My Layout - Scottland

[jesso]

When I was a little kid, I had a little circle of track, but I dreamed of getting the Tyco expansion pack that would turn a 4x4 circle into a 4x8 empire. As my bedroom was 7x7, this was a far-fetched dream. However, I dreamed of having two trains running, one in a figure-8 and one oval around that. I even had drawn it up as a kid. Fast forward 25 years, after going to a train show, I pulled out my old box of train stuff that been collecting dust and that layout picture was at the top of the box. My friend showed me the atlas right track software, and drew it up and added some parking tracks. I have made several mistakes along the way, the first of which is using 2x4's for support, but it is sturdy.:thumb:
The layout is still not done, but after being "the snowstorm" for several months, it is now starting to look like a layout.

If you are wondering why I am working on so many things right now, on Feb 20 is our next club meeting, and it is at MY HOUSE.

This is the track plan.

This is what the layout looked like for quite a while.

Finally I built a mountain and painted it, and I had my first attempt at water.

This last picture is when I was working on the camping area. More to come.

 

[CNWman]

Wow Nice work!:thumb:

 

[jesso]

Part II

Here are some more pictures.
The first is a closeup of the camping scene.

The second is a closeup of a hiker on a trail.

The third is showing that I finally added grass and trees on the mountain.

The fourth is showing a guy pondering the meaning of life, and a bear about to tell him it.

 

[CNWman]

I know this is insanely silly, but...

What if you gave the people near the campfire Trix cereal and the rabbit was perched on top of a tree?sign1

 

[jesso]

Caught up for now

Here are the most up to date pictures:
The first shows the backside of the mountain.

And the last one is of my daughter's first run of Thomas and Percy on the layout.

 

[jesso]

CNWman:
That sounds like a great idea, I like having little humorous things to look for on the layout. I am going to put a bear looking around a tree following the hiker, and I am going to have a bear hiding behind the campsite to get their food pack. Also there is one bear that looks like he is waving so I am going to set him up so that he is waving at the trains. If people knew the true bear population around my lake, they would never go there .

 

[CNWman]

here's another: have a bear in the lake with a scuba mask and/or a "secret agent" bear spying on the campers w/ Sam Fisher gear on!sign1

 

[jesso]

Some Progress

I did some more scenery on my layout. Finally went outside of the loops to the edge of table.

Now I need to get going on the other half of the layout.

 

[mooreway]

Great post. I like all the humorous bear pictures.. I think you need to dress one of the bears as a hobo and have him riding the rails on the end of your container train or on the back of your caboose

 

[CNWman]

Great post. I like all the humorous bear pictures.. I think you need to dress one of the bears as a hobo and have him riding the rails on the end of your container train or on the back of your caboose

I like that Idea!

 

[darkcurves]

Nice track plan, i might copy yours for my layout, if you dont mind.

 

[jesso]

Nice track plan, i might copy yours for my layout, if you dont mind.

Not a problem, let me know if you find a good way to connect the two mainlines.

 

[TrainNut]

Now see Jesso, I lied when I met you today and told you that I was not familiar with any of your work! I just reviewed all three of your layouts in your signature and I remember coming across each of them here on The Gauge. My problem is that I don't have a real good memory for names and so did not connect you with these three fine layouts. Don't kid yourself, you do good work with unique ideas. Keep at it.

 

[wickman]

Nice job so far, my only suggestion might be do mix it up a bit on the ground cover to give it some contour. Have you ever tried blending up some sticks or leaves, makes for really nice ground cover.

 

[DeckRoid]

Two things, Jesso:

1 - do you have the RTS file for your layout? I would love to play around with connecting the lines...

2 - I found some nice BigFoot (BigFeet?) figures online that are about to scale... I think I might just have to have some fun. A Bigfoot hanging out of an open door rolling stock... a Bigfoot with a trench coat and sunglasses at the train depot... oh, you have inspired me to silliness.

 

[jesso]

Sorry I had missed these posts, I need to resubscribe to my own threads.
Wickman: Thanks, I still have a long way to go and I was going to get some shrubs and grass and sticks, just need to get back into working on it.
DeckRoid: Sounds like good ideas, maybe have him ride the end of the passenger train. I will look for the rts file.

 

[woodone]

That is some cool looking stuff!:thumb:
More to come?
Really looking like a railroad empire.
BTW how the heat there in St George?

 

[jesso]

I've done a little work on the road through town, but I haven't done much. Been working more on the N scale stuff, however I need to get back to doing it.

Here in St. George it has been between 100-105 with under 10% humidity, so it is a little cooler than Phoenix. But there are areas just a little from town that are much cooler.

 

[jesso]

Finally some progress

It's about time. I actually have finally done something on my layout. I finally greened up the back of my layout behind the campscene. More importantly, I painted my roads and sidewalks at the front of my layout. I wanted to make it look like the entrance to a subdivision, so I made the little grass areas surrounded by rock.

 

[bigsteel]

looks great jesso :thumb:.you show a 4 by 8 can really be cool!.keep it up.--josh