Wonderful job on the mountain Ken! I like your little layout, but man your running fast! lol
@mike g. Lol! Tyvm! Very proud of this little guy too. 10 months ago I was not in this hobby and knew ZERO about it. My father in law complains about the speed every day as I send him videos, because he does not have trains anymore at his age. It is funny,because I have a lot of military friends and family. My airforce family and friends say go faster and the other branches say it is too fast...lol! It is actually hard to truly tell, because the layout is small and I make so many videos as I am practicing getting the right angles, etc. I am limited on how to properly shoot it. I was just talking to my wife last night. We both have looked at it doing the same speed one moment it seems fast and others it seems normal speed. The straight aways are short only a loco and maybe 2 cars fit on the straits, so it is constantly hitting corners, which will make it seem faster than it really is. Appreciate the support! Follow my youtube if you want to view my progression. Like, subscribe, and hit the bell to get notified. If you like.
Ken, I know everyone has their own idea on what speed it correct for trains, just remember it's your layout and just do what you find FUN! I think you're doing great for only being in the hobby for 10 months!
I will check out your YouTube page!
@DoubleDAZ @Mark Boyce I hope everyone has had a great week and an amazing weekend. I will be working on this little layout. 😁
The track certainly looks more realistic now!
Count me in as another who thinks you’re doing a fine job.
Appreciate you guys!! 💪🏾
This is what this forum is all about! 😊
1st ever Deco build. Weathering, down spouts and painting the roof is all that is left.
Ken, I think you’ve done a really nice job with the landscaping. I just watched the "Running trains before bed" video and can’t believe how far this has come from the simple design you started with.
You did a great job on that building. What are you doing with the roof? The white; glue? Snow?
I se you have an assistant who is a little camera shy! 🐶 😊
@DoubleDAZ TYVM! @Mark Boyce once the glue dries then you paint, it looks like tar roof repair lines 😂
Ken, I see it now. Very good!
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@Mark Boyce I was going for crappy craftsmanship....😂😂😂
It looks good like that. We would probably be afraid to go inside some businesses if we knew what shape their roofs were in. 😃
@Mark Boyce and @DoubleDAZ Deco completed this morning. Check out the final product. Ordered another one, that was fun!
👍🏻👍🏻
2nd one. 🥴
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Nice first and second tries! 
I think you need another coat on the second one, and some expansion joints which could be just straight lines with a knife only poking the very surface of the foam.
Joints are there, video not close enough to see them. In person they are easily seen. 2 different washes too, black paint on 2nd one. Still learning how to video. 🥴 That is why I post so many videos, trying to nail down angles, etc. The lines are done twice,Mark them, then slightly deeper. Clearly evident in person. Thanks for the feedback!
*more* black paint on 2nd wash.
Excellent!! I was looking at the photographs with my phone. I should have waited until I could see on the computer! 🤦♂️
All good! 😁
@Mark Boyce @DoubleDAZ more 1st ever. Lol! Installed flickering LED's in Trackside
All looking good, Ken. For a lot of users, you’re at the point they like best, detailing and landscaping.
@DoubleDAZ question, I really like the double trackside buildings, i have a single now, if I swapped that out for a double, how would I connect that 2nd line to the existing line? Do I just need to get a new switch setup? I am guessing that line would be a siding with only 1 connection to the line, right? 🥴
I assume you're talking about the engine house. If so, here are 4 options. I don't think the engine will clear the door on the 1st. The 2nd requires 2 switches if you want to keep the siding going to the left. The 3rd deletes the short piece in front of the switches for more room in the back. The 4th adds some pieces after the switches if the engine can't clear the door on the left, but you won't be able to add much, so you don't interfere with the inner main in the back. Of course, the exact placement will depend on what you buy.
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@DoubleDAZ yes. I wanted to replace what I have with this (photo 1). Photo 2 is how I actually put your plan together. Is that enough information to advise me?
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Based on the photo, I was able to find some online specs saying the house is 11"x23.6". I then created 2 5.5"x23.6" stalls, put them together on the layout and added straight tracks in the middle of each stall. I then tried various combinations of switches/curves (#5, O-72, 2 O-45s, etc.) and ended up with the O-45 for the right stall and an O-36 for the left stall. The #5 is way too big for the space. The O-72 would require a tighter curve than O-36 to get to the left stall, so there's no way for that to work. The 2 O-45s moved the left track too far to the left. The O-45/O-36 combo was the only one that appeared to work and although it might limit what engines can use the left stall, any engine can use the right stall. If you don't want that spur to the left, an O-36 curve can be substituted for the O-36 switch. The house can be moved closer to the switches, but make sure it's far enough away for engines to clear the left doorway.
I can only go by the dimensions I was able to find online and I had to assume the tracks would be centered in each stall, so I can't guarantee the combo is correct. However, I did some more searching and found a video that showed someone using a FasTrack O-72 Wye with O-72 half pieces and fitter straights (2nd photo). I tried that and the house with the straight tracks mated, so I'm pretty confident the O-45/O-36 combo is correct. You would lose the option for the left spur if you used the Wye, but that's up to you.
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I would only be using my diesels in the houses. My goal with them would be to have rolling stock on the inner line and the diesel would pull out back down the inner main line, link up and go on its way. Basically the 2nd stall would just be staging one of the diesels and maybe the Mikado when my kids come over and want to do some operations. The layout is too small to do a lot of operations and town space. So, this would add a little operations opportunity without encroachment onto down town area. So, I would need just an o36 switch for parts, correct? I have straights and other track already. Although, I may need to trade this o45 in for opposite o45 or can these things be turned around? That may sound dumb.....🧐🥴
That back spur behind the shed I never installed. The inner loop is as I sent in my picture, just the side where the building is has a spur.
The short answer is No, but here is an pictorial of options.
Minus the house itself, here is what I think you have you have, though you might not have put in the gold left-hand switch at the top. The spur I was talking about is the one toward the bottom that would have been going to the left from the switch that is there.
If you try to use the switch that is on the spur going to the house, here is what it would look like. The switch is a right-hand and you need a left-hand in the photo I posted earlier.
That said, if you did that, here is what it would look like. As you can see, the house would be too close to the gold oval. It looks like you could move it down, but I think you'd get too close to the curve on the right and engines would probably hit the doorway.
NOTE: I took the switch at the top out, assuming you never added it?
However, you could do this, but it would be a hassle since you've already ballasted, etc. You'd have to move the bottom switch over one track to the left so the house would then fit.
If you don't have the left-hand switch at the top in the 1st photo, then your best option is to trade the right-hand switch you do have for a left-hand switch. I added the O-36 switch instead of the O-36 curve so you could still have that spur to store another engine. Obviously, it's not necessary or useful for anything else. Originally, it was to be able to service a company down there, but since you've added the engine house, that's no long possible.
Now, if/when you want more play value for yourself or the kids, you could use buy a left-hand O-45 switch, a right-hand O-36 switch (instead of the curve) and use the O-45 right-hand switch. With those, the switch you already have, a few straights & curves, you could do something like this. Just food for thought.
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@DoubleDAZ I love that last one, could you send me a parts list? It appears I would need a o36 and o45 (opposite direction of current o45)
@DoubleDAZ appreciate you and your time!
Always happy to help and enjoy seeing your progress.
That is a nice improvement. I read an article about someone building one of those engine houses in OGR a couple years ago. I know the author’s name, but it escapes my memory. Definitely a senior moment; or many moments! 🤦♂️
There are some videos on YouTube, that’s where I saw the FasTrack O-72 Wye. It’s a nice looking building.
