Anyways, if you weren’t paying attention, I’m getting track and some buildings for me layout. Also have custom painting to do so that will fund the rest of the building.
Old pic from back in January. That is back in the paint booth, as is an MBTA GP9, and soon, a BN SD24, 3 B&M GP38-2s, and some GP50s. GP50s are getting super detailed, so the money I’m getting for all these units will surely finance the rest of the buildings. This way, I’ll be able to scenic my layout in September or October, and be putting money away to fund my scenery purchases… Static Grass+Applicator, Real Rock Ballast, Trees, Water Features, Rock Features, telephone lines, and other scenic details…
In SCRail news, i’ve got an idea to re-do my layout design a bit to get a much less crowded town space and also some more indsutry, though the msot I’ve drawn so far is a sketch.
As a reply to Alex’s, Vincent’s, and Jordan’s posts…
Yes, Alex does own about half the shares of WRS stock. Actually, maybe we both own about 45% of the stock, then the last 10% are split between the other people who have helped with the railroad!
And what do you mean “spending plan?” We have had lengthy discussions about the GP40-2L(W) units (politically correct designation! [:P]), the new cars (although I’m still a bit iffy on that; while I would like new cars, I can’t justify them until I can stop plowing money into buildings, scenery, etc), new buildings, operating signals, maglevs, and Zarkoon Freight Teleportation Systems for an improvement in transit times and operating ratio!
Oops, I guess the attachment didn’t work. Bah, I’ll send it again when I get back from DC. It was something along the lines of Locos, then Fascia/Electrical, then Buildings, then Scenery, then Rolling Stock, then Vehicles, then lighting/signals. It was so amazing… 2 pages all in detail. Anyways… You’ll get it when I get back from DC on like next monday or sometime…
The only thing I want to say now is do the Fascia and UT5s right now. Like… Get somehardboard(preferable) or 1/8" plywood to use as a fascia. Paint it if you use plywood, and cut holes for the UT5s. This, alone from scenery, will make the layout look more professional, and will be much easier to operate when you’re not searching under benchwork forplaces to plug it in. At the same time I’d recommend getting the Micro Mark car routing system, and installing car card boxes in key locations. You’re current car card arrangements are difficult to read,and the boxes are difficult to access under the layout, and don’t look too hot. To reduce visual impact ofwhats under the layout, you can also add a curtain behind the hardboard/plywood, that extends to the floor, so guests/operators are not distracted by what’s underneath the layout, and can focus on the layout itself.
Okay. Yoshi doesn’t think I need a fascia, just a curtain. I’m going to build “mini-fascias” with the UP5 ports and waybill boxes mounted on them flush with the front of the layout. Then I’ll hang the curtain behind that to hide all the junk under my layout. That should contrast enough against the black curtain to make it easily visible.
My waybills and car cards are fine, but I need to re-write a lot of them with neater handwriting, and the bill boxes need replacing. I thought about making them out of wood, but I think it’ll be easier to buy them… I don’t have many woodworking skills besides big stuff like benchwork.
Also, I noticed 9423’s realistic speeds! Switching is fun (as long as you have clean tracks) when you have to worry about how long it takes to stop! [:P]
When I purchase my Micro Mark Stuff, I’ll only be using like 20 of the Car Cards and Waybills, and a few of the others. That leaves you about 80 car cards/waybills, 20 loco cards, and the 2 Bill Boxes I don’t need. That way you just need to invest in like 3 more boxes, and you’ll have better looking cards! [:)] Even if you were to add 2" strips of masonite along the edge, it will still look better than painted foam.
When you get the Atlas GP40-2Ls I’d recomend setting CV3 and CV4 to 25 too because A, its prototypical to have locomotives going slowly upgrade, B, the stopping and starting looks much nicer, and C it has the same drive so they won’t be fighting against each other.
Yes, the GP40-2L units will definetely have scale speeds… With sound ([:D]) and scale speeds, the effect will be really neat!
We calculated the cost of fascias, and it wasn’t that much money, but for the time and effort (and money saved) I can add mini-fascias and curtains. Anyway, I’m going to figure out new locations for bill boxes, and use one for each town. I don’t know what I’ll do in the yard area (I’ll probably build that one) but I’ll only need three others, in Mascoma, Enfield, and West Canaan.
I agree with Alex, I’d try and get a fascia. It makes the layout look nicer and is less distracting. Besides, then friends or siblings will be discouraged to stick things in the foam edge…[banghead]
I think the mini-fascia is a great idea personally, but wrapping the foam edge in something that will discourage people sticking things in it would be smart. A black curtain with red mini-fasci with the boxes and also the UT5 panels would follow the WRS’s paint scheme too. Also, the red would really stand out and make it easy to find the mini-fascia. Just my 2 cents.
My fascia is black foam. And the mini-fascias will have the bill boxes, UP5 panels, and my one reversing circuit switch mounted on them. Then the black curtain will hide all the junk beneath the layout from view. Every thing you’ll ever need (save for refreshments and the bathrooms [:P] will be mounted on the mini-fascias. No more searching underneath the layout for stuff!
I think red mini-fascias would actually be too distracting. Black would work, and the bill boxes will have white labels, plus the UP5s are white already. They will stand out as they are.
Why not black? There would be no visibility issues, and even a dark color would distract from the layout and contrast with the black skirt.
Yes, a sorting shelf will be part of the fascia, with place for operators to set down their waybills, uncoupling pick, etc. I don’t allow food or drinks while operating (although I maintain the right to do so myself) but if I did, it would work to set those down too.
To be honest, the black painted foam doesn’t look that great or professional. Covering that with a 2" strips of masonite between the “mini fascia” would make it look so much better! [:)]
Stick with one color too. Fascia should only be one color, and a dull one at that. Dark Greens and Tealish colors work, as does black, but when your Fascia is made up of different colored sections it detracts from the layout as a whole.
Very true… I agree completely. The thing I’m stuck on is priorities. Would I rather have spend several hours of modeling time and a bunch of money on a nice fascia, or something to improve the operation of the layout itself?
As an evening thunderstorm clears away, Train 403 heads west around Mascoma Lake.
F/36, 2.0 seconds, at ISO 320. Light is provided by layout track lighting and a photo lamp with a difuse filter. (Actually, it’s an old reading lamp with a floodlamp bump that I’m holding a piece of paper over, but it serves the same purpose!) The stormy sky was added in Photoshop.
#9423 leads 402 past Mascoma Lake.
F/36, 4.0 seconds, at ISO 640. Light is just natural layout lighting, track lights.
Jordan, how’d you know what my bro did when I had a layout? I’ve found a flatcar stuck into the foam once.
GG, Just because they are the same engine from the same manufactuer doesn’t mean they’ll run at the same speeds. When I had 3 non-sound Gp30s and recieved 2752 (which I got for the sound/dcc chassis), I tested the 3 non-sounds. One ran a little different then the rest, so I stuck 2752 on that chassis. Same with 8569, since the chassis under one of my Gp9s was really close to my sound/dcc GP9.
BTW, don’t knock on black painted foam. It makes good coal loads.
Ty, I like the second picture. Regarding fiascas, Defenitely go with one color, with some type of hardboard.
Tyler, definately go with the mini fascias, all black, with enough room for the UP5s, waybill boxes, shelves, and to cover the entire edge. I painted my plywood and foam edge black, and its horribly awful. When I start over on my new layout, I’ll definately invest in some kind of fascia.
I remember a few years back in MR, there was something about how some guy used chalkboards for his fascia. That way, he could leave notes for operators and stuff.
Oh, and BTW, Nice job with those photos, especially the first one![tup]
I had two Spectrum F40PHs whose speed didn’t match. Maybe it had something to do with one being 8 years older than the other, but yeah…
I had set aside some of the money that I made to buy an airbrush, some paints, and two covered hoppers, but then I got the email about the $20 SW1500s from Atlas (even though they’re made by Athearn). I think I’ll get two, and then maybe I can still get the airbrush and paints[:D]
I’m just assuming that two locomotives, from the same run, will have the same chassis, decoders, and settings that they will run well in tandem. I’ve always been happy with how Atlas loks ran together, and you must remember, P2k Geeps have been in production for many years, through which there have been changes in the internal mechanism.
