Apartment Layout

[zedob]

Hey Everyone,

Thought I'd put up a pic or two of a shelf layout I've been working on. The original plan was to go narrow guage since that was what I used to model, but I've been bitten by the New England bug. Yeah, I know NE had narrow guage, but I enjoy shortline standard guage also and wanted to capture the mill scene with industrial track similar to Holyoke MA.

I love the old brick and stonework and plan on scratch building some of the more pictueque structures. I've been spending the last half a year taking pics of anything that catches my eyes while driving down the road. (Caution, I slam on my brakes for things like interesting old buildings, bridges and abutments, dams, etc.)

The layout has been on hold while I develop a new plan, but I have a pretty good idea of what I want. Regardless, this layout is more of a R&D project to try out some techniques that have been introduced to MRRing while I was absent from the hobby.

Some tech info:

Layout size: 1' x 11'
Control: Block (no use for DCC, yet)
Construction: Shelf brackets and 1x2's with 1/2" plywood.
Tapography: Foam board hacked with a hotwire

I'll add more pics as I move along. Who said you can't build a layout in a small space.

 

[zedob]

Mo Pics

Here are some more pics as the layout progressed

 

[zedob]

And more

A few more

 

[zedob]

Even more.

These two pics are of a Revell(?) engine house that my brother in-law gave to me. He couldn't use it, so I took it and split it down the middle to make it longer. It will sit slightly infront of the backdrop so I can plant some trees behind it for the illusion of depth. Seems to work fairly well.

The hills in the back ground are masonite covered with WS ground foam.

 

[zedob]

oops

Ok, the second pic didn't take. Oh, dopey me, too big. Here it is...

 

[zedob]

Oh good grief, I reduced the size, but it wouldn't work. Guess I'll reduce again.


got it

 

[Zman]

Hey zedob, welcome to the forum! You have a most impressive start on your railroad. I'm also a NE railroad modeler, living in Boston. Your skills at carpentry and model-making are first rate, as evinced by the photos.

I also live in a small apartment, and am forced to deal with space constraints. I have to fit my layout into a 24" by 44" closet.

If you would like to see it, click here.

 

[Matthyro]

Great progress zedob. Looks like you will have some very interesting switching opportunities.

 

[zedob]

Zman,

Thanks for the compliments. I saw your layout earlier and just went back to it again. Nice job! I used to model in N years ago, then I was bitten by the narrow gauge bug after reading the first or second issue of the NG&SL Gazette.

You're lucky. You can run through trains.

I'm not really much on operations, but I would like to have either a loop or two return loops for continuous running. The layout is going to feature a raised station on retaining walls with some industrial spurs off of a short branch.

Gonna be alot of plate girder bridges typical of the area I plan on modeling and alot of flat back buildings. I love scratch building, but I don't have a bunch of free time these days, so there will be alot of cheap stuff up (like cardboard mock-ups) representing buildings.

i'll post a drawing of my plan, once I get one close to what I like.

 

[zedob]

Matthyro,

Thanks, I'm interested in seeing how much illusion of depth I can get out of a foot. I'd like to have a higher valance, but the TV shelf limits that.

The shelf was a consolation to my wife's tolerance.

I was surprised how well the flouresent light light up the area. The pic below is about the eye level I view it. glad it's only a foot deep.

I'm going to keep banging away at it.

 

[Zman]

Zedob, I'm not big on operations myself, out of necessity. I'm more interested in the modeling aspects of the hobby. Yes, I can run-through trains, but that's not terribly important to me. In fact, I've spent the last month selecting (and buying and returning) building models for my industrial siding. I think I've finally settled on the final arrangement, which I will post sometime next week.

At any rate, I really REALLY like your solution to model railroading in a small space. Please keep the pictures coming!

 

[Ralph]

Very impressive! You do get some depth in those scenes. A nice pictorial that should inspire folks who think they don't have enough space for a layout! Nice work! Keep us up to date!
Ralph

 

[zedob]

Thanks Ralph.

These pics are from my "Collection of Inspiration". It's amazing the amount of cool prototype bridges there are within a few miles of Springfield MA. I really like the stone abutments, which are prevalent in this area.

I'd like to model the early 1900's, but will probably stretch that up to the '20's due to the fact that the amount of rolling stock and period items available.

I'd like to dedicate the "L" section of the layout to depict a part of the Holyoke canal system, which was build in the mid 1800's to supply water to turn the turbines in the paper mills. The mills made high quality rag stationary, but were all but put out of business when someone figured out that wood pulp could be made into paper.

It should be a fun layout.

 

[sumpter250]

Good to see another Revell two stall engine house beeing used! Narrow Gauge?, or just a very small consolidation?
Pete

 

[zedob]

Narrow gauge. DRGW #268. Nice little loco, but I sold it on ebay a few months back.

I want to model a New England setting and all of the sites that I'm interested in duplicating were/are standard guage. I like the NYNH&H. The tracks ran behind my neighborhood when I lived in Vernon CT and have always had a particular fondness for that route.

However, I have a particular fondness for brick factories, dams, penstocks and industrial trackage, which is easier to model on a shelf. I like scenery and detail and is one of the reasons I got into NG. I wanted a change and I can keep myself busy in this small area for a long time modeling things around here.

I've been out of MRRing for 10 yrs and this is a good way to get my modeling techniques back up to snuff.

I still have one NG loco that I was going to sell, but decided not to since it was my first. I bought it when I was 13 with paper route money. Bob Bell at the "old" Train Exchange looked at me funny when I dumped about $30 in dimes, nickels and quarters on the counter (the remainder was in paper).

I donno, but once you get NG in your system, you can't really shake it.