I finished laying cork roadbed on my newest layout project. I use one strip of HO cork for a taller profile. I plan to use a combination of Atlas and ME code 55, wood and concrete ties. I haven't decided if I will use stacked foam or hardshell for the scenery yet. I need to prime the benchwork, fascia, and backdrop, and I will be ready to start filling in the empty space with mountains. With the cork down, it is easier to see the overall trackplan.
I like your method of using 1/2 strips of cork. To me it gives a more realistic profile (just my opinion) to the riadbed. I used HO on a previous railroad back In the 90's and IIRC was very happy with it. Ithelps accentuate the difference betweeen Main Line, Branch Line , and Sideings/yards. Keep after it!
Your layout is looking good! If you use foam, can you post pictures of your progress? I'm stuck right now as to which way to go as well! (Foam or hard shell!)
I like it! How big is it? I have plenty of time on the mountain, so if you need some ideas, feel free to bug me... Looks like the overpass at Java East, and the Sheep Creek Trestle near Goat Lick. Very nice.
This is going to be good! I use the same cork/roadbed combo on the mains and leave the cork out of sidings.
the layout is 10 feet long, 44" wide on one end and 40" on the other. The footprint is very similar to my Orin Line. Hemi, I actually have seen many of the photos that you posted some time ago, and have used some for references. The small yard area will represent West Glacier and the Amtrak station there. The other side represents the area around Java where there is a mix of tunnels, trestles, and I will add a snow shed there too. Obviously very compressed, but I hope to capture the "feel" of the area. Never been there, but it is beautiful in the photos I have seen. here are a couple other photos showing the overall layout. It stands at about 53" rail height.
I made a bit more progress the last couple of evenings. I put 2 coats of primer on the fascia and backdrop. Although countersinking drywall screws into 1/8" masonite is a tedious task, it sure pays off in the end result. I now have a smooth seamless edge wrapping the whole layout. The fascia will be black in the end, but not until the messy scenery is complete. I also sanded and painted 1 set of legs. Since this is a BNSF layout and the fascia will be black, I chose a BNSF orange (or at least as close as Rustoleum gets to BNSF colors). Is it too obnoxious? It reminds me of a Chevy big block in an old muscle car. I may stencil a BNSF logo on them somewhere to dress them up. Anyway, I also took a couple birdseye photos to better illustrate the trackplan. Please let me know what you think. Next steps are painting the other set of legs and then I think I'll lay some track down. Minimum radius is 18" if you are curious. It's a simple trackplan, but this layout is all about scenery and watching the trains roll by.
Very nice plan and execution. I do like the way you layed out the curves and made the focus on the scenery. I would paint the legs black along with the fascia, then paint a wide stripe along the layout like a loco would with a little bit of black under that. Then you could add a black "BNSF" to both sides. If you want to get real fancy you could add the yellow stripes on the top and bottom of the orange. Of coarse you would have to tone it all down to look, you know, railroad weathered. The idea would to get the flavor of a SD70ace paint job.
Is that really 10'? Looks like 8' but I'm sure it's just a visual illusion. I'm kinda jealous, now I wish I made a center-backdrop/2-sided layout! I can't really retrofit mine since I have a folded dogbone thing going on and there's an over/under bridge in the center of the layout. Surely this design was inspired by the recent MR N-scale cover layout, correct?
It's funny you mention the Salt Lake Route. My Marias Pass is following very closely to the trackplan I created for my Orin Line that I started in 2007. So it's possible that MR was inspired by me? Just joking. When I saw the first article of the MR series, it was interesting to see just how similar the overall footprint was between that and my Orin layout. Nice to see the different possibilities that exist with a similar design. Both my Orin Line, and now my Marias Pass are both 10 feet in length. The broad curves probably make it look shorter than 10. Here is a photo comparison between the completed Orin Line and the beginnings of the Marias Pass that I took just prior to me selling the Orin Line. Had to make room for a new layout. You can see how both layouts widen out at both ends to allow for bigger curves and a narrowed center to keep the footprint within reason for a portable layout. The design also promotes natural "S" curves on the main making them look longer and provide additional interest versus straight track parelleling the edge of the table. The Marias Pass is taller, and has a taller backdrop. I kept the Orin's backdrop lower to allow it to fit through a basement window in case I wanted to bring it into the house.
I love the Orin Line layout and started planning to use some of your techniques to create an small layout until I'm able to get an larger home or basement to run trains. Keep up the great work and hope to use your photos to plan my own soon. Thanks, Anthony G
I was wondering something? I seen all the youtube videos and notices that one of your BNSF trains went thru the coal tower and it actually loaded the real coal? I want to know how did you get the Powder River coal tower to load real coal?
