What a great idea! Unfortunately, my better half just nixed the idea, so I'm stuck with my 6x8 table in the garage again this year. I did check prices and I'm not willing to invest the $130+, but we did come up with an alternative. We are replacing a lot of carpet next month and I'm going to grab the best piece from the dining room and cover the table with it. I'll also keep the padding and maybe together they will cut down on the noise from the RealTrax I'm using. I was thinking of bleaching it, but it's already a desert brown, so I might just sprinkle it with fake snow and then vacuum after the holidays. That way it can continue to do double duty, Christmas layout and test track. Thanks for posting this and giving me some ideas.

Finally got to fire up some trains for testing track. Wow!,  what a difference the quiet brace made in here. Well worth going through the destruct mode to lower the noise. And with a remote now to!, life is good in toy land.

Larry

Put everything back together after the paint job this weekend.  Even spent some time drilling holes in the table  and dressed up the wires.  Next I think is cork and blocking.

Thanks to a tip by the staff at Choo Choo Barn, I stopped by 5 Below on the way home and picked up a set of O-scale 1-Direction figures.  I mean, what's a burger joint without some handsome teens milling about?!

I placed my new custom firehouse, purchased at York last week, on my layout.  Its a single bay city type 3 story fire house with great interior detail!  Looks great on the layout with a 1952 Seagrave open cab pumper and 49 Chevy chief car out front.  I'll get photos out on the OGR as soon as I get the interior lights hooked up.

This is an update of my progress to expand my 8x8 layout.  The original layout is roughly based on a Lionel Display Layout, but I did not incorporate any trestles to keep everything on one level and I used Atlas Track in place of Super O.  I got a lot of enjoyment out of it, but the curves were too narrow to run my bigger engines and the table was wobbly due to my poor construction techniques.  I had thought about starting from scratch and tear everything down, but I liked the layout and decided to just add a loop of track around the perimeter with a passing siding.  Also, the outer loop is going to be using Legacy control, and will be independent of the inner track. 

The first picture is the original layout.   To make the table stable, I added kitchen cabinets to under the corners.  They were about $120 each, but they give me added storage space and provide the layout a really sturdy base.  I then added L brackets for the plywood to be attached to on each side.  The layout is now about 10 by 10 and the outer curves are 54 inches. 

The one mountain needed to be expanded.  I also decided to make the layout “semi-high rail”.  So, I added foam road bed under the rails of the old layout and then added ballast. It my first attempt using ballast, and I have gotten better as I have done more.  I decided not to add ballast under the rails; I just painted the foam road bed. Also, since I never screwed the track down, it was easy to just prop it up.  Among the improvements coming soon will be adding the engine house from Frank53’s layout (it’s going to replace the saw mill).   

this last shot is of Stadium High School's Stadium Bowl in Tacoma, from the press box.  I doubt there are many fields that have a better view.  Occasionally, you can hear the trains go by from the tracks along Ruston Way.   

Finished wiring up the tracks in the engine terminal with new 20amp toggle switches.

I ran one train while putting away few items for about 5 minutes today.  Wish I could have done more but time didn't permit.

The last 2 days were spent tearing what I had already done on my Christmas oval and redoing it. I purchased new quilt batting to cover the table and put new risers in for the 2nd level. After I placed my 34 structures around the layout again, I found that using a drill to cut holes for the light cords was not going to work because it catches the batting. So, I got under the table and did it from the bottom. Unfortunately, controlling a rotary tool while laying on my back is not the easiest thing for me to do, but I got the job done. I missed 3 and found that using a screwdriver to punch holes through from the top worked just as well.  My table is just 1" foam on a grid of 1x3's.

Anyway, I got it all hooked up and the top looks nice and "clean" now compared to last year when I just covered all the cords with batting. So, I added a bunch of figures, trees, and even 2 manger scenes, one is very tiny and fit on the roof of one of the buildings. I even added one of those flying Santa's with globe.

Today I plan a trip to look for some skirting to go around the table to hide all the cords, empty boxes, etc. Party City has a 40' roll of plain white for $20, but I'd like something more colorful with some kind of scenery, but I'd settle for red/white/blue. Maybe Hobby Lobby or Michael's will have something to my liking.

I wired up the street lights in my town section and planned out where to put my water tower, pump house and small pond to supply the water.  Feels good to be working on the layout again.

--Greg

Last night I wired up the two switches and planned my next step.  I think I'm finally ready for cork and some blocking.

I worked on the grade leading to the second level (really just a return loop on a long approach).   I am using Woodland Scenics stuff to keep the grade at 3% max.  I will be at this for a few weeks before done - required bridge readjustments and etc.

Cleaned up after a myself, I had the "cyclone look" going after building a small post office/telegraph shack, and a small milk and barrel platform connected by steps to a covered passenger platform. Then I swapped elevated track supports around. A steel arch, and a "concrete"(2x4) changed places, shifting the overall 2x4 placement to the right, so when I build a cliff Im ready, and can build to the 2x4s, eliminating all visible supports but the arches. In a bit I have to check the new outside overhang clearance.  .  

Mounting Kadees on Atlas cars

Running wire to power sections.

Tested my T3 NYC Electric. WOW what an Engine.

Brewman, I like your ballast (road bed).

Dave B., your layout works is really coming along. The ballast looks very professional.

I continued to apply the lights to the Coca-Cola trailer. What a bear of a job to do.

Solved the 3-way relay problem, then broke the barrier strip for the 12 new switches in the engine terminal, so now I get to spend another day or two re-doing the whole thing.  Lesson learned: don't work on toy trains when tired.

Finishing up an area that had been planned 3 years ago Just need to add a platform above the tunnel and paint the rails.

Cesar

Actually last night.   Enjoyed this under appreciated guy.    It's been awhile since I last ran it (Lionel AC6000) and I forgot how nice it is.    So nice in fact, I just had to post a photo. This beauty runs smooth as silk with awesome sounds and with no trouble hauling anything put behind it.

Never mind BNSF never owned this engine,  who cares...this warbonnet could be the best looking diesel I own. 

Joe 

I loaded my layout into the truck

and am headed to Syracuse NY

for the Great New York State

Train Fair.

will be running trains all day Saturday and sunday.

come on up the waters fine!!!

Started attempting to copy Patrick's Mountain technique yesterday.

NOTE to self: little less great stuff spray foam.

7' sorta ready for paint....only another 50 or 60 feet left. hemmm..

Larry

Been a while since I did work on the layout when Patrick or Matt weren't around. Wednesday, Patrick and I brought power over to the second set of transformers.

Today, I made the final connections on the panel and plugged in the transformers. I still need to bring the TMCC connection over from the existing part of the layout. Then it's simply a matter of connecting the track.

I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Still shooting for the end of 2014 for all track down and powered.

Installed a Station Sound system in my baggage car. 

Installed 9 recessed lights in the train room. Rewired one circuit.

Put down the screwdriver and got Kyrian down to the train room. 

We set up the Petersen Supply GGD SP&S passenger cars into two trains; one section of baggage car, combine, and two coaches with the 3rd Rail SP&S 700, and another section headed by the Atlas SP&S #801 F with the baggage,  RPO, diner, sleeper, and obs.

She ran the steamer while I followed a block behind on Main #1 with the second section.

The Z4000 and TIU held and it was pretty cool, stopping at one of the two stations, not crashing ... two trains on the same main line ... lots of fun!

Larry Sr.:

Your mountains are shaping up well. Who is Patrick and where can I find a description of his mountain technique?

Thank you.

Randy it's all in Patrick's H post located in plans and layout design named

Latest addition to the layout 10/28/13

I can't seem to copy it so you could go straight to it. But, anyway if you have not read the 50+ pages of that building post you will have a good experience doing so.

Pages 2 to 5 answer questions to some of the foam work. I copied and pasted about 20 photos of the building techniques he did. He was also gracious enough to answer some of my dumb questions by e-mails. I refer to the pictures now almost daily.

Larry

I finally ran the feed cable from my MTH TIU to the barrier blocks for my second and third track levels. The third level is to be an engine service facility and a freight yard. I have a lot more to do, but, minor progess has been made.

Well to day I started to clean up my layout which keeps collecting all my stuff from the house. The reason why I am cleaning up today is because I will be going in the hospital on Thursday for a second time to do some heart surgery. So I know that it will be a wile before I can work on my layout. So I guess I have less than 1 week to get things cleaned up. Well off to the breezeway and the garage I go.

As a member of the "heart club" as you, Scot, I wish you prayers and the best of luck with the surgery.

Pete

Today, I finished testing my new BNSF Dash 9 on my Main Line......tweaked a switch which was not cooperating with the Dash 9 and finished some minor carpentry on my layout before the start of the Notre Dame/Navy game!  Go Irish!

Scott, I to wish well and a speedy recovery.

Added a momentary switch to run sound for a helicopter I have sitting on a pad (already runs with an IR sensor); wired up my ez streets to run vehicles; and doing some clean up so I can hopefully run trains tomorrow. Terry

Performed scheduled maintenance (lubrication) on my 783 Hudson.  Then added a 4-faced Town Clock to the passenger station.

I just finished upgrading my Weaver SP C630 from conventional to PS2 and Planted some more trees on my layout.

I too saved a part of my old layout to build a 5x4 layout for Christmas.  I needed skirting also. Party city huh?  Whites not bad, but maybe you can get some Santa graphics to apply to it, like some cut outs from internet blow up and paste to it?  I think that's what ill commission my daughter to do!    I'm going to have lots of action in a small space

Finally finished applying the wires to the Coca-Cola truck!!!!!!!!! I will post pictures when I hook up the wires.

Thanks for the suggestion. It turns out that we had some old tablecloths laying around (1 red and 2 white). When folded in half, they covered the perimeter, so I didn't need to buy anything from Party City after all. I'm going to keep my eye out though because I plan to eventually "skirt" my permanent garage layout (once I build it ). I'll be looking for both desert and holiday themed material I can attach with Velcro and swap for the holidays.

Try a local fabric store.  You may find just what your looking for.