First crack at this...

First model building

It’s not totally finished but it was fun putting it together.

It looks great!

I love it! Keep building and enjoying the journey man.

I don't know anything about it but what you are doing is so cool! Wing it, make something up, drill some holes in a copper plate and screw it down then stamp #'s above each switch-done!

I got some blocks from amazon that look like these with a bigger gap between the posts that have a flat metal jumper that goes on one side to bridge the posts together and a snap on cover if thats what you want they were available in different sizes as to number of terminals. they work very well.

I’m going to try the Korber Flag Company building kit next. Then I’ll fill in my town with a couple woodland scenics buildings and try roads and some topography... pick, pick, pick away...

@Laker80 posted:

Forgive the electrical idiocy of this post but I want to wire up some accessories to run off the transformer. Can I hook the transformer up to this bar and then bring the wires for the buildings in on the other side or do I need something else?

I use bus bars from Home Depot, use one bar for each transformer post. You can attach them underneath the layout with a couple of drywall screws and connect them to the transformer with one wire and run about a dozen wires off of it to whatever needs that power.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/GE...it-TGK12CP/202046232

Jerry

I used the same exact one you have pictured (from Home Depot). Hooked up these lights. Never worked with wires or electricity in my life! I did look online to see how to run the wires (from transformer to the thing then to the lights) and I'm the High Exalted Ruler of all idiots so you can do ti! See, I can't even spell "it" correctly!! Oh, and I also managed to re-wire two of the light towers with the help of my friends on this forum.

Enjoy!

Chris

That picture of your son looking at the train tower is priceless.

I've been working on this in fits n starts for about 8 months. It all started with these beat up vintage train cars I found on Craigslist . . . then I was gone; hook line and sinker! Restored the beat up cars, bought the MTH Nickel Plate loco, built the shelves in my studio, laid the 1960's vintage track from my childhood (still had it in my garage - new I was saving it for something). There's more to do. It's always growing.

Chris

@Polentz posted:

I've been working on this in fits n starts for about 8 months. It all started with these beat up vintage train cars I found on Craigslist . . . then I was gone; hook line and sinker! Restored the beat up cars, bought the MTH Nickel Plate loco, built the shelves in my studio, laid the 1960's vintage track from my childhood (still had it in my garage - new I was saving it for something). There's more to do. It's always growing.

Chris

Wow that looks fantastic! Beautiful locomotive and cars too.

@Polentz posted:

That picture of your son looking at the train tower is priceless.

It's fun. It's OUR layout. I try to take any realistic idea he has and put it into the table. He picked most of the buildings and hangs around and helps me as I explain what we are doing if I'm wiring something in, cleaning the track, or just tinkering around.

@Foxer55 posted:

This is great!  I just started out myself within the last year or so and this site is great.  In my case I want to use the platform as a Christmas centerpiece that goes up once a year and then goes back in the store room.  I've found that using lighter wood works.  I'm using a platform slightly smaller than 4 X 8 and I'm using 1/4 inch plywood built over a frame of 1 X 2s.   I could actually build an incredibly strong platform with 1/4 plywood over a 1 X 2 frame that would be very light compared to a typical platform.

I feel like last year was a great time to start because of free time but an awful time to start because of the difficulty getting materials (benchwork and train related).

Foxer55, where did you purchase the stone print apron around your layout and is it paper or cloth? It looks great.

@Laker80 posted:

It's fun. It's OUR layout. I try to take any realistic idea he has and put it into the table. He picked most of the buildings and hangs around and helps me as I explain what we are doing if I'm wiring something in, cleaning the track, or just tinkering around.

Laker 80, Very Well Played! Played is where we come from, right? give them a train they can learn from, an Idea they can Build on, a clean slate they can create a layout idea. "Teach a kid to play with trains and tis a seed planted to grow on"

Salute Laker 80... Kindred spirits

@Polentz posted:

I'm thinking of using 1/2" ply as the base to lay the track on.

Is is necessary to put down a cork between the track and board? My concern is not sound/noise but the well being of my locomotive longterm.

You will NOT be disappointed if you add sound deadening!  If you're using Fastrack, it will be VERY loud directly on plywood!  I'd look into something like the foam underlayment used under wood floors, it will make a significant difference in the noise level.  At a 7 foot level, the track noise would be right up "in your face".

So I’m thinking about making the jump and getting legacy. I figured I’d get it now before I build a new panel to mount my switches and throttle on. Is the 6-14295 legacy 990 the only component I’ll need? I have a fairly small set up with a gw180 power supply. Will I need anything other than the base legacy part?

I’d like to set it up and get a nice used O36 diesel in the near future.

The #990 command set (and a Legacy or TMCC engine) are all you need.

Make sure your home's electrical system is a grounded system and that you plug the command base's power supply into a grounded receptacle. Assemble the antenna and connect the command base's "one wire" to the outside rail(s) of the track and you are basically done.

Then it's just a matter of following the instructions to program your engine into the remote.  There are a few steps that need to be followed but you'll get the hang of it.

There are several videos out there (including some by Lionel) that show how to set the unit up and program engines into and I'd suggest you watch them before installing your unit.

The #990 Legacy Command Set is all you need to add to a conventional layout to run TMCC/Legacy if that's what you're asking.

so we took some track from the layout and made a floor loop. My son is having a blast and it’s a lot easier for him to put things back on the track when it’s all on the ground. I  going to tack it down to some plywood for him.

I have more free time in the winter and this will free me up to make the layout a little nicer and a little less kid friendly. I’m going to try adding some small elevation changes and I am going to work on adding a bus wire. Then maybe I’ll start adding ballast and other beautifications.
PS that Lionchief is an absolute tank! It’s almost toddler-proof.

I can tell your son is having a blast!  Great photograph!

Well I got my bus wire finished and it works fine with my Lionchief plus RS3 but my lionchief plus Hudson is totally dead. I tried the Hudson first and doesn’t light up or beep for a signal to pair with the remote. The RS3 runs without issue so I don’t believe I did anything wrong with the wiring. 🤷‍♂️

I put the Hudson on the floor loop the kids have been running the RS3 on and it’s dead on there too. I ran it last night before I hooked the bus wire up and it ran. There were some dead spots where it would lose signal and the sound cut out but it would come back if I turned the power off and on.

I’ll take it to Great Lakes hobby, hopefully they can repair it.