Photos of Progress

[Gary S.]

Okay folks, it isn't much in the scenery department yet, but i figured I'd post some pics of what I have done lately. I have really spent alot of time lately, mostly finishing the track and magnets and switch throw mechanisms. Then I put the fascia on, and I ended up adding on a bit to the square footage of the layout! It seems that the fascia was just crying for more space so I could make it curve nicely instead of coming together at angles at the corners.

All the wiring underneath is complete-nice and neat-both for the track and the electromagnets and controls. I have started carving the foam for ditches and roads and a creek. I've thrown some "ground goop" on the carved areas, but I am not totally happy with the "dirt" color. Maybe the ground foam and bushes and trees will improve that.

So anyway, nothing spectacular, just progress pics:

 

[Gary S.]

More pics:

 

[Cannonball]

Lookin' sharp!
I still think the way you hooked up the switches is ingenious.

 

[Nomad]

Dang Gary, your cruisin right along. Your so far ahead of me I'll never catch up. Lookin good.

Loren

 

[TruckLover]

WHOA AWESOME progress and work Gary!!!

Keep it up man, I wanna see some more of that part of your layout in the last shot, very industrial, right up my alley lol

 

[Gary S.]

Hey Loren, I've been really bustin' it for the past month, ever since I found out I was on the layout tour. For instance, I took off last Friday and made a four day weekend with Labor Day, and I did nothing but work on the layout and sleep. I put it about 12 to 14 hours each day! And I plan on spending sat and sun doing the same again. I am carving foam and building some grade crossings out of scale lumber as we speak. Hope to hear of more progress on your layout too.

Trucklover, my whole layout is pretty much one big industrial area. I'll keep posting photos as I go.

Cannonball, glad you like the switch mechanisms. They are working great, and I like them too!:mrgreen:

Thanks to everyone for their interest in my progress.

 

[viperman]

Gary, as is true with everyone else, you are being hard on yourself. Everything looks good to me! I never even bothered masking my tracks or roadbeds, but I think I will after seeing these pics (whenever I get to work on my layout again)

 

[Gary S.]

Steven, I think my real concern is that I never took the time to research what geographical locale i was trying to model. I never found any real-life scenes that I wanted, so I am in a certain amount of limbo not knowing what the scenery should look like.

After the fact, I did find an industrial area near where I work that actually fits my layout theme. I just need to spend more time over there looking and taking things in, take some photos for reference, and make everything work.

I've got a few open areas on the layout where I just don't know what I want to put there. A few houses backed up to the tracks? A pasture with cows and fence? A junkyard? A small industry not served by rail?

So that is my biggest problem, having jumped in with both feet, but not having a complete plan. And withthat comes a lot of second-guessing and fear about actually dong something because I may not like the result.

But DARN IT, I already know to JUST DO IT and if it looks like crap, chalk it up to a learning experience, rip it out, and START OVER.

 

[viperman]

does anyone really ever have a complete plan? I know the scenery in my layout is mostly going to be freelanced, as I come up with it. I DID have a plan, but some of that has been changed already, and who knows what else I will change my mind on in the future

 

[Herc Driver]

Gary - it looks great to me. Don't sweat the "plan" or lack of one...I bet everyone of us on our own layouts changed the "plan" a bit or (like me) really didn't have one firmly in mind and forged ahead anyway. Look at it this way - it's your place in the world so you can make it look however you want and feel free to change it around a bit if inspiration hits and not feel bad that you're straying from some "real" world place. What you've done so far looks great.

 

[lester perry]

looks good to me. in fact it is pretty impressive don't get in a hurry. unless you aregoing to prison soon or if you domehow know you sre gping going to die soon. the calm relaxing journey is the good part of the hobby.
les

 

[Gary S.]

Steve, Herc, Lester, thanks for the sound advice and the kind words. I do need to just slow down a bit and relax... just that I am feeling a little pressure to get as much done as possible before the layout tour in November.

On another note, my workroom is a disaster and needs to be cleaned up SOON. I don't have any room left to work in.

 

[doctorwayne]

Not only are you making great progress on the layout, Gary, but it looks good, too. :thumb::thumb:

Wayne

 

[lester perry]

ok here is the deal on open house tours.
Ihave been doing it for about 10 years now. it is a lot of fun, very in formative. with lots of quetions. relax clean up any messes you may have and run trains the biggist thin is how does it run Ifyou have a problem spot with derail or loss of power fix it now.find any trouble rolling stock. fix it or take it off layout. i promise any minor problem you have now will mutiply 10 times on openhoue day and go away the day after. most visitors are fellow model rail roaders and for the most part are very forgivig and understanding they are also helpfull. If you have someone to help Irecomend geting them involved let the ru trains while you talk to people
Les

 

[lester perry]

Oh yeah one more thing . don't wory about how much you have done.this year visitors have no idea wht to expect. now next year they will come to see the progress you are making. i doubt if you her any negatives unless it it trashed or wont run.most peoplr who come don,t have a layuot or don'thave th enitiative to clean up the mess. the ones who do have layouts appriciate the work that goes into it whatever stage you are at. have fun and make some new friends.
Les.

 

[Ralph]

Things look like they are coming along admirably Gary! Nice neat work with the facia and I remember your nifty turnout controls. I see lots of knobs!
Ralph

 

[yellowlynn]

research

Gary, I have never researched areas for scenery. I find it more satisfying to just think of things I have seen in real life, and go for it. Example: on the top layer of foam on my layout, there is a 3-4 inch hole that got punched in it somehow. With all the sinkholes you hear about, I decided that was where a road was going to be, with a sinkhole. So, I'll just make a road over that spot and have the hiway dept out there, big machinery, dump trucks, the whole shebang. I've never seen it, but I have a wild and vivid imagination. So my opinion is whether you do research or not, just go for it.

Lynn

 

[Gary S.]

Wayne, thanks for the thumbs up.

Lester Perry, I appreciate your advice about the open house. You are spot on, the most important thing is to have the trains running flawlessly. My plan is to let visitors actually run the trains and do some pick-ups and set-outs using the uncoupling magnets.

In the layout tour flyer, my description mentions that my scenery isn't anywhere near being complete, so that isn't a big deal. I would like to have at least a little bit of it done so people can imagine what the final product will look like.

The tour is at the end of November, so I have quite a bit of time to accomplish some things. And, I'll have everything cleaned up and put away so it looks tidy for the visitors.

 

[Gary S.]

Lynn, I'm just using my imagination also, but the other day I did stop and take some photos of a grade crossing so I can use them for reference.

I'm plowing right along, got a bunch more of the layout foam carved with ditches and such, used some plaster to build up to the building foundation cork, and got it painted.

Right now I am feeling pretty tired, I'll go take a bath and read the Walthers catalog that came in the mail today. Then back at it tomorrow!

 

[Gary S.]

Well, this is what i have accomplished so far. Rest of the afternoon will be spent cleaning up and the taking it easy before the work week starts.