Nomad Valley R.R.

Progress !

Finally made some progress on my layout:)
Ballasting is all done, I have a picture of my interchange. I used playbox sand for the ballast and put WS fine light gray between the tracks to represent dry dirt. And, I built my first road:smile:. I made it out of asphalt roofing shingles. The spackle on the slopes is still wet, so I need to paint it tomorrow.As always, comments or questions are welcome.

Loren
 

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Major revision

Hello all:wave:
I haven't posted here in a couple months but I have been running the legs off my locos and have decided I want operations more than scenery. So, I am contemplating some major changes.
The yard taking up half the layout would go away and so will the big interchange. Doing that, I gain more industrial switching and two smaller interchanges ( one could become a fiddle yard, not sure yet ). Let me know what you think, please.
Thanks for looking.

Loren
 

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Hey Nomad, I think you have a heck of a layout there as is, however, the new changes you propose will *in my opinion* make it even better.
 
Nomad said:
Hello all:wave:
I haven't posted here in a couple months but I have been running the legs off my locos and have decided I want operations more than scenery. So, I am contemplating some major changes.
The yard taking up half the layout would go away and so will the big interchange. Doing that, I gain more industrial switching and two smaller interchanges ( one could become a fiddle yard, not sure yet ). Let me know what you think, please.
Thanks for looking.

Loren
Click to expand...
Loren, I just discovered this thread. Your "Version 1.0" looked very good, and if you get into operations I think you will really enjoy running this "Version 2.0" plan.

I, too, am a scenery minimalist, so I tend to pack in a lot of track. I have two interchange "yards" and they will really contribute a lot of interest to my planned operating sessions. (Besides, how else could I get Southern Pacific rolling stock on the same layout with Vermont Central?:mrgreen:)
 
Nomad thanks for sharing with us. Can't wait to see your progress on the changes you plan. I am still plugging along with our layout and things are about 75% complete. I am also still pondering location of the turntable and I purchased a 3-stall roundhouse kit. I'll probaby have to extend some direction through expermintation.
I will post photos of the progress so far when I get a chance.
 
Floyd, I was wondering how you were doing on your layout, glad your making progress.
Tetters, thanks. Looking forward to installing the turnouts I have been building and see how they work.

Loren
 
Ok, Here I go again. I am going to start pulling track when I am done here. Everything will come up except the main line and the industry complex at the top. Oh, and I need to replace all the turnouts on the main line and in the industry. Man, i'll be glad to get rid of that Atlas "clunk" in the frog. Drives me nuts.

Loren
 
Well, my yard is gone. I plugged the holes left by the turnout controllers, once that dries I can sand the tabletop smooth again and repaint. This time I am painting with a brownish gray color to look more like dust instead of the muddy brown I had.

Loren
 

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Wow Loren, I thought your layout was looking awesome. If you think its going to be better with the new plan then go for it. Will be here to cheer you on.
 
Thanks nkp.
I do this with every layout I have built. Planning and construction is my favorite part, after that is operating. I have hardly done any scenery on any layouts.
Thanks Roger, I hope I finish it this time.

Loren
 
Loren, I struggle greatly with junking parts that aren't perfect for my models. When I make a failed attempt at something (such as quartering jig this week), I get frustrated and do something else. Hence, I have at least 5 five threads going in the Scratchin' & Bashin' forum. I get ticked off and stop working. When I do go back and do it right, I'm always glad I did.

Therefore, seeing someone rip up a ton of work is inspirational for me. Especially when they express that they're glad to have done so. It reminds me of when, in the late '90s, Tony Koester announced that he had junked the Midland Road...it was so close to what he really wanted, the NKP, that with the new plastic steam engines available, he decided to really model the NKP, and he destroyed 20-30 years of work on the Midland Road.

Seeing people cut there losses and move on...armed with more experience...is therapeutic for me!

I look forward to seeing your 2-6-6-2 operating on your new layout!
 
Tetters, in a way this is your fault. Watching your thread ( which I look forward to everyday ) made me realize I can build my own turnouts. Then I knew I would tear the yard up anyhow. So thanks for making my layout better!
NKP, Some times you have to start over to make it right. I am actually doing what you do. I have had the layout operational for quite awhile but knew I wasn't quite happy with the way it operated. I haven't worked on it for a couple months while I figured out what to do. Just ran trains. Since I am replacing all the turnouts, I decided to do it up right.
As for my 2-6-6-2, I can not run it the way the layout is now. But the new turnouts will fix that problem. Well, I could run it, but the noise in the turnouts drove me nuts.

Loren
 
Nomad said:
Tetters, in a way this is your fault. Watching your thread ( which I look forward to everyday ) made me realize I can build my own turnouts. Then I knew I would tear the yard up anyhow. So thanks for making my layout better!
Click to expand...

Who? Me? Surely you can't be serious!

I truely hope you get what you want out of this. Your track plan looks good. I can't wait to see your new t.o.'s mounted in place. I had an LHS manager comment to me the other morning that those who handlay are a dying breed. He loved my DSS/#5 combo as I took it up there to see if some one could help me get parts to fabricate the pivots. When I told him I'd been at this for a little over a year he commented, "And your building stuff like this free hand already?!?" Made me feel all warm and fuzzy.

Thanks for the compliment. I'll try not to disappoint. I'll have a decent update for tomorrow evening for sure.
 
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