20x8 Train Layout Build - 24 Feb 21 Update: New Switch Tower, and things are looking Up!

Looks like you and your son are having a blast! Good work, Dustin!

Peter

Very nice looking bench work.   Do you have a track plan in mind?   I see you are now using a Z4000. Do you plan to use a few of those?  

Jim 

WOW Dustin, you sure have been busy! Things are looking great, and it sure looks like your sons and Daughter are having a blast helping out along the way! I really like how you did your power boxes. I hope you don't mind if I copy your idea down the road!

Looks like you know what you are doing for sure....love seeing the young ones getting involved....you have more then enough help ....listen to what they have to say....they see thing that we don't....good luck with the new layout!!!!

Looks like a well planned layout in progress! And you have a great construction crew working on the project too. It's great they are interested in helping and learning. What a wonderful learning experience for them.

carsntrains posted:

Very nice looking bench work.   Do you have a track plan in mind?   I see you are now using a Z4000. Do you plan to use a few of those?  

Jim 

I don't have a firm track plan - more of a rough sketch and a couple boxes of track.  Going to use Atlas track and a motley mix of Ross and Atlas switches.  It will definitely be two oval shaped main lines.  The outer loop will connect to a yard area with 4-5 parking tracks.  The inner loop may have a siding for a passenger station, as well as a branch off to an engine house.   I want to be able to store a few "extra" trains and engines on the track aside from those running, but am not interested in complex operations... just want to leave plenty of space for buildings and be able to send the trains around in nice wide loops.

I have two Z-4000s... which is probably overkill but allows me to put one handle on each track (inner loop, outer loop, and yards) with one handle to spare for any future modifications.  I'll also use the Z's to run the few accessories that require 14V (vice 12V, which most of my stuff uses).  The vast majority of the accessories will run off the 12V and 4.5V power supplies (4.5V stuff, of course, being Menards items).

mike g. posted:

WOW Dustin, you sure have been busy! Things are looking great, and it sure looks like your sons and Daughter are having a blast helping out along the way! I really like how you did your power boxes. I hope you don't mind if I copy your idea down the road!

Thanks, Mike.  I thought the power box idea might work pretty well.  Keeps the wires hidden away (both for aesthetics and so the cat doesn't go Christmas Vacation on them) but makes it so I can get to them and swap leads around if needed.   I made a track power switch panel similarly accessible on the previous layout and was glad that I did.  I'll post if I run into any issues with them mounted that way.

rtr12 posted:

Looks like a well planned layout in progress! And you have a great construction crew working on the project too. It's great they are interested in helping and learning. What a wonderful learning experience for them.

I agree...  I'm thinking that, at a minimum, the kids will learn something about woodworking, engineering, electricity, modeling, art, and photography as we work through the project.  Thought really hard about skipping the layout this time around, but figured I'd regret not building one with the kids at this age if I did.

-Dustin

Dustin,

I like your connection panels. What I didn't see is what the spring clips grab. What do they lock on to? Are they just broom handle holders or something like that?

Rather than using a mix of low voltage DC transformers, I made a 12v DC bus for the museum layout with a nice HO transformer. Then, we used the small converter boards from Asia on eBay to lower the voltage to the required amount each item. They have a variable pot to dial it in.

This will be a fun project! Keep us updated.

Those are all very practical things for them to learn as well. Stuff they will be able to use throughout life for many things. And be sure they always keep the supervisor happy, maybe a Pounce or two every now and then just to be sure.  

Oh and if not mentioned before.   That sure is a nice looking bridge  you have sitting there!!!  

Jim 

Moonman posted:

Dustin,

I like your connection panels. What I didn't see is what the spring clips grab. What do they lock on to? Are they just broom handle holders or something like that?

They are just spring clip cabinet latches from Home Depot.  I used two on each panel/door and they see to be holding well. 

rtr12 posted:

Those are all very practical things for them to learn as well. Stuff they will be able to use throughout life for many things. And be sure they always keep the supervisor happy, maybe a Pounce or two every now and then just to be sure.  

Oddly enough, the supervisor doesn't like treats of any kind.  She'll only eat her regular food and wont touch anything else.   ...seems to love the train table though.  I'm sure once we have scenery up we'll be dealing with a lot of Catzilla issues.

carsntrains posted:

Oh and if not mentioned before.   That sure is a nice looking bridge  you have sitting there!!!  

Jim 

Thanks!  That bridge is probably the centerpiece, though I have a thing for bridges so the layout will probably have ~7 of various types.

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Here's the layout update:  We now have the tops cut and installed for all sections.  I used a 3/4" particle board to save on cost (as compared to plywood).  Figured it really doesn't matter as we'll never see this surface & this stuff is plenty strong.  The kids did a lot of the work (with close supervision, of course) I terms of installing the latest components.  Biggest issue was making sure we did not inadvertently send a screw threw the wiring below.

We also went ahead and installed the Masonite background, which extends 4' above the layout and covers most of 2 sides.  

With the tops on the tables, I was also able to go ahead and unpack all the buildings to see which ones require repair...  lots of little things to fix here and there, but all in all pretty good for a cross country move.

...and, of course, we had to add a sign to make sure the layout could be found

Next step will be to seal the seams between the Masonite pieces, prime, and paint the background.  More to follow...

-Dustin

There is nothing better than doing a project with the kiddos.  Awesome job!

Great job. You and the kids seem to be having tons of fun. Good to get them interested early. keep the photos coming.

Bob

Dustin, Things are looking great! With all the help you have you should be running trains in no time! You all keep up the great work!

Dustin - outstanding thread. Thank you for sharing. I have a question:

Where did you find this tugboat? I've been looking for one and they all are in the $250 range for a prebuilt model.

and the NH Flat as a pier is just great.

Thanks again, 

Paul

Great work on the layout. Also great to see the kids involved in the construction.  We really miss you at AGHR, Dustin. 

Railrunnin posted:

Dustin - outstanding thread. Thank you for sharing. I have a question:

Where did you find this tugboat? I've been looking for one and they all are in the $250 range for a prebuilt model.

and the NH Flat as a pier is just great.

Thanks again, 

Paul

Paul,

The tugboat is a kit I bought online, you can find it here.

There are several options available if you search for "waterline" under "O Scale" on ebay.  I thought it was a great kit; pretty easy to build up, parts fit together cleanly, nice details.  I added an LED light inside the wheel house on mine.

-Dustin

AGHRMatt posted:

Great work on the layout. Also great to see the kids involved in the construction.  We really miss you at AGHR, Dustin. 

Thanks Matt!  You wouldn't believe how big the kids are getting  - makes them great helpers on the layout, though   I really miss you all at AGHR, too.  The kids have asked a few times to "go to the train club".  Even when this thing is done it won't hold a candle to the AGHR layout, and there's something to be said about having a community of folks to run with.

Dustin,

   Great job and I love the helpers!  How about another ceiling shelf layout to go with your fantastic RealTrax floor level layout.  The Pink GG1 needs it's own layout!

PCRR/Dave

I am really enjoying watching the amazing crew (and supervisor)! Nothing better than the kids participating in this project. They really look like they are having fun and are also serious about doing a good job too. Best part of the thread, great crew!! 

Pine Creek Railroad posted:

Dustin,

   Great job and I love the helpers!  How about another ceiling shelf layout to go with your fantastic RealTrax floor level layout.  The Pink GG1 needs it's own layout!

PCRR/Dave

 

No ceiling layout this time   The kids now have bunk or loft beds, so there's no good place to run one.  The pink GG-1 will probably be on the layout a lot, though - it's my daughter's train.

rtr12 posted:

I am really enjoying watching the amazing crew (and supervisor)! Nothing better than the kids participating in this project. They really look like they are having fun and are also serious about doing a good job too. Best part of the thread, great crew!! 

Thanks!  They are a great construction crew!

...speaking of construction, here's a quick update with the latest:  I've taped and applied joint compound over the joints in the background Masonite.  A couple cycles of sanding and touch-up and it should be ready to prime!   Making a little slower progress than expected as we decided to remodel a bathroom this month & that's taking most of my constructive efforts...

I also started doing some repairs on the buildings that need it.  My coaling tower seems to have (as Matt would put it) reverted to kit form.  That may be for the best, as I can upgrade it to LEDs and add some additional lights when I reassemble it:

More to follow!

-Dustin

Dustin, sometimes its nice to start over! Now with led's it will make the building stand out even more! Things are looking really good!

Thanks, Mike!

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It was a rainy day here in VA, so we made a little more progress on the layout.  The background has now been primed white.  ...and, wow, getting a lighter color on there really brightened the room back up!  Hoping to do the actual background painting soon.

While the primer dried, I also started fixing-up some of the buildings and whatnot.  I got the Menards burned engine house what it needed most: a tender.  Also planning to replace the stickers on the front and back with better looking signage.

Started working on the coaling tower - got it re-assembled and started doing some re-wiring

The building in the back I got at York this past fall...  starting to do some repair work in it, the will add some greater details.

And here's a Trainworx "LCCA" bridge I picked-up on ebay recently.  I'm covering over the LCCA part & adding my own signage... though not sure what I will go for quite yet.   Maybe a PRR Keystone or some kind of crest.

Very nice progress, thanks for sharing.

Nice progress! Every little bit gets you closer to running trains! Keep up the great work!

Back with an update!   I've been learning how to paint clouds... which is a little bit more difficult than one would imagine.  I think I'm pretty happy with the clouds now, after a couple iterations, but am going to make a couple touch-ups to get the blending a little bit better (especially in the bend around the corner, more on that below). 

Here's how the background painting started.  I had the kids helping with blending in the white & they had a blast!   The blending eventually devolved into them outright painting animals and shapes in the sky... which is cool, they were enjoying themselves:

Here we see an otter shaped cloud, accompanied by a giraffe:

At first, I attempted to preserve the kids "animal" drawings by making them look like fluffy clouds.  The thinking wa sthat I could soften the edges and work them in as a fun element that still looked realistic.  I think I was partially successful, but that the sky came out really busy, oddly disconnected, and graffiti-esque in the process.  Fun, but not what I was going for:

After much internal deliberation, consultation with co-workers, and advice form my wife, I went ahead and re-painted most of the sky again last night.  I went for "less is more" with the clouds and tried to use more wet brush blending to fill it in.  Here's how it looks now - overall, I think it's an improvement:

Notice the blending is still a bit off around the curve in the corner.  Will touch that up:

I like this table-height perspective shot:

The supervisor, of course, slept through the whole thing and displayed a distinct lack of interest.  ... though it's possible she was trying to show me what an actual cloud looks like:

More to follow!   Next-up is laying down the insulation and initial track placement. 

-Dustin

Dustin, You are one great DAD! I don't know if I could stay calm with all that going on. But man it sure is nice to see kids having fun and being interested in the train and train room!

I cant wait to see your next update! I sure hope the kids are there to help along with that also!

I liked the Otter and Giraffe clouds!! Maybe they could have a place somewhere they would be safe?? Down on the endo somewhere or something? Also, looks like the supervisor has complete confidence in the crew!! These are great pics, love to see the kids involved and having fun. I agree with Mike, looks like you are a great Dad and have some great kids.    Hug your kids!!

looks like a great time was had by all (even the cat), after all they do sleep most of the day.

Bob

RSJB18 posted:

looks like a great time was had by all (even the cat), after all they do sleep most of the day.

Bob

LOL Bob, ours sleeps all day and plays at night while TANK the English Bulldog is sleeping!

Cold sleety day outside.  It seems the groundhog was right.  I'm ready for spring, but were at least able to make a big leap forward on the layout.  Today we got the insulation installed on the main layout deck, installed the two mood lighting fixtures, started working building placement, and made some more repairs to the buildings we had shipped.

-In the below pic, you can see we went with 1" thick foam all around.  I also picked up some 2" for use later as we build-up landscaping features and bridges.   The foam decking is secured in place with adhesive caulk - took almost 3 tubes, so I'm glad I bought extra just in case.

-Near the top of the image below you can see the two pendant lamp shades.  No bulbs are installed yet, but I'll eventually put smart bulbs in there to control the tone of lighting on the layout.   I have high hopes that will be a cool feature.

-Last, but not least by any stretch, was the surprisingly difficult task of building placement.  Placement is in progress in the below pic... I did lots of experimenting on where I wanted things and pretty much ended with switching around my whole building location plan.  I thought I would have plenty of room for all my buildings on this layout, but it's actually been more of a challenge to get all of them to fit and look good. 

...and, of course, while I pondered building placement my supervisor kept close, vaguely interested watch.

Next up is rough layout of the track and switches.  Need to see how it will all actually align before I start installing bridges and building out viaducts.

Fantastic job! Thank you for rekindling my memories of when my kids were young and when they helped me build the layout!

Peter

Today we busted out the track and did a rough test set-up on the layout.  We didn't fully connect everything, just did some checking to see how the curves, switches, and bridges will work out.  Overall it was a good exercise... I now have templates cut out for the hills, tunnel and the viaduct area, we can refine building placement, and we can start doing permanent install of some track one I have the two main bridges ready!  

Here we are sorting all the curves by size to make the track laying process simpler.  We are going with O-72 min curves throughout.  A good chunk of the outer loop will be at least O-81.

In this shot, we're testing viaduct pathways vs. curve radius using paint cans as temporary bridge piers.  On the extreme right, toward the back, we're also playing with the approach to the yard.

This shot gives a good overview of the general plan and progress to date:

Not a lot of time today, but I did lay down the "ground" for the high bridge area on the front corner, as well as start construction on a hinged lift bridge for access to the layout interior.

Here's a look at the corner where the lowest level was added.  Should make for a nice, high, sweeping curved bridge (or bridges) of some kind & allow for a waterfall.  As with elsewhere on the layout, I used adjustable feet to lock in the exact height needed.  Also visible is the concrete arch bridge I've been working on here and there:

Here are some shots of lift bridge construction underway.  I started by removing the foam to install wooden abutments where I can better secure the track entering/exiting the bridge:

Here is the bridge installed, with a test fit of the "abutments" (for lack of a better term).  I'll need to shim them up a bit higher to exactly match the bridge height and height of the foam area.  Gap on the left by the hinges is so that the bridge does not impinge on the track when lifted:

Here's the bridge lifted up once a pneumatic arm was installed.  I had a leftover one after doing some work on a toy box, and this seemed a pretty good use:

...and here's a close-up of the hinges and lift arm.  Not as elegant as I'd like, but trying to make max use of spare parts.  Power will be wired to the bridge on this (hinged) side, with momentary lever switches controlling power to the rails leading to the bridge on the other side:

Next up is the install of more "abutments" for other bridge locations around the layout, further work on the bridge, and initial work on foam scenery.   

-Dustin

Fantastic!

Peter

Moving on!

I had never thought of a furniture use for the hydraulic arm. Is there a furniture supplier for those? I look for automotive trunk and hood supports depending on the weight and length needed.

Cut the track rails on 45° angles to mate at a smooth joint - up from the bottom on table side and down from the top on bridge side

Nice work!!   I wonder if it can be adjusted to open more straight up?  Might avoid some head-bumps if it can.

Oh, don't forget that the safety "stop" electrical blocks are needed on both sides.

If you have lighted passenger cars, the block needs to be longer than that train - the lighted cars will forward the power

Ken-Oscale posted:

Nice work!!   I wonder if it can be adjusted to open more straight up?  Might avoid some head-bumps if it can.

Thanks, and good point!  It can be adjusted higher if I wish, I could just move the location where the arm mates to the bridge lower.  I have it at less than 90 degrees (for now, at least) to ensure that the two pieces of track on the hinged side do not impinge on each other when the bridge is lifted.  Once I know how much play there is in that joint I may be able to make it open higher.