New Layout pictures

[stuart_canada]

here are some pictures of my layout.
It is based on the idea of a leasing company that buys and leases out older equipment for rent a wreck operations on various lines. That way I can opearte any locomotive I like that fits my operation.
fleets is mostly former CNR or CPR with some American roads names throw in but the American fleet is being retired and sold off as new buyers become interested.
the layout is an L shape 18 wides by 8 feet long then shorter side is 18 inches wide by 7 feet long.

just thought i would share the look, I have a lot of work to do.
the track is directly mounted to 2 inch foam, using atlas flex and snap track, 22" radius turn, snap switches.

have to do the land scape and the buildings ahave to be completed. The round house has to be finished and the maintaince building for the xcar repair shop has to have the various permits and studies to be done for ideal location.

Lease fleet includes the following models
SD 40-2
SW 1200
SW 7
SW 9
Geep 9
Geep 7
Geep 40
Dash 8-40cw
Dash 9
Geep 30
SD 70Mac
DD 40 for switching operation...used by a local short line, lots of power ( lol)
F9 for tourist operations and business train operations

always leasing various size cranes from 25 ton to the heavy 250 ton wreckers 13 units always on call

my only rule i want to have fun with it and enjoy the models i like

 

[TruckLover]

Cool Stuart, thanks for sharing :mrgreen:

I like those trees :thumb: :thumb:

 

[stuart_canada]

it is budget saving device for the host community, one light does the entire town and rural area. they have a moto there at council meeetings, go big or go home .
thanks

 

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

"Go big or go home" lol. Neat layout.

 

[Dan85]

Neat Idea - Looking forward to more pictures!

- Dan

 

[60103]

Is it a tourist attraction? World's biggest streetlight?

 

[stuart_canada]

now that it hasa tourism attraction I guess next thing they will want is a steam train operation to bring the tourists to town to see the worlds biggest street light.all i have for this operation is NYC hudson and 4 NYC heavy weight cars and 4 Heavy Weight CN cars. It would be meaning a huge change in the ayrd to park that train but they said in a movie, "build it they will come" hmm wonder if that is true for steam operations
once I have some buildings and some landscape work done I will upload more pics.
thanks for the humour and the interst this makes it more fun to work on if we all share jokes

 

[Ralph]

I like the rent-a-wreck concept that allows you to run whatever you wish. I see your trees have autumn foliage. Are you going to stick with that season? Some beautiful layouts have been set in the Fall, a great time to watch and photograph trains!

Looking good!
Ralph

 

[wickman]

Nice pics Stuart

 

[stuart_canada]

i have not really picked a season. the trees were a really good price at Railfair 2007 in Ottawa. I wish I hadpurchased more of them not sure where to get as nice smelling trees. they are not sold as model train trees but as model building supplies for artatechual ( spelling i know wrong way but i am not good at spelling) supplies.
as for more pics as I do something new or exciting i will post new pics but will be a while before I do that.
someday I hope to take this layout and move it into a bigger space and add to it.
the rent a wreck idea came to me when i was younger ( 39 now) when i lived in the US of A before I got smart and cmae home to Canada. ( divorce) I was having a real problem finding Canadian models to buy and run, so I decided to run rental or leasing powr that way I could use my vast CN box car fleet and have an excuse for it. Also the fact I am not a rivet counter and I figure close enough as it comes out of the box or what i find at cast off sales at model trains shows usually works for me.
Other models were one of those things I just had to have. No real use for Athearn DD40 model other than the fact i saw it in a model train book years ago as a kid and decided I had to have one. at the time i first saw I never even knew it was a real locomotive. I regret when I lived in Iowa I never went to see the display piece in Omhama NE when I was there. The LMS units by Bachmann were a fluke, first reason it was the first real locomotive I have ever been inside. When CN was switching at the local co-op one night in Iowa the crew invited me inside the locomotive and ever since then I have a been a fan of the Dash8-40cw, workign of getting up the courage to finish removing the lettering and applying the CN decals I purchased for close enough copy of it. Now that I am back in Canada, I trying to narrow down the fleet to all CN or CP or other Canadian Roads names. In even doing that I find it hard because CN has purchased so many miles of track in the States that I have to include at least ICRR , so that way I can keep my Athearn GP 30 ICRR and have since added the Athearn sw7 or Sw 9 and even an Atlas GP ICG. So I do find it hard to narrow things down to an exact time or period. I have even added dash9 in BCR colours , it fits because it is now CNR .
The rental fleet has to be constantly upgraded and refreshed. so many short lines in need of power and with the slow down so many units being returned off lease I think it is a good time to buy and trade power.
I have 4 units awaiting assignment right now.
anyways thanks for the positive and humour filled notes and posts. makes it more fun when you know other people are laughing with you and at you.

 

[Mountain Man]

Great concept and great beginning! I wish you many happy years of operation. :thumb:

 

[lester perry]

I have one question. If I run short on power what kind of money are we talking about for heavy power?

 

[stuart_canada]

costs would be determined by how you wish to lease, rates vary by horse power hours, model required, do you wish to rent by the day, hour of usage. extra costs that figure in cost plus, long term or short term maintenance agreements, insurance againist loss, liability insurance againist misuse or accident, other cost not included in the lease terms are the shipping of locomotive to the end user plus duties and any other cost that might be incurred when shipping over a border, and not including having the equipment modified for head power use in the USA or Canada. Or making equipment as per union standards.
the costs of renting my fleet can be very costly. might be cheaper to buy or lease soemthing closer to home

 

[stuart_canada]

tourist heard about the biggest street light and they did come.

 

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

Cool.