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+--- Thread: Charlie b's layout (/showthread.php?tid=2463)
Re: Charlie b's layout - Charlie B - 07-15-2012
Hello Blue.
I don't have much visible progress to report, most of the work has been gauging switches and fileing points. All the turnouts save 2 are now in place and the track tested for operation. All the yard switches are ballasted, and none are glued together. I followed Waynes advise and oiled the points, and I was very careful driping the glue on the ballast. I have about 75 feet of branch line to ballast and that will be done, then it will be all scenery and detailing.
Here are a few current pictures
Cheers!
Charlie
Re: Charlie b's layout - Ralph - 07-15-2012
Keep the updates coming Charlie! I like your engine houses! Have you ever counted how many structures you have on your layout? Must be over a hundred or more!
Re: Charlie b's layout - doctorwayne - 07-15-2012
Lookin' great, Charlie
and nice to see someone speaking about ballasting without including a complaint. 
In fact, with the amount of ballasted track you have in service, your layout is an excellent example of what can be accomplished when you have a "just do it" attitude rather than wasting a lot of time handwringing over "how difficult it's going to be".
Wayne
Re: Charlie b's layout - Charlie B - 07-15-2012
Ralph Wrote:Keep the updates coming Charlie! I like your engine houses! Have you ever counted how many structures you have on your layout? Must be over a hundred or more!
I have no idea how many structures there are but many will be placed for sale as time goes by. I have some better quality buildings to place but I need to do some work on them. I have been getting some good deals on Craigslist lately, not with the trains, but with the buldings. Some really nifty stuff can be found reasonable if you are willing to take a bunch of stuff you don't need.
Wayne, I enjoy the ballasting. It is the cheapest way to make track look great, even when it isn't perfect. At 5 bucks a ton for ballast what else is cheaper? (at 27 cubic feet would that scale to 658,999 scale cubic feet?)
Thanks for the comments, It helps keep me active.
Charlie
Re: Charlie b's layout - Tyson Rayles - 07-15-2012
Good looking progress Charlie!
Re: Charlie b's layout - sailormatlac - 07-16-2012
The joy of ballasting! You're doing fine so far, 75' should be a good practice for patience! ;-)
Matt
Re: Charlie b's layout - doctorwayne - 07-16-2012
Charlie B Wrote:....It is the cheapest way to make track look great, even when it isn't perfect. At 5 bucks a ton for ballast what else is cheaper? (at 27 cubic feet would that scale to 658,999 scale cubic feet?)
Charlie
Charlie, I believe that works out to 17,779,581cu.ft. (HO) or, in railroad construction terms 658,503cu.yds(HO)
Wayne
Re: Charlie b's layout - Charlie B - 07-17-2012
I do believe you figured it out. My goodness, about 4500 HO car loads, how many scale dollars?
Charlie
Re: Charlie b's layout - Charlie B - 07-17-2012
Hello all.
With the outside temprature right on the 100 mark it felt pretty good at 78 in the train shed.
There is an area to the south of the east yard where the branch line climbs to Webber Way that I have been avoiding for some reason, so I bit the bullet and spent a couple of hours fixing it up. This is what I started with
And here is the results from today. The white water is actually wet glue. I use lots.
Thanks again for all the support.
Charlie
Re: Charlie b's layout - doctorwayne - 07-17-2012
Big improvement, Charlie, and it looks like you've put some of those bargain buildings into service, too.
However, it makes me wonder if you're starting to run out of on-layout storage space as you get these areas more complete. Wayne
Re: Charlie b's layout - Charlie B - 07-17-2012
doctorwayne Wrote:However, it makes me wonder if you're starting to run out of on-layout storage space as you get these areas more complete.I am clear out of layout storage space, and getting a little cluttered in the aisles. To top it off Kevin and I just bought a huge collection of trains that is now stored under the layout to be sorted, most to be sold. I'm almost to the point though that I know what I can safely get rid of.
Wayne
I still have 25 different car kits to build, and a few buildings left to assemble, plus lots of damage repairs from years of unsupervised grandkids running at the old house.
Re: Charlie b's layout - Charlie B - 07-19-2012
The Horn Switch local drifts downgrade toward the Jethro yard with a car load of suds from the Crockery City Brewery. The passenger train is a local returning folks from a hard day in the Pittsburgh offices.
Charlie
Re: Charlie b's layout - Charlie B - 07-22-2012
One of those days it was just for goofing off. I have posted some foolishness to youtube, remember, it is just for fun and far from good.
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://youtu.be/iG5AIjp4m2c">http://youtu.be/iG5AIjp4m2c</a><!-- m -->
and ths one.
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTC6b4uZDVo&list=UU9KIqwlIhm0GYcP-WBhwviA&index=2&feature=plcp">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTC6b4uZ ... ature=plcp</a><!-- m -->
Charlie.
Re: Charlie b's layout - Ralph - 07-22-2012
I always like traincams! Clever to have the camera in a pacing train in the sceond video!
Re: Charlie b's layout - Charlie B - 07-23-2012
A little more foolishness, these are the two branch lines on the layout
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://youtu.be/ETKFp3iHWs4">http://youtu.be/ETKFp3iHWs4</a><!-- m --> highline
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://youtu.be/Aw6iTcHpaKg">http://youtu.be/Aw6iTcHpaKg</a><!-- m --> Lowtown
Charlie