Oh... just as an update, I did work some more on the peninsula curve section, built a small section to connect the peninsula to the 22 foot section, and built a long section to connect the other two existing sections together. Then I painted them and they are sitting on the floor waiting for the paint to dry. Should make good progress this weekend. I'll get some pics and post them tomorrow.
On another note, Vicki finished the triatlon, that was 70.3 miles of swimming, biking, and running. She wasn't first, she wasn't last, and it was a great learning experience for the next one she does.
Gary S Wrote:On another note, Vicki finished the triatlon, that was 70.3 miles of swimming, biking, and running. She wasn't first, she wasn't last, and it was a great learning experience for the next one she does.
!!! I don't think I can begin to describe how fantastic that is. Total awe here...
Gary S Wrote:Oh... just as an update, I did work some more on the peninsula curve section, built a small section to connect the peninsula to the 22 foot section, and built a long section to connect the other two existing sections together. Then I painted them and they are sitting on the floor waiting for the paint to dry. Should make good progress this weekend. I'll get some pics and post them tomorrow.
On another note, Vicki finished the triatlon, that was 70.3 miles of swimming, biking, and running. She wasn't first, she wasn't last, and it was a great learning experience for the next one she does.
Congratulations all round! Especially Vicki - a 70.3 is amazing! My wife is into triathlon too, and has started me on the biking and running parts...
I'm still not crazy about the swimming, but I just opened our pool this past weekend, so maybe I can be a little more serious about it this summer...
Andrew
Kevin, Andrew, I'll pass the congrats on to Vicki. And thanks!
As for the layout, made very good progress today. Got the existing pieces on the south side connected together with new pieces and painted almost everything underneath.
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On the north side, we took the big piece down and painted the bottom. The existing pieces had already been painted with a dark gray, but I am using a lighter gray now so repainted all of it.
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Worked on the north side and the east side today.
First, got the 20 foot piece tied into the peninsula. All of the big original pieces are now tied together with shelving. Next will be putting on the blue foam, but that won't be until I finish the rest of the shelves.
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Put up the remainder of the shelf brackets:
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This is the northeast corner. Still have to add in the remaining small piece of the original layout.
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And put in a couple shelves at the door.
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Going like gangbusters there..!! You'll be getting this together in no time..!!
I see you cut the shelf standards in 1/2....Looks better this way. Are you going to put base trim on the walls..?? Sure would make a difference...
Thanks Gus. It is coming together fairly quickly.
Yep, while I had the shelves down for painting, I went ahead and cut the brackets off. My daughter's boyfriend lent a hand, and it went quickly. I think it made for a cleaner installation, it just looks better. Physics-wise, the shorter brackets probably put more pressure on the sheetrock, but since every bracket is on a stud, I figure it is nothing to worry about.
As for the base trim, I'll eventually put a floor of some sort in. I'd do the trim then. I'm thinking of going with that fake wood flooring, the kind that snaps together.
Got some more done today. First photo is the east wall on the right, north wall in front. Got the last existing piece connected. Geez it was a lot of work cutting all the little pieces to widen it on both sides. In retrospect, I should have thrown it away and just built a new shelf. It would have saved me about 3 hours.
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Next two pics are going around the north wall. Built in a couple of low areas for bridges. In the second pic, you can see the empty space at the end of the shelves, that's the last of the benchwork to be done. About 12 feet. Should go pretty quickly but I ran out of boards this evening.
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And here's a photo underneath the shelves... hey, I spent all the time painting it, I want to show it off!
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Nothing accomplished tonight. I did get the old buildings set into place and cleaned up a bit.
Here is a layout photo tour with my thoughts for what will be in each area. Nothing is set in stone, so any ideas would be appreciated. Sorry about the photo-overload, and anyone still on dial-up will be wiped out. Again, I haven't planned anything for the new sections and am open to all suggestions! Thanks in advance!
Starting at the right side of the door, we have the Santa Fe interchange yard. This will basically be a scenicked fiddle yard where cars come and go from the layout. There will be storage drawers underneath the layout for the rollingstock. I wish I would have made the ballast a lighter color. I wonder if some drybrushing of a lighter color would help?
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This area will be scenery, fields and trees mostly. I am considering cutting into the benchwork for a bayou/bridge. Most likely will do this as the layout is so flat and needs more "up and down". Of course, since I am freelance modeling the Houston area, it needs to be flat. Still, there are plenty of ditches and bayous. Most of the interesting scenery here in Houston goes down instead of up like in mountains and hills.
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After turning the corner, we have Industrial District A. A few buildings here that need finishing, a couple more need to be built and will sit on the right just out of the picture. I may replace the brick structures with some of the more modern "shoeboxes" a la Kurt.
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Another 90 degree turn and we get to the plastic molding plant. Covered hoppers and boxcars.
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Next we have the Almeda Terminal and Gulf yard. This may end up being a double ended yard that will primarily be used as a storage yard for ATG and GERN rollingstock. On that note, don't really know if this "storage" yard should be double ended. Since the ATG is an industrial shortline, I don't think much classification would be done here. Any thoughts on this are welcome. And again, I wish I would have used lighter ballast.
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Past the ATG yard, we hit the peninsula and the 180 degree turn. I am thinking to make htis a suburban neighborhood/houses that the train will pass through.
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Around the peninsula, we get to Industrial District B. Here are 2 photos. I'll come up with names for the industrial areas later, something with a Houston flavor.
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The GERN facility at the end of the industrial district.
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And the incomplete benchwork, mostly scenery here, fields and trees.
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Industrial District C goes here, several of the shoeboxes, modeled from the industrial park near where I work.
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The next section and corner will be bridges, bayous, ditches, trees, fields. Two photos:
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Then we get to the other side of the door and the end of the layout, the Southern Pacific interchange, scenicked fiddle yard, storage for rollingstock underneath.
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And last, the removable bridge for continuous running.
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And there it is, 170 feet! One thing is for sure, I have tons of work (fun) to keep me busy for a long looooong time.
Wow, that is going to be a large layout, and a long mainline! Be careful - some crazy train people may start making your layout room a stop on their vacation itinerary
Call me crazy, just don't call me late for an op session on that railroad!
Let's see...Texas...If I recall, I was blown away by one thing I saw in Texas that I'd never seen anywhere else - acres and acres of sunflowers. I've NEVER seen that on a layout. You just may have to be the first. Now all you have to do is order a truckload from scenic express, or figure out a way to make 'em cheap, and start planting. Of course, that would set your layout in the late summer, right? August sometime? Not sure what the window of blooming is on sunflowers grown for seed & oil, but it'd make a nice commodity for grain hoppers or tank cars, and a possible industry.
Also, even though I support organic agriculture and small farms, processed food is a pervasive reality in our world and the railroads are a part of that picture. How about a corn syrup facility? Or maybe an industrial sized bakery? Or perhaps a charcoal facility? Do they ship by rail? Just thinking about mesquite.
Not sure what to do about your balast color....but I can tell you are vexed by it. Could a balast train be in your future? Are there quarries in that part of Texas?
Will there be passenger operations on your layout?
Also, tell me again why you paint the benchwork? Is it because of the spiders? I've heard they don't like white.
Galen
How can you have a texas based layout without a cow patty farm?
A high-density feed lot complete with slaughter house-just don't get too realistic with the smell
:peasoup:
Gary S Wrote:Around the peninsula, we get to Industrial District B. Here are 2 photos. I'll come up with names for the industrial areas later, something with a Houston flavor.
There's two images that come to mind when I think of Texas. The Alamo and Whup Ass chile. Since your not likely to pick the second, let me elaborate a bit on the first. Alamo is more than a name... more than a place... more than a Cottonwood tree. It symbolizes history, freedom... the liberty of Texas. Plus, it's within 200 miles of Houston.
Is that too serious a name for an industrial siding?