What is Your Big Train Project for this Winter

Replace the Standard Gauge Fastrack with Gargraves 5 rail.

 

Steve

Finish bench work and lay the track before Thanksgiving.  By Spring.....some scenery. Goals anyway...

Get my first legacy engine (hopefully.)

Goals are good, as they can be adjusted.  It's a hobby, so we don't want deadlines.

TONS OF WORK TO DO ON THE CLUB LAYOUT. CURRENTLY WORKING ON A HARBOR SCENE, THEN OFF TO BUILD A TOWN

 

Get back to the trains.

Mark hear are a few photos taken today. I have been pulling some of my wire for my 33 switches. So my plans are to wait till UPS deliver 4 reels of 14 ga  wire today. Then continue pulling wire. I know I have some cleaning to do.  you know wear I will be.So

Scot,

Your photos show your experience in electrical work.  Your benchwork is more extensive than the last time I saw photos.  You may have posted some I missed.  That will be some layout with 33 switches.  I'll look forward to seeing your progress.

Hope to finally scratchbuild a model of the the WECX 801 Schnabel car.

 

I've finally managed to acquire the 18 trucks it'll require, and a bunch of photos and PDFs pertaining to (kit versions of) the WECX 800, it's slightly smaller sibling. As of now, I'm trying to design a reasonably accurate-looking span bolster for the 3-rail trucks, since the real thing (and the HO/N kits I got my diagrams from) did not have to contend with arched truck bolsters.

 

It won't be a "Brother Love" class model--I'm not that good, (and even if I was, I don't have comprehensive diagrams of the full-size WECX 801). But I do expect to one-up the one other O-Gauge model of this car out there

 

---PCJ

My benchwork is done and 98% of the track is in. Over the Fall, the scenery begins so I can get the fascia up/painted and the DCC plugs and throttle holders in place.

Install smart street through my city -- as soon as I can find the sections of track needed.  Any suggestions for a resource/supply?

Need to get insulation in the barn before it gets too cold, then I can work on the new Layout this winter.

Model railroading isn't seasonal for me. That said, my goal is to have all my track laid by Spring. I've had to adjust my timetable slightly, due to delays this summer.

Mark

Go full speed back into my rebuild. I still have some major honey do's but can't hardly wait.

Larry

If I can talk my wife into  doing an “ around the wall layout “ in our small extra  bedroom, that will be my winter project.

FedEx brought this a couple days ago. I am going to try and make trains go around in circles on it this fall and winter. It's my first real layout so I will be doing some experimenting to see what I like and don't like before I go too far.

 

The plan is to add on to the right with about the same size again as my train budget allows and I figure out what I really like and don't like about it all. Probably won't add a lot of scenery yet, maybe a few buildings and things like that. Starting to get exciting now!

It is where I live, in the Pacific NW. Most people don't even touch their layouts over the summer because those people usually go do outdoors things. Some thought I was nuts to get benchwork completed and track all laid over the summer while most others were out chasing 1:1 scale trains and doing other stuff. But it rains for weeks at a time here in the Fall and winter, so I had the get a lot of work done while I could still vent to the outside or do things that were too lagr eot do in the small room the layout is taking shape in...

Finally getting the benchwork rolling for my layout! This summer was far to nice to spend much time in the basement!

 

Do some serious planning for an O gauge layout in the back yard incorporating our pond.

Don

We have to completely redo our stand alone Christmas layout. Not a small task because we want to go with 0-72 curves which means the area will be significantly expanded. Should be a fun project.

Finish wiring switches....then wire accessories and lights. If I can get this done over the winter, I'll start scenicing the track and landscape/buildings.

Peter

I am going to work on my scenery and add more detail.

My layout is a winter scene and I want to make it more realistic.

Snow drifts and ice covered trees and roads.

I am thinking of making a fire station out of a MTH apartment building.

 

I also want to work on a signal system that based on the Pennsy system.

Have a few ideas for wiring, most likely be trial and error, but these are the things I enjoy.

 

Just a few things Mark, I guess when spring comes around you can repost this question and ask everyone what we accomplished !!!

 

Mark Strittmatter

TCA # 14-69917

Indiana PA 

 

I'll continue taking my time on our Christmas display. After the holidays I hope to complete adding LEDs to the passenger cars and will probably try my luck at rebuilding a couple PW ZWs which the whistle rectifiers seem to be acting up on. I also want to work on illumination on the year round display and might bring it up to 12 loops since I'll have some extra power after rebuilding the ZWs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

PCJ,

that is an impressive car to model.  What curves will it negotiate?

 

rtr12,

that is a good plan to do some, and see what Works for you.  I see you got a nice start.

 

Brian,

i know your expanded Christmas layout will be super.  Looking forward to it.

 

Mark,

I see you live in Indiana, Pa.  You are only about 45 minutes from me.  Also I see you joined TCA this year like me.  We should get together some time.

These are all great plans for the coming winter.  Thank you everyone for replying.  Let's see who else responds.

 

Yes, it is a good idea to repost in the spring to see how we made out!

    Mark I would like to have my 4 loops running by Christmas but I have about 6ft. of (CT) hill to finish before I can lay the inside line on the bottom level. Choo Choo Kenny

My layout has been idle since last spring, so cleaning is my big chore. However, I have been planning on an extension to add a new branch line and passenger car storage yard, and it would be fantastic to get this done this coming winter.

 

1. Replace some funky Gargraves switches with Ross.

2. Install new Atlas truss bridge.

3. Scenery...expanding one section over from where I left off last winter.

Ugh and YES at the same time.... Moving to another room and creating a whole new layout.

Mike,

That sounds like the biggest project yet, unless I count Elliot's ongoing empire!  I will be doing what you are in another year or two...I hope.

  Getting running rights permission for the living room floor for two weeks so I can set up a couple of loops of track, pull out one or two locomotives along with an appropriate consist, wire up the transformer, turn out the living room lights, lay down on the rug with my head as close to the track as possible and let 'em roll.

 

  It may not sound like much but, family circumstances have been such that I haven't even been able to do this for several years so I am VERY MUCH looking forward to being able to do this. 

Mark, a timely topic for me.  Last spring I decided to completely rebuild my layout (from a rural to a more urban theme).  Demolition started this month and will probably take another month or so before the rebuilding begins.

 

The first photo shows the first table which has been cleared.  All the others behind and on either side are to go yet.  The subways are there as that is will be their location and I am checking track clearances - and to give me something to look at while no trains are running.

 

The second photo shows that table before demolition

 

The last photo shows a table where I am storing buildings which will have new locations on the rebuilt layout.  Others, not being reused, are gone to new homes.

 

 

Im going to rebuild my 8'x 12' train board I take to shows.

the old lumber(25-30years old) and joints are falling apart.

have fixed and refixed to many times. time for a new better construction

as it is taken to many shows and taken apart many times. and the connector tracks need attention as well. I nurse them constantly at the last few years of shows.

For me it is completing a number of things. First to finish the wiring which should of been done many years ago. Redo the freight yard which I tore up a few years ago. Add the final three sections of tables for two industrial areas and a main street for all the  buildings I bought years ago. With all this to do I hope in February I see my shadow and get 6 extra weeks to stay in the attic.......................Paul

Robert,

I know the feeling.  With my shelves at the ceiling not operational, I am forced to do the same.  I just don't have the opportunity to setup in the living room, so I have to put the loops outside on the picnic table.  With all the late spring and all the rain we had this summer, I got to do it 3 times.

 

Peter,

That is a very ambitious project!  Looking at what you have done in the past, I know it will be first rate.  Is the peninsula with the mountain gorge and trestle going to go too?  It is really impressive.

 

Popi,

Sounds like a great project.  I can imagine it is difficult transporting and setting up your old display.  Kinda takes some of the fun out of it.  I have seen photos on a different thread, so I'm sure the new one will be great!

Finish tearing down my current layout, organizing my basement and building a new layout.   My layout is only 15x5x9 and it's much more work than I anticipated to take it down considering I'm boxing up all my items and reusing about 90% of the wood, etc.   I dread taking the track up as I'll have to remove all the ballast.

 

I'm toying with building a small holiday layout to have trains running at the holidays but I think this is more wishful thinking than anything else.

 

--Greg

First, the hip replacement.  Then recovery and therapy will follow.  Then, on to the train room.  Just another in the long list of set-backs.

This winter I have good ones. Fix 3 RS-3s, letter some passenger cars, and paint an letter an auxiliary water tender for blue comet livery.