My Layout Journey (Work in Progress)

Model Railroader
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At the suggestion of some forum members, I’m making this thread to detail my progress making my first real model train layout. This will probably be a very slow project, as I work full time (and only getting busier) and my fiance and I are preparing for our wedding this summer.

I’m doing a layout very loosely inspired by the locations where my fiance and I grew up, and running trains from the B&O and the PRR. The time period will be roughly 1920 or so.

My original plan was using Bachmann EZ track, but I eventually saw the error of my ways and am switching to code 83 flex track. Many of you folks generously spent your time helping me revise my layout to a plan that I really enjoy, shown below.

Layout Redo51
Layout Redo511504×903 58.3 KB

The senic divider will be a low hill, hopefully just tall enough to break up the scene into two areas.

My work space is limited to a 10’ x 6’ table, which is made of 2" foam and has 2" of clear plexiglass around the side to help protect from disaster. Right now the table is sitting on an old, beat up ping-pong table, so I’ve been working on a wood frame to transfer the top board on to.

20250314_192750
20250314_1927501920×1440 337 KB

Once I’ve finalized the frame and moved my table, it’ll be time to start putting down phase 1 of the track plan. I’ve split my layout into 4 phases:
Phase 1: mainline loop
Phase 2: sidings, both on the north side and south side, which will include the staging siding in the bottom right and the lumberyard siding.
Phase 3: Engine yard sidings
Phase 4: turntable

I hope to purchase the materials and work on these phases sequentially so that I pace myself while still having something to run a train on.

I’m also going to follow the advice of one of our fellow forum-goers, which is to say I’ve printed out my layout in 1:1 scale and purchased a tracing tool, so I can trace the layout straight onto the foam.

Lastly, I’ll be running all DCC locomotives, so not content with the amount of work I’ve given myself, I’m also going to be learning and wiring up a DIY controller using DCC-EX.

I hope you all enjoy following along in my journey as much as I’m sure I’ll enjoy it!

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I’m please that you’ve started your own build thread.
As for the speed of the project build, well, Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Have Fun.
Cheers, the Bear. :slightly_smiling_face:

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You are off and running. Exciting times. Looking forward to your next post.

Rich

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Looks fantastic. I look forward to watching you build.

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Thank you and welcome to the community, @asardaro

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@mdmasc91, looking forward to seeing your layout become reality!

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Those two waterways will make for some fun modeling. They will provide very nice scenic effects for your layout. :+1:

Rich

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Welcome on board, asadaro.

David

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@Casey_Dowling thank you! You were a big help in developing the plan.

@richhotrain I’ve known all along I wanted to have some water on the layout, I love being by the water and I think it adds some nice complexity to the scenery.

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Just out of curiosity, what do you plan to use to create the water?

Rich

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I do have a woodland scenics river/waterfall kit. I was planning on trying it on some spare foam.

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Let us know how that works. I have had both success and failure with Woodland Scenics.

Rich

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You have started, I think that actually putting that oar in the water for the first time can be the toughest part sometimes. Like the rest of us with lives to live there will be times things progress slowly or not at all, but knowing the layout is there waiting for whenever you can walk through that door makes everything all right.

I noticed you only have one approach track to the RH, I think you should have at least two and you track to the coaling/watering area could keep going and curve over and meet up with your other approach track. If you use a switch like this you will not lose a siding when you try to plug it in.

image
image1920×2560 558 KB

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@BATMAN youre mentioning that at the start of the north siding? I assume it would have to be a reversing section then.

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Your turntable has an auto reverser built in to it. Others can confirm, but you should be fine.

I am thinking this.

Trackplan1
Trackplan11035×621 183 KB

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Got it, mcgillduddy (did I get that right? :joy:). Do you know a brand that makes a three-way turnout like that? Or would that be a custom job?

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Walthers Shinohara used to make them. You can probably still find them on eBay. Peco still makes 3-way turnouts.

Rich

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It’s a Walther’s product I picked up new in box at a train show for $20.00

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If you strike out with that Walthers turnout, as noted, Peco makes a three-way turnout. When I built two staging yard extensions to my layout, Peco only offered this turnout in Code 100 rail. Like you, my layout is built with Code 83 track. You can do the rail joiner squash and solder job to make them work. It’s not difficult. Just be sure to get that inside running edge of the railheads lined up before you hit it with the soldering iron.

This track has been painted, so you’ll have to look close. But, I think this will give you the idea.

IMG_1284
IMG_12845712×4284 2.72 MB

Hope this helps,
DFF

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You could do something like this and then you would only need to buy a regular turnout.

Trackplan2
Trackplan21035×621 185 KB

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