Here we go! Gotta start somewhere.

TrainNut

Ditat Deus
Ahhh, you got me! I'm pretty sure in the past I have used the two terms inter-changeably without really thinking about how different they are. I use N scale track nails (the little tiny black ones) through the center of the ties every other hole. I put them closer where needed like where two pieces of flex come together, right before a switch and especially on tighter curves.
 

steamhead

Active Member
Hi...Good progress on that layout...!!

I use transparent latex caulk to glue the track down. I use push pins to hold it in place while the caulk dries. I use track nails where I want a really good alignment, like around turnouts and such...Works like a charm.
 

Hoghead

Member
DCP_6789.JPG
Excellent!
 

Highlander1

New Member
Hi there I am glad I put a tick on my subscribed threads what a wonderful surprise to find your progress this morning absolutley breathtaking.

I haven't had much time in fact i haven't been in the loft since 2007 teaching oldest to drive and get through her test, youngest daugter to ride a motor bike and my 13 yr old son to run his trials bike.

With that and organising the kids trial bike club time has flown by.

However the kids grow up so fast so I think I will probably put the railway on hold till i have more time.

What started out as a wee project for my son seems to have evolved and escalated into a project which will carry on for many years.

I can't wait to get back to the loft but am not in a hurry if that makes sense.

Till then I shall continue to pop in now and then and watch the developements on here.


Keep up the good work How's the weather it's peeing down here and I am about to embark on a business trip 500 miles in the rain on my motor bike yesterday was so nice I was looking forward to doing the trip this morning but not anymore.:wave:

Cheers H
 

clarkrw3

New Member
Wow....I love the progress. The only problem is it makes me want to start over on my own layout. I was making a mobile layout so was using a 4x8 free floating layout. Seeing many others I understand the freedom using backgrounds and walls as backdrops.


btw I live in phx as well and have a couple small track inspectors myself...would love to see the layout some time.
 

Mountain Man

Active Member
That is a fantastic layout, and tour de force on how you built it, and while I'm at it, thank you for restoring my faith in what it possible in N-scale.

:thumb:
 

Buzzee

By Grace
I like IT!

I like the layout and at first I was thinking on the HO scale then I remembered you are "N" Hey we all can't be perfect sign1
I just wish I could get mine in my front room, It is looking good and not bad at all. I'm looking forward to seeing more as you build and it is great that your wife is also getting into it, it makes it a bit easier to explain why you spent HOW MUCH .....jawdrop

I have used up my allotment for the next 6 months, but what a buy...Keep it up I'll be watching:cool:
 

TrainNut

Ditat Deus
Seeing many others I understand the freedom using backgrounds and walls as backdrops.
btw I live in phx as well and have a couple small track inspectors myself...would love to see the layout some time.
First off, welcome to The Gauge! I feel honored that my thread was worthy of your first comment. Regarding the backdrops, this is the first layout I've put backdrops on and I like the effect. I still have not decided if I am going to have a custom backdrop printed or whether I will try and paint little clouds n stuff on it.
Regarding Phoenix, there are a few of us that try and meet up at each swap meet. The next one I know of in the Phoenix area will be Saturday, July 26th at the North Phoenix Baptist Church on 5757 N Central Ave. If your interested, send me or EZdays a PM in advance and we can fine tune the logisitics of meetin' up. Sometimes after the meets, we meander over to somebodies house and check out how much progress they've failed to make since last time we met there!

Mountain Man, Thanks for the comment. After reading some of your posts about small layouts, I figured my layout wasn't even close to what you were looking to do.

Buzzee, with the exception of new engines coming out every so often, I haven't spent that much on it lately. I'm in tree mode now and have decided that I can make some pretty cheap convincing trees out of weeds n stuff. From my index page - http://forum.zealot.com/t157119/
 

MadHatter

Charging at full tilt.
TN- I dunno why it took me soooo long to find this thread of yours but I've just gone through all thte posts and MAN this is one super layou- your work is really professional. And those F- Units look so ''Dynamic" comming out of the tunnel!

You get a 20 out of 10 for this thread and layout. :mrgreen:
 

thumsup

Member
Hey TN, Great job man, I don't know how you all stick with such an under taking. While reviewing your 1st pages I read you used AutoCAD for your design. Can you, without spending too much of your time, shed some light on your method? Kinda kick start. sign1

And again great job,
joe
 

TrainNut

Ditat Deus
...this is one super layout- your work is really professional.
You get a 20 out of 10 for this thread and layout. :mrgreen:
Thank you MadHatter. If only I could've gotten scores like that in high school. Instead of auto shop, I should have taken model railroading!

...I don't know how you all stick with such an under taking. While reviewing your 1st pages I read you used AutoCAD for your design. Can you, without spending too much of your time, shed some light on your method? Kinda kick start.
Joe,
If I look at all I have to do on this layout, I get overwhelmed. But if I take it apart and work on it a piece at a time, it becomes manageable.
AutoCAD... I'm not sure which part of the method you are referring to but let me take a stab and let's see how close I get...
My wife and I decided on the amount of space I could have in the dining room. From that, I drew a perimiter and then figured in my two main goals... 1. Max relief and 2. able to operate two trains at a time. At that time, I really wasn't interested in operations, but just watchin' 'em go round and round. With that in mind, I figured out how my mainlines would go and calculated my heights based on the nearest inch. I drew it all in a 2D design using mostly plines and splines in a scale of 1:1. Once I had the rough idea down, I was able to add in things in places where I had the room like a yard here and an engine maintenance facility over there. I'm not sure if I addressed your question or not. If I missed, please clarify and I'd be happy to elaborate.
 

thumsup

Member
Thanks TN for the quick reply,

I was vague but for a reason, I wasn't sure what to ask. But with your reply I have a direction. You drew your layout 1:1, assuming to your scale. I got it, duh; it's always the simple things. My next question is did you make blocks for the different objects of your layout? Like straight track, curve track, turnout and etc? Maybe I'm being too "AutoCAD geeky. I should do what I tell people at work "what did you try and how did it work out".

Thanks for the info, like so much here on the Gauge so many folks glad to help, it's priceless.

Joe
 

TrainNut

Ditat Deus
Update - 06-19-08

Joe,
I've been using AutoCAD since 1994 and have worked professionally for a civil engineer, a structural engineer and an architect. AutoCAD is so ingrained in my life that at times I find myself trying to use it for real life stuff... especially the undo command!!!:mrgreen:
To address your scale question, I drew the design 1:1 in the real world... for example, I drew the walls of my dining room first at 1:1 and then drew the layout inside that.... a complicated answer for a simple question. Blocks - I actually did not make any blocks. I had to draw the first switch from scratch. Once I had that accomplished, I just copied it, mirrored it and/or rotated it every time I needed another. I guess I could have created 4 seperate blocks to accomplish the same thing but for some reason I never did. Also, most of my switches are #6's so I just fudged the number 2 #4's and the 2 #8's. As far as the straights and curves, my whole layout is built with flex track and there are very few straight sections to be found. Most of the big curves are fixed radius (10", 11", 12"etc.) but when my track just meanders from one point to the next, I used splines. I found that drawing my track plan used a lot of the same concepts that I used to draw property boundaries for site plans.

I have to admit that having so many comments on this thread in the last couple of days inspired me to make some more progress.
I've had this area towards the front of my layout that's been Blue Flats for a while now. Yesterday, I got tired of staring at it and threw something together. Last time you saw it, it looked like this...
DCP_6674_low_res.jpg


Now, it looks like this...
DCP_7342_low_res.jpg


I was kind of lazy about it as all three vehicles came straight out of a box as well as both buildings. They're not glued down so maybe a little later, I'll pick 'em back up and apply some weathering.

In this shot, the local freight's obeying the 25mph speed limit as it takes it easy around the corner past Sunnyvale just before crossing Deep Creek. Yes, I know... there's one major thing I have not done yet in these pictures. Maybe if I don't point it out, you won't notice it.
DCP_7338_low_res.jpg


Same shot, different angle...
DCP_7344_low_res.jpg


This shot was kind of a goof but it turned out kinda neat so I'm including it...
DCP_7335_low_res.jpg
 

MadHatter

Charging at full tilt.
You havn't ballasted your tracks...

Oh well, that and the weathering of those buildings will give you something else to do at a later stage...

I love the way that your layout grows!

There is a saying:

"A layout is never really finished".

And it never should be otherwise we will all get bored!
 

thumsup

Member
Thanks for the info TN,

I have been using acad since 95 and try the undo command on everything. Works only in cad. :cry:After this exchange and reviewing your thread I feel motivated to get started (again). :twisted:

Joe:thumb:
 

jesso

Member
Looking very good! Your trees and shrubbery look very convincing. Like the speeder shed, i got that one too, for my inglenook layout. That location looks like a place I would like to visit!
 
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