First I want to Thank Svein for his help with my next Layout, I can't tell you Guyz how many times I have seen his video on Bill Mock's layout this is even before I owned anything in Z scale. After viewing Svein's work with his planning skills I had to ask him for some help and He agreed on giving me a hand with this Layout. After a few emails and me drawing what I had in mind in "Paint" We Got To Work! The first thing I wanted in a layout was a twice around track plan I have never built a twice around before also it had to be done in a area of 24"x30"x46" This was one of my ZoCal ends that won't be making it to the next ZoCal event......Sorry Guyz! The first plan Svein sent me was just what I was looking for from their We made a few changes and it was ready to go...... Here is a few pictures of the areas I will be doing and Svein's work Here's two short video's of the layout http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nj1Bxpl228E http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxACyAe8Uuk
Thanks James it was good to see you the other day......... I do like your idea for your ZoCal Mod that will look Sweet and fit in good with the others
James, Here is a quick picture with the original track plan as soon as I get the new print out from you I think I will cut out the river first then play with the track to see what kind of room I have for the bridge work on both ends........
Mike, the large format printouts should make aligning the track easier than all those separate sheets. Glad to help you get this module going - those tunnel portals are going to look great! Looks like I'm going to make the ZoCal module building party this weekend (yay!), so I'll drop off the prints there. If you can't make it, PM where you want me to mail it. -James
I look forward to see the progress in building this layout based on a trackplan I have been involved in the planning of. It has been joy to interact with Mike on this using email and passing sketches over the pond. Mail and internet are great to use in the process.
James, I can't tell you how easy those printouts made it for me I am still waiting on my Crossing then I will start the track work. I just could not wait any longer I thought with the track printout it will get me very close to what I will need so I thought it was time to start cutting foam!! Nothing is glued yet just messing around with the form for now. I did change the track plan some I am not going with the smaller run around in the middle of the track plan and now I will be putting a Maintenance Shop / Helper track in the center for now until I get another idea...... Svein I did try and get that second bridge on the lower right side but to me I just didn't have the room for it and it looked to small of a area for it. I did get the river to go thru the canyon and because of the height on the right side it will be hidden from view
Awesome mountains!! Holy Mountains, Batman! :bat: You gonna' squeeze a railroad line in there somewhere??
I like this, but Mike, looking at the styrofoam images, I am thinking about one thing: If you remove the lowest layer of styrofome, you will have more space around the track and the mountin will not be so "big". May be there are "to much" mountain with so many layers? The landscape is not so open as one of your pictures, if the mountain are so high. Its just a litlle to much if I thinbk back to what I had in mind when I constructed the layout. Just a thought and input from me. :tb-biggrin:
Thanks Svein I have been playing around with the height of the mountain for a few days now still not sure how high I want to go??? As you know I am try to model a place I have never been too only from the pic's on the Net and from my Donner DVD I got a few weeks back..........So Any feedback I could get would be Great!! As of now I am thinking of putting in a abandoned snow sheds or Hwy 80??? I took some top pic's so that you can see how open it is I know from some of the pic's it don't look like I have much room for trains but I do........(I think)
Quick update after showing the layout to a non-train buddy of mine He thinks it had to many tunnels / view blockers........... I took out the area that was going to be Newcastle to get a more open feel now I'm going for this look
I think the height is better now, but I also think that you at least should have one tunnell and not open all the way. The tunnellportal/snowsched give a more interesting view, and the initial idea was to use the mountain(or originally the dividing backdrop) as a 2 scene divider. A layout without any tunnels, even the shortest one, are missing some important details, specially when mountains are found in the area. And, another important thing are bridges. They also create interesting spots to a layout. So a river with......
As of now the mountains will stay this high and now I want to make a curve snowshed for the double mainline. Traincat has a few new Deck Bridges coming out a 90' and 120' not sure if they will be ready in time............
