 switches and over 400 feet of track, but it's sure taking longer than I had originally anticipated! I like the fact that I can cut flex track to size, brings me back to the tubular track days. OTOH, it ends up being more time consuming and it's really easy to screw up. I also found out, to nobody's surprise, that the paper plan doesn't always work when you actually get track in hand! I've had to get a bit creative in a couple of places, but over all I'm happy with how it's coming.
This section was all cleaned up and with the arrival of my remaining switches, it's all in place.
A view from the end.
This is the workshop end, the rail at the edge is my maintenance siding, that's where I'll put stuff on from the bench for testing and drive it out onto the layout.
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Hey John,
I like the "drive-up" service center. Filler up with water, "black diamonds", earl ( as Norton alias Art Carney used to say) and wash the windows! Looks good!
John
Inching along... 
And you haven't finished the landscaping yet??
Great work John, looking good. It seems like everything to do with trains takes longer than anticipated. Maybe it's just because when you're retired, "There's no rush!"
Rod
Hey John there ya go ! look's great so far. Flex track is great, but it definitely takes a lot longer to lay down then standard track. OTOH you have a lot more flexibility.
Alex
Yes, Alex, I had a lot more flexibility, that was part of the problem! One issue with flex track it's so much easier to create a paper plan that won't actually work in reality, and it's not that obvious until you are physically placing track! Several places I found that due to the placement of my switches and the models used, my turns were too tight. I'm shooting for a bare minimum of O72 anywhere on the layout, so if they work out to be less, I had to rejigger the plan to make them work.
@modeltrainsparts posted:And you haven't finished the landscaping yet??
All I have to say to this is...
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Looking good, John.
Thanks Pat, baby steps, but we'll get there.
Lookin' great, John.
@gunrunnerjohn posted:Made some progress on one end of the layout, go a bunch of track and eight switched laid in. I don't know why I thought this would go quick with 22 switches and over 400 feet of track, but it's sure taking longer than I had originally anticipated! I like the fact that I can but flex track to size, brings me back to the tubular track days. OTOH, it ends up being more time consuming and it's really easy to screw up. I also found out, to nobody's surprise, that the paper plan doesn't always work when you actually get track in hand! I've had to get a bit creative in a couple of places, but over all I'm happy with how it's coming.
This section was all cleaned up and with the arrival of my remaining switches, it's all in place.
A view from the end.
This is the workshop end, the rail at the edge is my maintenance siding, that's where I'll put stuff on from the bench for testing and drive it out onto the layout.
Looks good John.
Two questions....
1- What happened to the second level shelf on the left? Did I miss a post?
2- I would have expected the service track to make a right turn and land the trains right at the bench 
Stick a couple of buildings in the middle and call it scenery. We will not pass judgement.
Bob
Looking forward to seeing a locomotive testing the trackwork. Use the one most likely to derail. Do you have a finnicky steam locomotive to run?
Ron H
@RSJB18 posted:Two questions....
1- What happened to the second level shelf on the left? Did I miss a post?
2- I would have expected the service track to make a right turn and land the trains right at the bench
After considerable thought and consideration, I realized that my plans for that would really not work out very well. Any scenery for a town that was placed that far away would be pretty much lost when you're viewing it from 12-13 feet away. Besides, with the lack of space for sidings, I decided that maybe a three-track siding back there made more sense. The three tracks in pink replaced the shelf.
As far as the track to the bench, I figured the track in front of my side bench and cabinet would probably not have been all that functional.
@Ron H posted:Looking forward to seeing a locomotive testing the trackwork. Use the one most likely to derail. Do you have a finnicky steam locomotive to run?
Ron H
Does a bear do his business in the woods? 
I'm sure I can rustle up some temperamental locomotive for the test.
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@gunrunnerjohn posted:After considerable thought and consideration, I realized that my plans for that would really not work out very well. Any scenery for a town that was placed that far away would be pretty much lost when you're viewing it from 12-13 feet away. Besides, with the lack of space for sidings, I decided that maybe a three-track siding back there made more sense.
As far as the track to the bench, I figured the track in front of my side bench and cabinet would probably not have been all that functional.
Does a bear do his business in the woods?
One can never have enough sidings. Wise move.
It looks great, John!!
John, Your track work is easy on the eye. Nice eye candy.
You're getting there, John. It's going to be fabulous.
Looking good!
I see you used curves switches with a continuing curve on the inside route that I assume is O-72. I had allot of issues with these situations where I matched the O-72 line I scribed on the table, only to find out I needed a little bit more relief for the curve radius when transitioning to the switch and off of it. I tested a few of bigger engines but not all of them, where I found the conflict later on. Definitely encourage you to try your all your big engines in these places for these situations.
@Tom Tee posted:John, Your track work is easy on the eye. Nice eye candy.
It's supposed to be train candy Tom!
@Phil McCaig posted:You're getting there, John. It's going to be fabulous.
Someday...
@Hump Yard Mike posted:Looking good!
I see you used curves switches with a continuing curve on the inside route that I assume is O-72. I had allot of issues with these situations where I matched the O-72 line I scribed on the table, only to find out I needed a little bit more relief for the curve radius when transitioning to the switch and off of it. I tested a few of bigger engines but not all of them, where I found the conflict later on. Definitely encourage you to try your all your big engines in these places for these situations.
Actually, coming in and leaving the curved switch the curves are wider, I just tried to keep it flowing. The curve after the exit is right at O81, it exactly matches the O81 Atlas curve. Going into that switch, there is 18" of almost dead straight track. I didn't have a choice about the O72-096, it was the only thing that would do the trick in that space. I looked at the larger curved switch, but it was way out of hand for the space I have there. There is no curve anywhere that's less than O72. I tried to keep things in the 80-90 range. I have some O81 & O90 atlas sectional track that I use to judge what I'm bending.
Not to say I won't have issues somewhere, with this much track and that many switches, I'm bound to screw up in a place or two!
John, I have enjoyed seeing the progress. That's impressive bench and trackwork!
I like your service track arrangment. That's a good place to confine those initial test runs when a repair comes in. I've sometimes made the mistake of letting some rather filthy customer repairs from the store track crud over my whole layout.
With all that track and potentially hard-to-reach locations, how are you planning to handle track cleaning?
@GregR posted:With all that track and potentially hard-to-reach locations, how are you planning to handle track cleaning?
Uh oh, here's a possibility for another 26 pages.
john
you have a lot of columns in your basement.
John,
Alex M. had a nice industrial area on his last layout on the island. Perhaps he could post or share that design with you for the siding space. Did you get any photos at the open house?
@AlanRail posted:john
you have a lot of columns in your basement.
Only 2.
Yes GRJ....your scenery seems to be lacking...lol. OTOH...your layout will be quite worth it once you can get the consists running...keep rockin!
I may be mistaken but I think that after we cut a close tolerance round hole in the plywood and the Homasote we determined that the columns were decorative. Oh well...
Nice!!
Yep, I could have chopped those columns down, but When looking at the floor, I'd have had to do something about the rug and the Pergo floor, the column intersects there. That would have been messy, I don't have any of the flooring or rug, so they stayed. Actually, I'm thinking the one that's closest to the left side I may actually cut a road through it for some scenic relief, I think that would look cool. They'll also get some sort of decoration, maybe I'll make them into giant redwoods.
@GregR posted:With all that track and potentially hard-to-reach locations, how are you planning to handle track cleaning?
Track cleaning? What's that?
@Lehigh74 posted:Only 2.
Well, technically, two and two halves.
@redjimmy1955 posted:Yes GRJ....your scenery seems to be lacking...lol. OTOH...your layout will be quite worth it once you can get the consists running...keep rockin!
Yep, I had this silly idea of getting the track all in place first.
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JOhn
Track work coming along nicely!!! You are so right about the flex track taking more time but after its laid in place its worth the effort. Hopefully you have someone to help as a second set of eyes and hands surely helps.
Wish I was closer for some help as my dremel has been idle for some time now.
Steve
Yep, I have a friend that was here and is coming back on Sunday, hopefully we'll have more progress to report. It's sooooo much easier with two people, especially when one of you is up on the layout screwing down track.
With the combination of the Dremel and my trusty 6" cutoff saw with the aluminum oxide cutting blade, we can make short work of cutting track to size. I'm am ending up with a lot of 3-4" pieces of track, somehow you can never plan all the cuts to use everything.
@gunrunnerjohn posted:I may actually cut a road through it for some scenic relief, I think that would look cool. They'll also get some sort of decoration, maybe I'll make them into giant redwoods.
Great Idea!!!
That's the idea Ron, and mine won't be closed to traffic like the one you picture is now.
