How-To: Terrific Trackwork!

A video I've been promising I'd have up "soon" for a year now! Now that my trackwork is 95% complete on my 4th(-ish) layout, I've finally figured out how to do it well!

 

How I spent my Christmas vacation

 I took two weeks off this past Christmas to try to get some significant work done on the model railroad and I am pretty happy with the progress I made.  I got all of the track laid down in the Usk Washington portion of the layout and I completed the mainline run on the MFR portion of the layout as well.  I also re-laid the track across my larger swing gate to take advantage of some better techniques I discovered for aligning the track across the gap.

Along with good layout progress, I also made some significant purchases for the layout which includes (among many other items) a bunch of Tam Valley Frog Juicers, Exactrail bulkhead and centerbeam cars, and a Protothrottle as well.

Track Plan Adjustments

I've made a few adjustments to the track arrangement on my model railroad First, I've removed the second engine servicing track to allow the scene to breathe some more. The removal of this track allows me to include an engine shed while leaving plenty of room for additional trackside details that would have been difficult to squeeze in before.

Additionally, I removed a short storage track on the opposite end of Sandpoint yard as it was too short to spot more than a single car and was all but useless on my layout.

These updates are a result of taking what I've created on virtual paper and laying it down on physical plywood.  I've found that no matter how careful I am when designing a track plan, the reality of turnout length and clearances ultimately requires that I trim back my original intentions.

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Interview with Model Railroading Live!

I was fortunate enough to be invited by "Big Bill" to join him on his live show to talk about model railroading and my current efforts in the hobby. It was a lot of fun to talk trains with others as I haven't had much of an opportunity to do so in the past.  I appreciate Bill bringing me on and hopefully I get more opportunities to talk about trains in the future as this layout progresses.

Check out the video below or click here to watch it on YouTube.

Simple and Solid Benchwork

In this video, I talk about building simple and solid benchwork for your model railroad.

Layout Update #6 - Buried in Benchwork: Part 2

It's been a while since I've posted a solid update on the progress of the layout itself. Well, I've gotten quite a bit done in recent months and I share it with everyone in the latest update video.

Construction Photo Dump

I've nearly completed my benchwork for the new layout! It's been a herculean effort and taken about 3-and-a-half months to get to this point, but I'm very happy with the results. There were a few surprises along the way, (both good and bad) and I'll be sure to share my thoughts in an update video soon. Until then, here's a whole mess of photos I've taken along the way:

Rail Ramblin' - The Perfect Layout Size and More!

Three new Rail Ramblin's to share with the blog community. Of course you can subscribe to my Youtube Channel anytime to be sure you won't miss out.

Construction Continues

As my Instagram and YouTube activity goes up I've been ignoring this blog a bit. What I am not ignoring however is my layout room. Construction continues even as the weather gets nicer and the great outdoors calls to me. I'm going a bit slow, a bit deliberately, but I am happy with the progress I've made thus far.

I find there is a certain degree of magic in this point of the model railroad construction process. It is the beginning of a long journey. It is no longer just an idea in my mind. It is a sketch, a skeleton about to come to life.

Layout Update #5 - Buried in Benchwork: Part 1

This month I begin the benchwork on my model railroad. Check out the video below!

(Side note: the camera on my phone is busted and is just not cutting it anymore. I've gotta look into getting something better for future updates I think.)

No Going Back

This weekend I tore down my old layout modules, cut them to pieces and dumped them outside where they promptly became soaked in the rain.

No going back now!

Layout Update #4 Waste Not (should have been called "Laser Beams and Razor Blades")

This month I discuss fascia color, layout height, and more!

Movie Mondays #11

Posting this one here mostly for posterity as I'll be building no less than TWO swing gates on my layout in the near future. That said, all of Stephen Bennett's layout progress videos are very in-depth and informative. (which I appreciate greatly) Go check them out!

Now It's Getting Fun!

I'm taking a page from Marty McGuirk's playbook and painting the lower half of my walls the same color that my fascia will be on my layout.  I think this will look pretty clean and should frame my shelf-style layout nicely. Deciding on a color has been a tricky (yet fun) process. I think I've decided I want to go with a darker color that will compliment the scenery (which will be very similar in color to that of my old layout) but do I go with a green or a brown color? Perhaps something more neutral?

I've also been struggling with that all important consideration of layout height. My old layout was at about 51 inches which was great for viewing but slightly awkward for reaching cars and switches towards the back of the layout. Lowering my new layout an inch or so would go a long way to making operations more comfortable, but I'd have to bend that much lower to view the cars at track level. Should I favor railfanning or operations with my railroad height?

Decisions, decisions.

All said, I'm glad to finally be in a position to consider these things for my layout. Now it's getting fun!

Layout Update #3 - Construction and Destruction

This month I finish a wall, replace a door, and emphasize the importance of finishing the layout room before beginning the benchwork.

Layout Update Video #2 - New Toys, New Wall, New Year Resolutions

It's a new year and I've got a new video discussing some of the latest happenings on the MFR. Check it out!

Construction Begins

Just a quick update today. I borrowed my dad's truck and ran to Menards for what it sure to be the first of many, many trips related to this railroad.  I purchased all the lumber needed to frame the wall that will separate the room in two. I also purchased a pre-framed and finished door along with a bunch of new tools needed for the job. Things are starting to move!

Good Lord This Hobby is Not Cheap!

Earlier this month I decided it was time to start ordering all the track and turnouts I'd need for my new layout. I jumped on my favorite hobby store website and began clicking away!  Many hundreds of dollars later I realized I had filled my shopping cart with less than half the amount of stuff I'd need to complete my railroad.

Good lord this hobby is not cheap!

So, I'm going to have to spread out my purchases over the next few months with hopefully having everything I need to get a good ways into this layout project purchased by the end of December. In the mean time my plan is to get the doors and walls up next month, the ceiling painted, and just have everything generally ready to go for when the winter hits and I am in full model railroading mode.

Layout Update Video #1 - Surveying the Space

Here is the first of many new videos for the new layout progress series I've started on the new MFR. I wanted to take a moment to share the space and my plans for preparing the room for the layout.

Upon reviewing my video, I'm not a fan of the shaky footage. For future videos I'll be getting an iPhone mount so I can lock my camera down for a nicer viewing experience.

Layout Progress Video February 2018

I've posted a new video on youtube discussing moving the model railroad to it's permanent location as well as expanding it a bit.