Looking forward to it.  Looks great to me.

I am a loop runner also. I have one really long loop that I run trains on. I like to keep my speed down to what it should be. I think the experience is similar to standing by the right of way of a full size railroad and watching trains pass by. I do a lot of that with my hometown railroad, which is CSX.

It was Bill Bramlage that coined the phrase “Loop Runner.” Some of my best friends are Loop Runners.  😉

Rich Melvin posted:

It was Bill Bramlage that coined the phrase “Loop Runner.” Some of my best friends are Loop Runners.  😉

Mine too.  I’m gonna go out on a limb a say that the vast majority (somewhere around 95%) of all model railroaders are loopers.  Sure many have sidings serving every imaginable business but the bulk of the trains sooner or later revisit their point of origin.  And... there ain’t anything wrong with that. 

I am re-posting my track plan HERE as it was deleted from my original post because it had a link attached to it.

I would consider myself a looper also... (with sidings) 

I'm a looper that is a nut for good scenics. 

I've been a looper since 1954, only the loops are bigger now. 

The current mantra that point-to-point is more realistic suffers from a fatal flaw:  it is only realistic if the prototype is at most .5 miles long (that's about how long a mainline lucky people can fit, much less for most people, especially in the larger scales).

If you like switching between industries that are next door to one another, that's fine.  But if you want trains to run any distance at all, loops are unavoidable.

SantaFeJim posted:

I am having a layout built by PMD (Progressive Model Design) of Romeoville, Illinois which is about 25 miles from my house. I had been in contact with PMD for 7 month before the actual build started. They were in the final stages of a HO layout for a client on the west coast and I needed that project to wrap up before they could start mine. That was fine, as I got to view that layout with 95% of the scenery in place. Seeing this helped me make up my mind that PMD was right for me. 

No more 3 rail in Indiana?

BobbyD posted:

SantaFeJim posted:

I am having a layout built by PMD Progressive Model Design) of Romeoville, Illinois which is about 25 miles from my house. I had been in contact with PMD for 7 month before the actual build started. They were in the final stages of a HO layout for a client on the west coast and I needed that project to wrap up before they could start mine. That was fine, as I got to view that layout with 95% of the scenery in place. Seeing this helped me make up my mind that PMD was right for me. 

 

There's nothing wrong with being a loop runner. We've been loop running at AGHR for over two decades.

I loop, make no apologies for it either.

Ditto here....

Which is better than being a bit "Loopy"...

The latest issue of Model Railroader magazine has a contributing editor's article about 'Operations'.   Well, it's the local obsession with this...."Operations"...that encouraged my decision to bid adieu to HO.   The encouraging article shares a photo....with smiling operators...of a classic 'cornfield meet'.   No smiles over such things locally...  

So, since I couldn't get a grip on it, and the echoing mantra of "Model Railroading is Fun!" was yet whispering from off my right shoulder, I declared: "I'm a LOOPER!.....and proud of it!"  Libation in the left hand, throttle in the right....all's well.  O3R.....Fun!  Loops and all.

Congratulations Jim on the upcoming looper layout!!  I will look forward to seeing some photographs of the layout when the time comes.

KD, I saw that article in the latest MR magazine.  I skipped reading it.  I read MR from the late '60s until 2012 when I discovered OGR and O gauge 3-rail and I let my MR subscription expire.  I never could get into switching layouts, and following prototypes to the T.  I did reply to a cheapo 1-year subscription offer to MR last year, but am going to let it expire.  Skipping the above mentioned article tells you why.

Just wanted to post another picture from my early visits to PMD.  

I will be having a good size passenger station as one on the main scenes on my layout.  It will serve the complete 12-car EL Capitan set that Walther's released about five years ago.  I also have a complete Super Chief set which will stop on the other side of the platform.

Seeing the great detail in and around this fine passenger station made my decision to go with PMD a lot easier.  For that reason I call this one the money shot.  

That is a great looking scene, Jim!

I am looper with interconnecting  main line loops and reverse loops, which most of you already know from the many short videos I've posted during the past 2 years.  I also have 8 sidings. Arnold

Yes, I'm a loopy looper. 

Tom 

A few more pictures while I was browsing the PMD facility.

The Passenger station from another angle.

The platforms:

Yard Tower:

Great photographs, Jim!  That looks like a great looking layout!   

HO and O gauge are two different things space wise plus a lot of  people just like to watch the trains run !!

yes, with many it is just watching trains run same as we did with family so many Christmas mornings, for so many wonderful years.  Only, now, the loops are enormous and it is with our grandkids.  Trains run on track, to the pleasure and delight of all, whether it be two rails or three.  But, the enjoyment is the same.... each to his own.   And, BTW, Mother Earth is a loop runner...……..

Jesse   TCA

After an initial review and agreement of my track plan I made a small deposit to show PDM that I am truly interested in their services.  They use their design software to calculate material cost and plot the layout incorporating the easements how best to construct and size each section for transporting and assembling the finished product.  

Part of next phase includes building a small scale mock-up to aid in visualizing the layout in 3 dimensions.  (I get to keep this when the layout is delivered)

Yes i'm a looper!!!

gnnpnut posted:

My HO railroad runs from staging yard to staging yard.  While I have reversing loops at both ends, they are only used to stage trains.  When operating, they are not required.  Passenger trains have to run at a scale 50 mph to maintain schedule. 

I operate on eight different railroads in the Chicagoland area, and none of them are "loops".  They are all convincing. 

 

How long are the mainlines?

PALALLIN, why do you think that mainlines are short on point to point layouts?  In HO, a scale mile is about 60 feet.  I operate on some HO layouts with mainlines that are at least 250 feet long (over 4 scale miles).  My own O-scale 3-rail layout is point to point with a 550 foot mainline (an O-scale mile is 110 feet).  One of the guys in town models the B&O in N-scale (33 feet to a scale mile) and his main line is almost 20 scale miles long.  These railroads all require a crew of 10 to 15 guys for an operating session.  The op sessions are social events and are loads of fun.

Back to Santa Fe Jims new layout.....

Jim it looks really cool...I'm curious as to why you went HO for the home layout?  I understand space considerations but you could put a pretty nice 0 gauge pike in 11x22....

I'd like to follow  but all the links take me to another forum that wants me to register before I could see your photos??

RD posted:

Back to Santa Fe Jims new layout.....

Jim it looks really cool...I'm curious as to why you went HO for the home layout?  I understand space considerations but you could put a pretty nice 0 gauge pike in 11x22....

I'd like to follow  but all the links take me to another forum that wants me to register before I could see your photos??

To do my track plan on 3-rail O-Scale would require approx. 44' x 22'.  It would be considerably cheaper but I cannot accommodate that foot print.

As for links to see the pictures?  News to me?  Nobody else mentioned any problems.

BTW - How is you build coming along?  I REALLY liked the track plan that you posted here in March/April of last year.

I will be posting more pictures as time permits.  Stay tuned.

If I was starting my layout I would eliminate all switches. Lee Willis had no switches.

I like to see a model train running along at typical operating speeds - say 30 to 60 miles-per-hour - chuffing, whistling, clickety-clack. On a modestly-sized layout, the only way that can be done is in a loop. Completely acceptable to me. Just turn them on and watch them run. I would quickly become bored if I was limited to having switchers shuffling boxcars onto sidings at 5 miles-per-hour.

MELGAR

Bob posted:

PALALLIN, why do you think that mainlines are short on point to point layouts?  In HO, a scale mile is about 60 feet.  I operate on some HO layouts with mainlines that are at least 250 feet long (over 4 scale miles).  My own O-scale 3-rail layout is point to point with a 550 foot mainline (an O-scale mile is 110 feet).  One of the guys in town models the B&O in N-scale (33 feet to a scale mile) and his main line is almost 20 scale miles long.  These railroads all require a crew of 10 to 15 guys for an operating session.  The op sessions are social events and are loads of fun.

People don't use trains to travel 4 miles.  Heck, I don't even use a car all the time to do 4 or 5 miles.  20 miles?  That's still a short, short-line.  There are industrial sites that have more than 4 miles of track on the same property.

My trains travel hundreds of miles, KC to Birmingham; St. Louis to Paris, TX; Carthage, MO, to Memphis; etc.  All in 5 x 10 feet.

I say enjoy your trains however you want to, but I want my trains to travel more realistic distances. 

I'm a 2 looper. My wife says I'm just "plain loopie!"

I'm a looper AND a switcher. First I watch the Royal Gorge in the Summer of '64 make it's way from Pueblo to Provo on the loop of track around the perimeter of my 11X12 train room. Then I operate the present-day Titusville/Bradford/Petrolia/wherever Turn from interchange to town and back, setting out and picking up empties and loads at the several on-line industries.

All model railroading is caricature because we are always compressing huge geographic distances&features into a tiny fraction of the land travelled by any prototype except the shortest shortlines. One could accurately model the Strasburg Rail Road but that wouldn't be very exciting, would it? Caricature is a powerful tool, though, and the suspension-of-disbelief created by an effective model railroad gives great pleasure, amirite? 

geysergazer posted:

 All model railroading is caricature because we are always compressing huge geographic distances&features into a tiny fraction of the land travelled by any prototype except the shortest shortlines. One could accurately model the Strasburg Rail Road but that wouldn't be very exciting, would it? Caricature is a powerful tool, though, and the suspension-of-disbelief created by an effective model railroad gives great pleasure, amirite? 

Lew

Absolutely. 

Mark in Oregon

Some more pictures that show the craftsmanship and artistic talent of the PMD crew.  These are unfinished sections for a client in California.

Next week I will start posting pictures showing the early stages of my layout.

SantaFeJim posted:

RD posted:

Back to Santa Fe Jims new layout.....

Jim it looks really cool...I'm curious as to why you went HO for the home layout?  I understand space considerations but you could put a pretty nice 0 gauge pike in 11x22....

I'd like to follow  but all the links take me to another forum that wants me to register before I could see your photos??

Rich - I know that I could have a decent O Scale layout in that space but, as you know, I already belong to a nice 3-Rail Scale club that has 60' x 36' layout.

To do my track plan on 3-rail O-Scale would require approx. 44' x 22'.  It would be considerably cheaper but I cannot accommodate that foot print.

As for links to see the pictures?  News to me?  Nobody else mentioned any problems.

BTW - How is you build coming along?  I REALLY liked the track plan that you posted here in March/April of last year.

I will be posting more pictures as time permits.  Stay tuned.

 

 

 

Jim,

I get it.... I'm glad you're not giving up on 0-Scale with all the beautiful  Santa Fe equipment  you have!  The photos I could see look great and the scale model is the nuts!

As for me I'm still  planning to build that plan.. I had a lot of help from the forum converting it to 0 from HO to fit my space and I have the plan in RRT .... still working on the room.. I want to make sure I have that done first and I had a couple of minor setbacks... I'm also struggling with the question.. build it myself or have it built by a professional builder??   I'm having problems visualizing the benchwork and how to handle the different levels... but I retired last January so now I have nothing but time and no more excuses.....

gnnpnut posted:

palallin posted:

People don't use trains to travel 4 miles.  Heck, I don't even use a car all the time to do 4 or 5 miles.  20 miles?  That's still a short, short-line.  There are industrial sites that have more than 4 miles of track on the same property.

My trains travel hundreds of miles, KC to Birmingham; St. Louis to Paris, TX; Carthage, MO, to Memphis; etc.  All in 5 x 10 feet.

I say enjoy your trains however you want to, but I want my trains to travel more realistic distances. 

Pallalin, based on your photograph, I'll assume that you do Civil War reenactments?  Using a similar analogy to your observations regarding the  "current mantra that point-to-point is more realistic" is akin to my saying that your Civil war activities are not realistic since you are not firing live rounds out of your small arms and artillery.  You make compromises in that hobby also, and I'm sure that your reenactment battlefields don't mimic the size of the real battles either. 

 

Certainly!  We don't eat rancid food, either, judging dysentery to be too authentic

That said, we all have to choose what compromises we make.  I want my trains to run long distances without stopping.  I will accept passing the same town numerous times to make that happen.

I say my way is better for me.  I say your way is better for you.  I will not say that either way is simply better.  Point-to-point is not better, which is the current mantra of the "voices" of the hobby.  It accomplishes a purpose loops cannot.  But they, in turn, accomplish a purpose point-to-point cannot.  And that statement was my point in responding to the thread.

Jim, I like your plan of going with HO at home since your space is moderate, and you are a member of that great O Gauge club!  Excellent plan! I look forward to seeing your looping layout delivered and in action!!

Jim the pictures of work PDM does is great ... a question... is this going to be turn- key complete when they deliver it or are you saving some scenic details etc to work on yourself?? 

Rich -

I am going with the turn-key option.  Like many other layout builders, the customer decides how much : wiring, weathering, lighting, ballasting, figures, cars, trucks, structures, scenic details, control panel(s) you want and they comply and charge accordingly.

I guess the first step is admitting I am also a Looper.

Outdoors with my 135ft loop, just finishing my 175ft loop with 8 bridges.                         My mom used to tell me-go outside and play!

Chris S.

FireOne posted:

I guess the first step is admitting I am also a Looper.

Outdoors with my 135ft loop, just finishing my 175ft loop with 8 bridges.              

My mom used to tell me-go outside and play!

Chris S.

Sounds like a FUN day.  Aren't you glad you listened to your mom.    

I have some time this morning so I wanted to post a few more pictures.  As many of you know GRJ is building his layout using multi-ply Baltic Birch over Mainne support base and he is getting excellent results.  In March I went to check the progress on my build and way amazed to find that they were using 13-ply Birch for the sub-roadbed, risers and cross members, basically EVERYTHING.

In addition, I had requested that the front corners be rounded using 24" radius corners.  This would all but eliminate guys banging into the corners.  Here is how they did that.

The back of the layout will be fastened to a wall so they will be normal 90 degree corners.

Yep, I'm a Looper also! Five 14 x 32 ovals on shelves at 7'-6" and 9'-0" high in my wife's 20' high kitchen-breakfast room. She deeded me the space as a means of getting me off of her Den carpet.  I built it upon retirement in 1992 at our mountain cottage in western N.C. and ran and displayed trains until removal in 2008 due to health issues.

Paintings partly shown on the wall are of the East Tennessee & Western North Carolina narrow gauge ("Tweetsie")

Hi Jim,

Seeing the benchwork for your layout gives me a better  picture of how big this build is!!  Plus the workmanship looks to be first rate ... it must be great to have a local company build it so you can keep close tabs on the progress. Of course that means more updates for us followers too...right...😉

It looks great, Jim!

Just a few more pictures of the benchwork.  In the early stages of construction a spinning laser-level was placed on one corner of the layout and that was used to assure all additional framing was dead-nuts level.  In the shot below some old school practices were employed.

The gap in the foreground is where the lift gate will be installed.  The left side of the picture is the back of the layout and it will be attached to my basement wall.

The long stretch on the right is the front of the layout.  In the foreground the gate gap.

From this second floor balcony I was able to capture the whole layout.

  More pictures tomorrow.  Probably track-work.  Over the weekend some on wiring.  Then a video or two by the end of the month.  Please enjoy and Stay tuned.

I have yet to build a permanent layout, fastrack makes it easy to move things around. Yes, I am a looper, I have an o60,048 loops and a 036 point to point but I put reverse loops on ends, because ultimately I like watching the trains run, and I must be an oddball because I love the loud noise that fast track makes.

Tomorrow I might take it apart and set it up again, probably with loops.

I'm going out on a limb here; most of us are loopers. Can't say what the percentages are, but I'd say the point to point layouts are a small minority.

Two mainlines on a 14x39 layout here. 

Gilly

Catdaddy posted:

I have yet to build a permanent layout, fastrack makes it easy to move things around. Yes, I am a looper, I have an o60,048 loops and a 036 point to point but I put reverse loops on ends, because ultimately I like watching the trains run, and I must be an oddball because I love the loud noise that fast track makes.

Tomorrow I might take it apart and set it up again, probably with loops.

I, likewise, have no problem with "noisy" Fastrack. It takes me back to the days of jointed rail. And in a 12X11 room the only way for a train to run long enough to hear the clickety-clack is.......to use a loop  

I can still summon the memory of the sound of rail joints at 90mph.

Lew

The photographs look great, Jim!!

Time to show some structures, I will post wiring pictures over the weekend.

This is the Central Valley double-track Heavy Duty Truss Bridge.  This was built from a kit and will be mildly weathered before final installation.   The bridge will cross over the double track main line, just as the lower tracks are crossing over a river.  This scene will be one of three major focal points.  Many more details (besides the weathering) will be added before delivery.

Next is the early stages of a small (Veteran's Park) scene that will be near the center of a small town shopping and entertainment area.

The lumber yard / building supply business is the only industry with a service spur.

Different angle.

Custom made signage at the entry point.

Those are great scenes, Jim!  Is Jeff, just a name, or someone you know?

Mark, Jeff is my son he works for a major lumber supply company in the Chicago area.  In future post you will see businesses and shops featuring other family names based on their occupation or talents.

Excellent!!!!

After all the track is laid, the rails are cut at each section boundary and the entire layout is taken apart.  Each section flipped 90 degrees and clamped securely to allow easy access for the wiring process.  Every wire is color coded and labeled. This will help to resolve any wiring problems.  

These pictures show some of the sections that are being wired.  Being at the 90 degree angle speeds up the wiring process as it allows the installer to sit or stand during this stage of the build.  A LOT easier and faster than scooting along and banging your noggin under the layout, 

As I mentioned the bridge over bridge over water will be one of three primary focal points on my layout. 

The second will be the passenger station with the two sprawling platforms.  The station is a Walther's kit shown below.

It has some resemblance to the old Santa Fe station in Fort Madison, Iowa.

Here it is pre-weathered and about 90% assembled.

The twin platform will each be about 40" long with butterfly shelters fully lighted, benches, luggage carts, phone booths and many passengers.

The station will be named Fort Madison and Santa Fe Logo's on all four sides.

In an earlier post I mentioned that several business would br named after family members.  The following pictures will should explain it.

An old house converted to doctors offices will serve as an office for my daughter in law.  This sign will appear in front of the house which appears in left side of the next picture.

My wife, who has a passion for baking will have her shop here.  You may have to expand the pictures to read the text.

My daughter works for large international legal firm in the budgeting and finance area.

She is represented by this modest office on the 2nd floor.

As mentioned earlier my son Jeff works for a lumber and building supply company. 

Even my son's dog will be getting in the act.  This structure will be re-named Westley's Doggie Treats.

That's all for now, check back later.

Those are all great, Jim!!

Jim,

It looks awesome .. it is really coming together nicely!

Even cooler is how much fun you seem to be having with this build! I'm enjoying just watching the posts of your progress.. it's plain to see you have been looking forward to this for a long time.

Enjoy my friend!

With the bulk of the wiring in place it was time to assemble the layout.  With all the connections secure the crew is ready for the first test run.  I made several short videos that day and here is a link to the first.

Lookin' good.

How fun is this? I'm excited for you. 

That looks great, Jim!!

Looking great Jim!!!

Here is a link to my second short video.

Hi Jim,

Everything is looking wonderful. May I ask who makes the brick posts that are shown in the park?

Dave

Slipping in a little something extra.  Had breakfast with 10 of my best train buddies and then we waited 3.5 hours for dessert.

This "Drone's Eye View" video was taken from the balcony.  I wish I would have at least completed a full lap.  Maybe on my next visit.

It looks great, Jim!  How far do you have to travel to get to their workshop?

Glad I read this thread! I too am a 2 looper, no switches, just two long loops through buildings and scenery that I love to build! Now that I realize I don't need therapy for this I can buy more kits to build! Thanks Santafejim LOL

Time for another video.

Last one for a while.  I may go visit the builder next week to check on progress.

Mark Boyce posted:

It looks great, Jim!  How far do you have to travel to get to their workshop?

Mark,

The builder is about 25 miles from my house.  Of the 25 miles 80% is tollroad so I can get there in under 30 minutes.

SantaFeJim posted:

Last one for a while.  I may go visit the builder next week to check on progress.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZVfkbuw9Ns

 

That HO locomotive not only looks good but sounds good what brand is it.Im happy for you Christmas will come early this year.

MR-150 posted:

SantaFeJim posted:

Last one for a while.  I may go visit the builder next week to check on progress.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZVfkbuw9Ns

 

That HO locomotive not only looks good but sounds good what brand is it.Im happy for you Christmas will come early this year.

Mark,

The Santa Fe F7 is an Athearn Genesis with a  Tsunami sound decoder.

Jim

A walk in Looper under construction:

Subassembly at rear center of upper photo:

Went to check the progress of my layout build.  Long discussion on lighting; buildings, street, parking lot(s) etc.  Also long discussion on signaling.  Sorry to report that there is not a whole lot available.

On the bright side I did snap some more pictures that I can share.  The first pic is the EAST tower of the Colton Yard.  It has a twin on the West end.  More weathering and lighting details are scheduled for both structures.

This is NOT an antenna farm.  It is a section of one of the primary focal points, which is a LARGE farm with crops and many cattle.

Jim, The layout is really shaping up nicely!  I like the farm scene and that tower is excellent!

SantaFeJim wrote:

"Also long discussion on signaling.  Sorry to report that there is not a whole lot available."

Curious about this statement.  I know of a few options:

• http://www.digitrax.com/products/detection-signaling/      This is the route that one of our Friday night crew has went down, integrated it with his entire Digitrax system.  His CTC panel drives the signal system, and is PC based (not using JMRI, uses something else).  BTW, if you want to use Digitrax as a stand-alone system for signalling, you can do that.  I love my NCE DCC system, and it works quite fine for what it does.  I've considered an overlay of APBS on my railroad, and using Digitrax to operate it to keep it separate from my command bus.  My round robin buddy is not using the Digitrax LED signals, he is using BLMA signals IIRC.   BTW, I have dispatched his railroad under CTC, it is an absolute hoot.  
• https://www.nmra.org/lcc      This is LCC, which stands for Layout Command Control.  Looked into this also, and there is one manufacturer at the moment that is standard compliant:       http://rr-cirkits.com/    I am not sure if there are more suppliers of LCC compliant signal components.   
• My buddy Warren, who you have met, had Signalogic do his system. Kevin Rudko is the owner.  He is a railroad signal consultant in real life, has done quite a few model railroads.   http://www.signalogicsystems.com/index.shtml  Warren's system is ABPS.  Kevin does an outstanding system.  A young guy that should be around for a long long time too.
• And then there is Atlas.   https://shop.atlasrr.com/b-int...s-signal-system.aspx      Don't know a lot about their system, but they definitely can do dual track ABS, which is what I think you want.  IIRC, in the era you are modeling, I think that is what they had in their dual track territory.  Not sure when SF implemented CTC on their railroad, and where it was implemented first. 
• Or, you can "roll your own"        https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/32179        There is a link in this thread to Ron Paisley's web page also:  http://www.circuitous.ca/CircuitIndex.html

Regards,

GNNPNUT

Jerry, Maybe I didn't make myself clear. The block occupancy/detection circuitry is all in place.  What we are having a hard time locating are type D signal stands.

Details West -out of stock, no ETA.

Walthers Kato - look like they belong on a 1950's Lionel layout.

These are avail on the bay:  

But the LED's are setup like a traffic light. 

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Jim

On the brighter side.  There was a good base for the starting on the scenery.

Here is one example.  In early summer the park scene looked like this:

This is how it looks now, and there are still more details to be added:

SantaFeJim posted:

Jerry, Maybe I didn't make myself clear. The block occupancy/detection circuitry is all in place.  What we are having a hard time locating are type D signal stands.

Details West -out of stock, no ETA.

Walthers Kato - look like they belong on a 1950's Lionel layout.

These are avail on the bay:  

But the LED's are setup like a traffic light. 

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Jim

Well. that clarifies things. 

I'll ask around.  How many do you need, and what type (as shown above, dual mast etc.).  E-mail me at jlzeman@comcast.net.  If you can give me the Details West PNs, that would help.  

No guarantees that I'll find anything. 

Regards,

Jerry

Jerry -

These are the Details West Type "D"  block signals I am looking for.  Part #SG-938.

If I can get 10 that would be nice.

Thanks for your assistance.

Time to post a few more pictures.

Man that's looking really good Jim!  

Thanks Rich.

Here are a few wider shots that include the "first rough coat" ground cover.  All the GREEN is just a base to give all additional ground cover applications a surface to cling to.  When these guys get going the acres and acres of well manicured "putting greens" will disappear.

The second coat of the general ground cover has been applied on some areas of the layout.  Things are starting to come together a bit faster now.  The 3rd and 4th layers will be added this week.  Maybe I can get out there and snap some more pics.  

SantaFeJim posted:

Jerry -

These are the Details West Type "D"  block signals I am looking for.  Part #SG-938.

If I can get 10 that would be nice.

 

Thanks for your assistance.

Jim - did you check the Azatrax website - they advertise some NJI D block signals that may be of interest to you.

http://www.azatrax.com/o-block-signals.html

Jim, That second layer of ground cover really makes it look a lot better!  They are doing a fantastic job!!  I could like HO again, if my old eyeballs and boogered up fingers would only cooperate!  

Wow! What a fantastic layout! You have inspired me to work faster gluing down grass and painting parking lots. I just recently found out that I am a looper too. Who knew? Is it me, or does 2-rail track look weird? I suppose you could always add a center rail, for aesthetics. Keep up the good work.

Cool hand.  I had HO and N scale trains for 45 years, but are indoctrinated in 3 rail that 2 rail track looks odd to me.  Who would have thought it?

Mark Boyce posted:

Cool hand.  I had HO and N scale trains for 45 years, but are indoctrinated in 3 rail that 2 rail track looks odd to me.  Who would have thought it?

I thought it too, Mark.

Much like the new scale GG1's look just wrong to me after so many years of looking at, and admiring, Lionel's "selectively compressed" versions of it.

SantaFeJim posted:

Thanks Rich.

Here are a few wider shots that include the "first rough coat" ground cover.  All the GREEN is just a base to give all additional ground cover applications a surface to cling to.  When these guys get going the acres and acres of well manicured "putting greens" will disappear.

Jim,

Your tunnels remind me of those I saw in Germany last month. Here is a pic:

Jim,

Not only is the ground cover and scenery really starting  to take shape..but I've noticed how nice the track work looks... the ballast, crossovers and parallel lines look awesome!!!

RD posted:

Jim,

Not only is the ground cover and scenery really starting  to take shape..but I've noticed how nice the track work looks... the ballast, crossovers and parallel lines look awesome!!!

 

Thanks Rich.  I spoke with the builder today about signaling options.  I will be doing another site visit on Thursday, hopefully to finalize my block signals.  I will have more pictures to post later in the week.

SantaFeJim posteD

Thanks Rich.  I spoke with the builder today about signaling options.  I will be doing another site visit on Thursday, hopefully to finalize my block signals.  I will have more pictures to post later in the week.

 

Looking forward to it... maybe you'll let me buy you lunch and pick your brain about the process when it's done...

RD posted: 

Looking forward to it... maybe you'll let me buy you lunch and pick your brain about the process when it's done...

Rich - Great idea.  

I had something similar in mind.  I spent an hour and a half at their shop today.  We discussed details and enhancements.  I took about 20 pictures and will start posting them in the next day or two.

I mentioned that a friend of mine (you) may be interested in coming in for a visit and perhaps get some rough estimates.  Now is a good time as they will be starting to schedule their work for 2020 shortly.

Steve suggested that any new potential customer bring in a track plan, as that is always the starting point.  

I will fill you in on the steps that follow at lunch.

Pick a time and a place and we can chat.  Next week is good, any day except Tuesday.  If you want we can meet a the McDonalds that is about 2 minutes from the builder.  I will answer all your questions as best I can and then I can introduce you the Steve.

Or you can email your questions to me, and I can respond ahead of time.  

I will be making another visit next Thursday or Friday.  If you are serious about their services I will tell Steve so that he can spend some time with you on that day.  If you change your mind and want to attack the whole layout on your own that is fine as well.  I do not get a dime for a referral so I really don’t care which path you choose.

looking at pictures is a good way to get an overall feel for the layout however, there is no substitute for a live visit to see for yourself the quality, craftsmanship and detail.  He has an excellent talent pool, most of them only work part-time.

I will tell you this, after our talk you will know a whole lot more about this process then I did last year when I started.

Jim

I stopped by to check on the progress of my layout and discuss signal options.  I am pleased to report that the "putting greens" are history.  Of course I had to take some pictures. 

I only have time to post one for now.  I have lots of things on my Honey Do list this afternoon.  Will post more this evening.

Chores are done... time for some fun.

Some more pictures from my Thursday visit.

The scouts are camping this weekend at Camp Wenonah.

Mr Grayson is just returning from his walk through the woods.  He can't wait to tell the boys what he saw in the clearing. 

 Mr Grayson was never much for works so he offered this picture to back up his yarn.

Being a Chicago native... he is rooting for the Bear(s).