Chris: There's always a point in time when you have that feeling about a layout. The Unitrack looks great so far and will look much better after you finish the ballasting of the tarck. You still have a long way to go and the time put in on such a larger endeavor is very labor intensive. The end result will be very rewarding. Stay cool and run steam.....
"Grew up" is a great analogy. As if the forces of nature are forming before your very eyes.... oh wait, the are! The shell layer really helps flesh out the layout. Outstanding progress!
Chris the layout is really coming along and looks great. So how much "work" do you get done with that in your office? I have the same potential problem as I have my own office as well with a lot more space for a layout than my house and I know the temptation to work on it all the time would be very difficult to ignore. - jamie
Hutch, I thought your carpentry skills were great until I saw your trestle and scenery. Wow! What size is your layout? Jeff
Jeff, Thank you for the kind comments. The layout is a 12' x 13' square with 2 1/2 levels. I really can't count the staging as a level of its own, but it is there to some degree. I feel the scenery is my weak point. I can build nearly anything, but trying to bring the level up that next notch in believability is tough. I have to make myself focus on the fact that slow incremental progress will see this project done. The enormity of such a large layout is a daunting task. Sometimes I just wish all the track was laid and I could play for a while. Ironically it seems that there is so much work that goes on that you can't even see. Things like wiring switches, setting up a triple track reversing loop so it works...All of those take time and I get frustrated at the seemingly terribly slow progress. Comments like yours keep me going! Thank you
Chris, Have you thought about laying enough track to start running trains? I would complete as much as the mainline then do some temporary wiring and have a little fun.
Paul, That is my goal for the week. The reverse loop will offer two storage sidings for some longer trains, but I have two obstacles to overcome before I can complete this.... 1. Mount my first and several more Torti (I am going to try some Atlas code 55 switches and rail just to see how I like it) 2. Wire up my first PSREV module (I wonder if I need to 3 of these...one for each track in the reverse loop) I would like to have 2 trains in storage in the sidings and still run the mainline in the reverse looop. 3. Oh, and one more, wire up my first DS44 torti decoder.... Once this is all done and can watch my trains run around the entire room almost.
Thats good to hear Chris, I think its important you are able to run trains while working on the layout that way it keeps you interested when your doing things you don't like you can at least pause and watch a train run by.
Hutch, great layout and photos. Maybe you've answered this question already.... Your Kato Unitrack - are you soldering the connections between the pieces? Or dropping power feeds every 3 feet or so? Thx!
Thank you! As Bob (PowerSteamGuy) recommended, I am soldering a dropped feeder on each and every piece to the DCC bus lines. This is time consuming, but takes all guess work and potential problems out of the equation.
Chris: Using dropped feeders for every section of track will ensure trouble free running for years to come. Sure, it takes time, but the end result of "trouble free maintenance" is well worth it. You're young and soldering the feeders is slow but it's the best way. You eliminate all electrical problems if you use this method. When Pete and Alan (Wiking2) made separate visits to see the JJJ&E, both were amazed at the trouble free running of the layout. The scenery still isn't completed, but the layout is a pleasure to run after almost seven years and counting.Eventually the scenery will be completed. Chris: That's why it's so important to get your mainline completed electrically. Then you can enjoy running the layout while you work on the scenery and fine detailing. I try to run the layout for about an hour every day and do some scenery or whatever whenever I get a chance. There are still so many projects to start and complete. It seems like it never ends, even with the slight detour I had two weeks ago. Stay cool and run steam......
Hutch, If scenery is your weakness you have nothing to worry about! This would be a great article for NSR mag. The way you have documented from the start kinda reminds me of Mike Danneman's articles. Great work again. Jeff
Hutch, I see that your layout is modeling the NP's Stampede Pass line. Do you happen to be anywhere near Tacoma, Washington? If you do, have a look at the Washington State History Museum downtown, wherein the Puget Sound Model Engineers have a big HO layout depicting this part of the NP, including these signature areas of Stampede Pass. The High Bridge: The waterfalls: I have a few more shots of that museum layout, on the 2nd half of the following web page: http://www.railimages.com/gallery/johnsing?page=6 Just wanting to be of help ..... Enjoy.
Hi, Hutch, I must have missed this somewhere in the 22 pages of this thread.... Appeared early on that you were going to use Micro Engineering track. Then somewhere about page 18 or so, you start discussing using Kato Unitrack, and some of the photos of the track start showing some substantial use of it. Are you just using Kato Unitrack for portions, and the Micro-Engineering for the rest....? Or ? Or was there a change in track selection that I didn't catch somewhere in the middle, in the posts that were edited because of the Railimages server/photo change? Thx! Following this thread with interest. (smile)
John, Those photos are GREAT! I would really love to see that layout in person. That bridge and backdrop are incredible. The scenery is perfect! I am sure that was confusing. I have used Kato Unitrack in some of the photos. I did also order 100 pieces of so of code 55 ME track which was delivered as code 70 but labelled as code 55! I sent the ME back, bought some Unitrack and tried it. It was going pretty well, but then I reached a triple track reversing loop with radius from 20" to 24". The unitrack started looking cut up and convoluted. It was nearly impossible to get those three radi to be parallel with the unitrack. Too much cutting, fussing, etc. I am now doing some work with Atlas code 55. All is going well and I am working diligently to complete the triple track reverse loop. Right now, it seems to be looking good for Atlas. I am pleased. Here is the timeline: 1. ME code 55 ordered and arrived 2. ME code 55 was not code 55 but rather code 70 3. Returned ME code 70 4. Ordered a large quanity of Kato Unitrack 5. Was able to piece the 28" radius and 15 degree sections of 12 7/8 radius to make the fixed 20 radius on the sceniced portion of the layout. 6. Became frustrated trying to piece a 24" radius reversing section with two internal sidings with the Kato Unitrack 7. Ordered Atlas code 55 8. I am currently using Atlas code 55 and #7 switches. I may begin building some switches at some point, but the Atlas switch is a great deal for $10 IMHO. I hope this clears things up some for you and future readers.
Some progress photos: Roadbed laid in upper reversing section above the helix...Switches located so torti will not intefere with helix clearance. Not the best positioning, but they will work. Entrance to the reversing loop. Note the downgrade to the top entrance of the helix behind the entrance to the reversing loop. (where the tortoise is sitting). Thanks for looking.
John, Those photos you took from the Washington State History Museum just got added to my "inspiration" folder of images I save so I have some reference material and also some inspiration to push things futher. Thanks for taking them! Hutch, You're making some awesome progress. Scenery is something you will continue to keep doing for a very, very long time as Bob pointed out. Getting your track laid and trains running will help inspire you to finish scenicing individual areas of the layout. I find that I like to work in stages of progress as I suffer at times from "instant gratification" issues and can get frustrated by a lack of progress. Keep the updates coming... -jamie
