One of things I like the most about this layout is that its has a triple line main. This was a feature that Craig insisted on and was challenging for me to design. In effect he gets 50% more mainline from the same two line bench work. We chose Atlas track because it it had a wide variety of curves sizes that nested neatly @ 4.5" from center rail. While this is not enough space to comfortably run articulated steamers side by side around curves, it does has a very prototypical appearance. Craig may say he's a novice layout builder but he laid his track like a pro making his own track distance jig from a 2x4. This allowed him to maintain perfect separation between lines even going around curves. Track and layout look great now, once ballasted it will be fantastic.
Getting to work on some of the items I picked up at York TCA Friday.
East Coach Enterprises (ECE) made a retail flat complex by my specs, completely lighted by LEDs (can be furnished) to go under my backdrop in an area that the backdrop is elevated from the main level due to tracks ascending/descending elevation.
East Coast Enterprises also made by my specs the Met Life Building to go behind the Grand Central Terminal. Installed the base unit, which contains the first 5 floors. Need to install the remaining 15 floors. Building is in four sections.
Also installed the Rocker office complex made by ECE next to GCT. Both buildings completely lighted by LEDS, and ready for furnishings on each floor. The Met Life & Rocker buildings have each floor lighted by LEDs & each floor can be furnished.
Drilled and ran electric wires & basically made sure buildings would fit where I envisioned them. So far placement is working out. Not sure how I will place the McDonalds, Firehouse, Station platform, swings etc. yet.
Can’t wait to get the entire Met Life installed. It will be 2-3” from the ceiling.
Thanks for looking.
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Beautiful buildings!
Do you recall the total cost of the food that the folks order at McDonalds? Those that I have heard really date it, but visitors never seem to notice.
W&W posted:Getting to work on some of the items I picked up at York TCA Friday.
East Coach Enterprises (ECE) made a retail flat complex by my specs, completely lighted by LEDs (can be furnished) to go under my backdrop in an area that the backdrop is elevated from the main level due to tracks ascending/descending elevation.
East Coast Enterprises also made by my specs the Met Life Building to go behind the Grand Central Terminal. Installed the base unit, which contains the first 5 floors. Need to install the remaining 15 floors. Building is in four sections.
Also installed the Rocker office complex made by ECE next to GCT. Both buildings completely lighted by LEDS, and ready for furnishings on each floor. The Met Life & Rocker buildings have each floor lighted by LEDs & each floor can be furnished.
Drilled and ran electric wires & basically made sure buildings would fit where I envisioned them. So far placement is working out. Not sure how I will place the McDonalds, Firehouse, Station platform, swings etc. yet.
Can’t wait to get the entire Met Life installed. It will be 2-3” from the ceiling.
Thanks for looking
Chris......this is amazing!
Peter
Chris,
I saw the East Coast Enterprises Met Life Building at York. Is yours the same size as the one they had on display? I believe so from your photos. Regardless, it is impressive, as the Grand Central Terminal is from a different era! Thank you for introducing yourself to me at the York OGR meeting!!
Mark Boyce posted:Chris,
I saw the East Coast Enterprises Met Life Building at York. Is yours the same size as the one they had on display? I believe so from your photos. Regardless, it is impressive, as the Grand Central Terminal is from a different era! Thank you for introducing yourself to me at the York OGR meeting!!
Mark,
My Met Life was on display at York waiting for me to pick up as well as the flat and Rocker Building. I love it so far. Can’t wait to get it fully assembled/wired. Hopefully behind the GCT, it will fulfill what I envisioned the scene I desired. I wanted the GCT to be the focal point when entering the layout room, with the Hellgate Bridge in the background, and the Lift Bridge in the foreground. Thanks for the comments.
Craig (not Chris)
Craig,
Sorry on your name!!! I did know better!
Then I saw THE Met Life Bldg! Very good! Looking forward to seeing how all the landmark structures fit in together on the layout!
Mark Boyce posted:Craig,
Sorry on your name!!! I did know better!
Then I saw THE Met Life Bldg! Very good! Looking forward to seeing how all the landmark structures fit in together on the layout!
Mark, no problem. Peter got my name wrong in an earlier post, which may have thrown you off. I most likely have been called much worst!
Craig
Call me anything you want except Late for Supper!!
OMG.....I’m sorry Craig....I was dealing with work stuff and I have a partner named Chris....
Peter
Putnam Division posted:OMG.....I’m sorry Craig....I was dealing with work stuff and I have a partner named Chris....
Peter
Peter, no problem. Thanks for your earlier comments.
Craig
OMG........I saw that Met Life building.....it was incredible! Can’t wait to see it up!
Peter
Here is the latest update video of the South Fork RR. MetLife building had just been installed. I absolutely amazed at the progress Craig has made with his layout. My NYC 20th Century Limited looked right at home on his NY themed layout. Enjoy!
Obsidian,
The South Fork layout is really looking great! Those are some really nice passenger trains!!
Really nice, Craig!
Obsidian, nice place to play trains, isn't it?
Moonman posted:
That's good you posted the link, Carl. As a subscriber I already had it, but never thought to post. I want to add to my previous comment that the video itself is great. It looks very professional! One of my sons-in-law is a videographer, and I am starting to notice things I didn't before. He does the whole works from videoing events, to editing, to adding captions, music, and voice to the final product.
Things are really looking nice!! Still one of my all time favorite layouts and still getting better with each update!
I was pleasantly surprised yesterday upon opening to the “Reader’s Rail” section of my just arrived FEBRUARY/MARCH Run 297 issue of OGAUGE RAILROADER magazine. I noticed a picture and small article titled “A Great Beginning” of my SOUTH FORK RAILROAD. I am honored to have a pic/write-up of my layout in the “Reader’s Rail” section of this great magazine. Thank you Editor-in-Chief, Alan Miller.
I saw it Craig! Congratulations!!!
Have not posted in awhile. Finally beginning to ballast track with Brennan’s ballast. Needed to get ballasting completed in areas I won’t be able to access easily after city scene is completed. Have placed city scape buildings for ideas on how to place. Will be picking up a 5-story building from East Coast Enterprises (ECT) next week at York. Plans are to finish city after York. Buildings are from Ameri-Towne, Woodland Secenics, MTH, Menards and custom built designed buildings from East Coast Enterprises, T.W. Trainworx. Small article/pic in the OGR Jun/Jul issue.
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W&W posted:Have not posted in awhile. Finally beginning to ballast track with Brennan’s ballast. Needed to get ballasting completed in areas I won’t be able to access easily after city scene is completed. Have placed city scape buildings for ideas on how to place. Will be picking up a 5-story building from East Coast Enterprises (ECT) next week at York. Plans are to finish city after York. Buildings are from Ameri-Towne, Woodland Secenics, MTH, Menards and custom built designed buildings from East Coast Enterprises, T.W. Trainworx. Small article/pic in the OGR Jun/Jul issue.
Craig,
Your layout is looking good! And congrats of the photo in OGR. It shows up great in the digital edition viewed on the iPad.
Cheers, Bryan
The track is looking great! The hazy city photographs are impressive! Congratulations on the exposure in OGR magazine!
Craig,
This is turning out really well. You had a good vision of what you wanted. The execution is delivering!
A feature that I really appreciate is in the first photo. You put down the trackside weeds first and then the ballast. 
I see so many layouts with a nice neat line separating the two because the weeds/grass were put on last.
Are you enjoying the operation or running of the trains? The track plan seemed to have good play value.
Moonman posted:Craig,
This is turning out really well. You had a good vision of what you wanted. The execution is delivering!
A feature that I really appreciate is in the first photo. You put down the trackside weeds first and then the ballast.
I see so many layouts with a nice neat line separating the two because the weeds/grass were put on last.
Are you enjoying the operation or running of the trains? The track plan seemed to have good play value.
Carl,
Thank you for your comments. I have enjoyed running the trains, although I have not run trains as much I would like, due to layout construction. I’m at the point to get the city done soon, then finish up the ballasting. Layout won’t be completed at that point, but I plan to run trains more then. It’s been fun. Will take a break and go to YORK on Friday.
Just installed South Fork Railroad’s(SFRR) main headquarters in NYC in front of Grand Central Terminal and the MET LIFE Building. SFRR Hdqtrs and the MET Life buildings, tall building beside GCT, and retail flats area(not shown)were all custom built by Stan of EAST COAST ENTERPRISES. Each floor has LED lighting & custom lasered tile floors. I am very pleased with Stan’s work.
The other buildings are Woodland Scenics, Ameri-towne, MTH, and Menard’s York Hotel. I have made much progress on my NYC area. I am continuing to do landscaping and ballasting track. I am hoping to move to the other side of the layout(Turntable, yard areas) soon and start landscaping, ballast track, and install buildings.
Thanks for viewing.
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Very impressive buildings!!
Outstanding!
Peter
Craig,
Looks great! I really like the choice of low buildings and angling the street so visitors can easily view the street scene. It also creates a sense of 'depth'. The Yellow cabs are classic NYC, nice touch.
Ken
Obsidian posted:Craig,
Looks great! I really like the choice of low buildings and angling the street so visitors can easily view the street scene. It also creates a sense of 'depth'. The Yellow cabs are classic NYC, nice touch.
Ken
Thanks Ken.
Added stone to wall to see how it looks. What do you think? Also added more fence coming out from Gtand Central Terminal. Still have lots of landscaping touches to complete.
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Craig,
Very good workmanship and many ideas when I finally get the space. I have started planning and all the ideas need to come before the build. Just starting to read through the layout section to put all the ideas together. So far I know there will bee a military base, Freight yard, and I guess you have to have a town of some type. I like the way you documented your build and it sounds like your knowledge came from the forums. That is good to know and I truthfully look forward to future updates.
You still have one of my all time favorite layouts! And track plan too. It is looking better all the time. Very nice!
The only problem I see so far is that it is in your basement instead of being in mine! 
Thank you Sully & RTR12 for the kind words.
I did learn a lot from this forum after starting my layout. From the beginning I knew I wanted to focus on the NYC Grand Central Terminal with as close a copy of the Met Life building behind the GCT. I am pleased how that scene turned out. I also knew what trains/accessories I had collected thru the years, therefore I wanted to use as much of my collection that I could. I accomplished using a lot, but I ran out of space. I also knew I wanted 3 mainlines to enable running a minimum of 3 trains at once. I can run 6 fairly long trains. I also knew I wanted as many yards I could squeeze into the plan to enable storage of cars/engines. I have some long yards, but I wish I had more. Backdrops were my hardest thing to find. I knew what I wanted, but couldn’t find it. What I ended up with is close.
I have been lucky to find vendors who helped me with accomplishing my wishes.
I basically knew what I wanted from the beginning, and for the most part have to date accomplished my wishes.
Craig, I am happy to follow along as you build this really nice layout too! Since I don't desire to build a big city layout myself, I am glad to see what you and others do with that theme!!
Great looking layout. Great backgrounds!
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Excellent trailer! Dramatic music! Top notch cast! I can’t wait to watch the feature film!!
That was fun, Craig!
I am still not a fan of the pointy corners in the aisle. 
I would have a added a scene of the connector panel from Montanarailpower with some electric buzzing or lightning effects.
Moonman posted:That was fun, Craig!
I am still not a fan of the pointy corners in the aisle.
Carl,
I understand your “pointy corners in the isle” comment, but I’m not sure what else I could have done considering the room size, & the layout plan. The layout plan was to get as much of the items I had obtained thru the years on the layout with a three track mainline. I could have had a completely different layout design I guess. The “pointy corners” have not posed any problems. I could have rounded the one corner, but didn’t. I like the electric buzzing/lightning effects you suggested. I have been considering installing an audible thunder storm/lightning effect in the area behind the Hellgate Bridge.
I have been considering adding a larger train room to the house, but at my age & the associated costs I’m not sure that would be a wise investment. I held off building the existing layout knowing I needed a bigger train room, but decided to proceed with what I had and am glad I did due to the fun in constructing the layout and being able to run trains.
Craig,
That film was awesome! I see you found iMovie. I use that for all of my films. I think your layout is plenty big, scenery well done, and is fun to operate. I'd say 90% of ppl on this forum wish they had the dedicated train room you have. Imagine if you were still waiting to build that bigger room and were not able to run trains today. Besides, as you now know, the bigger you plan, the more time, effort and money it takes to execute.
Ken
