Before anyone asks, I haven’t been able to blunder or bluff my way to picture posting ability. Maybe when my daughter visits in June…[:I]
My present layout has been under construction for about 3 1/2 years, with some benchwork recycled from an earlier false start, in a non-climate-controlled double garage in the Dessicated Desert. At present it bears considerable resemblance to the Himalayas ride at Disney World - before they put the cosmetic skin on…[:O]
Translation: A bare steel structural frame with odd bits of to-be-hidden trackage wandering through it to no apparent purpose - if you aren’t privy to the Master Plan. So far, I’m still a long way from laying a millimeter of track that will be visible once the scenery goes in and the fascias go on…[alien]
As for the Master Plan, I’ve been refining and detailing it for 45 years now, so the concept of modeling the scenery and operations of a specific JNR line in Central Honshu and the private railways that connect to it (one real, in the right place; one real, but shifted over a few mountain ranges; one freelance after a very different prototype on a different island) and the way I intend to operate it (to the prototype’s schedule in September, 1964 - TTTO, 24/30) are pretty well lead-anchored into solid granite. The same can be said for my control system, analog DC, modified MZL system.[^]
Progress has been dead slow, but I’m very happy with the way things are gradually coming together. This is my, ‘Last in this lifetime,’ layout, and so far it seems to be living up to my plans and expectations.[8D]
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - as I like it)
Well, before I could do anything about constructing the Yuba River Sub, I had to create a fictional ‘history’ for it, to explain why Rio Grande steam is in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California.
That was the easy part, LOL! I sandwiched its Sierra crossing midway between SP’s Donner Pass and WP’s Feather River Canyon (while conveninently ignoring that the WP was historically, the actual Rio Grande entryway into California). The only feasable crossing of the Sierra in that part of the range would be Yuba Pass and then westward following the Yuba River watershed.
I’d say that for the most part what I envisioned is pretty much what I’ve achieved, so far. A few things need to be adjusted–I still need to put in a major yard, and I could use a few more ‘on-line’ businesses to warrant more local traffic.
About 70% of the scenery is installed. The railroad is set in late October of any given year between 1939 and 1952, which means the ‘high country’ is coming into full color, which happens pretty much overnight in the mountains.
One thing NOT prototypical of the motive power I use (90% Rio Grande steam and 19% SP–which has trackage rights–), is that Rio Grande assigned particular engines to particular divisions. On my layout, just about every model of Rio Grande steam is represented, from little 2-8-0’s clear up to the big articulateds–a kind of ‘mix and match’ scenario.
But by and large, I’m pretty satisfied with what I’ve done so far. The locos are all fine-tuned, I have very few operational problems, and my operating sessions are fun, rather than frustrating.
I am presently having the feeling of biting off more than I can chew, eh? At 72 and on SS I think the biggest problem is “Champagne dreams on a beer budget” syndrome. Does anyone else on this forum experience this? I have too much invested in HO to chuck it all and re-start in N guage. I have a fair sized 8 track staging yard and a good town switching area so I am really thinking of just extending the mainline to the next siding for a runaround so I can out and back and turn trains operate instead of going up another level to a second staging John.
“one would not have seen UP articulateds in the Saguaro Desert”
I have seen a picture of a UP challenger on the SP Sunset Route in the California desert during WW2 during what I would assume to be a power shortage. Whether or not it went to Arizona I could not say. Could well have.
The current layout is coming out as I envisioned. This is my third larger layout and it is triple deck 13’ X 22’ monster. I have completed mainline track work and wiring. I am now getting into adding hard shell to the layout. A few quick observations (too long) about my expectations and the reality of the layout in the space:
I used a pencil and paper with a track planning stencil to design the track plan. I stole scenes from my favorite railroads and mixed them up in a pleasing way. The overall plan ended up being very complicated including 300’ of hidden track, exacting grade calculations, a double tracked helix and all kinds of disappearing tracks etc…
Track lines on paper look quite a bit different than track in a space. Most of the visible track was tweaked to fit when it was laid, sometimes varying quite a bit from the plan. The hidden track went off exactly as designed (no “how does that look” issues)
It is turning out to be much more work than I expected. Recommendation: try to build a double deck layout with help from your friends. You can’t just “finish something” because there is something else that has to be done first. It is as if every part of the layout is dependant on another p
I’m rebuilding my own layout with the less is more philosophy…less track but of better quality…ditto for locomotives and rolling stock. I really like Tony Koester’s Layout Design Elements idea too…nothing to make a pike look realistic like dupicating the real thing.
My prior layout (11x18 ft) did not match my vision. This was mainly because I did not realize the negative effect of 2 ft and 2 1/2 ft aisles with 58" high bench work. Over time I realized it was too closed in - at least for me, although the trains at 58" are really nice.
My current layout (14x23 ft) has 3 ft aisles and is 50" high. I like the overall effect much better. It has 2/3rds of the the track laid and wired, but will not go any further. We have bought our retirement house and are in the process of moving - although I am not retired yet.
The new house has a 1250 sq ft basement of which I plan to use about 1000 sq ft for the layout. I have a vision of the Maryland and Pennsylvania RR with the rough bones of the layout planned. In 3 or 4 years I expect to be far enough along (and retired) to know if it will work. Learning from my last layouts this one will be 50" high and have 3 ft aisles except for 2 very short places to accommodate a turnback curve. The danger here is that the layout may be too big. My mitigation is two fold - keep the track plan relatively simple with approximately 75 turnouts and the benchwork narrow. I also plan to build from one terminal towards the next so that I can just stop and put in a reverse loop if it gets to be too much.
Since my layout is based on a protolanced shortline out in the northern plains/prairies I’m finding that I’m actually somewhat closer to the ‘reality’ of the land than i thought. My scenario is such that I’m not overwhelmed by track, being in N scale, but that the scenery is what brings my layout to life.
I think, in my case, the layout trackage is brought into the scenery and becomes a part of it. After all the branchlines became part of the landscape out there as well.
I’m doing a somewhat proto freelanced branchline in upstate SC. Loosely based on Southern, Piedmont & Northern, and a little Lancaster & Chester. It’s an around the walls concept from the mainline junction to a small town. Primary industries are typical small town south in the 50’s – cotton mill, lumber yard, oil, pulpwood yard. I’m probably about a third of the way into it and in general it fits my goals. The biggest issue I have has been been space. I’m not trying to run long trains or serve a hundred industries, but there are a couple of classic industries from the area I’d like to include and can’t fit in – a peach shed and an oil mill. Probably just another four feet on each wall would fit it in. After having built the multi town, multi train mainline in N, I’ve found I’m more of a modeler than a runner and O scale is mighty tempting if I had the space.
If I had more room, I don’t know if I’d change the operating scheme that much, just spread things out a little more.
I was going to build the basement dream layout in On30. Well on my way, too. Then life imploded.
I now live alone in an apartment and am building a HCD layout–the Carolina Central in N scale, to br exact.
So I am aiming for precision instead. Code 55 flextrack. (Which is hard to come by these days, and that’s holding me up.) Careful work, down to the wiring. So far, I am achieving what I set out to do this time, and maybe it is ultimately a good thing for that reason.
I recently tore down my layout (never got past track and a small amount of basic scenery), and am planning to begin a new one soon. I can vision it in my head, but who knows if it will actually turn out that way.
I’ve only been doing “serious” modeling for the past 5 years (I’m only 15), and I certainly would not say my skills are anything even remotely close to great.
I can DREAM of what I HOPE it will look like, but I can UNDERSTAND what I KNOW it will look like.
When I first started I built a couple of those Atlas sectional layouts and quickly got bored and wondered if that was all there is when it came to model railroading. Everything now and then I would buy a copy of MR but didn’t know what really to do - not inspiration.
Then one day I realized that I had been spending time every summer in an area that held a special interest for me - the Upper Penninsula of Michigan. I have a place up there about a mile from the old railroad grade that was at one time the Manistique and Lake Superior - also known as The Haywire. I drove as much of the grade as I could and did some research and learned that there were many now abandoned camps, settlements and towns as well as The Haywire having connections to the Lake Superior and Ishpeming, the DSS&A as it wound through some really beautiful country. Then I located some US Geodetic Maps of the entire area and used these to drive trails and actually found a place called Sunrise Landing which is an old long forgotten saw mill in the middle of nowhere served by the LS&I
So I began to model the area around Munising, Shingleton, Doty, Steuben, Star Siding, Melstrand as well as Sunrise Landing and I am as happy as a clam. Last summer I took a ton of pictures of old buildings, bridges, streams - even brought home about 10 pounds of sand from one of the trails and it is finding a place on the layout - I wanted to get the colors right.
So all of this is to say that I am pleased with what I am doing - it’s of an area I love to visit and that seems to be rich in history. I still have a long way to go but I am pleased with my vision as well as the result.
I am building PART of the layout I envisioned. Some 30 years ago, I dreamed of a layout representing several aspects of Santa Fe lines in the 1950s at several different places, but all within about 50 miles of Houston, Texas…the big city station, a major yard, piney woods of East Texas, line to Galveston with the 2 mile causeway. Would take that 30 foot square train “palace” with vertical entry so no duckunders are needed.
I started towards that dream by building one part, Santa Fe in the Piney Woods like Conroe on a 3x7 foot board. Idea featured in “Lost River District of the Santa Vaca & ,” Model Railroader Feb85 p.106, reprinted, Top Notch Railroad Plans
Then I went and built it, or at least most of it.
Meanwhile, I refined my big plan.
I intended to have the Piney Woods as part of the big overall layout. Became disappointed because curves too sharp for passenger cars. Needed to rebuild or replace it. I saw I was never going to build 30 foot square train palace. So do I recreate what I have had, or a different part of the big dream? I had thought of running trains south from Houston to staging
My own layout is more or less what I imagined it would be - so far.
The NP from Seattle to Minneapolis (a bit of selective compression, there![:-,]), with only the small interchange yard and engine facility at Laurel, Montana being visible is looking like it will be a real hotbed of activity for one operator at the interchange, and maybe another running the trains through staging.
The wiring and control system is more complex than I expected to need, though.
My giant helix was the beast to build I thought it would be, and looks like it will be the operations pain I expected when I designed it, once it’s put into operation. It has afforded me the opportunity to present clinics on designing and building helices at local, regional and even a national NMRA convention (Hartford in 2009). That was lots of fun!
That’s an interesting helix-- is that N-gauge track you have there? I don’t think I’ve ever seen a 3-track helix (maybe I should get out more?)
What are its approximate dimensions? How many decks, including staging, are you using?
[quote user=“Brunton”]
, due in part to a questionable foray into local politics (I’ve been on the local borough Council for two years, with one left to go. The main effect of that has been to nearly completely stop progress on the railroad. And now the bums want me to run for mayor!
My ATSF in Oklahoma was designed and started in 1983 on the bones of a former freelanced railroad, the Mojave Western. Additonal space was obtained and the new railroad started. Today it is “finished” and pretty much to the original plan. In fact, the base construction was finished in the late 80’s and little change has happened since then in the foundation. Industries have changed, sidings have changed, yards have been reworked, but the base railroad remains in 2010 what was started in 1983. The layout is in an area 29ft by 33 ft. I model the portion of the ATSF mainline between Oklahoma City, which is modeled and Arkansas City KS which is staging. The main part of the railroad, which in part runs on all three decks is the Enid Distr. from Guthrie on the main, through Enid OK which was a major grain terminal, and on to Kiowa KS on the transcon and into Waynoka which is staging.
Also included is a portion of the BN from Tulsa (staging) through Enid and on to Avard and Waynoka, sharing staging with the ATSF. The only changes to the layout was abandonment of a 3 track staging yard which was hidden, and accessed from the helix when a main switch caused a problem and I was barely able to remove it and put in a piece of straight track and say goodbye to the staging area. And of course DCC was added in 1999-2000 replacing a pre DCC control system called Dynatrol.
The layout is what I envisioned (I love that word) when I started and I am happy with it. So vision and reality co exist in my basement.
My current layout is coming down as we speak. It did not pan out and was not well planned. No matter how I tweeked the track and re did things, it just wasn’t good. So, no it wasn’t turning out as I planned. I have found a usable and, quite frankly, great trackplan for my wants and desires and is being modified to make it more me, but the layout will be restarted as soon as the old one is removed. Will it be my last? I hope so. Will it turn out as I plan? I hope so. What I do know for sure is I will enjoy my efforts no matter the outcome. I hope.
, due in part to a questionable foray into local politics (I’ve been on the local borough Council for two years, with one left to go. The main effect of that has been to nearly completely stop progress on the railroad. And now the bums want me to run for mayor!