My dream/nightmare layout... July Update 7/31/19 Big Boy month!

Well, it's been just over 2 months since I started this topic, and a lot has been accomplished. With Patrick's weekly visits keeping me motivated, it is looking like all the track on the main level will be complete by June.

The helix should be done by the end of March. Here's a sequence of photos showing the construction. First shot 2/13/13, last 3/4/13.

Elliot, Coming along nicely! 

Thanks Charlie. You'll be happy to know that the Lionel auto racks just clear the support posts. The Big Boy wasn't as lucky.

Elliot

    Having kept up with your amazing posts since the beginning, you should realize how much more positive you sound. Making new friends is the best part of the hobby. Keep  it going. If you are ever in Chicago contact me and come and enjoy some time at our club.

Best

Ray Marion

Thanks Ray. In addition to the positive of meeting people, since I've been working on the layout again, my blood sugar has gone WAY down. There is a certain exercise factor involved with a layout this large. Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.

My wife and I do get down to Chicago on a fairly regular basis. I'll let you know when we are planning a visit, I'd love to meet you and visit the club.

Elliot, Glad to see you are back in the traingame, welcome home !

Haven't talked to you(CTT) in what seems like forever.

Hi Doug. A comeback is a long process. I missed and forgot a lot in six years. It really does seem like forever. OGR is my new online home.

Glad to see you making a come back. What a space you have there to work with. The helix is sweeeeet!

Thank you. That's a cool video.

I'm a little envious of your working turnouts. I'm sort of committed to using the screw drive machines leftover from the mall. I have the power supply, but don't know how to hook it up. The system was designed by an electrical engineer. If I can get the first one hooked up, the other hundred should be a piece of cake.

You said this much earlier in this thread and I had meant to comment that that this is a near-constant theme that makes this forum by far the best I have seen anywhere.  Just about everyone here not only loves toy trains but has that desire to share and look at what others are sharing. 

That said, you have a lot of share with such an expansive, facinating layout.   I love the pictures and comments form you and others here, but it makes me tired just to look at the size and think about all the work involved, not just in finishing the benchwork/track but then the scenery and all.  As I observed earlier, I often feel challenged just keeping up with my 28 x 16 layout, which is much smaller than yours: now that mine is about 1/2 complete (i.e., down to the terrain and vegetation, etc.) I find that maintenance on that finished portion takes about half my time, leaving me less to complete the rest.  I've concluded that it is about as much as I can handle. 

Your's is a fantastic project!

Thank you Lee.

This monster can seem daunting, but so far there hasn't really been anything to maintain. Of course there aren't that many functioning systems yet. My hope is that I only have to do things once. Everything is being built to a different standard from what most people do. This practice is a carryover from my time at the mall. An example of my overkill is having electrical feeders on every 3 foot section of track.

I was thinking about this the other day, and I realized that this layout primarily track. The scenery and structure aspect will be rather minimalist. The majority of the structures will be industries, and or flats.  This is due to the fact that it actually based on real railroads in the Twin Cities. What has happened is the narrow scenes fill with track, leaving little room for much else. In one spot the Mississippi river will be compressed to a 2 inch ditch between tracks.

The track is really the biggest project. Benchwork construction is winding down. I'm going to set a goal, here and now, of having all track completed and powered by the end of 2014. 

Heading back down now to keep chipping away. Patrick was supposed to come over today, but we pushed his visit back to Thursday because of the snow.

Elliot --

I can't tell you Thank You enough for making the effort to show us your progress, but THANK YOU!  For Sharyl and I the building of our layout was much more fun than running the trains for our family and friends.  I don't know if that makes sense but the hands on building and seeing a tangible outcome that works is simply fun.  It inspires me to think about adding on and revising some scenes, I need to convince my scenery partner first

Our youngest son and his family live in MPLS and I would love to visit your layout some day within the next year.  Thank You again for letting us tag along during your construction progress, we appreciate it greatly!

 I'm looking and reading threw these posts and this one sums it up for me too. Would be cool to have someone near that's into trains this much. I probably wouldn't leave and would become that unwelcome guest!!!

 Just .....wow!

Elliot

Looking very very nice, beautiful craftsmanship

Alex

Thank you Jon. I really appreciate that. You're right, while running the trains may be the end goal, and that is fun, the challenge of getting there is the most rewarding. Just let me know when you will be in town and and you can bring the whole gang.

Patrick came over today, and we went to town. The helix got another third of a turn, flying over the first turnout, and stopping just short of the second. The next segment is where the second track begins.




The level was used to verify the vertical clearance. Nailed it. Whew.



The other project was to get the subroadbed down for the yard





This is what the area looked like to start.




Here's where we ended up.



Next week Patrick will be coming over twice. In the meantime, I'll keep working on things.

Thank you Alex. That's quite the compliment coming from someone who does such beautiful model work as yourself. This is just rough construction. It's not quite as pretty close up, but it gets the job done.

Joe, I apologize for living so far off the beaten path. I wish I lived closer to all you guys. 

Totally blown away with all this grand work ELLIOT.  Keep on keepin on!!!  This is just great!  I recently retired and if I lived closer I'd be there a few times a week.  Love the helix.  How big of a power plant you gonna have for this monster?

laz57

Thanks Laz. I have my "Tim Allen" power supplies from the mall. A monster layout needs monster power.

This board has nine 6.3V 20A transformers. Three transformers are ganged together in series for 20A at 18.9V. So there are 3 power supplies on each board. I have 3 boards, but the plan is to only use two. Only one is in service right now, but I'd like to bring the second online this year, with all this new track.



Truth is, I'm not even sure if I need all this power. I've got an almost 100% can motor locomotive roster, and very few passenger cars. These supplies were designed with older equipment in mind.

Elliot what diameter is the track when it "rounds" the corner to the next aisle?

Hi Mike.

The curves at the ends of the peninsulas are generally 092 for the outside track. No mainline track is under 072. The double track curve that will connect the existing track to the new section will be something close to 084 and 076.

Where you see the four track curve, which I've nicknamed the "Horseshoe curve" for obvious reasons, the middle two tracks are the mains. The outside and the sharper inside are yard leads.