New Train Room Finally Getting A Layout! (Last Update: 07/02/2022)

Thanks guys, I'm hoping that soon I'll have lots more videos of more of the dusty stuff on all the shelves and in all the boxes!

@Dave Funk posted:

Congats on your first run!!

Another 2 weeks and the whole layout will be completed!

Thanks, but the only way this gets done in two weeks is if 20 people show up and all work together!

@Dennis-LaRock posted:

John, I know you going to be running 'modern' controllers (radio/computer etc.) switch/block system... but, are you going to build an old school control panel as well?

I will have a control panel with the switches and turntable controls.  However, all the power districts, sidings, switches, and the turntable will be TMCC controlled.  I should be able to run pretty much everything from the TMCC/Legacy remote.  I have a box of Lionel SC2 controllers that have been waiting for something to do, they're getting their chance now!

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

Thanks, but the only way this gets done in two weeks is if 20 people show up and all work together!

DID SOMEONE SAY ROAD TRIP???

😂😂😂😂😂

Looking Good John!  A nice long run with great looking track work.

You should be very proud!

Don

Very nice.  I enjoyed the ride.  Nice long sweeping curves.  Love the idea of the magnetic pick-up car.  That's something  I would not have thought of as I'm going to be laying track myself soon.  Great idea.

Mike

Congratulations John. When I stopped by I was so excited to see the table and now to see a video WOW. Definitely will be able to run nice long trains on that for sure. Excellent work and Fantastic video.

Looks great John, good to see you don't have my terrible track laying skills where there's bumps where there shouldn't be. Of course that was with tubular track that I could never get mated up all the way or the pins would come out. With Ross, I don't have that problem. Are you going to get any help with anything going forward?

I have a theory.  There is no way there is only one GRJ who answers all of these comments and then gets anything done on the new  layout, repairs items, responds to other threads, Henning's, etc.  There are multiple individuals, like Santa's elves in the GRJ workshop, and it is time for true confessions.  Fess up GRJ, Am I right?

Wow, this is a very nice video, it’s a really nice long smooth run and I’m so glad you were able to do such a great job laying track. Fantastic work. You shouldn’t have many derailments that are track related. Your layout will be lots of fun to run. Thank you very much for this cool video. Do you have a name for your layout? It’s going to be fun work from now on as trains will be involved with testing during your wiring process. It’s all the fun of the game. Congratulations on the maiden run and we look forward to your progress. Happy Railroading Gunrunner John.

Congratulations John.  Looks great.  It’s gotta be a great feeling to get to this point.  
There’s a lot of work yet but you are well on your way to a spectacular layout.  
Great video!  Thank you for sharing.

Comgratulations John. It really looks awesome. You have done so much in a short period of time. I wish mine was moving along as well as yours. I believe I am overthinking it. I just need to to it. I have a corner where I want a tunnel. I finally figured out how to do it! So, onward and upward.

Joe Gozzo

Congratulations on a beautiful layout John. Video looked great. Track work is superb. 

WOW, thanks for all the nice comments.  I'm pretty happy with the progress, I just wish it could go faster.   Of course, I already know things I might have done differently, but I guess that's always the way.  I'm already thinking about making the wiring a bit easier.

In looking at the benchwork, I realize that once the whole layout is on it, and the legs are firmly seated on the floor (in the carpet), there's no way the legs are going to move.  So, what's with all the extra cross-members that just make it a PITA to scoot around and do the wiring?   I think the two with the XX will be the first to go.

John, I'm amazed, where do you find the time to built a layout, fix engines and rolling stock, meet with the club, and still spend the time with the wife and family. As it is now, my wife says I'm never home. Hummmm, funny, I sit next to her every evening......until the tones go off for a fire call.

Chris, that's why it's taken so long to do this one!   I finally had to just change priorities and get something done on the the layout, I'm not getting any younger!

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

WOW, thanks for all the nice comments.  I'm pretty happy with the progress, I just wish it could go faster.   Of course, I already know things I might have done differently, but I guess that's always the way.  I'm already thinking about making the wiring a bit easier.

In looking at the benchwork, I realize that once the whole layout is on it, and the legs are firmly seated on the floor (in the carpet), there's no way the legs are going to move.  So, what's with all the extra cross-members that just make it a PITA to scoot around and do the wiring?   I think the two with the XX will be the first to go.

And John you can always re-install those X members after the bulk of the wiring is done, if you judge they are needed. But they will also make storage of "stuff" under the layout very difficult.

As some guy once said "Nothing is as easy as the job you imagine someone else doing!" Very true words. It seems all projects take a lot longer and cost a lot more than you thought they would.

Rod

John I just watched your mobius video of the first run. Very nice and that track plan should provide lots of great running. Aside, I noticed a familiar looking guy standing at the foot of the stairs! Another thing I noticed is that workbench is far too clean. How does that happen when you are knee-deep into layout building? Haha.

Rod

Actually, you can't really "install" the cross members after the fact, you have to install them as you build.  The only way to get them in after the fact is to loosen up the top structure (not recommended!!!) so you could move the legs out far enough to go over the studs that screw into the legs.  The only way to get them out is cut them and then remove the two halves, that's my method.

In any case, four of them are gone.  I went under and I can't move the legs with all the weight on them, they're sitting in cups that have grippers into the carpet so they can't shift.  That being the case, I can't imagine it being an issue without some of these supports.  I don't see any issue in removing any of these that get in my way.  As I work, a couple more may get sacrificed, the layout ain't going anywhere at this point!  If, for some reason, there was a reason to add such bracing back in, I could just use some standard 2x4 lumber and run the screws all the way through the legs to install them.  I'm not anticipating having to do this, but there's always a way to skin the cat if necessary.

@Rod Stewart posted:

John I just watched your mobius video of the first run. Very nice and that track plan should provide lots of great running. Aside, I noticed a familiar looking guy standing at the foot of the stairs! Another thing I noticed is that workbench is far too clean. How does that happen when you are knee-deep into layout building? Haha.

I cleaned off the workbench just for the video!

I’m thinking the lower braces are there for stability.  To help keep the rectangular shape of the benchwork from becoming a parallelogram.  Might want to discuss with Mianne before removing too many.

I get that, I don't think I'll miss the ones I took out.  Still plenty of them to keep it straight, and now I can move around under the layout.   Some of the ones in the middle were just too much of a PITA to work around!

Can’t wait to see that JLC Challenger go around you have now...

Me too, and it won't be that long now!   Too bad I couldn't fit a bigger turntable in so it could live on the layout full time, maybe I'll park it on one of the hidden sidings.

I'm already thinking about a lower level yard, I've been chatting with my carpenter friend about how that might be grafted into the layout.  It may be more than I want to tackle until I get farther along, we'll see...

Awesome.

Mark

Congratulations, John!  That was a great ride!!!  Now back to my layout!!

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

Me too, and it won't be that long now!   Too bad I couldn't fit a bigger turntable in so it could live on the layout full time, maybe I'll park it on one of the hidden sidings.

I'm already thinking about a lower level yard, I've been chatting with my carpenter friend about how that might be grafted into the layout.  It may be more than I want to tackle until I get farther along, we'll see...

Come on John... break out the sawzall  and cut the hole for the lower level yard. Tom will figure it out. Charge forward....dont look back. 😂😂

@RSJB18 posted:

Come on John... break out the sawzall  and cut the hole for the lower level yard. Tom will figure it out. Charge forward....dont look back. 😂😂

See the last line of my signature!

Hi John. Your layout is looking great so far. Can't wait to see it with scenery. I did notice one thing that I hope won't come back to bite you. Hopefully you will have access to the hidden switches on the lower loop. The way my luck goes one of them would be the first to fail. I can only wish I had the space that you have for a future layout. Hoping to win the lottery but keep forgetting to play. Keep up with the good work. Again looking very nice.

@Rod Stewart posted:

As some guy once said "Nothing is as easy as the job you imagine someone else doing!" Very true words. It seems all projects take a lot longer and cost a lot more than you thought they would.

Just because its a bad idea doesn't mean it might not be fun!....

"“This is the best bad idea we have, sir,”

Salute Rod, Even those ideas...were FUN! Like my Wooden Trestle! HA, fun for a week solid, still a bad idea. Cheers

@Mark Boyce posted:

Congratulations, John!  That was a great ride!!!  Now back to my layout!!

Mark, You are So supportive to all here. Thank you. salute

@hokie71 posted:

I have a theory.  There is no way there is only one GRJ who answers all of these comments and then gets anything done on the new  layout, repairs items, responds to other threads, Henning's, etc.  There are multiple individuals, like Santa's elves in the GRJ workshop, and it is time for true confessions.  Fess up GRJ, Am I right?

Hmmmmm, CLONE? Triplets?

@3rail posted:

Hey John, I did a very unscientific measurement of the swing on my Vision Line Big Boy. Look at the folding rule. I swung the front drivers out as far as I could while on tangent track. It looks more like 4” or so from center rail. Not trying to be a wise guy, just wanted to pass this along.

Don

WHOA! UnHuman - messes with my feeble brain, glad to have me MARX400... !! I need E-Z Mode. 0-4-0, lol. I live vicariously through the Skilz of my friends here on ogrr. thank you, thank you very much. (I showed my wife how bad it could get) chuckle. She did not leave me, yet.

Note that this picture has the locomotive on straight track, that's not the issue as the boiler doesn't swing at all on straight track.  Put the locomotive on an O72 curve and then swing the boiler out, the max will be right around 3" from the center rail.

Think about it, the lead power truck is already swinging out, it's not the same as on straight track.

@Forest posted:

Hi John. Your layout is looking great so far. Can't wait to see it with scenery. I did notice one thing that I hope won't come back to bite you. Hopefully you will have access to the hidden switches on the lower loop. The way my luck goes one of them would be the first to fail. I can only wish I had the space that you have for a future layout. Hoping to win the lottery but keep forgetting to play. Keep up with the good work. Again looking very nice.

Thanks Forest.   I thought about the switches, and I think I have that covered.  Any scenery that covers the ones  under the elevated loop can be accessed from the side, and any scenery (wall, embankment, etc., will be removable at the switch locations.  I also have several cutouts under the table as well.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

Note that this picture has the locomotive on straight track, that's not the issue as the boiler doesn't swing at all on straight track.  Put the locomotive on an O72 curve and then swing the boiler out, the max will be right around 3" from the center rail.

Hey John. Yes, I agree. I had that picture from a previous post where somebody was asking how much the Boiler could "stick out" . Not sure why that was important at the time. Regardless, I should have taken another picture on a curve. I still may do that. My curves on the Main are 088 and 096. I do not have any 072.

Don

My mainline varies from around O81 to O90, depending on where you are, most if it is flex track.  However, on the smaller loops, I have a lot of O72 ROSS curves.  Obviously, you'll have more overhang on tighter curves, so testing on O72 covers any issues on wider curves.

Here's a more definitive test of the overhang on curves.

First, I did the "bogus" test of just putting it on straight track and pulling the lead power truck out as far as possible, and indeed the clearance is 4 inches.  As I mentioned, that isn't a real situation you'll ever see unless you have a bad derailment!

Next, I put it on an Ross O72 curve and pulled the boiler out as far as I could.  Using a level to get an accurate mark from the maximum point of extension, I marked the table.  As you can see, it's just slightly less than 3" in the real world.  This has also been my experience actually running the locomotive.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

My mainline varies from around O81 to O90, depending on where you are, most if it is flex track.  However, on the smaller loops, I have a lot of O72 ROSS curves.  Obviously, you'll have more overhang on tighter curves, so testing on O72 covers any issues on wider curves.

Here's a more definitive test of the overhang on curves.

First, I did the "bogus" test of just putting it on straight track and pulling the lead power truck out as far as possible, and indeed the clearance is 4 inches.  As I mentioned, that isn't a real situation you'll ever see unless you have a bad derailment!

Next, I put it on an Ross O72 curve and pulled the boiler out as far as I could.  Using a level to get an accurate mark from the maximum point of extension, I marked the table.  As you can see, it's just slightly less than 3" in the real world.  This has also been my experience actually running the locomotive.

Excellent John. Thank you. That makes a lot more sense. Get ready for the big Nor'easter coming up the coast tomorrow and Monday! Again, thanks for the taking the time to take some pics.

Don

Nice! That's such a helpful measurement!

Power panel taking shape.  All the track drops will come here to be allocated to the four TIU channels.  Each TIU channel is powered by a Lionel PH180 transformer.  The Legacy #990 is also here along with the SER2 and both Lionel and MTH WiFi adapters.  No problem with putting the CAB2 into the #990, I never do that!  It gets the remote too hot sitting in the #990, so I charge them in the separate charging base, that works much better.  Besides, I want the CAB2 where it's easier access.

The MTH WiFi and the Legacy #990 will be getting external antennas for better performance, so I'm not worried about clearances here.

In case someone wonders, the manual switch controls and the turntable controls will be going to a separate panel.  That panel will also have the 12VAC supply for the DZ-2500 switch machines.

Very nice workmanship.

That's why I cleverly thread the wires from the back through next to the terminal blocks, you won't be able to see the rat's nest behind the panel!

John, congratulations on your progress. I have read alot of posts here the last year or so just from Google searches that led me to this forum and have learned so much from you and others that I finally joined the forum just yesterday and became a supporting member. I have been into the hobby for a couple years now after my first MTH starter set purchase and have added lots of additional track, a TIU and a DCS WIFI unit. A couple of additional trains and rolling stock as well. I have my first Lionel Legacy steamer on pre-order (4-6-0 CAMELBACK, still on o31 curves so I am limited in the Legacy market). Anyway, just wanted to say thank you.

Brad