Layout design
Detroit Terminal - The Belt Line Industrial Track
I just posted my final entry in a series of blog posts about the Detroit Terminal Railroad and my plans to model a modern-day, proto-freelanced version. Please check it out at http://detroitterminal.blogspot.com/, and feel free to let me know what you think.
After nearly a year of research - due mainly to the pesky intrusions of real life - I'm ready to start turning all this information into an actual model railroad. I'll continue to update my blog to show my progress, so stay tuned!
Rich
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Layout Design
Please critique the proposed layout design.
The layout area is 19' x 21" and is to be located in my garage. The garage also serves as a workshop for my woodworking. As anyone who has done woodworking knows, it can create a lot of dust, massive amounts of dust. With that in mind I do plan on building a permanent top that will serve to provide lighting and a part of the cover.
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Your opinion please....UPDATE # 2
I'm adding details to the industrial area on my layout. I have two tracks leading to the power plant for coal deliveries. I am in the process of adding concrete slabs to both sides of those tracks to store material and equipment for the power plant. It dawned on me I need a way to unload the equipment hauled by rail to the plant. I built a modified version of Walthers overhead crane and installed it at the power plant but I'm not sure it fits the scene.
I am looking for your opinion as to whether it looks like it fits the application.
Layout room/Building that looks like a Train Station
Ok railheads, I need you all to go back in your collective memories. After a recent lull in layout design and my daughter deciding that she now wants to move into the basement for more privacy ( I guess thats what 14 year olds want), I have decided to build a separate building for the layout. It will be approx 22' x 32'. I am thinking I may make it look like a train station.
Track plan assistance
Quite honestly, I thought I had the problem licked. Unfortunately, I forgot about the light in the middle of the space. It has to be open to allow for bulb changes. This is a rental home, or I'd simply have an electrician come in and move the light. I have finally given up trying to design this layout, I admit, I'm licked.
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Surroundtraxx. Anyone else successfully running?
I post this again because I would like to have contact with others actually using Surroundtraxx at this time December 2012.
I would be pleased to hear about other modelers' successes or frustrations with the Surroundtraxx experience. Doug Fredericton, N.B.
Dream design
I am hoping to build an HO shelf layout am somewhat confused from an operational standpoint and cost about what code track to use. I currently have a layout that utilizes code 83. I am very happy with the Atlas products I used. I have accumulated a fair supply of code 100, code 83 and some code 70. A current magazine article indicated the use of 83 on mains and passing sidings, 70 in the yards and 55 for spurs.
Question #1 is why or why not go 100/83/70 vs 83/70/55.
Free-moN: At Home and On The Road
As it seems my Free-moN modules have now become my "home layout", thought I'd start a new thread featuring the whole kit-n-keboodle rather than individual modules.
'Twas a busy weekend: on Saturday I set up all my modules in my garage to 1) troubleshoot, 2) see it if fit in my garage (a "California Basement") and 3) run trains!
Only took about a kabillion hours to get everything going, but once it did...!
A video:
Desert Grande Layout Part 3 Lighting
It dawned on me while I was taking my pictures that I really needed to consider getting better lights installed and Now while I had the chance. So I did.
I prefer track lighting. You can very quickly get as much or as little light in a scene as you wish, and with a simple adjustment put that light anywhere in the room.
I realized I wanted it installed flush to the wall, so I used a piece of my future fascia as a straightedge, temporarily pinning it in place.
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