Just to answer a couple of questions about my layout: I haven't done a thread on it, although I may do so in the future. My roadbed is 1/2" MDF that is cut to size using a jigsaw. I painted it with a textured stone spray paint to simulate ballast. I really like the look of it, but the downside is that it is a lot of work to make changes to the trackplan. On my previous windup layout, I used gray sandpaper cut to shape to simulate the ballast... much easier to make changes to the trackplan, and that layout went through several major trackplan revisions.
Here is a picture of the engine terminal on the new windup layout - it gives a better view of the roadbed:
On my previous windup layout, I cut, painted, and installed extra ties on the mainline. I did like the look of it, but I haven't yet done the same thing for the new layout... it will need a lot more ties than the old 4x8! Here is a view of the old layout in it's final form before I dismantled it:
I really liked the engine terminal on the old layout, although it was in a cramped area. The wonderful little cast iron locos used to congregate there:
I just started on the new layout last year, so I don't have a lot of videos of it yet. Most of the videos on my YouTube channel were shot on my old layout. Here is one of a little Lionel diesel switcher that I converted to windup power using a somewhat modified Marx Riser Gear Motor... it runs for almost 8 minutes on a single winding:
Finally (for tonight) here is a pre-war American Flyer #429 that I converted to clockwork power with a custom made, dual mainspring motor with mostly Marx Ratchet Motor internals:
