Not quite a complete redo: 4-6-17 update

How long did it take you to become satisfied with layout size and track plan? You are way ahead of me, but it sounds like you have passed through some of the things I am just starting to wrestle with. Congratulations on making good progress.

Thanks rtr12.  I have been dabbling since 1997!  I started out with a 5X9 table which was really a good size with lots of possibilities and it was a very casual hobby.  But it limited me to O-36.  When I decided I wanted to run larger scale steamers, I made the decision I would become more involved in model railroading locos and that's when I built a 12X18 layout.  It was OK but I had an inspirational visit to a local 2-rail O scale layout in a butler building!  That's when it got crazy.  (2000) expanded to 12X24; 2003 decided to make a big plunge and added a 40 foot extension that looped back to the 12X24.  It's not a perfect track plan, its just a good one for what I wanted to see.  But it is unrefined to say the least and the "How to do it right and easy" videos on the net and lots of inspiring folks on the forum caused me to try to make it a little nicer.  Here are some before and after photos from today's efforts of removing all my trains and dismantling the city/warehouse district on the 12X24 part of the layout.  As I said, the trackage stays the same with all its quirks but I am going to paint the homasote, let it dry, then spray paint the track and ties and reassemble the basic city scape I had with a few changes.

Then I will tackle the countryside and small loco yard area. 

Where are you in the process?  Cheers.

Ooops, no photos?

Thanks for the pictures. Looks really good to me. I like the track plan, at least what I can tell from the pictures, it looks pretty interesting, like it will provide some excitement while running trains. I would say your experiment is producing good results. It looks like you have gained a lot of knowledge and are doing well with your layout plans. Looking at all the layouts people do here is also inspiration and offers up plenty of ideas.

 

I am experimenting as well. Re-entered the hobby in 2011. Had a few temporary layouts until last year. I now have a more permanent 6'x16' layout, and like you have done, I am also planning to expand. Probably not as much as you have with the 40' extension part though. I got Mianne bench work so it could easily be changed and also because of easy assembly and easy access.

 

One more thing I like about your layout is the multiple elevations of track you have. Many others have that as well. I think that adds a lot of interest to the layout. I started out wanting all flat, but I think I am definitely going to have to add some elevation changes somewhere. I also like the way you have varied the directions the track is running so they are not all just perpendicular or parallel. I haven't done any of that and have not been happy with much of it. Everyone else's layouts always look so much nicer, others always seem to be so much more creative. Guess if I steal enough ideas, something workable will happen someday.

Hi Pennsyhut • The layout looks great. Thanks for sharing your story & photos. Looks like a very large train room Like the bench work & all the track work.

Congrats

Thanks guys.  Since I last posted I had time to really look at my city/warehouse area and think about things that bothered me about a few things.  One corner in particular is the transition to the country side.  When I removed the scenery I discovered a really neat opportunity for an open rather than closed off view of the transition.  So in that corner where I had rock walls separating levels of track, I am installing an Atlas O Pratt bridge.  I did the installation and fitting of the deck part 2 days ago and painted the truss parts flat black today.  I also painted the track and ties on the bridge Camo earth brown and might get the track in this section painted tomorrow.  One thing that has helped me visualize is painting the homasote and other sound deadening board after I removed all the buildings so I was not distracted by messy stuff.  

I took a break from the layout work to make some loco modifications to a PRR Atlantic.  Tedious work I must say.  Here a few more pics after I painted the surface.

 

Today, I painted the deck structure of the Pratt Truss, all the track in the city/warehouse area, and spent more time than expected cleaning paint that was not completely removed immediately after rattle can spraying the track.  Lots more to do, and enjoying it.

The last couple of days I have slightly modified 2 of my wall flat buildings, painted and cleaned a lot track, installed some permanent underlayment between the wall and track.  I will post photos later.  I have to do some prep demolition in the countryside area today and clean up some of the mess.  Don't get me wrong.  I like making a mess it's therapeutic but I lost a drill bit!  Cheers.  

Pennsynut,

This is the first I have seen your topic.  I like the plan to open things up with the bridge.  It is looking good!

The layout is off to a great start.

I am taking a little break to see my grandson so no more progress for a few days.  I did manage to get the 4th magnet to bond on my Atlantlc Loco for 4 chuffs.  What I found out in this redo is that I love making buildings that I have no room for.  Trying to cram too much resulted in distracting cluter.  Updates later.

 

Me too!  I've thinking of making a big deep (12" - 14" set of shelves where I can keep all the buildings I build that are not on the layout, and then sometimes switch out a few from shelves to layout and vice versa.  I really enjoy maing buildings but I don't like the overly-crowded look. 

I did a little rethinking about where to place the buildings against the wall.  Minor changes only for the factory/warehouse buildings.  For the town foot print is tiny so I think minor changes there as well.  The rural area is a head scratcher so far.  I still have to prep one more rural area section before I complete the track painting part of this project.

Tonight I painted some areas of homasote.  Then I cut some left over bead board for areas between tracks in the engine yard.  I need to weather the engine house and work on some roads.  Here are a few pics.

 

Last night I installed my first piece of foam using low temp hot glue.  LOWES Pactiv Extruded Polystyrene Foam Board Insulation (Common: 0.25-in x 4-ft x 50-ft; Actual: 0.22-in x 47.75-ft x 50-ft)

The first piece was a little too large and I had to do it over because the glue set quickly.  Since I am going to cover it with plaster soaked paper towels and then paint and scenic, I cut smaller pieces and gluing went a lot easier. I got a fair amount done.  The areas where the tracks are relatively close with curves are more time consuming for me.

Today I plan to continue with this part for a while and later spray the remaining track.  At first I thought this might be one of the less gratifying tasks but I really like this part. Updates and photos later. (My son finally convinced me to bury the flip phone and get a galaxy phone to Skype with my grandson.  I learned the photo feature quickly and now posting photos is a breeze.  Old dogs can learn new tricks, eventually.)

Reached a milestone today. All the track and ties are painted and the rail tops are clean. Now I can run trains and work on scenery redo projects. Next task is to design retaining walls and maybe arched stone bridge work on north end. Here are some pics.

 

Today I got around to weathering my loco shop building that I kitbashed from 2 Lionel loco shop buildings to make one double stall building that is longer.  I modified a little bench work for a card board mockup of a retaining wall for the north end of the city area.  The tracks on the north end of the loop in the city area are quite close to the roadbed and tracks on the elevated grade section.  A rock wall was there but it was too close and straight up and down.  A retaining wall will measure 80 inches and will hopefully add a different scenic element.  Here are pics of the north end of the loop and the loco yard on the west side.

 

   

pennsynut

Very nice, love the bridges. Looks like this will be a lot of fun to operate. You have a good thread going hope you continue to post progress pictures

Thanks Steve.  Today I tackled the nw corner of the town part of the layout.  I temporarily removed 2 bridges so I could reach areas underneath and behind and redo landscape prep.  I got the cardboard strips glued in with the exception of the rock feature between the 2 tracks.  After I get the rock feature strips done, I will cover the work with newspaper in prep for the plaster party.

I am considering a white/gray stone pictured below for the retaining wall in the same area.  It shows up fairly white so I will tone it down with gray/black chalks and add vines and small bushes.  I will probably shorten the intervals between columns to 7 inches as opposed to the 8 inches in the mockup.  here are some pics.

 

Today I glued paper over the cardboard skeleton work I did yesterday.  Then I worked my way around to the countryside to lay 1/4 inch insulation foam between tracks.  I have been putting some things back on the layout gradually to get ideas for final location.

Here are some pics.