Visiting Laidoffsick's layout

Lucky you!!! Having seen all of the amazing pics on here over the years I can only imagine how awesome it must be in person to visit.  Thanks for all of the photos and video. 

Wow!  So cool.  Inspiring.  Thanks for posting.

Wow indeed, but I would not expect anything less!

I really sat up and took notice of what's in the 8th image above, including what looks like a scale AWT; is this a custom paint job? I don't recognize this as a Lionel or MTH offering or even 3rd Rail although whatever it is it's seriously enviable -

Great layout - Two questions

1 - What is the layout height ?  I'm guessing 48"

2 - Have you ever published a train plan?

Thanks

Doug and Mandi are two great friends, I've watched over the years create their beautiful layout. It's stunning to say the least. 

Alex 

Hancock52 posted:

Wow indeed, but I would not expect anything less!

I really sat up and took notice of what's in the 8th image above, including what looks like a scale AWT; is this a custom paint job? I don't recognize this as a Lionel or MTH offering or even 3rd Rail although whatever it is it's seriously enviable -

That is an MTH Dealer Appreciation GS-4 factory painted for the BNSF Employee Appreciation trips, done with the real 4449.

Great looking layout! Thanks for sharing your visit.

Alex M posted:

Doug and Mandi are two great friends, I've watched over the years create their beautiful layout. It's stunning to say the least. 

Alex 

Alex, that brewery is amazing. Seeing it up close and in person, you put a lot of detail in the building, great job!

Hancock52 posted:

Wow indeed, but I would not expect anything less!

I really sat up and took notice of what's in the 8th image above, including what looks like a scale AWT; is this a custom paint job? I don't recognize this as a Lionel or MTH offering or even 3rd Rail although whatever it is it's seriously enviable -

We saw it in a hobby shop and my wife had to have it. Like Hot Water said, it's from MTH, Dealer Appreciation item. They also made the AWT but I could never find one so I just stripped a Daylight AWT and painted my own to match it. Stripes were the hardest part. I still have never seen one for sale separately.

Doug and Mandi's layout is absolutely fantastic. I hope I get to see it one day.

Scrappy

rrgeorge posted:

Great layout - Two questions

1 - What is the layout height ?  I'm guessing 48"

2 - Have you ever published a train plan?

 

Thanks

1. The layout is about 45" for the bottom level and the upper levels peak at just over 60". So most of the stuff is eye level, unless you're a little short on one end

2. The plan was done on RR tracks.

The diesel service tracks/building were changed due to the RH and TT spacing. The left side tracks for the ice dock and brewery were also changed to fit 2 more tracks in. We just never updated the track plan to reflect those changes. Everything else is spot on per the plan. 

What a fantastic lay out. Thanks for sharing.

Quite a magnificent spread, I'd love to see it someday. 

I just have one question.  Where is this locomotive going?  Is that a cross-country trip?

We like offroading out here in the southwest. 

That's what happens you're running 4 or 5 trains at once, with one remote, by yourself, and start talking to people and forget about the trains. Just like offroading, she drove right back up on the rail out of the dirt.

I figured it was something like that Doug.  It was amusing to see this picture in with the batch, I'm sure Tim inserted it just to see if anyone was paying attention.

Yeah we had a good laugh over it. They missed me string lining the train though. I built that reefer lashup with a helper on the rear end, but I selected the wrong direction. So....when I started the train forward....the helper went it reverse.  Stretched it so tight the whole thing tipped over down the hillside. 

One word,Fabulous,Looks like the west.

Mikey

Laidoffsick posted:

Hancock52 posted:

Wow indeed, but I would not expect anything less!

I really sat up and took notice of what's in the 8th image above, including what looks like a scale AWT; is this a custom paint job? I don't recognize this as a Lionel or MTH offering or even 3rd Rail although whatever it is it's seriously enviable -

We saw it in a hobby shop and my wife had to have it. Like Hot Water said, it's from MTH, Dealer Appreciation item. They also made the AWT but I could never find one so I just stripped a Daylight AWT and painted my own to match it. Stripes were the hardest part. I still have never seen one for sale separately.

Oh well, I won't go hunting for it! Was/is that a scale AWT? I have an MTH Daylight version but it's not scale.

Laidoffsick posted:

Yeah we had a good laugh over it. They missed me string lining the train though. I built that reefer lashup with a helper on the rear end, but I selected the wrong direction. So....when I started the train forward....the helper went it reverse.  Stretched it so tight the whole thing tipped over down the hillside. 

Gee, that would have been a good one to catch on film, we can blackmail you with it later.

Hancock52 posted:

Laidoffsick posted:

Hancock52 posted:

Wow indeed, but I would not expect anything less!

I really sat up and took notice of what's in the 8th image above, including what looks like a scale AWT; is this a custom paint job? I don't recognize this as a Lionel or MTH offering or even 3rd Rail although whatever it is it's seriously enviable -

We saw it in a hobby shop and my wife had to have it. Like Hot Water said, it's from MTH, Dealer Appreciation item. They also made the AWT but I could never find one so I just stripped a Daylight AWT and painted my own to match it. Stripes were the hardest part. I still have never seen one for sale separately.

Oh well, I won't go hunting for it! Was/is that a scale AWT? I have an MTH Daylight version but it's not scale.

Well its is/was the Premier MTH not a RailKing...how true to scale it really is, I couldn't tell ya. They only thing I still want to change is those giant couplers because the gap is so big between the tender and the awt.

Doug,

An impressive layout with excellent details. Well done!

Tim,

Thank you for posting the videos and pictures.

Alex

Amazing! Simply Amazing! This is surely one of the best home layouts I have seen on this forum.  Thank you for Posting....My question is What brand of Turntable are you using, and what indexing system are you using. Also, which Command System do you use?  Your track work is so Good, Your Track Plan is also Really Neat.....Rich Melvin needs to Feature You and Your Layout on his OGR GREAT LAYOUT ADVENTURES.....I believe everyone would agree....California Here I Come!!!!  Happy Railroading 

WOW after what everyone else has said, there really isn't much left to say. I do what to thank you Doug and Mandi  for sharing this with Tim. Great layout and very impressive!

I would also like to thank Tim for taking the time to take the pictures and video! It is always nice to see a great layout like Doug's!

Thanks again to you all!

Ys, indeed, you have a very fine layout there, Doug.  I like the main track design, as you can actually stretch the train out on straight track as well as seeing it on curves.  Well done, indeed.

sometimes I forget about things that I followed in the past. It's nice to come across them years later and still be impressed. It's like you're seeing it for the first time (again).

Yes, I remember Doug’s massive, sprawling, and impressive layout from photos and videos of it in years past at his L.A. area house. I just purchased an engine from him and it was good to see these photos and videos again.

Thanks for reminding us, Joe. 👍

Man, that's a blast from the past. The open house was a blast for sure. I think that was my last run session there as we decided to move to New Mexico about that time. All of my stuff was boxed up, and have sold off most of it now after sitting in boxes for 5 1/2 years. Might as well let others get some enjorment out of it. My Dad still runs his trains on his layout and has a couple buddies come over to run as well. Nothing like it here in Albuquerque, no clubs, no big layouts especially anything for scale sized stuff.

@Hancock52 posted:

Wow indeed, but I would not expect anything less!

I really sat up and took notice of what's in the 8th image above, including what looks like a scale AWT; is this a custom paint job? I don't recognize this as a Lionel or MTH offering or even 3rd Rail although whatever it is it's seriously enviable -

I'm going to be listing this set for sale here soon. I just have to find it.

Doug,  You are sorely missed!  Your expertise, great modeling and wry comments are irreplaceable.  What will it take to "pull you back in" like Michael Corleone?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPw-3e_pzqU

One of the greats, for sure!

Hey Doug. Missed you guys when you moved. Ended up next door in Arizona. I joined a club in Scottsdale and there are a few layouts in the general area. I was fortunate enough to find a house with a three-car garage and have a 25'x11.5' bay to work with. I still have to move all of my trains from that bay into the second bay when construction begins. I also have to sort through my boxes so I can sell off a bunch of stuff I won't be using. Real fun.

Wow, great to see you posting again, Doug!  Your great layout and your how-to videos were responsible for getting me to dip my toes in the 3-rail scale waters.  Thanks to you I’m still hooked on Kadees and 3RS!  Like @Rapid Transit Holmes asked above…how do we pull you back in??

Just a note to LaidofflSick and AGHRMatt, first in Albuquerque there are two active clubs, the TTOS New Mexico division and the Rio Grande Chapter of the TCA Desert Division.  Both host lots of events.  Then for AGHRMatt, in addition to the Paradise and Pacific in the Phoenix area, there is the TCA Desert Division and the Grand Canyon Model Railroaders.  And this Saturday we are having the first of our Desert Division all day auctions in Phoenix (toadd.org).  

So, lots to do and links to some fine layouts to visit through them.

Good to see you back on this forum, Doug!

Hey Doug welcome back! Since your here I have a question for you, is there a way to have a fixed piolet engine with kadee's work on 0-54 curves?

@mike g. posted:

Hey Doug welcome back! Since your here I have a question for you, is there a way to have a fixed piolet engine with kadee's work on 0-54 curves?

Sure Mike, 4 axle diesels and short cars (scale 40 footers). You can maximize couple swing by modifying the draft gear boxes as well. I talked about this in one of my YouTube videos about Kadees... no idea which one, can't remember. There's always a way if you want to do something badly enough.

@PeterA posted:

Just a note to LaidofflSick and AGHRMatt, first in Albuquerque there are two active clubs, the TTOS New Mexico division and the Rio Grande Chapter of the TCA Desert Division.  Both host lots of events.  Then for AGHRMatt, in addition to the Paradise and Pacific in the Phoenix area, there is the TCA Desert Division and the Grand Canyon Model Railroaders.  And this Saturday we are having the first of our Desert Division all day auctions in Phoenix (toadd.org).  

So, lots to do and links to some fine layouts to visit through them.

I have visited a couple layouts here in ABQ, but being a 3 rail scale guy with kadee couplers.... they were just not options for my stuff. There is a big 3 rail layout inside the Wheels Museum down at the rail yards, inside the old Santa Fe freight warehouse. It wasn't climate controlled until recently which was a major issue for everything in that building, and it is conventional. I looked into when we first moved here, I just didn't have the time to invest of upgrading it to run command control. Even the big 2 rail O scale Club at the fairgrounds was torn down years ago. Lost the lease on their building and most of those passed on.

Doug, good to see you posting again.

Mike, it should work as Doug mentioned. One thing I learned. Anything with body mounted couplers tends to like to be coupled to the same. So you may have to do a transition car with a Kadee at one end and a standard 3 rail claw on the other.

Doug it is good to see you on here. We talk about you often, especially when using the Ballast King or air brushes that we got from you.

Many people would like you to get back into trains. The help that you have given to many, us included, has been invaluable.

Glad to see that your dad is still enjoying the trains on the fabulous layout that all of you built.

Hope to see you here often.