New layout progress (Some scenery)

Nor can I!  But I also realize that Norm is already making more progress--and faster--than the vast majority of us do.  Shows what a decent bit of advance planning can accomplish, not to mention setting a goal and sticking with it.  Really a lot of fun to watch the evolution of what I'm confident will be one heck of a fine layout.

Thanks a lot guys, I am looking forward to starting the scenery and building models again. I still have a ways to go though.

At least I now have the mains connected up. I probably would have made more progress but had to pick up leaves most of yesterday.  I'd like to run a train across the layout and back but I'm not in that big of a rush. I may connect the second reverse cutoff first and do some basic power wiring before I get ahead of myself.

I still need to set up the small yard and tweak in the spurs for industry. I am thinking about putting some in along the left wall to serve some big flats. I'd like to do some big industrial flats again. I will update the final trackplan soon with some town/location names I've been thinking of.

Lookin great Norm!

Nice progress Norm!

Lookin Great Norm. You'll be starting scenery in no time.

Your track work is great, it's nice to see it all come together.  Thanks for sharing the progress with us.

It's shaping up beautifully, Norm!  Thanks for keeping us updated.

Norm,

It is nice to see a little clutter!

Dave

Norm,

Looks awesome, I think you will really like the track plan you have chosen, it is similar to the one I had up on my last layout, the first word out of everyone's mouth who walked downstairs to my basement was "WOW", and my layout was unfinished, I can't wait to see what you will be able to do with this, looking forward to your updates.

Darren

Hey,  find me a Honda hat yet?   Nice work!!! Dave and I need to plan a visit after the new year. Coming in for Thanksgiving? Same old debauchery on Black Friday??

Kurt    

Hi Norm,

    Looking very nice, your bench and track work are superb. !!!!!

Thanks for keeping us up to date,

Alex

Hey thanks guys, hope to be back at it this weekend. Now that I think of it, I still have a bit of benchwork to do and then I might try powering up the mains. It would be nice to run a train across the whole thing.

Kurt, working on it, and yes I will be in town..

Nice!! We'll start at Hal's and end at Primantis sometime Saturday

Norm,

Shaping up to be another winner!  Looks good.  By the way, and in my opinion, leaves are best on the trees .  Only worse household chore is cleaning gutters - that will be next weekend for me.

I changed my plans a bit for this end of the layout. I decided to build out a 42" wide platform to host some street scenes and three spurs for industries. You can see the switches are stubbed out. I took a break tonight and did some cleanup and tried to do a little brainstorming on how this part of the layout will look. This section (to be called Northbrook) will be the first to get scenicked. Next up is some basic power wiring and maybe I will try to get a train to run across this thing. Then it will be on to installing the switch machines...

Hi Norm

The layout is looking great nice use of the space.

 I like the long runs down the back wall. It will allow for some nice long trains.

good luck on the project!!!

I can see it, too, but it'll have to be five to seven pages, or more!  

At the rate Norm is working, he'll have the whole deal ready for the Oct. 2014 issue.  

That benchwork looks great, Norm, as do those nice, long runs of track.

Norm what's the ribs made of?  1x6? I wondered I usually use 2x4. Thanks chris

Love the idea Norm, nothing like an area you can view up-close and put yourself into. 

Great job Norm. Keep the updates coming!

Looks great Norm!  Love that Pennsy power. 

Thanks Bob - glad you like it! You've always given great PRR advice!

Chris, the layout is mainly 1X4 pine with 1/2" plywood. Sort of a medium weight construction. I really didn't want to wrestle with 3/4" plywood.

Hi Norm,

Great news, trains are running!!!!!!! pictures look great. How about a quick video

Thanks,

Alex

Alex, see if this works...

Tim, I just use good old wire nuts, you might see my connections in the vid. Please note, I haven't tidied up the wiring yet.

Your making real progress norm. It looks great. 

Norm,

Excellent progress, exciting to see trains running.

Norm,

I thank you very much for your nice video, the trains look awesome running on the new layout.

Thanks,

Alex

Man that was quick....trains running already! Looking good Norm!

I notice you are just doing cork on top of the 1/2" plywood base. How quiet is that? The club over in Scottsdale uses Atlas track on lattice-like roadbed made from 1/2" HDPE with cork and it seems whisper quiet. I don't know where they get it, but the stuff I found online is expensive. I'm not anal about noise, but I would like to hear the locomotive sounds and clickety-clack more than constant track noise. I've been reading about all the different ways to do roadbed to keep the noise down, but I'm not convinced there is anything really that much better than just plain old cork over plywood. And I'm glad to see someone using 1/2" because that's what I intend to use.

Dave, I don't get too bent out of shape about track noise myself. My old layout was 3/8" over a box frame of 1X4s on 24" centers. When fully scenicked, the Atlas on cork was quiet enough at scale speeds.

I'd expect the loudest part of this layout might be on the box frame/table top sections. The raised roadbeds will eventually be closed up by foam on both sides so I'd expect those sections to be a bit quieter. I have a free noise app on my iPhone I could take some readings with.

Very nice, Norm. Great progress! Have fun when you visit "The 'Burg" next week.....make Kurt pay for your Primanti Bros. "sammich"....Tom

way to go Norm!!!

 Real nice.

Where's the diesels!!!

Norm looking GREAT. Keep up the good work.

Nice video. Your making great & fast progress.

Looking good Norm keep us posted.

Enjoyed the visit with the last layout, I am sure this one will be even better.

Tom, I always look forward to getting back to the 'Burgh. Maybe I can make it up to Dave's too. I am staying until Sunday to sell some stuff at the TCA show.

Getting back to the track/roadbed noise, I use a free iPhone app called Decibel 10th. I ran my K4 pulling 5 GGD cars (as seen in the above shots) full speed around the layout. Placing my phone at the curves through Northbrook, noise maxed out at 84dB. Noise stayed in the 72dB range when the train was at the opposite end of the layout. This engine doesn't have a sound system. This app is pretty cool and easy to use. It also compares readings with commonly encountered sound environments (quiet room, vehicle cabin, etc.).

I didn't know there were such apps, so I checked the Android Play Store and I installed Sound Meter on my Droid. I'll stop in at McCormick-Stillman and take some readings next time I'm over in Scottsdale. Even if the app is not accurate, it'll give me something to compare to. FWIW, it says the background noise in the family room with the TV on is 52.