my first ever layout


S

soul embrace

New Member
i started my first ever layout last sunday and i just got done with doing all the bench work today. it's not based on any railroad and the outer mainline is going to be NS and the inter track will be CSX. those are my favorite engines and thats what runs through my city, we have a CSX far and also a NS yard. i've starting laying the cork board down tonight and right now just giving my thumbs a break.

the layout is 36"X96" and i used a layout plan from Mike's Small Track Plans Page and modified it a little since it was designed for a 78"X30" door.

here is the original layout:

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Modified layout plan (The white track is now in a tunnel also. also the track now goes all the way to the edge on the left side and bottom):

TrackLayout1.png


here is some pictures (not very good ones though, sorry) of the bench work and some of the cork bed:

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most of this track in going to be inside the mountain, each elevated track comes out of the mountain and goes across a bridge. the 3 bridges at top is at different hight level and one is at a small grade

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hope you enjoy them and i'm can't wait to start running trains....
 
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And this is your first layout? Looking great. Keep us posted on your progress.
 
finished laying down all the cork bed last night, took a little while for me to figure out how i wanted to do the lowest section

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First Layout

Just a question, why did you depress the middle section. It makes it more difficult to lean over the outer tracks and scenery to work in the middle section.

Armchair
 
Armchair said:
Just a question, why did you depress the middle section. It makes it more difficult to lean over the outer tracks and scenery to work in the middle section.

Armchair
Click to expand...

Because I wanted the middle part to be in a valley and to me it made more sense to drop the middle than raise it. Raising the center would have made it on top of a mountain instead of a valley. The outer most track where I would be reaching over there isn't going to be much scenery as far as trees goes. The layout is only going to be 36" off the floor so I don't think it's going to be to hard to reach over where I need to
 
I'd highly recommend lowering it even more. Down to 24"-30" because of the reaching thing. 36" off the floor is a little tall for working and playing on. Trust me on that one... Your trains will derail in the worst places. LOL

Looks really good, though.

:)
 
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Its coming along great. Real soon you will be running trains.
 
thegrindre said:
I'd highly recommend lowering it even more. Down to 24"-30" because of the reaching thing. 36" off the floor is a little tall for working and playing on. Trust me on that one... Your trains will derail in the worst places. LOL

Looks really good, though.

:)
Click to expand...

thanks for the suggestion for lowering it but i really don't want the layout 2-2 1/2 feet off the ground. if i did it that low then one of my dogs probably would jump on top of it. if she wanted to she could jump up on it with no problem at 35 1/4" off the ground. i can walk around all 3 sides of the layout so reaching where it derail won't be a problem to reach because i can reach all the track right now just fine the reach to the middle from any side it 18".
 
soul embrace said:
thanks for the suggestion for lowering it but i really don't want the layout 2-2 1/2 feet off the ground. if i did it that low then one of my dogs probably would jump on top of it. if she wanted to she could jump up on it with no problem at 35 1/4" off the ground. i can walk around all 3 sides of the layout so reaching where it derail won't be a problem to reach because i can reach all the track right now just fine the reach to the middle from any side it 18".
Click to expand...

I see that dog on top of your sofa looking out the window! That looks like a frisbee dog!
 
NWP95501 said:
I see that dog on top of your sofa looking out the window! That looks like a frisbee dog!
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yea she would be but she don't go for frisbees though. She has one kind of toy she loves to play with outside and that's about all she will play with. She is part siberian husky and can leap over a 4 foot gate with no problem
 
been a little while since i posted updated pictures of my layout. since my first posting i've laid most of my track, waiting on another 30 degree crossing (broke the first one so i had to order another one) so i can finish the lower section. i should be all done with the track by saturday, then comes the wiring and soldering.

well enough talking so here are the pictures:

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soul embrace said:
i'm not sure....a friend did all the bench work for me. how would i figure that out?
Click to expand...
The Rise divided by the Run times 100.
Rise = change in height
Run = distance along horizontal that the rise was measured.
times 100 to give grade in percent.

Layout looks good.
 
With the tracks that close to the edge of the layout AND having animals in the house I suggest that once you get further along you consider using some bolts and washers to attach a low rise of plexiglass along the edges of your layout.

It'll cost less in the long run than replacing any locomotives or cars that make a one way trip to the floor or become chew toys.
 
finished up laying track early this morning (12:30am) so i put all my locomotives and rolling stock on the track and took pictures i also did a hand roll test of all the track with some of the rolling stock and fixed the few trouble spots

well here is the pictures

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most of the track on this end is going to be inside of a mountain

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now comes the wiring and soldering....
 
waltr said:
The Rise divided by the Run times 100.
Rise = change in height
Run = distance along horizontal that the rise was measured.
times 100 to give grade in percent.

Layout looks good.
Click to expand...


thanks

a rough figure is the rise is 3% from the very being to the bridge, hard to get a accurate measure of the whole thing since it's starts right before a curve

the train going up that grade will be pulled by 3 locomotives


Dameon said:
With the tracks that close to the edge of the layout AND having animals in the house I suggest that once you get further along you consider using some bolts and washers to attach a low rise of plexiglass along the edges of your layout.

It'll cost less in the long run than replacing any locomotives or cars that make a one way trip to the floor or become chew toys.
Click to expand...

thank you for the tip and will probably do that or something like that. when i'm not at home or when i'm not in the room i plan on keeping the door shut to the train room to keep her out of the room. when i'm in the room she normally just lays on the floor
 
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