2013 Layout progress review pics and video

Patrick,
Dont forget to run a copper plane on your over\under track conditions to avoid Legacy signal issues.

That is shaping up to be one dynamite layout. Truth is, it already is, even in its formative stages.

Hi Patrick ,
I sent you and email regarding your layout ,
Bernie Winkler (wink9999) is email address.
You have a great layout. You must be drinking 5hour energy !!

Patrick,

Just Excellent work!

This is very nice, and thanks for sharing the photos.

Patrick;

It has been really entertaining to see the fantastic progress you have been making with this wonderful layout.

Your benchwork is very well done, especially for such a complicated layout with all of the twists and turns. It is also beneficial that you have documented your progress along the way because when the layout is done and the scenery is completed it would be difficult for many of us to realize the amount of work that led to the final product.

Congratulations on your wonderful achievement!

Steve Tapper

What are you doing about power drops? That is one fantastic layout.

Thanks guys I appreciate that very much.

I Just finished all track work today finally. Except some bridge and yard stuff I cant do until Al sends the turntable.

I will address the power drops soon.
As stated earlier I have 2 bricks on each mainline which seems more than enough direct. It may be a different story when I put the TPC between them and the track.
My next step is to clean the giant mess and get started fresh on the wiring and switches so I dont have to crawl around on dust ,cut wood and homasote.

I have marlite to go all the way around the top so there is no corners and hide the doors. . Wasnt sure if spending the 1500.00 on Backdrop is worth it. Either way I am gonna paint it or put backdrop on it,first, before putting it up( 7 panels - 12 ft x 36")



























I hope its ok i posted so many pics. Hope your enjoying it as much as me.

Now hard part is behind and the fun stuff can begin.

Wow what a layout. Look great.wonderfully done

Patrick H.

Please don't stop on the pictures they are just great an all the rest of the guys think the same. You have no idea how much you are helping me with my layout.


Sonny

Patrick AWESOME work!

I would love to come out and help!
You should sign up to be on the Ligonier Valley Railroad Layout tour in 2011.

Great work, You are an inspiration, Now if I could just finish the darn Honey-do list my wife made me. I could start bench work.
Mark Harley

How do you even begin to think about the wiring?

GREAT JOB!!!

Great looking layout and your progress is amazing. Your timing is great, it has helped me in visualizing what my next steps will be. A few weeks ago at York I finalized my plans after talking with some great guys that have been willing to listen, review and give advise on my layout design. Been working a year on design while 20x60 room was built onto my home. Started bench work a week ago and pleased with my progress so far. However, I knew the benchwork would go fast. I am amazed that so far every measurement is within a quarter inch of the RRTrack plan. I enjoy doing the benchwork and feel like I know what I am doing. Can't say that about the next step of laying track. I am using MTH ScaleTrax and have several custom radius curves to do. I have watched Rich Battista's video a few times but need to watch it again before starting. Rich has been great in providing assistance. Keep the pictures coming they are very inspiring. I will post a few pics of my benchwork after I post this. It is under this same thread "gsn1".

speechless

Patrick.......I am blown away by your layout. I can't imagine anyone being able to envision a layout with the sheer size and complexity of what you are building, and have it all come together as quickley as you have made it happen.

I am in the middle of constructing my own layout, which pales in comparison to yours, and my hats off to your talents. Thank you for the pics, they are an enjoyment.

REV

Patrick,

I am in awe of the size and scope of your layout. What I really like is that your mainlines "snake" along the mountainsides. That is very prototypical AND it makes your layout longer. While mountain scenery requires more work than flat lands,it's hard to beat the drama of a big engine running on the edge of a cliff. Thanks for the timely updates, fast progress, and great photos. I'd sure like to see a "ride along" or "pacing" Youtube video of any of your trains in operation.

Great job for the fast progress on your layout. It is an inspiration. It is getting me motivated to start my own now.

IC Man

Thanks you guys for the kind words.
I have not been able to touch the layout for the last 2 weeks, our club has been at shows and getting to shows . So I finally got saturday and sunday to restart.
I am putting foam everywhere first then gonna carve it to allow for the buildings etc........( i have a general idea where everything is going) Because I have family(alot of family) coming for Christmas , I hope to at least have it carved and painted by then. After that I can relax and really detail it up . Might be wishful thinking unless I take some time off.

As for the wiring , right now i am heading toward a different approach from my other layouts. I am actually planning 4 locations for "contol panels".Or should i say Information Stations.

[quote]Patrick.......I am blown away by your layout. I can't imagine anyone being able to envision a layout with the sheer size and complexity of what you are building, quote]

I cant imagine how so many are good with that RR software I am envious of that. So I have to make up for it with alot of paper and imagination.LOL

Quote"What I really like is that your mainlines "snake" along the mountainsides."quote


Nothing like a long train snaking through "Thunder Mountain."


[Quote""It is an inspiration".Quote]

Thats what I like about the forum the most. Most everyone has good things to say and inspires each other. Id still be building the legs if the wife was inspiring the layout.(just kidding)
Ive seen your plan IC man. Let me know what track and switches your gonna use so I can invest in that company.

Also Greg had mentioned to put in a "ground plane" . I havnt had any signal issues even in the one tight outside corner where i have 2 tracks stacked on 4 tracks stacked on 4 more tracks .

Should i plan for this anyway?

4 days to work on layout really helps . Going down the stretch then can kick back and enjoy taking my time detailing. Hope to have at all foamed carved and painted for Christmas.

Simply amazing!

I'm waiting for your posts to see your new photos!

Congratulations, it's a great work!

Leandro ...

just how manny of you are there working you seem to fly through this effortlessly!

I enjoy seeing your progress looks good hope you find time to enjoy some train running-$oo

LOL

I have been Solo since the very first weekend. The guys from the club have been super busy at shows this time of year.
(I wouldnt ask anyway except for pointers) The whole entire construction to detailing is as enjoyable to me as running trains.
However it would be nice to get past the carving.

quote:

Originally posted by gregj410:
Patrick,
Dont forget to run a copper plane on your over\under track conditions to avoid Legacy signal issues.

I am sorry to go off topic...but what exactly is a copper plane?

OMG......thats about all I can say......you must be using about 50 sheets of foam. I just built a foam "Rock Wall" where 2 tunnels pass through into another room, which is only about 45" long and 16" high and was pretty proud of myself, but yours........WOW.......simply amazing.

P.S. Keep a good vacuum around, your gonna need it.

REV

Pat
Simply amazing. I watch for your updates

from all the pink foam I guess your layout will be well "insulated".

After posting my design on this forum , i have come to realize that I think this was intended for software design layouts.I think. Just in case , I started a RR file also on the first level and soon will post RR file for second and third level because there are 2 areas i am saving for a secondary siding/yard and mining /coal area, that I would like some feed back and help with. I will get my RR file alot more EXACT as i go.

Ok here are some more pics if you would like to see them and the RRfile





















As I stated above I am just learning the RR file and my track on the benchwork is pretty even compared to the software file i have so far.. I will add the next couple layers and get RR file more exact.

Incredible!

Peter

Patrick...beautiful work!! Can you explain in more detail how you created the striations in the layers of foam??

Thanks,
Alan

Patrick are you going to have an open house for Christmas so all of us admirers from the Pittsburgh area can come over and ogle? Rick

quote:

Originally posted by leavingtracks:
Patrick...beautiful work!! Can you explain in more detail how you created the striations in the layers of foam??

Thanks,
Alan

Alan,

Oh boy, I think i better go over to the scenery forum before i get yelled at.LOL

If the foam is stacked(which I think looks the best) Take a 12-14 inch cats paw(nail puller) and just beat up the foam . Take more here and there or pull trenches and steps out of it in different directions. Then I use a 4 inch grinder with a thin 6-7 inch masonry cutting wheel(wear gloves) Just run the grinder back in fourth keep going horizontal(slight tilts are good to) lines from 1/2 to 1/8 apart, you will cross the line above and below the one you are scoring, it will look more realistic but try not to cross two lines while scoring if you can. try not to go to deep or you will need a sprayer to get paint in the cracks later. Sometime after scoring it with grinder Ill knock some of the layers off with a couple more whacks. It goes fast. I did 30'x1 yesterday in about 3-4 hours taking breaks for the grinder. Same for standing foam but not as good results for me.

Now I know were a lot of the stimulus money went for new infrastructure.

LOOKING GOOD

quote:

Originally posted by RICKC:
Patrick are you going to have an open house for Christmas so all of us admirers from the Pittsburgh area can come over and ogle? Rick

Christmas 2011 you mean right? My goal is to have all the foam carved and base coated and a couple trains running for Christmas(Family coming from all over US this year) Then I plan to take one section at a time and detail it up nice.

Sure after the holidays, probubly end of January forum member in the area will be welcome to come over and run trains and give me some ideas on the real finishing.

I am going to start with all the accesories that me and my father have bought since I was a kid, but eventially will corner them(the ones I keep) all in one area and replace with scratch built scenes and kits.
Thats my big dream as of now.

Charlie ,dont tell the wife!

Patrick,
I see that you have multiple layers of foam stacked and also see evidence of spray foam expandable insulation. What did you use to glue/fasten each successive layer? I am in the middle of creating my own 9x18 christmas layourt and am up to the foam stage.
Frank

quote:

Originally posted by frankr:
Patrick,
I see that you have multiple layers of foam stacked and also see evidence of spray foam expandable insulation. What did you use to glue/fasten each successive layer? I am in the middle of creating my own 9x18 christmas layourt and am up to the foam stage.
Frank

Minimium expanding foam/(for windows and doors) It dries in less then a hour. Make sure you put a weight on your foam until it dries, do not use max expanding foam.(big crack filler)use gloves

Your progress is outstanding. I like the texture you ended up with after grinding the foam....very nice detail. Keep the pictures coming.

Forget about the texture of the foam, and how to glue it together, what the Heck do you put in your coffee and where do I get some!! Great work Patrick, I enjoy your progress. stunning layout. . Since everybody is watching this post... to all a wonderful Christmas !! We put the "O" in HO..HO..HO.

i think I can see a stop over either b/4 or after Trainstock '11.

It is simply amazing.

I am curious, have you thought about how many trees and such to use for scenery?

That's killer!!

Please forgive my late arrival to the party.
What material did you use to make those flexible fascia?

quote:

Originally posted by Patrick H:

I also have a question;
What are you using for roadbed under the track?
I'm about to start revamping my layout with Scaletrax and will need a roadbed material.