I am going to begin building my new layout this weekend, and I was looking for some tips. this is not the large shelf layout I had planned, it is somthing simple to learn skills within the buget of a broke 12 year old. the basic trackplan is going to be a loop on a 3x5 1/2 table with one short spur to serve a grain elevator. the back of the loop will be concealed by a short backdrop for use as staging. the basic theme will be a branchline in western Oklahoma in the 50’s , Rock Island of course ! the operating scheme will include a mixed train, a way freaight and two passenger trains. a GP7 will be used for frieght and mixed trains and a doodle bug with a light weight streamlined coach as a trailing car for when passenger traffic is heavy. does anone have suggestion how to mkae this plan better ? Thanks !
Alex in the sooner state
P.S. I will post some pics when I get started. I need to post some pics of the train ride I took while on a youth choir mission trip.
Should be really neat when you get it done, I can’t wait to see those pics. I think you’ve got a pretty good plan set up as far as I can tell, and you’ve certainly over come the limitations you had in the beginning, so Keep up the good work.
Maybe the broke 12-yr-old needs to ask his dad to let him borrow the lawn mower and go talk to the neighbors. Get paid for the work you do. Then borrow a copy of the Walthers Catalog from the local library, dream and plan and calculate, then ask dad to take him to LHS.
You might want to make a passing siding along the far curve and place your viewblock diagonally on the table. Given power-routing turnouts, this will allow you to hold one train while doing work or running loops with the other, then flip the turnouts and run the first train.
If you can find a telephone book for your scene and era, you can get real-life company names to put on industries. This is a neat thing to have, so sayeth the History buff.
That’s usually the way it is in Wisconsin too about now, but with all the rain we had this spring it’s still plenty green. Which is nice because I’m still earning plenty of money mowing and hoeing the Garden, as the weeds are shooting up like crazy with all the rain.
I have a mowing sevice, but I have only three lawns, and I do not know how long the grass will last. The plan has been altered to a bookshelf type plan, but with the same theme. I need a little more money for some framing lumber as my dad does not think that the thin plywood will hold up on it’s own. Sigh. I geuss construction is once again delayed. maybe next weekend.
Don’t feel bad OKee-nut that’s how I started and that’s still the boat I’m in and I’m 21. The great thing about MRR is that you can still work on the layout even if it’s not totally built. There’s always stuff to do. I can’t wait till I see the photos of this layout and later in life your empire. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, but make sure you learn froom them and fix them. Good luck to you.
Andrew
