Have you "tinkered" with a track plan? OR, did I overlook forgot it along the way?
New On30 Layout.
- Thread starter Ash Pit
- Start date
Getting close to two months since I started De-Constructing my HO layout. This process has takin about 7 weeks longer than I had figured it would. However, I am selling stuff off on Ebay which is probably taking up about 1/4 of my time. and not using a Sawsall to cut it up and get rid of the layout, as I suspect my two boys would do. Also, I'm not working very hard at doing this. At 70 years old I maybe have 1/4 the stamina and lack the interest in working hard that I used to have. I can tell you that I have finally removed the last structures from the layout. That is a Farm House and garage that was located on a hill and was difficult to get to because of HooDoo Gulch being in the way of getting to it. I managed to remove them without damage. So, will eventually sell them on Ebay. Once better weather gets here, this process will stop completely and it's likely I will not get back to a new layout until fall, if ever! I'm considering that instead of building the On30 layout I have discussed here, I might go back to building and flying R/C airplanes. The idea of having a hobby that doesn't rely on spousal and children action to clean-up your mess has some appeal! However, Life is like a Box of Chocolate, as you never know what you're gonna get!
After deciding that I was going to De-Construct my previous HO layout, I found out how big of a job that can be! If I can convince one person to think about The One Module Approach; or, TOMA as a way to build their layout, I have saved that person the time it takes to do what I am doing at this time.
When I started my Northern Pacific layout in the basement, pretty much the way we thought about layouts at that time was still how John Allen built his layout and that was to build it as a permanent fixture in your house! Why we thought this way was due shortsightedness on our part. I figured that at the age of 38 years young, I would have a lifetime to enjoy my layout and I didn't think about the fact that I was going to get old. So, I'm 70 years young now and all of a sudden I needed to start thinking about leaving the job of tearing out my pride and joy to my two sons and wife.
Essentially, what TOMA is, is stringing sections of your layout together using 2 to 4 foot wide modules that are 2, 4, 6 and 8 feet long. Size of the module is dictated by the thought of dragging the module up stairs and through your house to take it to a new location, show; or, to the landfill to get rid of it. On my old layout, I had places that were difficult to reach and It also had a "Duck Under" to get to the center where I mostly operated from. As I aged it became more and more difficult to "Duck Under"! Because Modules tend to be narrow, so they can be gotten through doorways, generally reach will not be a problem. As simply put as it can be, I will tell you not to build a permanently affixed "Duck Under"! Nod under, maybe; or, some type of movable gate or lift bridge may be O.K.
I am near completing the De-Construction of my HO layout and will begin my new On30 modular layout as soon as I can.
When I started my Northern Pacific layout in the basement, pretty much the way we thought about layouts at that time was still how John Allen built his layout and that was to build it as a permanent fixture in your house! Why we thought this way was due shortsightedness on our part. I figured that at the age of 38 years young, I would have a lifetime to enjoy my layout and I didn't think about the fact that I was going to get old. So, I'm 70 years young now and all of a sudden I needed to start thinking about leaving the job of tearing out my pride and joy to my two sons and wife.
Essentially, what TOMA is, is stringing sections of your layout together using 2 to 4 foot wide modules that are 2, 4, 6 and 8 feet long. Size of the module is dictated by the thought of dragging the module up stairs and through your house to take it to a new location, show; or, to the landfill to get rid of it. On my old layout, I had places that were difficult to reach and It also had a "Duck Under" to get to the center where I mostly operated from. As I aged it became more and more difficult to "Duck Under"! Because Modules tend to be narrow, so they can be gotten through doorways, generally reach will not be a problem. As simply put as it can be, I will tell you not to build a permanently affixed "Duck Under"! Nod under, maybe; or, some type of movable gate or lift bridge may be O.K.
I am near completing the De-Construction of my HO layout and will begin my new On30 modular layout as soon as I can.
Would there be any interest in my Turntable from this layout? It is a Bowser model. The Turntable is shown in the first photo on this page. If there is some interest, I will take some more photos of it, now that it is removed from the layout.
3/3/2021 The above mentioned turntable has been listed at Ebay it is Item ID 154354445956 if interested.
3/3/2021 The above mentioned turntable has been listed at Ebay it is Item ID 154354445956 if interested.
Last edited:
Rico
BN Modeller
Good morning!
Oh were following, just don’t always have much to say at times.
Keep in mind there’s a lot of visitors that can’t reply, but do ramp up the counter.
I agree with you about building in sections. I’ve always done that (sectional not modular) in pieces that can fit where I can fit. (doorways, stairs, vehicles, etc.)
Looking forward to seeing the new build! I have a fair bit of On30 stuff that I’ll be thinning out but keeping just enough for a wee micro layout.
Cheers!
Oh were following, just don’t always have much to say at times.
Keep in mind there’s a lot of visitors that can’t reply, but do ramp up the counter.
I agree with you about building in sections. I’ve always done that (sectional not modular) in pieces that can fit where I can fit. (doorways, stairs, vehicles, etc.)
Looking forward to seeing the new build! I have a fair bit of On30 stuff that I’ll be thinning out but keeping just enough for a wee micro layout.
Cheers!
I am down to the wire on the old layout. If I can be a bit ambitious, by this weekend almost all of the old layout should be removed. I am trying to decide if I should hold onto a couple HO locomotives and some freight cars and join a club in Bemidji so I can run my HO stuff, or sell it all on Ebay and be done with HO. I will be going up there this next week on Wednesday to see what they have , whether they use DCC and what they have for a layout. Bemidji is an hour away from where I live so the drive time is going to be high. I have been told that their monthly dues are $15.00, which seems high to me at $180.00 per year. That's $180.00 that I can't use on my own layout. Maybe I will go up there and be very impressed with what they have; or, maybe not and the decision will be easy to make. We shall see.
It's Official!!! The De-Construction of my old HO layout was completed last Friday and I have started to prepare the usable parts of the old layout for the new one. Tomorrow night I'm going to pay a visit to the HO Club up in Bemidji to see what they have and think about holding on to some of my freight and passenger equipment to run on that layout. From the video i've seen of operations up there the appear to be using Digitrax DCC equipment, which is exactly what I use. I have also ordered a Jig for building #6 turnouts and all the equipment I need to do so, from Fast Tracks. I will use their Bull Frog Turn Out Control for routing turnout. Fast Tracks has a wonderful Website and all their products are very well though-out and I look forward to many hours of hand laying my On30 Track! I'm keeping my HO track cleaning cars to run on my On30 track to keep it clean.
So, I am finally looking forward to building, as opposed to tearing down!
So, I am finally looking forward to building, as opposed to tearing down!
santafewillie
Same Ol' Buzzard
I think that we're all looking forward to that. Tear-down is such a sad occurrence.
Following every word on this from the start! Just haven't had a whole lot to add.
Hand laid track? Can't wait to see it. I am glAD that someone else actually does modeling and not just decoders.
No offence all!
Just me!
Hand laid track? Can't wait to see it. I am glAD that someone else actually does modeling and not just decoders.
No offence all!
Just me!
So, what is it that attracted me to Narrow Gauge? 1). I have been an on and off subscriber to the Narrow Gauge and Shortline Gazette for more than 20 years. 2). In 2015 my wife and I rode the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and as I was riding it, I was thinking that I should probably switch to Narrow Gauge, as I found that it reflected almost everything that I find interesting in Model Railroading!
So then, why not HOn3, then I could have used much of my existing structures? At 70 years of age, I was finding HO to be at the edge of my ability to work on the locomotives and rolling stock and HOn3 equipment is even smaller! I really liked Sn3, I built one of PBL's stock cars and even hand laid a small section of track to roll it on. PBL is almost the sole manufacturer of Sn3 stuff. The rolling stock kits built into very, very nice equipment. The Locomotives offered by PBL generally command over $1,000.00 to purchase. This fact and the fact that PBL is for the most part the sole manufacturer of Sn3 equipment, scared me off. PBL has been in business since 1971, that is 50 years under one man's control and I would think he would be thinking about retirement. Sn3 is really his baby. If he sells and leaves his business, who ever would buy the business would have a struggle on there hands. So, I shied away form Sn3. On30 intrigued me., Yes. there probably wasn't that many railroads that had 2 1/2 feet or 30 inches between the railheads. However, I've decided to be completely freelanced in this endeavor, so the above fact will be overlooked in my freelancedness. I'm finding the cost Bachmann On30 rolling stock to be somewhat over priced; but, keep my eyes out for stuff on Ebay. I've found Accucraft AMS Freight cars to be reasonable in price and they make them with either On3; or, ON30 trucks. These are very nice freight cars! Bachmann locomotives are pretty much the only game in town. Their prices are O.K.; But, I have found Bachmann's business practices to be scary! Their locomotive choices seem to be run on a limited time basis, so you need to be quick on the trigger, because tomorrow their offerings might be gone. There are other things about Bachmann that I don't like! If you know of another reasonably priced On30 Steam Locomotive producer, by all means speak-up.
So, those are my thoughts! You certainly might have different ideas, lets hear them! I'll take some photos of where I am in the basement right now, to be posted later.
So then, why not HOn3, then I could have used much of my existing structures? At 70 years of age, I was finding HO to be at the edge of my ability to work on the locomotives and rolling stock and HOn3 equipment is even smaller! I really liked Sn3, I built one of PBL's stock cars and even hand laid a small section of track to roll it on. PBL is almost the sole manufacturer of Sn3 stuff. The rolling stock kits built into very, very nice equipment. The Locomotives offered by PBL generally command over $1,000.00 to purchase. This fact and the fact that PBL is for the most part the sole manufacturer of Sn3 equipment, scared me off. PBL has been in business since 1971, that is 50 years under one man's control and I would think he would be thinking about retirement. Sn3 is really his baby. If he sells and leaves his business, who ever would buy the business would have a struggle on there hands. So, I shied away form Sn3. On30 intrigued me., Yes. there probably wasn't that many railroads that had 2 1/2 feet or 30 inches between the railheads. However, I've decided to be completely freelanced in this endeavor, so the above fact will be overlooked in my freelancedness. I'm finding the cost Bachmann On30 rolling stock to be somewhat over priced; but, keep my eyes out for stuff on Ebay. I've found Accucraft AMS Freight cars to be reasonable in price and they make them with either On3; or, ON30 trucks. These are very nice freight cars! Bachmann locomotives are pretty much the only game in town. Their prices are O.K.; But, I have found Bachmann's business practices to be scary! Their locomotive choices seem to be run on a limited time basis, so you need to be quick on the trigger, because tomorrow their offerings might be gone. There are other things about Bachmann that I don't like! If you know of another reasonably priced On30 Steam Locomotive producer, by all means speak-up.
So, those are my thoughts! You certainly might have different ideas, lets hear them! I'll take some photos of where I am in the basement right now, to be posted later.
Here are some photos:
Photo # 1
This is the new On30 yard table, it will be moved towards the wall with all the plywood pieces from the old layout. I will allow 18 inches between it and the wall so that I can access the staging tracks along the far side of this table. It will also have another 2 feet added to the end for a sector plate to be mounted.
Photo # 2
This table will be cleared of all the stuff on it and moved under the yard table and placed along the same wall; but, much farther to the right. It will be used to support a module section of new layout and for under layout storage.
Phot # 3
The above work bench was built for my two sons. It will also be emptied of it's contents and placed under the table in photo # 1, under where the three red coffee cans are located.
Phot # 4
The above table will be moved to the right and turned 90 degrees to support the return loop. The boxes on it's top are boxes of freight cars I will sell. The 10/20 box and smaller box with it, are my Turntable, boxed up to sell on Ebay. The stuff with the green label is Bubble Wrap. The black cart under the end of the table to the right, is my rolling work cart for working on the layout. To get a bit better idea of what will go on here, picture a 2 foot shelf going along the wall to the left. and along the far wall and looping back to itself on the table just described.
I have tried very hard to confuse everyone, please be patient!
Photo # 1
This is the new On30 yard table, it will be moved towards the wall with all the plywood pieces from the old layout. I will allow 18 inches between it and the wall so that I can access the staging tracks along the far side of this table. It will also have another 2 feet added to the end for a sector plate to be mounted.
Photo # 2
This table will be cleared of all the stuff on it and moved under the yard table and placed along the same wall; but, much farther to the right. It will be used to support a module section of new layout and for under layout storage.
Phot # 3
The above work bench was built for my two sons. It will also be emptied of it's contents and placed under the table in photo # 1, under where the three red coffee cans are located.
Phot # 4
The above table will be moved to the right and turned 90 degrees to support the return loop. The boxes on it's top are boxes of freight cars I will sell. The 10/20 box and smaller box with it, are my Turntable, boxed up to sell on Ebay. The stuff with the green label is Bubble Wrap. The black cart under the end of the table to the right, is my rolling work cart for working on the layout. To get a bit better idea of what will go on here, picture a 2 foot shelf going along the wall to the left. and along the far wall and looping back to itself on the table just described.
I have tried very hard to confuse everyone, please be patient!
santafewillie
Same Ol' Buzzard
It's good to read about progress. Looking forward to the results.
My three Homasote 4X8 sheets arrived at the Building Center yesterday. One of the sheets was broken in two and it's replacement will arrive on Monday the 22nd. I could start building bench work for Section #2; or, I could strip ties from my Atlas Flex Track and maybe start on building one #6 turnout with my Fast Tracks Jig. I guess I'll flip a coin.
The Control Center Shelf has been mounted and my Digitrax Zephyr Express has been installed. Still to get mounted is my RRAmpmeter and a circuit breaker, then the Control Center will be ready to go. I am using small eye screws and Shower Curtain Hangers to string my power lines and track buses in. (I've never had track buses before)! This table still needs to be pushed over so it is 18 inches away from the far wall, to get there, I need to move a small bench to go under this table top and move the Freezer (seen under the table top) farther to the left, so this will have an area it will fit.
santafewillie
Same Ol' Buzzard
Nice progress so far. I like the idea of using the shower curtain hangers. Sure would be neater than the maze of twist ties and cup hooks that I am using. I am going to look at that; I could keep using the same cup hooks.
I don't remember whether or not you posted how large an area you plan on using?
I don't remember whether or not you posted how large an area you plan on using?
