Marlin338MX
Well-Known Member
Thank you!
I wish I had more time to work on the layout, but our northern New York summers are too short and my summer chores list is too long, so I have to resist the urge to make progress on the layout.
Building My First Layout
- Thread starter Marlin338MX
- Start date
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Thank you!
I wish I had more time to work on the layout, but our northern New York summers are too short and my summer chores list is too long, so I have to resist the urge to make progress on the layout.
Thank you!
Absolutely. I've taken advantage of a few rainy days this summer and worked on the layout, but most of my progress is made during the winter months.
We lived in the Sierras and I used to have to cut, split, and stack 2-3 cords of oak every year. I'm so glad I don't have to do that anymore. I had a Husqvarna also.....450 or 550...I can't remember.
The Husqvarna 450 Rancher is a good saw. I opted for the 562XP with a 20" bar and a 28" bar. I cut, split and stack 5 cords (15 face cords) every year, mostly ash and maple. I'm 56, so I'll keep doing it as long as I can.
I love cutting wood, at age 66 I dread the day when I can no longer.
When logging commercially not that long ago, it was routine to put up 500- 1000 full cords of tree length or logs each winter. Now I work for the county.
By the way, I like the layout and enjoy the pictures!
Dave LASM
Thank you!
500-1000 full cords is a lot of wood!
I also dread the day when I can no longer do my own firewood. I don't mind using a maul for ash trees, but maple and elm are best split with my hydraulic log splitter. I move the split firewood up to the house with a wheelbarrow or a 6ft plastic sled, depending on how much snow I have on the ground. Sometimes I wear snowshoes just to haul firewood up to the house, and it's only 50 yards or less. But when we get snowstorms of 3-6ft, snowshoes are the only option.
I know what you mean, and I agree. I split and stack the wood where I cut the trees down. Then I haul it to the house to stack it again. Then I stack it again on my front porch, then again in the house on our firewood racks that we have on the hearth. So it gets stacked no less than 4 times.
Maybe some ideas here, from my previous layout
Dave LASM
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Thank you!
I wish I had more time to work on the layout, but our northern New York summers are too short and my summer chores list is too long, so I have to resist the urge to make progress on the layout.
zzr1200guy
Well-Known Member
True if it wasn't for my YouTube schedule I'd never get and work done on my trains.
Marlin338MX
Well-Known Member
I took advantage of a few rainy days this month and I made some changes to my center railyard. I started out by pulling up the 6 tracks south of the turntable track. Several of the turnouts needed the screws and nuts added because I didn't know this when I installed them last year.
I moved 2 turnouts on the lower 2 tracks 9 inches to the left because the closest track went directly into a curve, which I suspected was the reason why my PA1 engine had a tendency to derail if I ran the engine in the clockwise direction. So now there is a 9" straight track between the curve and the turnout. The PA1 engine goes through the turnout just fine if I don't run it too slow. The engine always ran perfectly through that section just fine in the counter clockwise direction. I never could figure out why...
You can see in the pic below that I still need to move the cork piece back under the turnout switch.
The pic below is what it looked like before. Notice that there are 2 turnouts in the right center of the pic... I removed those turnouts so that I could fit more rolling stock on those 2 tracks by using them as a spur with bumpers.
The pic below is what it looks like now
I have a consist of 40ft wooden boxcars staged on the 3rd track from the bottom. These will be pulled by my only working steam engine, which will stay parked on the turntable when I'm not using it.
My next project will be to add a long siding along the top edge of the layout. I'll have to add a long 1" x 4" board to mount the track to. It will have a turnout at both ends, and will be used to keep a long passenger train on it so I can keep my 2 mainlines open. It will require me to move the turnouts connecting the 2 mainlines up 9" so I can have a longer siding for the passenger train (to the right of the blue GG-1 engine).
All of these changes are the reason why I haven't added the roads and landscaping yet. I'm also moving buildings around to get a better feel for where they will end up when I finalize those details.
I really enjoyed breaking away from my summer chores to make a little progress on my layout. It's not much, but progress is progress...
I moved 2 turnouts on the lower 2 tracks 9 inches to the left because the closest track went directly into a curve, which I suspected was the reason why my PA1 engine had a tendency to derail if I ran the engine in the clockwise direction. So now there is a 9" straight track between the curve and the turnout. The PA1 engine goes through the turnout just fine if I don't run it too slow. The engine always ran perfectly through that section just fine in the counter clockwise direction. I never could figure out why...
You can see in the pic below that I still need to move the cork piece back under the turnout switch.
The pic below is what it looked like before. Notice that there are 2 turnouts in the right center of the pic... I removed those turnouts so that I could fit more rolling stock on those 2 tracks by using them as a spur with bumpers.
The pic below is what it looks like now
I have a consist of 40ft wooden boxcars staged on the 3rd track from the bottom. These will be pulled by my only working steam engine, which will stay parked on the turntable when I'm not using it.
My next project will be to add a long siding along the top edge of the layout. I'll have to add a long 1" x 4" board to mount the track to. It will have a turnout at both ends, and will be used to keep a long passenger train on it so I can keep my 2 mainlines open. It will require me to move the turnouts connecting the 2 mainlines up 9" so I can have a longer siding for the passenger train (to the right of the blue GG-1 engine).
All of these changes are the reason why I haven't added the roads and landscaping yet. I'm also moving buildings around to get a better feel for where they will end up when I finalize those details.
I really enjoyed breaking away from my summer chores to make a little progress on my layout. It's not much, but progress is progress...
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zzr1200guy
Well-Known Member
Nice work.
Marlin338MX
Well-Known Member
Thank you!
Marlin338MX
Well-Known Member
I went to a model train show yesterday and picked up an Atlas Conrail GP38 and a new 53' Schneider trailer. The GP38 is used but looks new. It has knuckle couplers on it and runs great, DC only.
Schneider seemed to be the main trucking company used by Owens Illinois Glass in Streater during the 1970's and 80's. I don't have a glass factory on my layout, but having the trailer is a historic nod to Schneider and Owens.
Schneider seemed to be the main trucking company used by Owens Illinois Glass in Streater during the 1970's and 80's. I don't have a glass factory on my layout, but having the trailer is a historic nod to Schneider and Owens.
Marlin338MX
Well-Known Member
I started adding the new siding along to top edge of the layout. I attached blocks of 2x4's to the frame of the bench work, then added a 1x3 (2 of them) that the track will sit on. I filled the holes with wood putty/filler, but haven't sanded it down yet. Next step is to sand it down, add cork roadbed, paint it, then add the track.
I'm moving the turnouts on the 2 mainline tracks closer together so I can make this new siding about 8ft long between turnouts.
Very slow progress while I continue with my summer chores like cutting trees down, then splitting and stacking firewood
I'm moving the turnouts on the 2 mainline tracks closer together so I can make this new siding about 8ft long between turnouts.
Very slow progress while I continue with my summer chores like cutting trees down, then splitting and stacking firewood
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Marlin338MX
Well-Known Member
Absolutely. I've taken advantage of a few rainy days this summer and worked on the layout, but most of my progress is made during the winter months.
We lived in the Sierras and I used to have to cut, split, and stack 2-3 cords of oak every year. I'm so glad I don't have to do that anymore. I had a Husqvarna also.....450 or 550...I can't remember.
Marlin338MX
Well-Known Member
The Husqvarna 450 Rancher is a good saw. I opted for the 562XP with a 20" bar and a 28" bar. I cut, split and stack 5 cords (15 face cords) every year, mostly ash and maple. I'm 56, so I'll keep doing it as long as I can.
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santafewillie
Same Ol' Buzzard
Thankfully I am in Texas, and at 72, I just have to do about 4 face-cords a season. I do mostly Honeylocust and Hackberry with some Oak and Pecan thrown in. The recent tornado through my property has helped{???} by downing about 20 mature trees.
Marlin338MX
Well-Known Member
My brother lives in Brazoria County, and he had some damage to trees from hurricane Beryl, mostly pecan and oak. He also burns a little bit of wood each year in his fireplace. I heat my 2-story house with a Fisher "Mama Bear" wood stove, and winters in northern New York can be brutal with several feet of snow and 20 degrees below zero without the wind chill.
logandsawman
Northern Pacific history enthusiast
I cut and split 3 full cords per year for home use, using a maul for splitting and wheelbarrow for hauling.
I love cutting wood, at age 66 I dread the day when I can no longer.
When logging commercially not that long ago, it was routine to put up 500- 1000 full cords of tree length or logs each winter. Now I work for the county.
By the way, I like the layout and enjoy the pictures!
Dave LASM
Marlin338MX
Well-Known Member
Thank you!
500-1000 full cords is a lot of wood!
I also dread the day when I can no longer do my own firewood. I don't mind using a maul for ash trees, but maple and elm are best split with my hydraulic log splitter. I move the split firewood up to the house with a wheelbarrow or a 6ft plastic sled, depending on how much snow I have on the ground. Sometimes I wear snowshoes just to haul firewood up to the house, and it's only 50 yards or less. But when we get snowstorms of 3-6ft, snowshoes are the only option.
migalyto
Well-Known Member
Sounds like great exercise as well!
I never minded the cutting and splitting. Cutting up a stack of oak, loading it into the truck, then splitting it back home was great exercise.
I hated to having to handle the wood after splitting again and again and again, to stack it. That was exercise that never seemed to end.
I hated to having to handle the wood after splitting again and again and again, to stack it. That was exercise that never seemed to end.
Marlin338MX
Well-Known Member
I know what you mean, and I agree. I split and stack the wood where I cut the trees down. Then I haul it to the house to stack it again. Then I stack it again on my front porch, then again in the house on our firewood racks that we have on the hearth. So it gets stacked no less than 4 times.
BigGRacing
Aka. Gary Russell
Railroad thread....lol, and we are all talking about the wood that we are constantly loading.....lol! So true.....it cuts into the train time.....
logandsawman
Northern Pacific history enthusiast
Well then, speaking of loading and hauling logs:
Maybe some ideas here, from my previous layout
Dave LASM
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