Zett's Joliet Layout - Updated on 02/07/21

Zett - that's awesome.  Keep pushing.  Working on a layout is a blast.  I like a bunch of the stuff you are doing.  Long live the J!

As of today, the bar rail and bar top is installed, drywall has 1 coat of paint, I had to touch up a few spots (thats what the white is on the wall), and it will probably get a second coat tomorrow. Today I worked on the lower back bar, which I dont have a pic of right now. The stained glass window is lit, and is temporarily in place. I need to get some decorative trim to go around it, which will hold it secure (I had to make it removable in case we ever move.)

I have to also add decorative trim on the front of the bar before I start to stain. It looks like the largest curve I can go with on the bar will be O-54. That will be the tightest curves on the layout. Every engine I have so far will run on O-42 minimum so as of right now its not a big deal.

Looking Great Zett! 

Nice Bar!  Looks Great!

That's sweeeeeet.

WOW GREAT PROGRESS!!

Well my tradition of accomplishing as little as possible continues.... but here it goes anyways. I had an entire week to work on the layout, and spent that entire week on the couch with a respiratory infection. I found the strength to work for maybe and hour here or there, but the week was pretty much a wash. Since then I have accomplished a few things.

First up the bar progress. The trim on the bar is almost completed. I am new to all of this trim work so its a learning process and slow going. Overall I am very pleased with the way it looks so far. The trick is getting everything to line up perfectly. Behind the bar you can see some display shelves for trains. This is not yet finished so its not secured to the wall. I think the stained glass window really adds a nice effect to the entire room.

I have some corbels that will go on the main front of the bar that should look pretty nice when stained up.

Almost an entire day of work was spent rebuilding this area. Before I had a door that opened and closed built into this track area. It worked great for a month and then the problems started taking over. The door below still opens and closes, but the track area is now a lift-out. Not what I wanted but the trains now run flawlessly over this area, which was more important.

I have also begun working on the next sections of track. In the shot below I am using this area to store some cars at the moment. The two tracks will tie into the 2 main loops of the layout.

My amazing wife got me the #1 item on my Christmas list, which was a Rock Island DL-109 from MTH with PS3. My mother in law got me the passenger cars which are amazing. I am really impressed with the truck details

The Rock Island passenger cars actually state "Rock Island" on them. These cars were Pullman until Rock Island purchased them out when passenger service started its steady decline.

More great truck detail:

I love this shot:

The observation car and sounds on the engine are the "Choctaw Rocket"

Since I forgot to add some pictures of this before, this is where I am at on the Joliet Correctional Center building AKA Old Joliet Prison. Once this is finished and placed around some scenery I think it will be an amazing addition to the layout.

I hope to finish the bar and have it stained very soon, after that I can work on the trackwork that will go around the bar.

Here is a video of the boarding sequence of my new engine. MTH did a real nice job on the sounds. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAkeJjMQDUM&feature=c4-overview&list=UUCfYyX_1v9Hgp66DlEGzr-w

I am trying to update daily progress on my facebook layout page. For daily updates on what I am up to you can check there. 

For comparison here is a picture of the real prison tower. The old Joliet prison was used in the Blues Brothers and Prison Break. There are tracks on the west side of the property that pass within about 30 yards of the tower, so this is a scene I will be trying to duplicate on the layout.

Wow! If your not a top shelf finish carpenter you should be!  And a great model builder to boot. I am impressed.

Very nice indeed!!

My question is:  What happened to the passenger station project??  I was really looking forward to seeing progress on it....

Alan

Still working on the station, i am stuck on a few details. Once I finish the bar finishing the station will be my priority again. Im Frustrated on how long this is all taking, just one of those things that make this a difficult hobby.

Thanks for the update Zett. I was wondering about the station too. Looking forward to seeing its progress.

The layout looks very nice. The bar also looks great. Looking forward to seeing more progress. Thanks for sharing again.

Nice work.

Between the bar and the layout, looks like a fun room to hang in!

Looking great! Don't sweat the lack of major progress, work as good as yours takes time. Can't wait to see the updates on the station.

Just came across this post. Real nice looking layout.

Zett, 

I have enjoyed your very descriptive and well written posts. So much so that I am planning to do some delving into the history of your area.

it's good being a model train buff isn't it? Lots of directions to put ones creative skills

in.

So if you follow my facebook page your probably getting sick of seeing bar pictures. Shes coming along nicely.. entering the home stretch. 

After days of sanding, here I am finally starting the pre-stain treatment: 

First coat of dark walnut:

2nd Coat on the top:

So far 2 coats on the window trim. I plan on adding a third.

Heres an overall shot, with the first coat added to the sides:

And this morning I finished adding a first coat to the short side, and added a 3rd coat on the top. Once I add the superglaze and poly it should look pretty **** good.

Getting real close to the day when the first train will take a trip around the bar. I have to finish some little trimwork on the shelves behind the bar before they get stained, and also build a small shelving unit below where the hole is in the wall for the trains to come through. Once that is finished, the main bar construction is done and I can lay some track.

Zett,

As someone who loves doing woodworking, I must say, your bar looks absolutely amazing.  You picked a great color stain too, it almost looks like it should be in the early 1900s.  Great job.

Mike

Zett,

The bar is beautiful. Nice work!

Love the bar!!!!

Very nice....

Have to have your priorities in line. Nice job on the Bar.

I guess its time for an update! As of today the bar is 90% complete! It has been a lot of work but I am finally over the hump of finishing this area. Now that this is complete I can now focus my attention back on the main layout. So far all of this work has been done by me, with some help now and then from my wife and my dad. If your following my facebook page then this is old news.

Here is my wife helping me apply the clear coat top to the bar. This was extremely nerve wracking. If the temperature is not right, or if you dont stir correctly, this process could have ruined the entire bar top. Here is my amazing wife bringing air bubbles to the top.

Check out that reflection!!

The back bar after some progress. The tinplate is from Menards, only cost me about $40 and looks like it cost a fortune!

LED lights installed. Purchase these from Amazon, much much cheaper than a big box store, and it comes with a converter and dimmer.

Here is more woodwork into the corner where the trains will come through the wall from the train room.

After some stain

My brother-in-laws girlfriend works in estate sales. She picked me up these amazing glasses.

My tinplate train was the first added to the shelves.

I added a TV in the corner of the bar. However I decided that if your over watching Indycar or White Sox baseball, you may not want to be looking to the right the entire time, so I put the TV on a track system. The TV can pivot and slide from the corner, all the way into the front of the stained glass window.

I still have to add a pic of the TV in its 2nd position.

Comet helping me assemble my Atlas bridge to span the bar gap.

here is where the bridge will be when there is train bar service. 

Starting to work on the beam enclosure.

And as of today, the chairs are in! Took forever to decide which ones to get but these are really nice.

My Rock Island DL-109 is still waiting for the green to make a first pass around the bar. Hopefully next week!

And some new purchases, a MTH EJ&E coil car that I have been looking for for years. Also some Weaver boxcars that I got screwed on via Ebay. They needed and still need some work. I guess we have different definitions of the word "new.

"

Unbelievable, great craftsmanship.

Wow, everything is coming together so nicely! Looking forward to a video of the first circuit of that RI locomotive. Well done!

Very cool!!! Hoist one for me when you get some cold ones in the fridge.

Rick

Fabulous work!

Peter

WOW!  That is beautiful!

Finally had the maiden voyage around the bar top yesterday!

Still no idea how to video embed.... Here is a quick video of a trip around the outside line of my layout:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dX50UyIYCao

Fantastic. Great job... kind of makes you thirsty.

How about like this....  cool layout...looks awesome.

Wonderful  .....Can I have a beer?  

Peter