gator do 65
Member
It's been awhile since I last posted on my layout as it had become stagnant! Winters over... Well that changed with the addition of some more track (funny how that works) and rolling stock
Now for some background; this layout started with a garage sale train set (95th anniversary H.D. MC. set) that when I got it home was missing one piece of track! Damn! Well I decided to get crazy and do the layout by leap frogging 9" track sections until they met on a 4'x16' base! (this took a minute) OK, now I have a theoretical dog bone layout COOL! I started building the layout in a diorama type style.(remember leap frogging) Being that it originally resembled a mountain route it was pretty easy. This took from Feb. 2013 to Sept. 2013 and then nothing fast forward to Dec. 2013 the local Ace hardware had some starter sets on sale. Again COOL! Ace rewards cards come in handy as I bought two sets for less than $20.00! I finally had enough track to complete a circle, unfortunately it was only enough to make a 4'x12' dog bone! OK I just change the layout length and all is good! That lasted about an hour when i realized I could invert the dog bone and get a 7'x12' layout! Badass the wife said yes! Got that up and running, Loved it! But there was one set left at Ace and I know the retiring/replacement manager (both like trains) After some haggling they agreed to $40.00 on the set, again Ace rewards card to the rescue = one free train set! Oh by the way the rewards cards are a bonus from the boss!
So with the history out of the way, I'm now starting on the final overall size of 7'x16' with a 60'+/- mainline and unknown amount of sidings/spurs and yard trackage (again the wife said OK!) this should allow for some nice detail and not be to crowded!I'll be posting some pics as soon as I can get an android and a mac to play nice!! Until then you can look up some of my earlier posts.
Just for the interested, I started this with the idea I could build a layout of this size on a budget of less than $750.00!
So far; $80.00 for 4 starter sets and about $40.00 in materials. At this rate DCC is now a real option!
Now for some background; this layout started with a garage sale train set (95th anniversary H.D. MC. set) that when I got it home was missing one piece of track! Damn! Well I decided to get crazy and do the layout by leap frogging 9" track sections until they met on a 4'x16' base! (this took a minute) OK, now I have a theoretical dog bone layout COOL! I started building the layout in a diorama type style.(remember leap frogging) Being that it originally resembled a mountain route it was pretty easy. This took from Feb. 2013 to Sept. 2013 and then nothing fast forward to Dec. 2013 the local Ace hardware had some starter sets on sale. Again COOL! Ace rewards cards come in handy as I bought two sets for less than $20.00! I finally had enough track to complete a circle, unfortunately it was only enough to make a 4'x12' dog bone! OK I just change the layout length and all is good! That lasted about an hour when i realized I could invert the dog bone and get a 7'x12' layout! Badass the wife said yes! Got that up and running, Loved it! But there was one set left at Ace and I know the retiring/replacement manager (both like trains) After some haggling they agreed to $40.00 on the set, again Ace rewards card to the rescue = one free train set! Oh by the way the rewards cards are a bonus from the boss! So with the history out of the way, I'm now starting on the final overall size of 7'x16' with a 60'+/- mainline and unknown amount of sidings/spurs and yard trackage (again the wife said OK!) this should allow for some nice detail and not be to crowded!
I'll be posting some pics as soon as I can get an android and a mac to play nice!! Until then you can look up some of my earlier posts.Just for the interested, I started this with the idea I could build a layout of this size on a budget of less than $750.00!
So far; $80.00 for 4 starter sets and about $40.00 in materials. At this rate DCC is now a real option!
