Recent content by RobL

  1. RobL

    Dan's Layout

    Dan: Your layout looks great! One question I have for you, if you wouldn't mind, could you explain your weathering techniques you used on the CR rolling stock? They look great! --Rob.
  2. RobL

    Help Me Dream

    I am looking for the double track not to be 100% prototypical, but more about what I want on my layout using the real world as a "guide", and then using my own creativity to say, "yeah, but what if..." I have used flex track in the past, and I hear exactly what you are saying... gotta be...
  3. RobL

    Help Me Dream

    Wow... I was trying to forget how long the construction on my house was taking, but my contractor is *finally* finishing my basement (I have heard stories about the speed, or lack thereof, of builders, but holy cow!)... anyways, I anticipate being able to start my benchwork within a week or two...
  4. RobL

    Removing glued down flex track

    Thanks for the advice guys!! Reusing that much track should save me some significant dollars that I can put into other parts of the layout... I was expecting to have to create some oddball concoction of chemicals to remove the glue... thankfully good old H2O should do trick! Thanks again...
  5. RobL

    Removing glued down flex track

    Matt: The track is Atlas code 100, plastic ties. It was glued down with a diluted Elmers glue and water mix to homosote board. Thanks, --Rob.
  6. RobL

    Removing glued down flex track

    My Uncle is in the process of getting out of the hobby and has a very large layout with flex track that was glued down. He has offered the track to me, which has to be in the range of well over 500 linear feet as well as a ton of switches. Does anyone have any secret recipe for removing...
  7. RobL

    New track plan for a 4x8 in HO/HOn3

    I use an iMac and just purchased "Empire Express" version 2.0 ... so far so good... if you haven't checked it out, a demo version can be downloaded from Empire Express 2.0 is now available | Haddon Software, it costs $34.99 to register it (demo version doesn't save or print). --Rob.
  8. RobL

    can you still do it the old way?

    Of course a good 'ol x-acto knife and some raw materials will always do the trick :-) and sometimes going "anti-technology" is a welcome relief... the techie in me would like a nice design program that allows me to blend my computer and model building skills together... then again, maybe a...
  9. RobL

    Help Me Dream

    That drawing is awesome... better than my hand drawn, scanned to TIF version for sure! :-) ... I am thinking that is probably close to the bench plan I will be implementing... I am tossing around the idea of adding a spur in the middle to either add some additional industry or another yard...
  10. RobL

    can you still do it the old way?

    I am just getting back into the hobby after being away for quite awhile... I am quite amazed at the quality of the R-T-R stuff compared to 15 years ago, and I look at some of the new stuff as opportunity: weathering, etc... I think too, like everything else, the hobby will adapt... think...
  11. RobL

    Help Me Dream

    Lucky for me my wifes hobby only requires a desk versus as big of a room as possible :-) I have never heard of sector plates before... that is a pretty cool idea to get a different look and feel on the same layout. Over the winter I challenged myself to make a "small layout". We have...
  12. RobL

    Help Me Dream

    Updated drawing with an attempt to allocate space to walk around the benchwork.
  13. RobL

    Help Me Dream

    One of the things I would like to minimize is the need to crawl under the layout... I have a wonky back and knees from playing hockey (and yet I still do it 3x a week :-) )... In a best case / worst case scenario, what would be the "recommended" size for a walkway around the table for those...
  14. RobL

    Help Me Dream

    Not really sure :-) Hence one of my classic planning issues / problems... use all available square footage to create the plywood jungle... I was thinking of maybe moving the run along the 19' wall out a couple feet to give access from both sides, and then giving myself a 1 1/2 - 2' walkway...
  15. RobL

    Help Me Dream

    Quick Drawing Here is a quick, better drawing of the room concept...
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