Layout on HOLD


N

need2drag

Member
:( Looks like my whole layout is going to be on hold for a little while. IRS says I owe them some money from last year so I have to pay that. Kinda makes me mad too, cuz I had some good layout plans of buying things for it this weekend for my birthday. So for the time being I will not be doing anything new to my layout. Once I can get back to building again I will post up something to let everyone know, hopefully it will be new progress pics of my layout.:(
 
I know the feeling. My layout has been on hold since Thanksgiving when I decided to move my office into my home. Not a money issue, but a time issue. I have only two switches to get the layout running, but no trains in two months.
 
The taxman is famous for telling people they owe money when they actually don't. Most never question it and just pay the amount to get it over with.
(Quote from an actual Gov. worker)
Hope you're not one... I almost did but found out otherwise!
 
I'm totally bummed for you. Maybe you can get some sort of a government grant to buy my rolling stock.
 
Yeah I checked into it. I am the type of person that only pays things like that if I have too. I figure since I have to wait, it will give me time, to make plans for everything I want to do.
 
i hate it for you. im on hold too, waiting for clearance......
been doing a lot of reading in the meantime.
 
Well, in this down time, I have done a lot of thinking. I have taken down the basic layout I had started on, and moved everything down to the basement. I am going to build a simple shelf layout for now. Probably won't do a lot of scenery or anything fancy, just something to run some trains on. I am going to start purchasing stuff needed for a much larger layout. My sister got me this really nice book on model railroad layouts, and I decided instead of doing something nice and detailed now, and then something nice and detailed later(when we buy a house), I am just going to wait till we buy a house, and in the mean time, start saving and buying the stuff I will need, ie more track, turnouts, buildings, rolling stock, loco's...kinda depends on what I come across. I have also decided to not use the EZ track, just because I feel I am more limited to what I can get track wise. I think I am just going to buy all flex track and go that route. I will use what EZ track I do have to run a simple continuous run for my passenger train on the new layout when ever I start it.

In doing this I will be able to build a good size layout, and have everything I want on it. Continuous runs, good landscaping, industry, and a switching yard. I will get on here every once in a while, as I purchase things, and if I have any questions. I will keep posting updates on here as I go too. Thanks for everyone's help in the past, and hope to get a good layout going in the next couple of years.
 
It has been a while since I have been on here, so I figured I would get on and update everyone. I haven't been able to really buy anything for my layout, had some things going on that has taken a good chunk of money, all good things though. I have switched my plan of attack from doing a simple shelf layout to doing a simple 48"x51" layout. I will be one continuous run, with some minor switching in it. It doesn't seem like it is very big, but after setting the track down on how I planned the run, and then measuring what size board I will need, I have actually come up with some ideas for scenery and buildings.

Right now, I do have one question for anyone who can answer. The run will basically be a looped circle. At one point in the track there will be an elevation change where the track will cross over itself. What would everyone suggest I use to build the elevation change? Should I buy a pier set and then sculp land down from that to make it look like the track is on a levy or something, or should I use foam? Or is there another way you guys would suggest doing this? Thanks in advance for the help.
 
The first issue is how much space you need for the grade. For a 2% grade, you'll need 50" on each side of the grade. Can you fit this into your current space and trackplan?

I would use the Woodland Scenic risers if you have the money. If you don't, you can use scrap foam pieces but you'll have to measure accurately to get a smooth grade. Which eve method you use, you'll want to scenic the grade so it looks like it's going up to the bridge on solid ground. Piers look very toylike and few railroads used piers to carry the roadbed up a grade.
 
I am going to use the sheets of foam. I am going to buy enough to lay 2 layers. I will cut the foam to the desired basic shape of the land, basically creating my own risers with the foam. I should have done more research before I posted that last post, seeing hows I have figured out how I am going to do it. I still appreciate everyone's input though. Thanks guys. Once I get the foam, and start laying everything out, I will take pics as I go. I got the idea for my layout on a pre-fab layout I seen on ebay for sale. It was from like the 80's but it looked good, and figured it would work for the space I have.
 
OK, I have started building my semi-non-temporary layout. lol The reason I say it like that is because it is not a permanent layout, but the benchwork is pretty solid. I am downloading pics and a some what descriptive video of what I have going on. As soon as they are done loading I will post them for all to see. I should be getting foam this weekend, if Lowes has some of what I need, if not then I am going to order it from Woodland Scenics. Once I get that then I will begin the fun process of laying that, and then track, and then landscaping. I am getting excited now, as well as my kids. I will take lots of progress pics. Thanks everyone who gave me any helpful insight.
 
ok here are some pics of what I have going on. The video is loading to youtube right now, and once it is done I will post it as well.
The first one is just the benchwork I built for the layout
101_2140.png

This one is the drawing I made of what the track is going to look like.
101_2142.png

This one is the pile of track I am using for this small layout.
101_2144.png

This one is what the track looks like layed out on the table.
101_2147.png

And this final one is a pic of the elevation change in the track. I know it is a little ghetto rigged, but I wanted to run a train to see how well the elevation would work. Granted I did this just to see if I felt this was going to suit what I was wanting to accomplish with this layout.
101_2151.png


I hope this gives everyone a general idea of what I am doing, and I can't wait to get more pics as I progress through the build.
 
Looks like a good start. Watch those cigarettes around the layout though. I won't get into preaching about health issues since I smoke too but the ashes can get into your locomotives amd make a real mess. That wall on the right side looks like it has had some water leakage. Any problems with that?
 
not anymore. The landlords did alot of repair work last spring, because the year before they had the leaking issues. We have gotten some real good rain already this year, and it hasn't leaked. I am still gonna keep an eye on it just in case though. And as far as the ashtray, I do pretty good about not smoking around the track. It was sitting there, because I had to use the washer and dryer as kind of a work bench for cutting the 2x4's, and that is where it was sitting. lol....thanks for the comments though. Hopefully I can get my foam today, so I can do some more work on it.
 
I think the thing I like the most about it so far, is how well I drew the track plan, and how well I stuck with the drawing. I am going to draw a little more detail to the drawing, so that I have more to work with, as far as buildings and scenery.
 
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