My layout...

Uteram

Member
Hi,

I'm new here and I just wanted to post some pictures of my layout. First I want to make sure that I'm copying the images correctly then I'll fill you in on who I am.

Dscn0924.jpg

Dscn0925.jpg
Dscn0931.jpg
 

shamus

Registered Member
Hi Uteram, and welcome to the gauge.
I liked the three photo's you put up, and also the three truck shay (Bachmann?) or Brass.
You doing a logging layout as well.
Shamus
 

Uteram

Member
Thanks Shamus. To answer your immediate questions, the shay is a Bachmann 70 ton and the layout will have a Colorado/Utah mining theme. By the way, how does one copy an image directly to the thread (like everyone else does) rather than relying on a hyperlink?

A little about myself: I've been interested in model trains since I got my first HO Tyco set at age seven (I'm 33 now) for Christmas. I moved onto N scale and built a small 4x6 layout during junior high but left the hobby for many years due to high school, college , sports, girls (not necessarily in that order).

After I got married, I started having interest again to get back in the hobby and was always deeply inspired by Malcolm Furlow and John Olson's work with narrow gauge mining layouts. This is my second attempt at a layout since getting back into the hobby. My first layout was unfinished and had to be torn down a couple of years ago because I moved to Houston.

My current layout is an HO Utah/Colorado D&RGW-flavored shortline in standard gauge with a mining theme. It is an 18x3 dogbone with reversing loops at each end. The working title of the railroad is the "Mammoth & Eureka Railway". Mammoth and Eureka are both small copper mining towns in central Utah. The naming is sort of an homage to my grandmother who was born and raised in Mammoth. It is now a ghost town with few relics still standing but neighboring Eureka still exists.

As one can see from the photos, I still have a long ways to go but half the joy of model railroading is actually building the layout. As I progress, I'll continue to post more pictures.
 

roryglasgow

Active Member
Hey, someone from my neck of the woods! Well, sorta. I live up here in Huntsville. I love that Shay!

-Rory
 

shamus

Registered Member
Hi Uteram
To post an image into the gauge, can be done direct from your computer, just use the BROWSE when posting, it will take you to your own Hard-drive, where your photo's are stored.
If you are using a cafe/nett computer
you will up-load your photo's to a host website that up-loads photo's. Not Yahoo because they don't allow pre-forwarding of photo's, at least they didn't some months back.

http://www.Trainorders.com

Is a place to sign into for a small fee and they will give you a 3meg webspace to up-load your photo's to then they can be put in here or any other forum.

Some of my photo's come from Trainorders, and some from my own website..

Shamus
 

Uteram

Member
Tyson,

Thanks for the compliments. I'm going for the overdramatic mountain-y, rickety trains over a spindly trestle sort of feel and look.

The height differential from the river at he bottom to the tallest peak is about 3 feet. As you'll notice, the layout is supported by brackets mounted to studs in the wall and the subroadbed is a 4 inch slab of blue styrofoam 55 inches off the floor.

I situated the layout high for two reasons: One, viewing layouts at eye level always greatly enhances and increases the realism in any layout and two, I have three young children (5,3 and 2) that like to get their hands on everything. They understand that this is "daddy's train" but you know how curious kids are. Also, my 2 year old boy absolutely loves "choo-choos".
 

Tyson Rayles

Active Member
I understand about the kid thing (I have two grandsons):D You might (If you haven't already) consider getting them a Thomas the Tank or G-scale train to play with. Please keep us posted with more pics as you progress.
 

Uteram

Member
You read my mind. We got the kids a Thomas table set (the one that has storage cubbies underneath) for Christmas and the boy mostly plays with it, although his two older sisters will help out from time to time.

My oldest daughter loves to help out on my layout whenever feasible. She's very interested in arts and crafts and this is a great outlet for her at times.

Will do on the pictures.
 
Uteram, your scenery is coming along just great. Do you have the Silverton to Telluride sort of rugged terrain in mind? If you do, will you eventually get a Galloping Goose or maybe kitbash/scratchbuild your own version of one? .. Your theme sounds great.
heh heh heh... My wife is nuts on them Goosei thingies! She's trying to get me to build my own version using the delightful powered trucks from my Bachman 44 tonner! ... (fat chance! :D as it is a splendid runner) ... If she buys me another then I'll have a bash at it :D .
Meantime, I'll be looking forward to seeing your layout develop.
Good work.

Errol
 

Drew1125

Active Member
Hi Uteram!
Welcome aboard!
The layout looks great! I love the mountainous terrain...we'd loive to see some more pics...keep us posted.

BTW - I'm building a little 4x6 HO layout with one of my daughters.
 

Woodie

Active Member
Hills

G'day Uteram!

Is there gold in them there hills?? (Or was that The Yukon??):D

Kewl mountains! Keep us all informed of progress.
 

Uteram

Member
Should say "Geese", not ghost above

In my subconscious, I must have been thinking of the "Galloping Ghost" Red Grange from the old football days (way, way before my time).

The Geese are great, although it would take some real scratchbuilding to make a standard gauge one.
 

Uteram

Member
Shamus,

Nice looking Goose! Already you've given me a few ideas for the future, but they're way down on the to do list.

This weekend it's scenicking and pouring water in my gorge (from the pictures above. As for motive power, I'll be sticking with Bachmann shay and Roundhouse shay but may add an Proto 2000 S1 switcher soon. I'm modeling late '30's so by fudging a little, I can run a small switcher as the only diesel on the line.
 
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