My 4 x 8 layout

[AyTrane]

Speaking of bridges and water, has anyone ever tried using real water and a pump to make a nice creek/river scene or should the whole water/electricity thing come into play?

I had a working waterfall/creek system on a previous layout. It was a fun feature, but initially was really hard to seal up. I used latex rubber, painted with a silicone sealer, and then painted on top with latex paint. The pump was a little pump I picked up at the hobby shop. It worked pretty well, but it didn't look as realistic as a static river, but it was nice to see moving water.

Since water has a specific surface tension, it cannot be scaled down, so it's actually possible to notice that the water "isn't scale".

Now, there is a fish hatchery in Rapid City, SD, that has a "working" model of a creek system, starting from Dam to finishing in a river. That model has real running water, and looks really nice, but the water doesn't move down a steep grade, so it looks more natural in the model surroundings. If you could make a gradual creek, the illusion would play out nicely.

 

[West Virginia Midland Man]

I had a working waterfall/creek system on a previous layout. It was a fun feature, but initially was really hard to seal up. I used latex rubber, painted with a silicone sealer, and then painted on top with latex paint. The pump was a little pump I picked up at the hobby shop. It worked pretty well, but it didn't look as realistic as a static river, but it was nice to see moving water.

Since water has a specific surface tension, it cannot be scaled down, so it's actually possible to notice that the water "isn't scale".

Now, there is a fish hatchery in Rapid City, SD, that has a "working" model of a creek system, starting from Dam to finishing in a river. That model has real running water, and looks really nice, but the water doesn't move down a steep grade, so it looks more natural in the model surroundings. If you could make a gradual creek, the illusion would play out nicely.

Given that water tends to attract wee buggies 'n' such I'd say think long and hard about it before you do it.

 

[macjet]

I've got to say that I was a little worried with the opening photos but this layout is really coming along. Nice work! Thumbs up!

 

[cg51]

Nice work, can anyone tell me what the track spacing center to center is on the Walthers Double Track Truss Bridge. Walthers doesn't show that in the book and i need it to plan an area on my layout. Thanks Clint

 

[Rico]

Nice work, can anyone tell me what the track spacing center to center is on the Walthers Double Track Truss Bridge.

My HO one looks to be about 2-1/4" spacing.
I have two trains staged on it right now and power is disconnected to the layout so moving them would be tricky.

 

[cg51]

Thats a start. Thanks

 

[highroller]

The center-to-center spacing of the tracks on my Walthers bridge is 2-3/16".

I used Plaid Modge Podge Gloss for my water and it worked very well. This thing is quite thick so it does not run off too much. I sealed the side of my table with duct tape and voilà !!

I will use Gloss medium gel to simulate a stream and small rapids.

 

[cg51]

Thanks guys

 

[blue02celi]

love the pics as you work
dont even know where to start on planning my first layout, but this definitely doesnt look like your first attempt dont even know what half that stuff you used to make what you have so far is

 

[nephthyr]

Wow. I know a lot of people bash the 4' x 8' but this looks really decent. Very nice work and job well done. I'm very tempted to do a 4' x 8' myself instead of a switching layout but finding space is difficutl at best.

 

[highroller]

This is my second attempt in modeling a train layout. As a kid, I started to build the original Great Eastern Trunk from the Atlas book but it did not went very far. I got discouraged and didn't have the money anyway. Then, I build plastic airplane and later R/C airplanes from plans.

My relatives say that I have a photographic eye, maybe this is helping me in the miniature world

I must say that this layout is far from being a masterpiece, honestly, my ballast work could have been better. I'm often impatient and I have the very bad habit of putting too much stuff in the first place rather than just add a little by little, wait and see and add more. The bridge and creek look better since I spent more time on these.

What I dislike most about the 4 x 8 format is this boring merry-go-round effect of the trains. What I found best to get a better view is to sit eye level and look at only a small portion of the layout at the time.

Here is some pictures with the bridge guard rail in place and more highlights in the small creek. The bridge will be weathered later with dust and rust. Next I will add ground cover all overt the table.

 

[UP2CSX]

Looks great! I wasn't sure you could pull off a creek in such a narrow area without it looking like a flood control channel but it came out very nice. The rockwork really helps make the scene.

 

[highroller]

After several months of train building inactivity I decided to resume work on my layout and I started the wiring part (DC operation).

So far I have installed 9 Atlas under the table switch machines and 11 isolated blocks. I will need 7 more switch to finish it all.

The connector blocks were used for testing purpose only until I decide on the final installtion and panel configuration. I will build a capacitor discharge power supply for all my turnout controls.

I tried DCC but its not my cup of tea. I never got my train to run smooth with DCC, there was some kind of fluctuation causing the locomotives to change speed for no apparent reasons so I prefer the good old power packs and for such a small layout DCC is probably overkill !

I also attached a couple of pictures of CN 9-44's taken in Beloeil, Quebec today on the same train. You can see an helper loco in the middle of the consist of an hundred more container cars.

 

[ctozzi]

hey highroller i have a few questions as i'm almost ready to buy the atlas great western trunk layout track kit:

1. were and how much did you get the track kit from ?
2. how much corkbed did you need to buy ?
3. can you post some additional photos of how you wired all your switches so i can copy them please.

Thanks your layout look fantastic and has inspired me to build one over the turkey day weekend.

Thanks
Chris

 

[highroller]

Chris,

My layout is a modified version of the original great western trunk. I did not buy the tracl kit, I ordered each track pieces instead.

For my layout, I used more than 1 and a half box of Midwest #3013 cork (25 pcs each)

Unfortunately, I don't have other pics of the wiring. I just followed the Atlas book.

I just dismantled the whole layout this weekend.

It was taken too much space in my basement and I lost interest in this spaghetti bowl of tracks. I will probably start a new N project in the future with less trackage and a more balanced scenery. I prefer a single main line with elevated tracks and passing siding rather than double and triple tracks on a flat arrangement. I'm aware that N scale is less detailed than HO but you can run longer trains in less space and get this feeling of distance rather than the running around effect.

Just take your time planning your layout and run your train before starting any ballast or scenery job !

Keep in mind that what we see in magazine or books and what we have in our imagination is not always the reality and the result is often disapointing.

I learned a lot of techniques while building this layout and it will serve me good on any other project. We all learn from our mistakes.

Happy railroading !

 

[CCET01]

Highroller,

Thanks for sharing this journey on the modified Great Eastern Trunk. This has inspired me to go back to making my own version happen. I know there are other options for my limited space, but this has been a great way to see a visual for me as a guide.

Did you ever get to building your N scale project?

-Lee

 

[Cjcrescent]

Highroller;

I'm sorry that you felt that you had to tear the layout down. I know that sometimes, a spaghetti bowl layout with few options can get old fast. Sometimes the trick with these kinds of layouts is to cut out as much track as possible. I see a trackplan, not as a blueprint, but a guide. On my own layout I have left off several scenes and track that I though would make the plan too crowded, even though I drew them on the plan.

This has definitely been a learning experience for you, and I wouldn't be disappointed at all about the ballasting that you had done. No ballast is perfect, and it doesn't necessarily stay where its spread. You did a more than an acceptable job, and your next layout will be better.

If you still have your DCC equipment, I wouldn't get rid of it. There is a CV that can be changed from basically dual mode to just DCC. Sometimes if the dual mode is left on, the loco could see the power as DC, instead of DCC, and since the decoder sees it as a full power setting, it will take off at full speed sometimes, and other times if the track or wheels are a little dirty it will act erratically. But if you've gotten rid of it, it's OK. DC works just as well, and it does depends really on what you're comfortable with.

Can't wait to see what you come up with the N-scale. Good Luck!