The LF&NW Layout Thread

[jwb]

There are some really good layout threads on this forum. I've been wondering where to post since The Whistle Post went down, and I figure it might be worthwhile to start a layout thread here.

This is a not-to-scale track plan, as of several years ago. (I found a more recent version this morning and replaced the other one)

The room size is 16 x 37 feet, in a semi-finished semi-basement area in a hillside house. Here is a more or less contemporary view, standing about where DRAINS is located, looking over the city of Zenith, across the room to the backdrop behind Manhattan Transfer:

 

[logandsawman]

Nice explanation and great photograph!! Look forward to following the thread. lasm

 

[wombat457]

Looks great, and I too will be following this.

 

[montanan]

Very nice picture and in interesting track plan. We'll be waiting for more pictures, we like pictures. Well done.

 

[jwb]

Some history: I started the central part of this layout, which covers the city of Zenith on the plan and in the first photo above, in a different place about 1990. I disassembled everything and moved it to the present house a few years later, when I found I could reassemble Zenith and use it as the core of the new layout. Here is Zenith in the old place, from roughly the same perspective as the photo above, with many of the same buidlings:

This was taken with a pre-digital camera, bad lighting, no tripod, but it's fun to go back to things like this! Here is Zenith being reassembled in the new location. View is more or less looking back toward the camera position in the first photo:

 

[Lynnb]

You got my attention, lots of pics please.

 

[jwb]

Here are a few more shots of Zenith in its current level of completion. It's the most finished part of the layout, but there's more to do:

 

[wombat457]

Very detailed and "busy" looking ... looking great jwb.

 

[Lynnb]

Terrific photos and great looking scenes, how long have you been working on your layout? Perhaps you have some construction photos, I'm really interested on how you got to this stage.

 

[montanan]

Those are some fine photos. Well done. Waiting for more.

 

[jwb]

I started this layout about 1990 in another place. Here are some of the few photos I took while starting it there:

All the benchwork and most of the track and roadbed were salvaged and reassembled (though sometimes scrambled) for the current layout. We moved to this place in early 1994. Here are some shots from 1994-5:

The two above are Tennessee Pass, with a Builders in Scale Tennessee Pass station.

Above is Terrible, with a Grandt Line Terrible Mine, SP narrow gauge cars on dual gauge track.

Up the west slope, east and to the left of Terrible

Tennessee Pass again.

 

[Yannis]

Impressive pictures jwb! I really like the track plan and in particular the picture taken from the bridge!

 

[jwb]

Two shots of the Bay City area about 1995:

Two more recent shots from the same area:

 

[wombat457]

I really like your scenes and your ballasting job - I'm on a ballasting kick at the moment - it all looks very natural!

 

[jwb]

The trestle at Crucero about 1994 (this was around the time of the Northridge earthquake, and although we had little damage, I was antsy about going this far into the basement for several weeks!)

The same scene more recently:

 

[Lynnb]

Now we're talking, your work looks great and the construction steps give a better idea of how you got there. I see you've made great use of risers for not only the track but also structure bases. Good stuff, if you have more photos please do post away with the eye candy.

 

[jwb]

Regarding risers, I was really inspired by construction photos of John Allen's G&D, updated to use L-girder techniques. Here are two more before and after, the trestle below Terrible about 1995:

And more recently:

As to explanation: I don't have an era or a prototype. Most guys don't, whatever they say they're doing. I go to a big-deal layout and the guy says it's 1972, but he runs a pre-Amtrak passenger train. Am I going to complain? No. But I'm not going to go to the trouble of saying something I don't mean, so I don't bother saying what my era or whatever is.

 

[Lynnb]

I also found great inspiration through John Allen's G&D and his L girder techniques. My present layout some how went to open grid with risers and I think I would have been much further ahead going with the L girder technique with what I have in my little mind.
Awsome scene and totally love the before and after with the trestle, I hope you can help me in the not to far future when I need to modify the end of my bench work for a 3 foot long JVModels trestle I will be building.
Ahh just curious what does jwb stand for?

 

[jwb]

My name. If Charles Smiley can do it, so can I -- I'm John W Bruce.

 

[Lynnb]

My name. If Charles Smiley can do it, so can I -- I'm John W Bruce.

ok I see Thanks John.