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jhz563 posted:

Still need to add finishing touches tonight.  Here's a peek.

IMG_1646

 

Looks great.  How much foam board did you use (not including the base layer)? After seeing your build, I want to try to build some mountains/hills on my layout.  I'm not sure if I can get by with a single 4x8 (1in thick) or if I should get two. Thanks

JD

JD2035RR posted:
jhz563 posted:

Still need to add finishing touches tonight.  Here's a peek.

IMG_1646

 

Looks great.  How much foam board did you use (not including the base layer)? After seeing your build, I want to try to build some mountains/hills on my layout.  I'm not sure if I can get by with a single 4x8 (1in thick) or if I should get two. Thanks

JD

Not knowing how much you want to build, I would start with 1 each of the 1" thick and 2" thick sheets.  I bought 2 of the 2" ones and 1 of 1".  I have more than half of a 2" sheet left and about half of the 1" sheet.  If I was starting again from scratch I would add a second 2" layer to the base so it flexed less when moving it around.  Also if you are going to build a tunnel, make sure you can access it. My whole mountain top comes right off.  I refuse to build a derailment area i can't reach!!

ogaugeguy posted:

JHZ563, I've been following your build thread and looking forward to seeing a video of your masterpiece up close and in action.

"MasterPiece"??  I wouldn't go that far, but I appreciate your support. This is my first go round at actually making anything near a finished piece. Hopefully it stays together long enough to see a few seasons.

ogaugeguy posted:

Boo the way, when's the big reveal? Are you going to treat us by showing your H display in action or trick us by having it dissapear into the nether world before we see it?

Hopefully this afternoon, but likely after trick or treaters come through.  I was wrapping up attaching final power leads at 11:30 last night and was told, in-no-uncertain-terms, to quit screwing around in the garage and go to bed!  

I have now learned that building a project like this is alot like those hot-rod shows you see on tv;  you get to basically build the whole project, then tear it apart to paint it, and then build it all over again!  Also when you tell your wife that I just need to finish wiring this up "real quick", and it turns into 45 minutes or over an hour because of whatever reasoning that always makes wiring take 4 times as long as it should, she will not be amused, cause after-all, real quick in the rest of the world is 5 to 7 minutes!

Since I am on the subject of lessons learned,

1. Glidden gripper is great stuff to keep foam held together

2. Old school insulated rail wiring for accessory activation means sparks at the wheels.

3. If you leave little dc powered lights on the island in the kitchen, a three yr old will assume they are toys and hide them all over the living room.  You will only find half.

4. Hitting anything with spray paint late in the evening is a bad idea.  It will stink up the house no matter what.

5. Keep all the new Halloween items in one place, even when cleaning up.  

6. You can actually paint with a spray bottle and watered down latex paint, but remember to send the first several squirts a different direction, water droplets in the paint look weird.

7. budget 4 times the amount of time you think you need for simple wiring.  It will likely still not be enough.  If it involves soldering upside down at night, forget it, (curse yourself for evening considering such a dumb idea), -and just go rummage around the parts bin for a terminal strip.

8.  Put the accessory instructions back in the back so you can find them later - seriously!

9. Hot glue will go right through ground cover - and it does burn your fingers!

10.  Michael's craft store will sell out of everything you actually want at least two weeks before Halloween.

I am sure I will have several other lessons after this night is through.  Stay tuned for final pictures, video.

Last edited by jhz563

I am not really into holiday trains per-se.  Albeit right after Lionel's Polar Express came out I put together some cars from parted sets with a MTH RK PM Berk.  The PS-2 with proto-cast can funnel the movie's sound track.

Any way when recently getting a New Haven EP-5 in McGinnis paint, said this could make a neat halloween train.  Combined with McGinnis era painted box cars, the LionelJack-O-Lantern car, and Halloween Transfer Caboose.

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Was going to embellish with this stuff.  Some in open box car doors other crawling all over.

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Well maybe next year, if.

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Last edited by PRRronbh

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