New HO scale layout

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What's that red white and blue engine?
I don't remember seeing that one before.
E.
That's my Western Maryland GP40. Probably one of the oldest units I have in my fleet. Well in terms of ownership anyways. She's survived every move I have made from Ft. Lewis to Ft. Story to where I'm at now. Can't kill this unit. Same goes for my SD7. Though I got that unit after my WM unit.

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Justin
 


Just read the entire thread! Great read! Looks like it's starting to come together for you nicely.


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When the scenery starts going in it will start making a lot of difference to the layout. You've gone through quite a learning process, but the work looks fine. Keep up the good work.

Waiting for more updates.
 


When the scenery starts going in it will start making a lot of difference to the layout. You've gone through quite a learning process, but the work looks fine. Keep up the good work.

Waiting for more updates.
Thank you. The ballasting of my track has definitely tried my patience but for the most part I'm happy with it. Once it's completed which shouldn't take too much longer once I build my other grade crossing I'll leave it be and move on to the rest of my layout. I had a request to have a house put on my mountain which isn't out of the ordinary and I plan to take it on. So that will be my next project after my track work is done. I will post updates as I get things going after all my track is ballasted.

Justin
 
Gives me hope, I'll be ballasting later this summer and am looking at ALL techniques! I'm going to try a variety of looks from just rails visible above the dark schmuts in the yard to 'clean new' ballast in some areas of the country side and different effects near different industries. Walking a lot of tracks I noticed the ballast changes drastically in some places.
 
Gives me hope, I'll be ballasting later this summer and am looking at ALL techniques! I'm going to try a variety of looks from just rails visible above the dark schmuts in the yard to 'clean new' ballast in some areas of the country side and different effects near different industries. Walking a lot of tracks I noticed the ballast changes drastically in some places.
It is most definitely a time consuming project. I figured with a 4x8 layout like mine it would take a day tops. It has taken me a couple days to do.

Justin
 
Ballasting is a tedious job, but makes a layout standout. I'm going to wait and finish everything else first (or almost) as I`m not looking forward to that part of the hobby.......lol

Nicely done Justin
 
It is most definitely a time consuming project. I figured with a 4x8 layout like mine it would take a day tops. It has taken me a couple days to do.

Justin
You got that right!!! I probably spent nearly as much time mixing up my glue-water-ISO goop as I did put down ballast. I spread doing my 2 mainlines out over 2 days to give my back a break (no pun intended). Besides that if I did both lines on the same day I wouldn't have been able to run trains until it set up good and I got the rails cleaned back up.
The yard was a project all to itself. All the turnouts were yet a separate project.
Even as careful as I was tried to be around the turnouts, I still have a couple that are a little sticky.

Justin, I though your table was bigger than 4x8. You sure got a lot of track on it. Probably more than I managed on my odd-ball 6x7 table.
E.
 
You got that right!!! I probably spent nearly as much time mixing up my glue-water-ISO goop as I did put down ballast. I spread doing my 2 mainlines out over 2 days to give my back a break (no pun intended). Besides that if I did both lines on the same day I wouldn't have been able to run trains until it set up good and I got the rails cleaned back up.
The yard was a project all to itself. All the turnouts were yet a separate project.
Even as careful as I was tried to be around the turnouts, I still have a couple that are a little sticky.

Justin, I though your table was bigger than 4x8. You sure got a lot of track on it. Probably more than I managed on my odd-ball 6x7 table.
E.
Eric I get this alot. It amazes me at how much trackage I have gotten onto a 4x8 piece of plywood. This build has taught me so many things especially about track work. It took 8 months just to get a track plan that worked. But I finally got a plan that I enjoy. And I like your layout as well. I'd be happy to expand out further than 4 feet. I can't run any of my SD40s cause of the 18" radius curves. But its OK as I have plenty geeps to handle it all. But wider would have been better for me. I'll manage either way and enjoy my trains.

Justin
 
Eric I get this alot. It amazes me at how much trackage I have gotten onto a 4x8 piece of plywood. This build has taught me so many things especially about track work. It took 8 months just to get a track plan that worked. But I finally got a plan that I enjoy. And I like your layout as well. I'd be happy to expand out further than 4 feet. I can't run any of my SD40s cause of the 18" radius curves. But its OK as I have plenty geeps to handle it all. But wider would have been better for me. I'll manage either way and enjoy my trains.

Justin

Your SD40s don't like your curves? Really? Every bit of mine is 18" and my SD40-2, SD40, ES44AC and FP45 all handle them just fine. Seems to be a surprise to many so perhaps I just got really lucky.
E

Of course the DDA40X doesn't stand a chance, but I knew that when I got it.
 


Your SD40s don't like your curves? Really? Every bit of mine is 18" and my SD40-2, SD40, ES44AC and FP45 all handle them just fine. Seems to be a surprise to many so perhaps I just got really lucky.
E

Of course the DDA40X doesn't stand a chance, but I knew that when I got it.
You know I could possibly run newer model SD40s on my layout. My Blueboxes really don't like my curves. To include my uboat. So it'll most likely be my geeps. I'm looking at an Athearn C&O SD40 at my lhs that I really want to add to my fleet.

Justin
 




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