Here is my original layout I started back in 2006. It was built with the intention of being semi-portable and able to fit into a 10'x12' room. This layout had been assembled and disassembled through two different work relocation's.
Initial Construction
1st Relocation
2nd relocation
With the 2nd relocation gave me a basement, so I tore it down and started over with a couple of new design goals in mind
-Two main loops with o-72 radius as the minimum except for passing sidings
-Longer Trains
-No more drop in bridges to get access to the layout
-One loop with a grade and the other designed with out one for older LTI trains
-Storage of multiple trains for staging, but not hidden under the layout, but rather on shelves
-Trestle and water
-Mountain with hidden siding in mountain to hide train
-Some sort of icing facility
-All areas of layout with in a 3' reach to make scenery easier
Not much progress on the layout since last winter (summer came). Just completed most of my trestle, will not installed the X-braces until the scenery is complete.
Replies sorted oldest to newest
Thanks,
Alan
George
I have not put any pictures up recently. The layout is starting to look pretty respectable.
I started with the RR track plan below (24' x 15') back in Dec '10 and completed most of the bench work with tracks and switches wired (DCS and TMCC) by the end of Feb '11 ( also completed most of the scenery on the mountain).
The summer of '11 came with nothing else started until Dec'11, when I installed my trestle. Since then, I have put the remainder of my river in, created more pink snow around the entire house (from pink foam shaping), put down most of the ballast with a dirty wash, along with a skirt attached.
I think I have a little over 80% of my scenery roughed.
I used Patrick H's method of carving the foam and Dennis B. fake water approach (painted shower door glass) on the large part of the river.
Shown below are many of the various stages in the layouts construction to present day.
Mike
Attachments
Wow Mike absolutely superb craftsmanship, it looks awesome. Please keep us udated
with your progress. GREAT WORK!
Thanks, Alex
Mike I smell an OGR feature article,very Impressive! Keep us posted and may I say very inspriring work.
Mike
WOW! That is very good work. I will add this thread to ones I check out to steal...er I mean look at your work. Very nice!
Mike, I have no words! Too bad I live in Brazil so far, because I would like to see this wonderful person!
Congratulations, by design, the work, all fantastic!
Terrific layout, superb scenery design and workmanship.
thank you for all the photos
Mike,
Your layout looks great!
What did you use for the retailing wall in the water scene?
Dave
Mike I smell an OGR feature article,very Impressive! Keep us posted and may I say very inspriring work.
Well, I most certainly hope so! We're ready whenever Mike is ready (and willing)!
All
Thank for nice comments! I am a slow worker and wish I had more progress. I am very jealous at what others have completed on this forum in short order on several of the larger layouts.
David,
Regarding the wall, I cut the wood with a friends table saw to create the protruding edge of the wall and then glued them to masonite for the back edge. It looks convincing from the front, but added the top cap to conceal the top edge. When painted with several coats of spray gap filler, the vertical seam in the piling was created by scrolling an edge in to the filler.
Allan,
Not sure how much of the layout needs to be finished for an article (is it ever finished?), but would love to participate. I have a ton of images showing from the start to present day for my layout. Let me know.
Mike
Attachments
Uh, AWESOME!!! I really like the sea wall. If you get an article going for OGR please consider adding a how to on constructing the wall. What color did you use?
All
Thank for nice comments! I am a slow worker and wish I had more progress. I am very jealous at what others have completed on this forum in short order on several of the larger layouts
Peter,
Regarding the wall I cut wood with a friends table saw, glued them to masonite. When painted with several coats of spray gap filler, scrolled the vertical seam in the piling.
Allan,
Not sure how much of the layout needs to be finished for an article (is it ever finished?), but would love to participate. I have a ton of images showing from the start to present day for my layout. Let me know.
Mike
Mike....the layout is absolutely beautiful. You have done a wonderful job on all aspects of the scenery. Thanks for the update and pictures!!
Alan
Great Job! I only wish that mine will be half as nice when I get to start working on in real time!
Mike,
Your layout is looking great and you are doing an excellent job!
All the details are very nicely finished, but two items in particular caught my eye: the retaining wall by the lake, and the passenger platform between the tracks. Very well done!
Thank you for sharing.
Alex
The color used on the wall is camouflage brown from rust oleum
Top notch scenery work! It looks really good. Very creative with regards to the sea wall.
Mike,
Awesome layout! Thanks for the scenery update, fantastic!
Bruce
Mike,
Thanks for the tip! I plan on doing a small water scene, with retaining wall, in the very near future.
Dave
You are an artist!
- walt
Amidilly,
That really came out sweet!
Awesome vision and execution. That is inspirational. My favorite is the water. The ripples and the color are perfect. How did you do that, if I may ask? Then the trestle bridge. Your plan rocks too, with the seperate yard outside the main layout. I love it! I thank you for sharing your talent. Again, it is inspiring. Have fun, work at your own pace. I have built enough to know that everything takes time, especially when you expect the caliber of work you are after. Enjoy
Allan,
Not sure how much of the layout needs to be finished for an article (is it ever finished?), but would love to participate. I have a ton of images showing from the start to present day for my layout. Let me know.
Mike
Mike:
It certainly does not need to be completed (no layout is truly complete anyhow). Just needs to have enough done to provide images so about 15 or so can be used in the magazine.
And in the process of building your layout, you may employ some how-to techniques that might make for good articles over and above a layout feature (a step-by-step covering how to build a retaining wall, for example). We can always use more nicely illustrated how-tos features.
When you're ready, just contact me by phone or e-mail and I'll give you all the assistance I can.
Mike,
You have done fantastic and everything looks excellent. Great Job!
Your layout is incredible Mike!
What did you use for track...I see curved turnouts. Ross/Gargraves?
Yup I used Ross turn outs . I should have learned my lesson on my first layout in struggles of certain engines having electrical problems over curved turn outs. I learned the hard way that two of my articulated engines (lionel alleghaney and mth cab forward ) cannot make it physically through the o72/o96 turn out (the o72 route, it seems just add tadd too tight, I am not sure if it is what lionel would call o72). Not enough room on the layout to correct with a different switch. Try to avoid curved turn outs.
With the curved turnouts (we have a #8 curved on our layout) you have to wire in the closure rails (rails between the points and the frog) as alternate hot rails using a set of SPDT contacts on a tortoise switch motor. This will prevent stalling by locomotives with incompatible pickup roller spacing. If you're using Z-stuff switch motors, add the Z-stuff SPDT relay to the control. Also, make sure that both sets of stock rails are properly tied to common. This approach is also advisable on longer straight turnouts (#6, #8, #10) as well.
BTW, Mike, love the work on the layout. Looks great. Also like the sea wall construction technique -- first rate.
I finally have an update to post on my layout. I completed my dam for my river. When I was designing it, I was not thinking about how much water it would control but more of the general look. After looking at tons of pictures to model it after, I gave up and sketched my own design to build off of. I was excited to get started, only after it was built, did I realize that it can only regulate a bit more than a foot of water. The time a little project like this seems to take always seems more than it should.
The weathering leaves something to be desired, I tried dry brushing it. While it looks better than no weathering, I could be so much better. If any one had any recommendations for books on air brushing, I would like to read them.
Just now drawing my own plans for my icing station that will service 6 cars from between two tracks. I have been struggling on finding pictures to help me with this also. I would love to see any ones pictures to get some other ideas.
Mike
Attachments
Wow, the realism and detail is fantastic...thanks for sharing.
Mike,
Congrats on a fine job, I enjoyed the pictures very much! The lake is fantastic.
PCRR/Dave
Mike, I've heard of others using shower door glass for water, but I must say your rendition is the best I have ever seen. The color is just right. I am new to this so "that ain't sayin much". But wow, nice job!
Well done!
Peter
Mike,
That sheet pile wall came out great. The whole layout is awesome. I also like the railroadiana around the room.
Mike
You do some fine work. I enjoy the pictures. I hope I can copy Patrick's cutting method at least half as well as you have.
Larry
Simply amazing! Keep up the great work.
Your series of progressive shots as you progressed are most interesting. I also commend you on your impressive work.