Having purchased trains since 1990(adding to my childhood trains), the beginning of my train layout has finally commenced. Obsidian has designed the layout. He and his son are helping with the benchwork. They have been very helpful and I am very excited to finally see the beginnings of the "South Fork Railroad" after all the years looking at boxes.
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Looks like you have enough stuff for a great start!
Look forward to seeing your progress.
Have fun.
Good luck and have fun.
What a great start. 
Wow. looks like the warehouse for a train store. What a massive amount of stuff. It will be great to finally get something to run it all on. Please keep us posted on your progress. It would also be great to see your track/layout plan if you can post it.
Please continue to update. Looks interesting.
Hope to post progress this weekend with RR-track design. Layout will have three main lines with elevated subway. Lionel Grand Central Terminal will be focus point with four tracks running underneath. Hellgate bridge will be focal point with two Lionel Lift Bridges. GCT area will be elevated from main level As will a yard area and a 34" Millhouse round table with minimum of 13 spurs. Lionel carnival accessories will be used, also Lionel Back shop, Irvington Factory, coal tipple etc. Will use MTH DCS & Lionel Legacy control. Lionel, MTH, K-line, Atlas, Williams rolling stock, power units. Hope to use Atlas track, turnouts. Future plans to have storage tracks under the main level. Thanks for everyone's interest. Also plan to post videos.
Wow.......looking forward to your progress!
Peter
Second day of construction for the "South Fork Railroad" completed. A lot was accomplished. Completed 99% of benchwork. Levelers placed on legs. Next - complete benchwork, place/cut plywood tops/grades to upper level etc. Original RR Track design being tweaked with some minor changes. Determining how to get track down under the main level which will provide storage tracks and possible reversing loop. The construction crew had a good time working together. The day started with our Dunkin Donuts, work, Lunch provided by my train buddy/wife Judi, followed by more work. I am very much appreciate for the help of my model railroading friends Ken, Austin & Joe helping build the "South Fork Railroad".
W&W,
Looks like you are off to a great start, Congrats on getting things started!
PCRR/Dave
Pics of second day Construction.
Looking great! Keep up the good work.
Wow, you fellows made great progress in 2 days!! I am looking forward to seeing construction as it progresses and seeing what is inside all those boxes!!
Fast work!
Peter
Looking great! Keep up the good work.
Thanks. Can't wait to unpack the turn table(under bench in one of the pics) you delivered to me at this past spring TCA York!!!
W&W,
"South Fork" J. R. Ewing would be very proud.
You are off to a roariing start. When can we see your track-plan?
W&W,
"South Fork" J. R. Ewing would be very proud.
You are off to a roariing start. When can we see your track-plan?
Will post track plan soon. Some slight modifications being made.
Could you post the track plan file? That looks like a very nice plan. It also has multiple layers which I have been struggling with, maybe I could learn something from it. I have been trying to expand my own layout, so far with very little success. Thanks.
Very nice track plan. Good luck
Al
Adding some clouds. Working on backdrops while I have easy access to walls. Waiting for track to be shipped. May have to wait until October for track shipment.
"The Big South Fork Recreational Area" in southern Kentucky/northern Tennessee has
a tourist train, old company store, preserved coal mines, one with a restored company
town, that the tourist train passes, and the other with a high trestle leading into it. The HQ for much of that is Stearns, Ky.
Wow, I can't get over the inventory in pic #1. You must be chomping at the bit to get this layout up and running. Great progress thus far! I can't wait to see it progress.
Gee, and I thought I was a packrat.....how big is this pole building you are building the
layout in?
Room approx. 26'x14'. Have room for expansion to adjoining room, maybe in the future. Concentration now for this area, 3 mainlines, plus elevated subway and want to have line, storage tracks under main level. Holdup now is waiting for track. Meanwhile, will be doing backdrops etc. In the meantime, if I can obtain some curved track(min 072) to use for templates, may begin placing plywood for track inclines etc.
Started laying plywood for level one of layout. Next steps are to paint plywood tops and secure to benchwork. May secure plywood from bottom side to make it easier to remove if need to in future. Received small shipment of Atlas track. Have few 072, 081, 090/099 curves to attempt to cut plywood for areas where three mains go to the second level of layout. Isle edges will be trimmed back when I receive enough track to see where everything falls. I have been told track should arrive in October. Layout is going slower than I like, but I'm at the point that I need track to make further progress. Layout is three mains on two levels, with a third subway level. Am still hoping to have amother level below the main for staging etc.
W&W,
It can be frustrating not making the progress one had hoped for, and also frustrating waiting on ordered material. However, I think you have made nice progress from last time! Please keep us updated!
WOW! That is some stockpile of equipment! Great progress, please keep us posted. Rich.
Having purchased trains since 1990(adding to my childhood trains), the beginning of my train layout has finally commenced. Obsidian has designed the layout. He and his son are helping with the benchwork. They have been very helpful and I am very excited to finally see the beginnings of the "South Fork Railroad" after all the years looking at boxes.
Wow, All that stuff and you have to wait on track?
Which South Fork would this be? There's one here in PA made infamous by the nearby dam.
Nice work!
Which South Fork would this be? There's one here in PA made infamous by the nearby dam.
Nice work!
South Fork is a road in Hardy/Pendleton Counties WVA. My mother and aunt grew up on a farm there, which remains in the family. My aunt worked for the PRR in Baltimore, gave me my first train(still have), an American Flyer 3-rail PRR steam freight set, when I was five yrs old. That was the beginning of my love for model railroading, and having fond memories of my aunt whom gave me each Christmas something for my train, I decided to name the layout "SOUTH FORK RAILROAD".
Great layout room! It looks like you've got a plan and some folks to help you.
Love the story:
South Fork is a road in Hardy/Pendleton Counties WVA. My mother and aunt grew up on a farm there, which remains in the family. My aunt worked for the PRR in Baltimore, gave me my first train(still have), an American Flyer 3-rail PRR steam freight set, when I was five yrs old. That was the beginning of my love for model railroading, and having fond memories of my aunt whom gave me each Christmas something for my train, I decided to name the layout "SOUTH FORK RAILROAD".
Peter
Started to make three main inclines leaving Grand Central Station. Have received some Atlas track to make templates. Hopefully will receive my Atlas track order this month! Will start electrical panels etc soon. Have received much help from Steve Horvath from Atlas and his company Montana Rail Power. Will meet with Steve next week at York to go over electrical plans and pick up equipment. Will be using Lionel Legacy, MTH DCS and conventional to run trains on the four mains.
Fantastic start! I can't wait to see the progress!
Per ATLAS at York TCA meet, I should be receiving my track order by mid November. I can't wait. I need track to make sure my RRTRACK plan is accurate in cutting plywood for inclines etc. Meantime, working on electrical areas, planning control panels, etc. Need to order more plywood this week. Hope to at least have track down to test prior to Christmas.
Installed three electrical panels, Sub panel, Main panel "A"' and Auxillary panel "B". Will place MTH TIU/AIUs on the three panels. Track roadbed "FLEXBED" by Hobby Inovations to be delivered week after Thanksgiving. Hopefully my ATLAS track order will arrive soon so I can start laying track, construct inclines/declines and second level. Appreciate electrical guidance from Steve Horvath of MONTANA RAIL POWER & ATLAS O. Steve has been great to work with. This is my first experience doing carpentry/electrical work. Learning a lot and having fun!
Electric Panels look great! Let me know if Austin and I can come out to work on layout a day during Christmas holiday.
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