Gauge - Layout Party

[Catt]

David,I have both types,I don't need or want power routing for DCC and that is in the very near future.

I know only one of them needs mods for DCC but I'd just as soon make them all the same and let the DCC shut down the uneeded lokies instead of a turnout.

 

[Catt]

Well I've been trying my hand at soldering.This is gonna be a loooooooooooong 6 weeks.

On a brighter note though I've also been making some progress on the FP45 and will likely post a pic of the here on Monday.(several pics actually so you can see the progress)

 

[60103]

Catt: Insulfrog is what you want. But they still shut down sidings, unless you jumper around them. Look on it as a safety measure to keep you from running through a wrongly set switch.
We found that you still often want sections where you can kill a locomotive. Sometimes the chip programming goes a little wonky, or your get tired of hearing the reality sounds.

 

[MasonJar]

Update

So, I did not get the risers in place. ops:

BUT (in an attempt to rationalize things) I did make some huge progress with the final landscaping/countouring plans. I picked up a few back issues of MR at the LHS, and Dave Frary has a two part article in Dec '98 - Jan '99 about doing a 4x8. In the first part, hge has a picture of a model of the layout.

So off I went to the dollar store to get some Play-Dough. Bought blue and yellow. Mixed it to get green. Used it to build hill, mountains, and tunnels on a printout of my track plan from Right Track software.

I am so happy! I have been trying to visualize the contours that my layout will have when it is done. This simple trick (which was not obvious to me - duh!) has really helped.

I would recommend this to anyone - especially those with a smaller layout - before you go out and get expensive software like cadrail or 3rd plan-it to help you visualize.

So, I'll have to try for those risers again this week...

Andrew

 

[Gary Pfeil]

Catt, I know you probably want a way to convert the turnouts and I can't help you there, but if you just leave them power routing and gap the two rails coming from the frog within a few inches of the frog and attach feeds to the rails beyond, you've accomplished the same thing. That's what I did with the one Peco turnout I have, and I use DCC. Actually, my rule of thumb is to place the gaps at the fouling point of the diverging routes.

Gary

 

[jon-monon]

Originally posted by t. alexander
N gauger, ..where did you get that wallpaper?

long lost t.

Hey, you're back! Now that brings a smile to my face Welcome home from tha gange at Cobblers Knob :thumb:

 

[Fred_M]

I so wanted to join the party. I kept putting it off until tomorrow. Now it's the night of the 20th and that only leaves me 10 days to get a months worth of work done. I'm going to finish the module I'm doing now and will start first thing next week for sure. DASH

 

[Catt]

Why not start right now? You don't need a brand new project to come to this party.

 

[Lighthorseman]

Hmmmm.

I think I'll hop in here, too.

I'd like to build the benchwork for the next section of my layout, as the track is laid, and some rudimentary (...and I really mean it!) scenery is on the first section. Putting up the second section would give me a full loop, to continuously run trains whilst working on the layout.

I'd like to continue progress on my scratchbuilt gallows turntable, and the local machine shop.

By the way, it's GREAT to see you back, t. !:thumb:

 

[Skunk Valley]

Count me in. I'm building a couple of the turnaround modules in N Scale following the FoamRail concept. To date, I've constructed the basic shapes, and laid some cork roadbed.

My goals:
1 - Lay track
2 - Wire the modules
3 - Run Trains !!!!
4 - Ballast track
5 - Run more trains !!!

Unfortunately, I'll be on a pesky business trip next week. Guess I could add "Visit Hobby Shops" to the list so the week won't be wasted.

 

[Xaniel]

here's my contribute to this party.

I intend to finish scenery by doing the following:

- Get the structures I need (administration building, signal tower, and perhaps a warehouse, or something like that);
- Fill the gaps with grass from Noch;
- Add some bushes.
- Get some trees (perhaps 100 are enough);
- Ballast the remaining track (I'm leaving the ballasting for last).

Then, comes the signals and overhead wires. All from Viessmann.
Finally, some cars and plastic people and animals to start doing some micro-scenes.

 

[shaywen]

Shay... when?

Okay, these poor Shays have been sitting in a box for the last couple of months, so now you know why I chose my user name. They've been assembled and test run a little, but now that a colour scheme has been decided, it's time to get them ready to work.

 

[belg]

shaywen,how do you go about pulling something like that shay apart? I am so afraid to tackle projects like this because I never know if I'll get them back together. Do you work from blueprints or drawings? Thanks Pat

 

[shaywen]

Hi Pat. Well, it WAS pretty scary, especially considering I've never done anything like this before and the Shays are a bit complicated. And I started out knowing little more about them than how pretty they are.

But having put most of the 2-truck together, along with making some modifications designed to make it run better, I've gotten pretty familiar with how to reverse the process as well. The MDC Shay Handbook by Jeff Johnston is a huge help, with all it's really clear photos, drawings, and instructions. Hopefully you can find good resources like that for whatever you have in mind.

I think the trick to doing any project like this is just start somewhere and take it step by step from there. Don't worry too much about whether it'll get back together or not or you may never start! Take lots of pictures or make diagrams so you don't forget where things went. Besides, I bet somebody here could help if you got stuck. Do you have a project in mind?

 

[spitfire]

It's been 1 week!

Well folks, it's been a week since the layout party started. Time for everyone to post on their progress. Here's mine.

Goal for the week: finish the scenery for section 1 - the industrial switching area.

Accomplished this week:
1. finished paving around the foundry and assembly plant
2. built & weathered gear-house to drive chain that pulls cars thru foundry
3. cut foam for hill, but changed my mind about the hill
4. assembled a new building kit for this area but then decided to put it somewhere else
5. dropped my camera on the floor and knocked the lens tube out of whack - next priority is to see if it can be fixed.:cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

Here's where I was at the beginning of the week:

Here's part of the paving:

And the new kit:

Val

 

[shaywen]

That brewery is beautiful, Val. Is the building facade in back scratchbuilt? It's very nice. Good luck with the camera

 

[Matthyro]

My objectives were!
1 to complete the Griswold hospital for the corner Ntrak module.
2 get to the lumber store for some more supplies to finish the one end of the MAT mushroom layout. If I can get that done in a week I will be happy.
The hospital isn't complete yet. Still some finishing painting and lights added.

 

[Matthyro]

I did manage to finish the basic structure of both ends of the mushroom section of my layout. Here is the eastern end.

 

[Matthyro]

And here is the western end

 

[Catt]

Geez,week one is almost history as I type this.Did I meet my goals for the week? No.Did I actually get something done on/for the layout? Absolutely,not as much as I wanted but I have made progress(my soldering skills are still nonexistant though)

The FP45 is slow going too,but I am making some progress.I will probly get part of the trackplan on paper tomorrow.Hopefully next week will be more productive.