My first layout HO scale

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One more week gone by and a bit more done

Been working on my winter village. I assembled the town church and the park gazebo which will have a skating area around it





I've also prepared the inside of every building for the lights as I wanted only certain windows lit up. I'm still waiting for my lights and I still have 2 houses to build for the town. Here's a top view and side views.







Also been working on some roads on the main layout



While waiting for the lights and the 2 houses to get here, I'll be working on my stream, some culverts, some hydro poles, fences..... just about anything that goes in a small town.

I'm still looking for winter stuff (Christmas decorations) for this small town. If anyone knows where I could find some, it would be greatly appreciated

It's been 6 months now since I've started and it seems like it's taking forever to grow and this is only phase I. I know I have many years of enjoyment (and frustration) to look forward to, so patience is a virtue, besides, I'm loving this new hobby.

Later
 
Hawkesburytrain said:
It's been 6 months now since I've started and it seems like it's taking forever to grow and this is only phase I. I know I have many years of enjoyment (and frustration) to look forward to, so patience is a virtue, besides, I'm loving this new hobby.

Later
Click to expand...

Looks to me like everything is coming together just fine!! Really nice update. You are really sticking to a plan and moving forward. Nice job!
 
Thanks Logan,

Always good to have a plan, then make a few modifications along the way

Bit more work done.
Got my lights and love them, so I've wired all my houses with two lights at specific locations, painted the inside walls black and did some walls so that the light wouldn't affect the other rooms.


View attachment 48797

Been preparing the town for the plastering job. So I've outlined where the houses would go to make sure it didn't get any plaster, everywhere else will get plastered.

View attachment 48794

I also made a concrete culvert. Didn't like the one sold

View attachment 48795

This is where it will go, need to build a second one for the other road

View attachment 48796

Any suggestions for wall mounted lights?
Plenty of light posts available. Tried to take one apart, was doing ok until I got to the soldering and since I'm having a very hard time at it, I'm desperately looking for some already done. I'm still going to practice the soldering since sometimes it works (5 seconds and nicely done) and other times I'll be spending 20 minutes on the same wire (no exaggerations), I'm stubborn......lol

Later
 


Wall mounted lights? If you are an ebay shopper you be in luck:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/10-pcs-HO-S...439?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d4fa21f4f


light.jpg
 
I wouldn't worry about the amount of time it's taking you. Chet's been working on his for 25yrs, I'm on my 6th year, others I've known never finished after 40 yrs. Just keep moving forward and you'll get there soon enough.
 
I have never finished a layout. I have changed my plans so much I have hardly made any real progress, but I enjoy the process. From what I have read many people feel it is almost anticlimactic when they finish.
 
Little bit of update

I received my last 2 houses for my winter town and finish building them (except for the roofs)
I realized that I had ordered one to many because I had to make more room for the gazebo.
So I had to do some excavation on the mountain side to fit in (green house)

View attachment 48839

View attachment 48840

The green house will be the only house without a light inside as the owners have just arrive.
Car will have lights, man opening garage door and the garage will be lit.

Now here is where I need your feedback
As any one done their own backdrop with photos?
I tried playing around with resolution, pixels, size of some high resolution pictures
Here's what I got

View attachment 48841

I've made a panorama of 270" x 24" (once printed)
Did lots of work on Photoshop, used a program that makes banners and printed it on color laser at 300dpi (only 3 sheets to see what it would look like)
I intend to print it on adhesive paper.
I calculate (toner, paper and printer use) it would come out to about $12 for a 270" x 24" Vs. $360

What do you all think?
Any other suggestions?

PS. Don't like painting

Thanks
 
The photo printed backdrop looks like a good idea. Are you using photo paper. It should get rid of the pixcilation even at lower dpi.
 


I haven't finalize my decision on the type of paper. Was just trying something out.
I used ordinary paper for now.

Thanks for the reply
 
Finally got my locomotive to run, so couldn't wait to make a small video
Enjoy

[video=youtube;RP9mjX-XeAo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RP9mjX-XeAo[/video]
 
Thanks Logan, it was about time they moved

This hobby is definitely a learning in progress, if you don't ask questions, mistakes are due to happen.

When I started laying the tracks and turnouts, I had watched a few videos prior to doing so. BUT none didn't mention about not gluing turnouts, only here have I learned so, but it was to late as 20 were glued. Now that I will be installing tortoises on all of them, I need to drill a hole under them, therefore removing all of them. This is what I've been doing all week, removing them gently, drilling the holes and re-installing them without gluing this time. Most of them also had feeds soldered to the track, which took a bit longer. So now all is good ..... I think.

Yesterday, had a bit of fun for a change. Started on some scenic activity on one of the platform.

View attachment 49028

View attachment 49026

View attachment 49027

Poor guy who's getting a talk about dropping the bags and are those crates getting ready to leave or are they arriving?

Now back to work
Later
 
Thank you both

As for the scenery..... working on it

Here's a picture of the road leading to the warehouse with the drain pipes which will be dripping in the ditch. The top part is the road for the container yard.

View attachment 49055

This is my winter village which I've started plastering. I'm still debating if the road will be paved or dirt since there will be snow on the ground.

View attachment 49056

Later
PS. Comments are welcome, thanks
 


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