Dave's Layout v. 4.0


This is going to be a great build !
Thanks, Gary

Here I got the control panel off, taking a photo because that way I won't have to think very hard when I hook it back up. The tracks are already wired with jumpers, for 4 sections

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This is part of the Wyoming module. After removing the buildings and whatever is not attached, I slid it in its place on the back of the layout. I started moving stuff on to see how it looks.

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For me, this is coming up to the funnest part of the whole hobby, which is putting in scenery, laying track, making roads, and background.

Thanks for Looking!! And your comments and likes...


Dave LASM
 
Dave looks like all your preplanning is starting to payoff. I see you went with the 48" higher than normal height for layouts. Why 48" and not just go to 5'? Eye height?
George
Hi George,

Thanks for commenting, the 48" height was supposed to line up with the window on one of the walls. Also, I wanted to be able to tinker relatively easy with the scenery and trains.

In addition, I read somewhere that the "Recommended" maximum height be 48" (Funny I would remember this but not where I read it).

As it turns out, it is a good height both for working above and under the layout.

A fascia or skirt will cover the underside, I think.

Dave LASM
 
Hi George,

Thanks for commenting, the 48" height was supposed to line up with the window on one of the walls. Also, I wanted to be able to tinker relatively easy with the scenery and trains.

In addition, I read somewhere that the "Recommended" maximum height be 48" (Funny I would remember this but not where I read it).

As it turns out, it is a good height both for working above and under the layout.

A fascia or skirt will cover the underside, I think.

Dave LASM
I went with a 36” table height contemplating the idea of coming back later with a second level…. Don’t think that will happen, wish I would have made it even just a smidge taller, under table working is kind of a pain, you definitely made the right choice IMO
 
I went with a 36” table height contemplating the idea of coming back later with a second level…. Don’t think that will happen, wish I would have made it even just a smidge taller, under table working is kind of a pain, you definitely made the right choice IMO


The first time I crawled under this table my thought was "This is nice". I had forgotten what a pain in the butt it was with the old layout. This is what I call an unexpected outcome.

Thanks for commenting!

Dave
 
The last couple nights I got a little done under the layout, I have one support need to add these for multi directional stability, I am screwing these pieces in, using the Elmers wood glue to make it rigid

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You can see, the lumber is all different sizes. I have a big assortment of scraps from another project I wanted to use up here.

I have the long support built in to the legs, these short ones at 90 degrees to the long one should make it stiff.
First I fill in some of the space under the waferboard, then screwed in the waferboard support.

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This new piece really steadied up the leg. Will do this all the way around.

Thanks for looking

Dave LASM
 
Thanks for viewing and the comments! I got a ton of stuff done today, that will be it for the week, however.

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Here is the workbench and the layout

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Here is the cutout for the closet door. It is excellent that there will be a through route which will not be affected by the lift out.

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Above is the entrance door and duck under area, also shows this wall with the window. The edges will eventually be filled in with something.



Here is the view standing at the entry door. The modules are screwed in at their final grade. In between I will be going up and down.


Pooped out from going in and out of the house about 20 times, I did 90 percent of the cutting outside, however had to saw the cut out, I made a tent of 1 mil poly. I was able to keep the room relatively clear of dust.


Thanks for looking, Dave LASM
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Thanks for the likes and looking, here is the plan for the immediate future:

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I am going to start with the inside loop that goes to the engine house. I have 15' of flex track and several turnouts so will go as far as I can. The track is going to be attached to 1/4" plywood, I think, with a decline to the engine house and quarry area.

The terrain will be crumpled newspaper with paper towels covered with hydrocal. This should be interesting as a lot of this part will be new to me, as I always used sheet rock mud in the past. I may be ordering some sculptamold, we will see how it goes.

Thanks for looking, Dave LASM
 
Hi Guys, I have some progress to report on the layout, even though the lumber yard was closed Saturday. It was about -15, I suppose they didn't think anyone would be in.

Fortunately, I had enough scraps to keep me busy much of the day. I put down some supports and made the track bed from more left over stuff. My plan was to get 3/8" plywood to cut the track support pieces

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I am glueing down the support and using yet more of the OSB pieces I have laying around. This is the last of it, so will be buying the plywood for the rest, to be laid in the same manner.

It is level in the foreground, toward the top I am dropping it down lower.

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above the pieces are glued down, including the pine board, which goes to the engine shed

The top track is going to the sawmill

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I will be painting the track rusty on the sides before I attach it.

Thanks for looking!!! Dave
 
Thanks for the likes and viewing, I started working up the sawmill area and have pics of the trackwork etc:

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Above - I am using the tried and true method of tracing the plan out on paper and transferring it to plywood (in this case 1/4" luann)

My wife came in and we figured out the best way to orient the sawmill and office - storage bldg

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Boom, I wish it was as easy as changing the picture, spent a few hours getting the track right and also putting the buildings where I like them

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The sawmill is on the end of the track. Will be painting rails, ballasting, scenicing after I get a couple more sections of flex down.

THIS is the fun part

Thanks for looking, Dave LASM
 
Over the weekend I got some more plywood track bed down, pretty much accomplished the stuff I wanted to (although getting more done would have been nice)


I use this same method again since it usually works, put down some newspaper and traced the track it, cut the newspaper off with a exacto knife and used that as the template

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The lined on the newspaper correspond to the centerline, generally. I have traced out 24" radius curves with a tangent in the center

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I traced the drawings out on the luann. They called it 1/4" but it only measures 3/16". I made it in two sections because I know this method is not super precise, I can adjust it in the middle

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The new trackbed really blends in. It is 1/4 to 1/2" higher than the other grades, slopes slightly up then down to the feed mill. The engine house will be where the magnifier is, as low as possible, and the quarry will be between that and the new track, will be about 5 or 6" sandstone face which is being quarried

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Here is the bigger view. The pen markings are 24" radius. Not sure where the point of curvature is at the bottom, may have to add a small slice of plywood (by the razor blade) to make the curve look right.

There will be scenery, ditches, etc, between tracks

Thanks for looking and your comments


Dave LASM
 
Here is a pic of some of the track work I completed yesterday after work, shows a good comparison between the Walthers flex track purchased recently (code 100 wooden ties) with some Atlas flex purchased a couple years ago at a local hobby store.

Here is the curve and tangents when placed properly, note the track bed provides primary support but is not meant to be exact:

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One track is Atlas and the other three are Walthers, all Code 100 flex track

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This diagram shows the tangents (straight sections) and curves. Each curve begins at the line indicated. One more curve then another long tangent through the feed mill

This method below is a new trial, I used adhesive caulk at the ends of the ties to hold them initially in place prior to ballasting.

Where the green line is below I have strips of adhesive caulk touching the end of the ties, meant to hold the track firmly in place prior to ballast. In my experience, the pins sometimes offers too much wiggle room, especially if bumped

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I first adhered the tangent on the bottom, then waited 24 hours to make the curve, making certain the straight piece wasn't going to wander.

Thanks for looking, Dave LASM
 
I took all the pins and nails out and the adhesive caulk held really solid. In this photo shows the middle of the 24" R curve from the above section of track. With a knife I can clean off the ties, then paint the caulk to blend in.

In this instance, I tacked a longer stretch on the tangent (straight section) and just a few ties along the curves.

The inside track is free, I want about 1/16" gap there, will adjust it prior to completing this area.

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Thanks for looking and likes

Dave LASM
 
Home sick today so made headway on the railroad, I trimmed up the luann also finished rough laying the track to the feed mill:

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I will have to tweek the track a little in the bottom right, I think (above)

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Above - I trimmed up the boards quite abit.

Landscaping should take care of all imperfections

Aluminum screen covered with Hydrocal will form the terrain, may start on that next



Thanks for looking!!! Dave LASM
 
Looking good so far!

In the last picture, there are 4 tracks that all run together. When you lay those down, do you try to keep them all parallel? Why or why not?
I can tell you my preference, but I don't want to lead you into an answer 😁

The tracks are parallel until they diverge. Refer to this photo for the prototype:

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I will have to add the mail catch to my scene yet. The old signal should date this photo, is Northern Pacific

The spur just off the end of the depot goes to the quarry (for real and in my layout)

Thanks for commenting!

In other news, I got the face boards done for part of this section:

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There will be face boards like this on the visible edges, inside the layout as well
I have aluminum screen and hydrocal after this step is done


This layout is based largely on historical photography.

Thanks for Looking and your Likes

Dave LASM
 



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