Building a new layout


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I started this over a year ago but finally getting back into it the last couple of days. Will have a industrial yard at each end of this valley middle portion.
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Looks good so far from what I can see. Do you have a track paln you can post? Unless your town is set in stone, you also might consider angling the streets away from the tracks. The town will look bigger and you'll have more space for structures.
 
Thanks Jim, I already have the streets glued down but the structures are movable. I moved them all across the street except for the train station. I see want you mean I do like the look. Question is now want do I put in all that space on both sides of the train station? I guess parking lot on both sides of near the station but what else? I was thinking of having a park and that might work on one side. edit- I realize now you meant having the streets run perpendicular to the tracks. I could make that happen without to much difficulty, will think it over. My track plan is basically a dogbone upper track that is independent of the lower rectangle that is only about 50% visible.
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Got the track for the yards down. The west one has four spurs, you can see my scratch built tunnel portal. The east has only one spur and is my Inland Intermodal xfer facility. Used the rest of my unitrak here. Have a lot real estate left @ both yards, was thinking of a modern neighborhood with those nice Kato houses next to one of the yards.
Tom
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Nice looking tunnel portal. How about this for a town idea. Arrange the building around a town square, with the station on one end and commercial buildings on the other three sides. Have the roads that lead out of the square angle towards the hills in the background and put your residential neighborhood there. Along the tracks, have some typical small industries, like machine shops and scrap yards. The area right along the tracks is usually industrial in nature. Looks like the right end of the spur in front of the station would be a good place to add another spur servicing a grain elevator, if you're modeling a midwestern type town. A freight house and a few other rail served industries would be logical in the area by the yard.
 
I want to keep all the industry on the upper level, thinking I will have the modern houses on the right side of the lower level (valley). Need to make sidewalk/building foundations, is W/S Smooth It the best option? Wish I could just buy some type of material and cut it to size. Started some scenery, Chocolate Mountain looks a little better.
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Some guys like the WS Smooth-it product. I hate it. Get some .020 sheet styrene and cut it to the shapes you need. Use latex caulk to glue it down. Laminate two layers together for sidewalks and curbs. Paint it with Floquil Aged Concrete and some india ink washes and they will look just fine.
 
Thanks Jim, I don't much care for Smooth It either. I built the WS Scenic Ridge layout about eight years ago and remember that stuff being a pain. I will use your recommendation, sounds like just what I was looking for.
 
Went to the hobby shop after church and all they had was 2 sheets of .020 7.5" by 11". got some aged concrete too. They did not have the adhesive or India wash. After cutting the sheets and putting on the layout I was so pleased I called a bunch of other craft stores but none of them had any. Seen where someone said to go to Wal Mart and get For Sale signs, did that and it was a lot cheaper. I was messing around and built this passenger platform cover. Not sure if I like it. Any one have any thoughts about it? Might look better with bigger post. I have some fireplace matches (used for Tunnel portal above) that are noticeably bigger and might look better. Thinking paint the top green to match the station roof.
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Did not need to wait for a response, the wife said the bigger post would look better. She is right, first big wind and the other one would of been gone.
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Not sure how hard it would be, but you could try to score the center of the roof length ways, and form a peak for drainage. Doesn't have to be a drastic one...maybe just 5 - 10 degrees. The bigger posts do look better.
 
I decided I did not like it after awhile and took it down. Going to get the Whalters butterfly station platform. Thanks for the idea, I used the wood for something else so I can't even try it out.
 
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Tom, I see you're coming along. Even if the main street has to be straight, try putting some gentle curves in the residential area. Looks like you even have room for at least one cul de sac. Your town will have a lot more visual interest if it's not all straight lines.
 
Jim, I'm thinking about bringing the hidden track behind the elevated track in the back up in front of the elevated track which will be moved back to the wall. Might have an opportunity to do something like you suggested after that is done. Thanks for your suggestion.
 
thanks, I would like to find a side loader forklift for it. I understand they are/were more likely in a small yard. can't seem to find one
 
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