Many thanks to my son for shooting about 30 short 4K videos and doing such a great job of editing and adding music to the sound track. And to my daughter has done some great scenery work painting the clouds and mountains on all the backdrops and making some very realistic trees starting with sage brush trunks.
A few notes: The layout is 23 feet x 40 feet around two long walls. It is a single main line about 240 feet long, folded over dog bone configuration. The upper and lower levels are connected with a 1.5% grade about 24 feet in length.
The curves are 096 minimum (48 inch radius).
Layout is powered by a ZW-C with 4 x 180 watt power bricks. A postwar ZW provides AC for accessory and switch motors.
The signal system is NJ International B & O CPL (color position lights ), Brass signal heads. The 240 foot main line is There are 11 blocks on the main, the signal system monitors and reports on "block occupancy" 1 and 2 blocks ahead. This turned out, ironically, to be exactly how the prototype B & O system worked. The relay panel has 24 x 3PDT relays as there are 22 signal heads protecting the main line in both directions. Many thanks to OGR forum member Stan2004 for his help designing a 3PDT relay system to accomplish this.
The layout is actually built in irregular shaped modules, so it could be taken down, and moved if necessary. I know I won't be starting another layout from scratch, at least not here on earth. The 1st 3 modules were actually built elsewhere, and moved into the current basement. The benchwork is L Girder/Joist. All the lumber is dimensional 1 x 4.
Many folks have asked for "track plan". I did the original track plan and early modifications in RR Track V4.0, which now will only run on an old off line desk top computer. I don't actually have an "as built" track plan, and it's pretty confusing to review as I didn't make multiple levels. Figured, it makes, more sense, to do a Walk Around and Talk about the track plan to show how and why it evolved into what it is today.
