A new beginning inspired from my old Central Midland Layout
- Thread starter Ericsauto
- Start date
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[emoji1][emoji1][emoji1]. Very true
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That's is a lot of pressure Chet !
. I hope to have trains running by June. February will be the best for me to do some track work. I have a meeting in California and am taking a little R&R at the same time. Taking the family to Disneyland and then we are stopping in San Diego. I hear they have a neat Model Railroad museum there in Balboa Park.
That is a difficult decision. I think I am going to use a plywood top on the whole layout. From there I think it is going to be foam and cork road bed. I know there are a lot of opinions about foam and there a lot of positives about it too. I am trying to figure that out by this weekend. Thanks for the comments and I don't mean to make you feel bad , just motivated.
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Ericsauto
Well-Known Member
Updated Photo 1-12-16
Ok here are some new ones. Got most of the main benchwork up. I have some table leg work and another small section to build. If you look you can see how you can just walk into the layout . Over all the layout is now 23' x 13' . It turns in on both sides about 10' giving a aprox 36" walkway into the layout. I am excited that I'll get a 34 max radius . Now I'll be able to run those big trains. Lot of ideas going through my head so I am sure the track plan will change as I go along. Let me know if you see any issues with this, input is welcomed.
Eric
Ok here are some new ones. Got most of the main benchwork up. I have some table leg work and another small section to build. If you look you can see how you can just walk into the layout . Over all the layout is now 23' x 13' . It turns in on both sides about 10' giving a aprox 36" walkway into the layout. I am excited that I'll get a 34 max radius . Now I'll be able to run those big trains. Lot of ideas going through my head so I am sure the track plan will change as I go along. Let me know if you see any issues with this, input is welcomed.
Eric
Hawkesburytrain
Well-Known Member
Speedy Gonzalez...lol
Everything seems to be growing very fast and all seems to fit perfectly.
Well done Eric
Everything seems to be growing very fast and all seems to fit perfectly.
Well done Eric
Alan Curtis
Member
Wow! Good work. The layout should be great
R
roofintrash
Guest
Looking great and you're making good progress. I love the job you did on the room too. Gonna be a great setting for a layout. My only suggestion on the benchwork would be to move the corner legs in about a foot where you enter the layout. I can just see them accidentally getting kicked or a toe stubbed on causing quite the HO earthquake.
Ericsauto
Well-Known Member
That was to give the teachers a rest FROM you, not the other way round.
[emoji1][emoji1][emoji1]. Very true
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Ericsauto
Well-Known Member
That's is a lot of pressure Chet !
. I hope to have trains running by June. February will be the best for me to do some track work. I have a meeting in California and am taking a little R&R at the same time. Taking the family to Disneyland and then we are stopping in San Diego. I hear they have a neat Model Railroad museum there in Balboa Park.
Ericsauto
Well-Known Member
Update Photos of Benchwork 1-13-2016
Ok got the rest of the benchwork laid out and built tonight. I have to just do some maintenance items and drill holes through all the grids for wiring and then plywood. Here are the pictures from tonight. I took one as a Panoramic to give you an overview.
Here is a video walk through of the layout.
[video=youtube_share;BJdmvV7nIXI]https://youtu.be/BJdmvV7nIXI[/video]
Ok got the rest of the benchwork laid out and built tonight. I have to just do some maintenance items and drill holes through all the grids for wiring and then plywood. Here are the pictures from tonight. I took one as a Panoramic to give you an overview.
Here is a video walk through of the layout.
[video=youtube_share;BJdmvV7nIXI]https://youtu.be/BJdmvV7nIXI[/video]
Ericsauto
Well-Known Member
Eric, you really know how to make many of us feel guilty about not getting a new layout up and moving right along at a fast pace....
I'm looking forward to see what sub roadbed you plan on using, etc
That is a difficult decision. I think I am going to use a plywood top on the whole layout. From there I think it is going to be foam and cork road bed. I know there are a lot of opinions about foam and there a lot of positives about it too. I am trying to figure that out by this weekend. Thanks for the comments and I don't mean to make you feel bad , just motivated.
logandsawman
Northern Pacific history enthusiast
REALLY nice, Eric. I like your workspace cleanliness as well!!
montanan
Whiskey Merchant
Looking real good Eric. Enjoyed the video.
I guess I will call myself an old time model railroader. The only advantages I can see in using foam is for weight. In modular layouts that need to be moved around I see the advantage, but I don't see you carrying this layout around.
My bench work looked almost exactly like yours when I started. Any yards and towns were put on a sheet or piece of plywood, but the rest was all cookie cutter. My main line is single track and I cut the plywood about three inches wide and laid the road bed on the plywood. I used homabed, a homasote roadbed because I was hand laying code 70 rail and turnouts. Homasote is great for accepting and holding individual spikes. Cork road bed is just fine. I imagine that you are going to be using flex track looking at your proposed track plan.
I see that you will have changes in elevations and this is where I like the cookie cutter method. You first off will have easy access to the underside of the layout for wireing and installing and electric switch machines. The added thickness of the foam is something you may want to consider. For me all is see is added expense for a layout like yours and a little more difficulty i installing switch motors.
Once all of my wiring was in and any switch motors ( I used twin coil machines as the Tourtise machines weren't around when I started.) I was able to use wire screen and hydrocal to sculpt my scenery. A change in grade and elevation is one thing that I did want to have so helpers would be needed for longer trains on grades.
I'll be looking forward to your updates on the layout. Everything is looking real fine.
I guess I will call myself an old time model railroader. The only advantages I can see in using foam is for weight. In modular layouts that need to be moved around I see the advantage, but I don't see you carrying this layout around.
My bench work looked almost exactly like yours when I started. Any yards and towns were put on a sheet or piece of plywood, but the rest was all cookie cutter. My main line is single track and I cut the plywood about three inches wide and laid the road bed on the plywood. I used homabed, a homasote roadbed because I was hand laying code 70 rail and turnouts. Homasote is great for accepting and holding individual spikes. Cork road bed is just fine. I imagine that you are going to be using flex track looking at your proposed track plan.
I see that you will have changes in elevations and this is where I like the cookie cutter method. You first off will have easy access to the underside of the layout for wireing and installing and electric switch machines. The added thickness of the foam is something you may want to consider. For me all is see is added expense for a layout like yours and a little more difficulty i installing switch motors.
Once all of my wiring was in and any switch motors ( I used twin coil machines as the Tourtise machines weren't around when I started.) I was able to use wire screen and hydrocal to sculpt my scenery. A change in grade and elevation is one thing that I did want to have so helpers would be needed for longer trains on grades.
I'll be looking forward to your updates on the layout. Everything is looking real fine.
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