Starting the new layout!


Josh: Didn't you read carefuly the small prints of your contract!!:eek: :D
Jos
Meh, which page, was it on the "homosexual contuct" page, the "substance abuse" page, or the "you're screwed page"?

P.S. sorry if the first one offends anyone, but the page actually said that!
 
Back from another trip down to my Dad's.

The few days I was gone, my Dad manages to get the plywood for the yard spliced together and the risers in place. The first thing he had to show me was how dead on level the whole yard was. He said,"no cars are gonna be rollin' in this yard".
Here's the proud guy now...;)
View attachment 4983

Well, Santa stopped by his house early (for some reason he was dressed in a brown uniform and his sleigh was brown too...Hmm?:D ) and he dropped off a few boxes of track. We decided on Atlas code 83 for most of it, and the curved turnouts are from Walthers or Peco. Why Atlas doesn't make curved turnouts baffles me!?
View attachment 4984

Here I'm laying out the track to get the centers marked. I used push pins to hold it in place...Alot of them too. I have the dent in my thumb to prove it, hehe.
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After it was in place I dotted ever few ties to get the centers. Also making any notes that might be important, like the ends of turnouts, size of turnouts, rerailers and if they are cut or not, etc. The curved sections I just left as dots but the straight areas I connected with a straight edge.
View attachment 4986

More to come...
 
Here you can see a section of crossovers. These are leading up to the yard so that any track can get to anywhere in the yard or passenger station. Would you look at that empty container of push pins just above the pliers...Ouch!:eek:
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This is where the main splits up to drop down into the staging area. It's an interesting interchange because just below this shot will be a passenger platform on either side of the tracks. But that's a while down the road.
View attachment 4988

Well, the boxes of track are starting to empty. I haven't even put any cork down yet. This is a tedious job but someones gotta do it.
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This is the next section of roadbed we're starting to do, but time ran out and I had to leave. It makes it a little difficult when the layout is 2hrs away from my house.
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Till next trip...
 
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Dang, whats this baby costing you?

The track alone was about $1,100... then of course the NCE Powercab, reversers, Walthers turntable, etc. etc. etc. I found a real good deal on track from:
Nagengast Hardware and Hobby
Est. 1947
68-02 Fresh Pond Rd.
Ridgewood N.Y. 11385
info@NHShobbies.com
718.821.1319
His I.D. on eBay is Hobbies001, you can see alot of stuff from him there or buy direct.
He has the cheapest track I could find anywhere. $8.75 for #4's and 6's Atlas code 83 and $2.40 for 36" Code83 flex, That's pretty good.

Thanks for the good words guys

Ron
 
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Awesome Work! Thanks for the heads up on he NHS Hobbies. I think I'm gonna place a order for some Switches, wish I could afford Peco but... I'll take what I can get.

Again thats some great work, keep it up and you'll be running trains in no time
 
Yeah I think I mowed mine down when it was still a sapling.. haha Now if i could just find the job that pays me to do all my hobbies.. I would be all set (wouldnt we all thou)
 
Well my track bill wasnt 1100 thankfully, but 200 bucks still hurts!! Off to Lowes in the AM for some 1x4's and foam board see if i can go broke totally. haha
 
Hey 4Strcstum, What's your track plan like? I'm always interested in peoples plans. If you have any pix start your own thread and share with the rest of us.
Have fun with your railroad!
 
Im better at Hijacking others threads :) j/k I will when construction starts. The track plan is all in my half empty head, lost of room for expansion this way!

Its actually going to be based loosely on the Ontabec RR featured in MRR 02/05 pg 62-65 built by Howard Scodras. Im shortning it a bit, and changing some of the building locations. I'm hoping to get started tues or wed. Ive dug out all my tools, got all the wood, foam insulation, etc etc Cant wait to get started!!
 
Yep Thats it. gotta rebuild the funds for some structures, DCC setup, some new Loco's and rolling stock. Scenery.. Ahh the fun!

The Original Ontabec, is a L shaped, Mine will be too. sorta. Im planning to have the mainline actually pass thru. You'll see when I get started..
 
Another productive trip to the railroad...

Well, I got the trickiest part of the roadbed finally done. It's an area where 4 layers of track come together and the grade tolerances are very touchy. I ended up making 2-7/8" spacers to simulate the minimum clearances.
View attachment 5090

Doing this I had to move the whole Main yard on top up about 7/8". I knew this area was going to be very tough to lay out from the very first time I saw the plans in the John Armstrong book.
View attachment 5091

It also effected the grade coming down from the Yard to the middle staging area. But I think it's tolerable. It's 2.5%.
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Here is the completed area with all the roadbed stacked on top of each other. Now I just need a real tiny hammer to get in there to lay down the cork and track, hehe.:) I still have to add all the in between risers to properly support the whole thing.
View attachment 5093


That's it for now. That process took awhile, but I wanted it just right... minimize those derailments!
 
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Cool progress Ron! Far more advanced of a layout that what I'm doing. Dont have the space, Lookin forward to your next update!
 
Working out the grades is half the fun!! I have to make some changes (I think we all have) to the grades to get down to staging. I had it all sussed out and then DOH!! that won't fit!!

Nice work Ron.

Ken.
 



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