New Layout 2022

452 are you going to be operating the layout form the inside or outside of the layout? I like the idea of the casters - you'll be able to roll it out away from the wall to work or repair. Hopefully it doesn't get to heavy to where ya can't roll it.

RJ-

I will be operating the 8 x 16 layout from the outside right front. The red box will be the control stand.

The casters are on my older 4 x 8 layout in the basement.

@452 Card posted:

Ballast arrived today. 6 lb. jar of roofing granules from Lucas Roofing Products. If you buy it in the 5 Gal. bucket its much cheaper, but I don't need that much. Just doing the "sawtooth" edges of the RossBed for the switches, of which there are sixteen. I might mix it with a little white to break up the straight gray color to match the paint with the white flecks.

Definitely interested in seeing how this turns out, especially if it's significantly cheaper than commercially produced & sold ballast.  Great luck w/the layout! 

- Neal

Neal,

The price was $40 for the 6 lb. container, which is higher than the 5 lb. price for Brennan's. But the shipping from Brennan's is $15.50, so I went the route of one more pound vs. cost to get the Lucas product on Amazon Prime. As far as I am concerned, the two products are the same thing, just different colors. I will not be using it any time soon, still have not found the Baltic Birch ply for the base, and family invasion this weekend stalls all progress because the room is shared with a trundle guest bed.

Painted twelve more RossBed units today. 60 more units to go for priming.

@452 Card

Do you also paint the Underside of the Rossbed ?  

Or is there no need to seal the plywood underside ?

How do you plan to secure the Rossbed to the layout top ?

Thanks in advance !!!

Bill,

No paint for the underside of the RossBed, its unnecessary. I don't get what you mean about sealing the plywood, it will have homasote over it. As far as securing the track/bed assembly- maybe a few drops of glue here and there under the RossBed, but everyone says it stays put once the area around it is sceniced. (scenicked?)

Finished painting the base coat on the RossBed for all the switches today. All the switch beds are done for now awaiting the top coat of the fleck paint, including the big daddy for the 175 X-over. Next are the curve sections.

So far, including the big piece for the 175 x-over, 80 pieces of RossBed have been prime coated. That is an average of 17 units per can of primer. 53 pieces for the curves await basecoating.

Hi all,

Thanks for this helpful post.  I'm having to use Midlands Cork for my road bed.  Will use RossBed for my switches.   I located the spray paints at HD.  After painting is finished, any good videos on laying cork roadbed would be appreciated.

Tommy

The good old days of finding 20 or so colors, including gray primer, of Walmart spay can paint for $1 each left about three years ago.  Most Walmart's now only have black and white if you are lucky.

Maybe the graffiti on box cars and over passes will decrease.  Oh maybe not, they will just steal the paint.

Charlie

Wind finally died down here, so painting time it is. On to the curves- ten 054 and one 031 done today.

Minimal work done today, just two RossBed R40 and R45 sections for the engine layups.

What a mess.

The latest-

All 121 pieces of RossBed completed with base coat paint. Initial clearance testing on the 072 and 080 curves done today using Lionel 18" heavyweights. Next test is the Alaska Superliners, the K-Line scale aluminum NYC cars, then the Postwar Lionel 6518 transformer car. Yet to be temporarily put up is the 054 inner track, so all tests will be redone later. I would like to install the backdrop now that I have an idea of how it will look with the MTH HG bridge in a location near where it will permanently be. It looks so much smaller on the table out of the box.

What is that underneath the car cover - E46 3-series perhaps?

Nein,

2002 e39 M530i. Sport/Premium packages, and ordered way before the modern M430i and Mxxxxi etc. became the new nomenclature.

I guess I was ahead of the times in 2002 when it was delivered. M steering wheel, M-technik rotors and brakes, 2" lower with M-technik springs. No M engine. Even the shifter knob has an M on it. Who knew?

Given BMW has taken to call these cars M-Technik that are being sold now, I am using the M530i badge as a non-poseur. I created it.

@452 Card posted:

The latest-

All 121 pieces of RossBed completed with base coat paint. Initial clearance testing on the 072 and 080 curves done today using Lionel 18" heavyweights. Next test is the Alaska Superliners, the K-Line scale aluminum NYC cars, then the Postwar Lionel 6518 transformer car. Yet to be temporarily put up is the 054 inner track, so all tests will be redone later. I would like to install the backdrop now that I have an idea of how it will look with the MTH HG bridge in a location near where it will permanently be. It looks so much smaller on the table out of the box.

Is that oak for your top?

@452 Card posted:

Nein,

2002 e39 M530i. Sport/Premium packages, and ordered way before the modern M430i and Mxxxxi etc. became the new nomenclature.

I guess I was ahead of the times in 2002 when it was delivered. M steering wheel, M-technik rotors and brakes, 2" lower with M-technik springs. No M engine. Even the shifter knob has an M on it. Who knew?

Given BMW has taken to call these cars M-Technik that are being sold now, I am using the M530i badge as a non-poseur. I created it.

Nice! I have a 2003 E46 330i I have owned since new. I have a similar cover and your car looked about that size and shape from what I can tell. Mine is Electric Red with Black leather, Sport Pkg, 6-speed and no moonroof.

Robert,

Its an oak-faced 1/4" plywood sheet thats been kicking around here for the last 33 years. It was supposed to be used in a carpentry project that never happened. I'm using it temporarily as a tabletop to perform clearance tests and track layout measurement. The final tabletop will be 1/2" Baltic Birch plywood under homasote.

Back in the day when I bought it, it was $80.00. Seems like a pittance with today's prices. At some point it got wet, so now its just a work support.

Hi guys,

Please keep up the good updates on this topic.  I'm somewhat behind you guys.  Just started the base coat primer on my cork.  My Mianne is about 20% standing tall.  Plan on using Baltic Birch and Homasote as my two bases as per Gunner's suggestion.   My problem, got too many irons in the fire.  But I luv it, wouldn't have it any other way.

My Best Regards,

Tommy

From another thread on this forum I became aware of the GarGraves pigtails for connecting track power (thanks Peter!). Does anyone have experience with this product as far as wiring Ross switches? The mainline connections are no brainers, but looking at Steve's connection diagrams I'm a little confused since I don't have advanced electrical skills. This falls in the thinking ahead phase of construction.

Learned about these connectors from GunRunnerJohn's new layout thread. My sample came in the mail today. No soldering necessary!