New Indoor Layout - New Reckless Experimentation

[vsmith]

New Indoor Layout - New Reckless Experimentation

I have been reluctant to post this, mostly as I’m still just experimenting with this more than anything, but I have been working on a small switching layout, using a portion of the old benchwork left over from the old layout: It’s based on an N gauge micro I came across a few years ago:


I have been feeling alot of regret after dismantling the large fixed layout, but I still know it was the right thing to do, it was just too large and ate up too much of the garage, but I found less satisfaction with just the pizza than I was hoping for, I was looking thru some old files and found this layout I had done for a friend who was retiring and looking for a small bedroom layout (look familiar Benny? [;)] ) . He didn’t use it as he found room outside for a small layout, but I became intrigued if it would fit in the garage, laid it out and it fit very very nicely into the back corner. I extended it a little but it worked out well. I already had all the lumber, plywood and hardware laying around so a little bit of carpentry and the benchwork was built in a couple evenings. The track also was what I already had in storage, so far aside from some electrical wiring stuff and some connectors I haven’t spent a dime on this. I still to make a hinge assembly and rail connectors with the lift-up bridge.

This will be a much more urban themed layout this time, going to keep it simple this time maybe even go as more akin to Dave Barrow’s Domino approach where the scenery is Spartan almost to the point of being barren, while the track and operations aspect takes precedent over scenery aspects. I want to have something fun to run trains on but want to avoid creating something so i

[Greg_Elmassian]

I think you will have a lot more fun with the operations potential.

Please keep us posted as you progress.

Greg

[vsmith]

Some construction pics: Fiddle Yard area


Peninsula:


These were taken back when I was doing the benchwork. Need to upload current pics tonight.

[vsmith]

Pics of the layout so far


Peninsula:



Fiddle Yard:


Lift bridge:



[dwbeckett]

This would be a neat artical as a RAIL ROAD FOR SMALL SPACES. I think it has the potential for alot of fun. It also has room to grow.

Dave

[vsmith]


Updated track plan showing changes from original layout

[Rider]

That is going to be a fantastic layout. I can see those 0-4-0’s winding their way through a big city harbour scene with lots of bridges, tall buildings and run down tenements pushing up against the riverside industries. Sorry. Just my mind going wild.

[ttrigg]

Any chance of “bridging” over from the fiddle yard to the pizza? Looks like you’re gonna have a bunch of fun. I’m going through some major changes in the RbFSRWy. Just to hard to work at "ground leve +0.0 inches.

[dwbeckett]

Any more progress???

[vsmith]

Any more progress???

Not really, a few things have been delaying progress, one being the summer heat. So I’ve been assessing stock, sketching building mockups as almost every building has to be scratched which is a pita if you dont have a ready source for doors and especially windows. I have a small stock of Precision Products windows & doors (2 sheets) but need to order some more. I got all my structures stuff from San Val in the past but with them gone its been tough finding local sources. But as I said I’m not in any hurry to finish it, I really dont want to rush it.

Also need to dismantle a small O-27 layout thats in the way, and I’ve been working on the 21" Personal Pan Pizza layout to try and finish it up even though it too will need some scratched buildings to fit its ultra-small footprint but its farthest along and I want to get it done first.

I did add one engine to the roster , a Piko 060 Saddletanker that was on giveaway sale at Gold Coast Station, I had one of these but sold it when I dismantled the last layout as it wouldnt run of the 31"d Pizza. I’m one of the very few people who actually liked the way it looked, it runs fine on the R1s and wont be taxed hard in operation so I went ahead and got it. I have a couple other engines on the roster that never really worked so I may sell them or rebuild them, we’ll see.

[vsmith]

Some actual progress on the indoor layout, been making flats for the backdrop area:

Piko facade reworked:


Upland Trains resin building cut up into a facade flat, used the rest elsewhere.


and the rest of the building:



In place with the House of Balsa hotel and the reworked cheap dollhouse model:


heres the rest of the Piko building converted to flats:


and part of the Upland Trains resin building:


I found 2 ceramic facades made in Mexico as tourist so

[vsmith]

Some updates, backdrop painted and building flats in place:

Starting from the staging yard:



The brewery, showing interior, for now it will keep the “Lucky Lager” sign, when I can make a custom sign it will be called “Mik’s Irish Ales”

[dwbeckett]

So is the overhang in the last picture " Lover’s Leap " or is it a public walkway from one side of town to the other ?

Dave

Looking good

[vsmith]

Added some paint to the backdrop to give some depth shadows, and added some building photos printed on heavy cardstock. Seams to make a difference.






I really like the effect, and I will add some more printed building flats to the rear backdrop



The only trouble is finding pictures that are large enough and flat enough to be usefull. I’m trying not to reuse the same buildings twice but its not easy to find the right pics.

[vsmith]

Powerplant underway, foamcore walls, Piko windows, Precision Products doorway, strathmore and wood trimmings.

The biggest problem with large scale is thats its… well, so dam large! Layouts getting crowded.

Adding corbeling:

Just strathmore museum board cut into rectangles, scored and bent and glued down, also added a cut up Marx tinplate bridge, I only paid $10 for it so its not rare, but dont tell any TTOS guys, I dont think they’d understand [:#]

!(http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/vsmith/Lift Bridge01.JPG)

Us indoor guys can get away with murrr-derrr compared to outdoor standards [;)]

[vsmith]

Some revisions and new additions:

Moved to powerplant, fits better here, cut off the third floor, it was just too much, this may be turned into a different business, still deciding that.



New building , this originally was a brewery, but since I already have the Lucky Lager business, this will be a bottling plant Coca Cola or something like that.



The Dog will go back to its original spot, where I thought of placing it where I considered it was only a matter of time before it got damaged.


Finally, I found another ceramic building, a western themed building this time, needs a few repairs but it fits nicely in this corner.


Only one building left to add, and its going to be the toughest because the corner, next to the newest ceramic building above, is the trickiest to fit so

[vsmith]


Possible Long Term plan, eventually extend across the remainder of the garage, add a river wharf and an engine facility. The layout will eventually be modeled after the first railroad in Los Angeles, the Los Angeles and San Pedro railroad, which went from the port (swamp) to the city (dusty pueblo). although my port will more likely be a navigable section of the lower Colorado river but I still might make it somewhere along the rugged California coastline.

[Stourbridge_Lion]

Looks to me things are coming along nicely!!! [tup]

[westy1]

i also am doing a indoor layout i find your hindged bridge intresring. How do you pick power back up on unhindged side i have a 3 ft opening to bridge. thanks jim westerfield jwesterfield@neo.rr.com

[vsmith]

i also am doing a indoor layout i find your hindged bridge intresring. How do you pick power back up on unhindged side i have a 3 ft opening to bridge. thanks jim westerfield jwesterfield@neo.rr.com

The layout is powered just like traditional HO track powered layouts. Its broken into several segments or “blocks”.Those blocks are controlled via Atlas controllers. Each controller essentially an on/off switch, allows the track power to be individually controlled. I simply use the rail gap like a setof insulated joiners, just minus the joiners. The track layout allows me to wire it just like a point to point layout, the loop just happens to occur along that pathway. The inside rail is continuously power. The only exception being the wye, which is also controlled with an Atlas wye controller. I use a Crest /Aristo Basic Train Engineer r/c control throttle which a time allows hands free track power.