Redford Theater Christmas Layout- 2014 Edition

It's starting to shape up. I think that's a great thing that you do each year.

Jake,

I don't remember seeing any posts from you about last year's layout.  Maybe I just missed them in the flurry of posts that time of the year, but I swear I did not see them anywhere.  Not even in the main Christmas layout thread.  Could you point me to them?  I always like seeing it every year as it's such a great idea for such a place.

Here are some previous posts

https://ogrforum.com/t...s-layout-2011--video

https://ogrforum.com/t...heatre-train-display

I thought I made a post last year as well, but I can't seem to find it.

The layout will look and run better then ever this year!!!

here is a video from last year featuring jakes sd80's, my ATSF Northern and Rolling stock on the. main line

Pretty cool stuff- We are getting ready to start our own "Trains in the Town Hall" in my community. Our deadline is december 2. We have expanded to 12x24 with a 6x10 on the side. There needs to be a topic or posting for us fellas that completely set up large community layouts, and take them back down after a couple months. We could learn a lot & get tips from each other.

Look forward to seeing your progress on the 2014 version, Jake.

Ask Jake what he does during the summer months.

I agree.  I'm always looking for ways to make the layout better.  I spent this morning studying pictures in the 2013 Christmas layout thread for that reason.

That is partially why I started on this project so early.  I'm a part time fireman on the steam locomotives at Greenfield Village in Dearborn, MI.  Between work and school I don't have a whole lot of free time.  Our operating season at work ends in a couple weeks, so after that I'll have little more free time to get things done.

Good luck Jake, can't wait to see this years completed layout in action with the classic pipe organ playing in the background.

Don't forget buffalo snow is your friend when using fastrack. It really helps keep the sound level of the plastic roadbed down. I imagine that's a greater issue in a theater environment.

Hello Jake

What gauge wire is shown in your photo?

Thanks guys.

The wire shown in the photo of the terminal block is 16 gauge.  I'm using 16 gauge for the bus wiring and then 18 gauge for feeders.

As of today, the layout is relatively complete minus the figures, trees and other small details that would just get knocked over when we put the cover over the layout. All buildings and lighting components are installed and ready to go. The trains are operating beautifully. We ran my Lionel JLC GG1, a vision line challenger and 6 lighted passenger cars on the main loop with absolutely no issues. A major success in my book.

There are still a couple of modifications and small tasks to complete with the scenery, but other than that the crew and myself are quite pleased with the outcome.

It turned out well! Be sure to get some photos from stage side when the audience is there.

can you upload the photos to the forum instead of a photobucket link? A couple of years from now, links change and they go missing.

You should be more than "quite pleased", It's awesome! great job love the back lighting behind the snow. Can't wait to see the final outcome in operation.

It looks very nice all lit up.

Looks good Jake, congrats on another fun job well done.

Jim

Well done, Jake!

Peter

Very nice display.

Nice job Jake. You are a credit to our hobby.

The layout won't have its debut until Nov 21 and you have it already finished now?  I am impressed and jealous.  The rest of us would have started maybe a week ahead of time and scrambled on the night of Nov 20th to get it done.  You really knocked it out with plenty of time to spare.  The only problem with that is that you might be tempted to start adding and tweaking things with this big gap in time.

Definitely share pictures and videos when you have it running and the crowds are there.  Great job as usual.

18 years ago I lived just a few miles south, in Brightmoor, and never been inside.

I may just have to break my rule of not go East of Livonia ever again just to see this layout.

Congratulations Jake, That is a really nice layout, Please send updated photos when it opens in November.                                                                                                

We smoked up the 1500 seat theatre pretty well last night with the Vision Challenger, Legacy Santa Fe Northern, JLC GG1 and a few Postwar style locos  all running at once. We will have to turn the smoke units down when we bring big stuff to avoid choking the Theatre Organ player.  LOL. Even got a engineer who runs real steam locomotives hooked on Legacy as he tried to recreate "his whistle" playing with a Cab2. and Vision Challenger . Good night and lots of work got done.

Thanks for the compliments guys.  They're greatly appreciated.

In the past, I've built it the week prior to the showing.  Last year it was easier because I was living at school and was only about 4.5 miles away.  This year I'm at home, which is about 30 miles away, so between the uncertainty of my work and school schedule I didn't want to be scrambling last minute like I usually am.  My main concern this year was eliminating any track power issues which so far looks to have been accomplished.  The theater was also booked up every weekend day through November, so it was less stressful to start it soon and have it ready ahead of time than to be working around other peoples schedules to squeeze in work sessions.  Unfortunately I'm not the type of person that can work on projects in short increments (nor do I have the desire or gas funds to drive 30 miles to the theater more than once a week), so it came together a lot quicker than planned over three very long work sessions.

That being said, there's still about a full days worth of work to do installing the final details, but that can't be done until I can leave it uncovered.

Thanks again!

Jake well done!!!! and a great story on the theater restoration

Hi Jake • All is well with this years Christmas Layout, due to your leadership & modeling skills.

 Click photo to enlarge 

I haven't had the time to take any final progress photos, but this weekend was the layout's public unveiling for our showing of "A Christmas Story".  I believe a little over 2500 people saw the layout over the weekend.  During Saturday night's showing it was standing room only in the space between the orchestra pit and the first row of seats with people waiting to see the trains.  They were also lined halfway up each of the four auditorium aisles to see them.  Needless to say, myself and the guys that helped build the layout were quite pleased with the turnout.  Many people told us they come specifically to see the trains each year.

Jake,

   Real nice Christmas layout, glad to see a guy in your generation taking a big interest in our O gauge Train hobby.   Pass the magic down as have your own family, we need guys like you in our hobby very badly, wish I lived closer I would definitely give you a hand building your layouts.  Thanks for everything you are doing.

PCRR/Dave

The smiles on their faces are a good thanks, but the positive comments you received are above and beyond.

Wonderful effort. Keep on doing it as long as you can!

When can the audience members see it?  Is it running both before the show and during intermission?  Who turns it on and off every night?  The only drawback to having it there in the pit is the lack of room between the pit and the first row for people to get close to see it.  But nothing you can do about that.

Post some final pictures and/or video!

Thanks for the compliments guys, they're much appreciated.

The layout runs for an hour before each show, about 20 minutes to a half hour at intermission, and after the show ends until visitors leave.  I wouldn't consider the space a drawback at all as it's bigger than one would think.  No other location in the building would give any more room for visitors even if I could fit a display of that size somewhere else.

When I'm not present at the movie, I simply put a bunch of conventional locomotives out and set the transformer throttles so that whoever is running the lighting computer board can simply turn the power on and things will run.  The village and the trains are on two separate circuits in the system so they can be turned on and off separately.  We run the trains using Lionel Legacy when my friend (Mark B.) or I am there to run them.

I'll try to take some video/pictures in a couple weeks at the next movie.  I was too busy working in the light/sound booth this weekend and talking to patrons when I was near the layout to get any shots.

I love the lights under the snow!  I may have to "borrow" that idea for our Christmas village...

Thank you.  Feel free to borrow the idea.  It's something I found that I liked the look of a couple years ago.  The theater lighting is very dim in the layout area, so the backlit snow helps illuminate the building facades so they can be seen more easily.  I used a mix of Warm and Cool white LED Christmas Lights.  In the future I'd like to convert to all warm white lights because I like the look better.

This Weekend At the Redford a special train may be making an appearance during one or both of the Saturday shows of "Christmas Vacation" starring Chevy Chase.

Here's a hint

This is a tremendous undertaking that you are doing Mark.  Congratulations are in order.

Keep up the good work and THANK-YOU.

All of Detroit should be proud of you!

Thanks Larry!  The credit really goes to Jake (SantaFe158)  He has been the driving force behind the entire thing for the past 4 years, i have just helped him out last year and this year when i have been able to.  It is great for the public, and just another excuse to run trains on a nice size layout.