You mentioned plywood. While many of us still use it, others have switched to 2-inch insulation foam. Lighter, a bit cheaper, and in many cases easier to work with. I built a frame of 1x4 and 1x3 lumber and then glued foam to that. It’s worked very well for me.
Another thing I did early on was download and use the free track-design program from Atlas. The URL is http://www.atlasrr.com for general Atlas stuff - just surf around and find the program. There are other programs, both freeware and payware, and I hope others will chime in with recommendations and URL’s. I went into this without a pre-sized layout, and I ended up with a better plan because of that. I didn’t buy a piece of lumber until I was pretty sure this was the layout that I wanted.
It will take longer than you think to do this, by the way. But, the early stages can be very encouraging, because you can make a lot of progress quickly. Best of all, every step is a new experience for most of us. I’ve had a great time learning to make latex molds and plaster casts, and how to build things with styrene sheets and coffee stirrers. I’ve learned a lot about glue and paint, too.
I’d suggest going to http://www.railimages.com and signing up for an account. This is a free photo site for rail fans (both real and model.) (Donations are cheerfully accepted, by the way.) Once you get started, you might want to post photos of your work in progress.
Ok well here is the situation with my older engines…they no longer work. What I have is an Illinois Central Gulf, Santa Fe, and Cotton Belt engines. Like I said they are from my childhood so I really don’t know what time era they fit into, but since they no longer run (dead on a live track) I probably won’t be using them unless sometime down the road I learn how to fix them.
Rolliman i hear what your saying about BNSF & and Northfolk Southern being around in the time era I’m wanting to do. Wasn’t Illinois Central Gulf though in that time era. BTW, have you all got Feb’s issue of Model Railroader yet?? Near the back there is a pic of an orange and white Illinois Central Gulf engine, that is almost exactly how mine looks that I still have from when i was a kid. So exaclty what rail company was running around the midwest back in the late 50’s early 60’s near Illinois?? Please keep in mind I do want to stay as close possble to my time era, but I’m not trying to be stone cold exact.
In the future, I plan on going through the wall into an ajoining room to have an even bigger layout but the trains be able to transition. So this is one of the reason why I want to start with DCC because I do want multipule trains running and I know DCC provides independant operation. So i am trying to incorporte some things for future expansion.
Money isn’t too much a conern yet I’m not going to foolishly waist it either. I have taken time to read up on things, do some research, planning, thinking. But I also know the best source of knowlege is from those w
[#welcome][#welcome] welcome to hobby! I bet you will find this a great hobby.
ok, i’m still sorta in the stage that you are in with yours but i do have bench work.
I highly reccomend DCC for your power system due to the special affects of being able to lash 3 or more units together at one time. Like as posted in other threads, Woodland Senics has got cha coverd with thier wide varitey of on-line & off-line senic acessories. stewart, Athearn (epecially Athearn! { i tell ya i got an athearn GP-38-2 and the thing runs soo smooth!!} ) and Walters i reccomed for locomotives. As well as you i am also modeling the 50’s 60’s & 70’s era Lehigh Valley so a hint would to be sure to keep track of the type and style of acrs you purchase, for example, a car that came out in 2004 wouldn’t look right on layout with the theme in the 50’s era. A really good suggestion i think is verk easy, is that a friend taught me that if you have extra pieces of track left over, and you need to wire a section of your layout for, lets say house lighting for example, take your stape gun and staple the cut size pieces of track. the wire one end of the track to your power pacl and wire the house light wires to the track, so instead of fiddling with special connectors, use the spare track!
normal plywood is also a good way to go, and to make rivers with ease, put about two boards of normal insulating on the table. well, have fun and experiment! that’s what modle railroading is all about, experimenting and railroading!!![:D][8D][^][8D][:)][:P][;)][alien][angel][banghead][C=:-)][C):-)]
Never one to say that my way is the right way but it’s a road I’ve followed with good results I’ll offer the following regarding layout planning:
My biggest concern at the start was “footprint and fit”, meaning what would go where and how much room I’d need for it all. I dug a huge chunk of cardboard out of a dumpster at work (yes, very clean cardboard right on top of the pile [:D]) and cut it down to the proposed dimension of my benchwork. Using cardstock templates of track and structures I laid it all out, tore it up and repeated the process more time than I care to remember until I got a combination that works for me.
In my experience it’s way easier to rip up taped down cardstock than glued down roadbed and track. Good luck with your efforts, you’ve found the right place to ask for assistance and experience. I mean the forum and not me LOL.
I prefer Atlas locomotives, (my growing Alco fleet is entirely Atlas), although the majority of my EMD fleet is Athearn (which with some mechanical tuning up, just fine). Most of my cars are Athearn and MDC/Roundhouse.
I use Atlas and Peco track, it’s inexpensive and pretty bullet proof.
My scenery is pink foam, coated with dry-wall mud. I use mostly Woodland Scenics, scenery materials.
I have a large liberary of books, but I use these most ofter:
John Armstrong, Track Planning for Realistic Operation
Andy Sperando, Easy Model Railroad Wireing
Dave Frary, How to Build Realistic Model Railroad Scenery & The Pennsy Middle Division in HO Scale
Lou Sassi, Basic Scenery for Model Railroads
John Pryke, Building City Scenery
In the 50’s & 60’s it was still just the Illinois Central. Lots of Gp 7’s & 9’s most still in the black with the green diamond herald. I liked the CNW because in your era they still had the route of the 400"s with the green stripes.
Illinois had just about every major railroad going though some part of it, so the choice is up to you. Proto 2000 has Gp’s painted in the black IC scheme and they are great runners.
It looks like you have already decided on some of the industies you want to model. Now what you need to do is decide if you want to model a branchline , or a heavyer mainline.
Go to www.NMRA.com. they have so many web sites you can visit we probably wouldn’t hear from you for a year. They have all the main model companys, along with tons of model and prototype sites.
Cool thank you for the suggestions. I do have old extra track that I was messing around with laying out on the floor messing with ideas of track laying and how I might like it to be. Old copper track that’s all tarnished. i know the best to use now is Nickle silver track cause it’s doesn’t tarnish so quickly and is more durable. I have been on Woodlan
Your father’s approach i’ve found the easiest. I just cut the shapes I need and support them. To get rid of the gap at the bottom, you can build up roadbed or another material. Another material you might find useful is Scultamold, basically a clean paper mache that you can use in the crannies. Another option might be to cut the foam/plywood there and drop the grade in, but that would be quite involved. I’ll hope another more experienced modeler chimes in.
Especially since you mention money not being a huge issue, I’d say consider the Woodland Scenics system. They offer a set of precut foam risers, inclines, etc. that are convenient, easy and will get you up and running. Many long-time modelers use them, though some reach a point where they go beyond them. I’d say they’re a good thing to consider in a “get up and running” and get back into the hobby mode.
Ah yes, I have actualy seen these foam risers on there website and saw it as a solution to begin my grade, but them my question thoughts began, "ok now that it’s the right height and you’ve used all the raisers, what do you then use to support it through the length of it’s span till you use the raisers on the opposite side where the track comes back down to ‘ground level’? And I’d like to ask another question. I know that track alignment, levelness, etc is critical for your trains/rolling stock to not derail. Which of plywood vs foam board would actualy be best to use to make sure the stability of your track, and that over time you don’t end up with problems?? I would think the hardness and stability of of plywood, yes?? I saw a video where thy used foam board to make hills that the track goes through, I thought that was a cool application of the product. Easier to use I’d think in some cases than plaster and such, although they did use a little plaster molding with it to help define little cliff faces and such.
I just though of another question…Ballast. Is that a users preference or is there a certain color and courseness you need to use to go with an era your trying to do?? If the later is the case, how does one go about finding out what was used in real life back in that period of time for it to be authintic??
See i told you all I had all kinds of questions and I hope you don’t mind me asking. I’m taking everyone opinions and suggestions seriously and conside
Now THAT is what I wanted to see. That looks good. Are the raisers just plywood cutouts of sourts on end supporting that??? How did you fasten the raisers to the table top, and the plywood the track is on to the raisers??? You use nails, some kind of glue…??? I guess I should probably get my hands on more how too books and such that would most likely explain these things in detail right??
That’s a cool layout though. Is that where you currently are on yours or is that an earlier pic from when you first got started?? What’s your time era, the kind of trains your using/going to use, etc…
you mentioned what kind of plywood you want to use…personally i use 3/4" but a lot of guys like the pink or blue foam board on plywood or by itself…I use the foam board but it leads up to the plywood and the track does’nt sit on it…a lot of guys will debate the use of 1/2" and even 3/8" plywood but i’ve used them in the past and found that the 3/4" is the way to go…it is sturdy and won’t warp…granted…it’s heavy and cumbersome but once it’s in place it’s not going anywhere and it makes a very nice looking roadbed once the track and cork road bed are in because of it’s thickness…try to stay away from sectional track or the preformed sectional track with the road bed…flex track on cork roadbed is the easiest way to go…you can fudge flex track into odd ball radii that you normally can’t with the sectional track…check out my picture album…it goes into a lot of detail with explanations on a lot of stuff in this hobby go to trains 1 and 2 http://community.webshots.com/user/bayouman1 chuck
They are 1x3 and it is my current layout. Click the link below to see the layout. It has come a ways since those pictures but you will get the idea. I have torn apart right now to adjust the track/scenery level and add staging. Here is the current state. the time is 1885.
Click on Chuck’s link as well. He has a good tutorial running on how to build the risers. I’m one of thse that went with the 1/2 inch ply.
LB: It looks like you are getting some good advice there. I’d like to add that you should take alook at open grid bench work. It is very easy to make changes in terrain and track elevations. There is a book on bench available that would make the open grid principal more understandable than my poor efforts. As for what railroads were in Illinois in the 50s and 60s there were a bunch that are no longer around. Chicago & Eastern Illinois, Milwaukee Road, Chigaco & Illinois Midland, Chicago, Burlington and Quincy, Illinois Central, and I know that I’ve missed some. The time frame that you are looking at is great for the large number of railroads that were around. Mainly I hope that you have fun and enjoy the hobby. If you want to E-mail me with any questions I’ll be happy to help.
For fixing ply roadbed to risers I’d recommend Screws as they allow for adjustment if you need to alter anything later.
Look in the kalmbach books for some of their project layouts from MR, there are some very good ones with a full how to do it list like in the current series running in the magazine.
Have a look at Woodland Scenics and Walthers Built Ups for decent ready made buildings. You can detail them to make them individual.
Peco track is very good if you want positive and robust switches, Code 83 is the US style. It’s flextrack but if you have a motor tool and cutting disc it’s easy to lay and shape. Remember to put a couple of pins a few ties apart near the join to stop a kink developing.
Soldering secret is to clean and the 'tin both pieces to be joined, hold them together and then apply the iron and let the solder flow. The tip of a screwdriver holding them together stops burnt fingers as you apply heat and as it cools again.
Try and find a local group or train show to visit and see how it’s done before you start. I’ve been in my club 20 years and now I’m showing others how to get started.
Best of luck and hope there’s something of use above, cheers
Basic benchwork - open grid, easy to build & easy to install risers for grades
plywood - 1/2" in most places but I have 3/4" in places - all of it screwed down & has never warped in 6 years in my attic.
Foam - I’ve used it to to build up an area for future sceniking
Plan out what you want to do. Road name to run, etc etc etc
Setup a basic oval to allow you something to run while you are building the other layout.
I did this until I figured out what track plan I wanted to go with.
ASK QUESTIONS! Lots of them. The only stupid question is the one you didn’t ask!
LB, I’m not a railroad genology historian so I don’t know all the whys wherefores and who’s of railroad merger history… I’ll tell you what I Do know however… The railroad I go after is the Wabash RR, which my grandfather worked for up until about 1960 before he went to work full time for the union. He ran mostly passenger out of Detroit and his return journey began at Montpelier Ohio with a crew change… Roughly 100 miles each way. His train would then continue on to St. Louis and was what became to be called the Wabash Cannonball (I have his old pay time books to prove it). The Railroad itself, in October 1964 became part of the Norfolk & Western through a merger than began to take shape somewhere around 1960 (found the press pack online describing how it would be set up)… Along with the Wabash, at the same time, The Nickel Plate Road (NYC&StL), the Akron, Canton, and Youngstown (ACY) also became part of the N&W… There were a few others as well but they escape me at the moment. The N&W remained in operation until (I believe) 1991 when they merged with the Southern RR and became the Norfolk Southern.
Here’s a picture of what the Wabash looked like before the orignal merger…
I think the subject of track, power systems, and motive power choices in manufactures has been well covered from posts upward, and I see that you’re wanting to model the late 50’s and early 60’s, which is a broad timespan. If you’re wanting to incorporate passenger trains, you may want to focus on a specific year and date, because most railroads were still changing their passenger equipment during that time. If your favorite railroad has a historical society, you’ll find a wealth of information from other modelers and railfans that are experts on your favorite railroad.
Also, find some retired railroaders from the railroad. But, don’t wait too long to ask questions as they are well past retirement age, and their knowledge might be gone.
RailServe’s and the NMRA’s pages are already categorized. You can generate your own category at TrainNet by searching using a term like “layout” If you’re more specific, you can get a more specific result.
There are more of these dircetory type sites out there. These are pretty all-encompassing, though, and they’re just the ones I’m most familiar with.
![http://www.rolleiman.com/trains/wab-map2.gif[/image]](http://www.rolleiman.com/trains/wab-map2.gif%5B/image%5D){kind=link}