Well all, I have decided that I'd like to incorporate some passenger rail service on my layout and considering the only 9 3/4 curve on the layout is under the mountain where its uglyness will be hidden, i have figured out where one station will be. I am planning on having one station where the passenger train will depart, loop the layout and pull into another station. It will simulate small hick town service from a larger city. The majority rest of the layout will contain spurs for industry, and scenery to finish it up. The benchwork started as a 2' x 6' x 2' L-shape however it has since become a 32" x 6' x 32" L-shape which allowed for the larger turns. Had I not already started the mountain and had all the track laid I could have expanded on the tighter radius curve under the mountain. Even under the mountain its still a 22" radius so that'll still work. This is my second attempt at this (my first attempt was just that...an attempt and when my wife said "honey you can do that inside in the office, I never said you HAD to do it out in the shed" I jumped at that chance considering I was sweating like crazy outside!) and my first attempt was a simple "multiple-loop" layout that was quite boring. Prior to this I had an N scale and HO about 15 years ago as a kid. This is also my first DCC layout. I currently have a CSX U23B I plan to use as a dummy or something, a 40' covered CSXT hopper, and a New York Central cab which is my true love (NYC that is). I plan on adding much more rolling stock in the future, as well as a Dash 8-40CW, an SD40, an Amtrak train of a later generation, and more as I see it. Currently there is no scenery as I want to make sure my trackwork is nice and true before I start anything further. As it is I've been changing my ideas on the track work all along and in the last month have really changed some things on it. I'm learning a lot from you all so please feel free to comment and critique the layout and offer suggestions. I'll work on getting these pictures onto Photobucket so I can load them on the site here.
i thought about it but in all honesty i thought it was really expensive so i just didnt. i'm considering going back and getting a couple sheets to put in so i can have a trestle. how much is that stuff anyway?
just found the pink stuff at Home Depot online for 12.79 for a 1 inch. 2 inches is like 26.79 I believe. I think 1 inch would suffice... I will have to destroy the mountain which is ok, and then touch up some wood work to the backside of the mountain where my access to inside the mountain is. Is this stuff pretty easy to cover up when adding scenery? I like the idea that I can carve out what i want into it.
I haven't used it yet, haven't built a permanent layout, but I saw others using it, that is why I asked. I bought some to insulate the bottom of my travel trailer, it wasn't too expensive, comes in 4x8 sheets IIRC.
Started raising the terrain today attempting to make a little scenic block from rail-level of the tracks behind the terrain... no where even close to halfway done.
Very easy to cover up. One method is to paint with laytex and sprinkle on initial layer of ground foam. Jeff
Thank you! You actually wrote me while we were on the way to the hospital for my wife to deliver our baby girl ! So I guess officially my train funds are almost liquidated! lol So I might be having some slower progress now but oh well!
Hey Guys! I'm still alive, but this layout is not. Had to make room for the young one. Well, now that she's almost 1, i'm pulling all the stuff out of storage and going to try for a small layout. Looking in the 2x4' range.
