just joined and thought I’d introduce myself. My name is Ted, I live in SE Massachusetts, and I’ll be starting this coming summer. I already have an inside “L” shaped layout that has an “in”and “out” line through the walkout type basement wall. My outside work will include a 20’ double row wood trestle to support the lines to and from a raised 40 x 50’ area I excavated 20 years ago when I built my house. I’ve been planning this since, and have been acquiring what I’ll need to build it. I have about 1100’ of track, 600’ SS, and at least 500’ brass. My motive power is American steam and I have mainly LGB moguls, a shay, and two climax locos. My goal is a fully automatic running, track powered layout with as many features I can fit in. The scenes will include most places I’ve worked in my life, things that I enjoy, and some local businesses in my area. A waterfall int a pond feature with an ice house, a working saw mill, a lumber camp on a mountain, tunnel, station stops, passenger and freight trains. The idea is to have a separate loop with geared locos running from the logging camp down to the mill incorporating a passing siding with two locos spending time at the camp and saw mill at the same time or at the passing siding which will have a water tank and coaling station. The main loop will encircle the entire layout with the trains traversing bridges, raised are, hill sides, station stops, freight yard stops, with the trains originating from the cellar, then returning to the cellar, with the next train on the next spur, leaving and doing the mainline. In theory, someone sitting outside will see and hear a train appear on the long trestle, travel through the layout, stopping, restarting, taking different routes based on the type of consist, freight or passenger, then disappearing on the return side of the long trestle. Then, a different train will come out and do it’s thing on the layout, return on the trestle, with a third and different train coming out. I currently have three spur lines in the basement all working automatically so the plan is the first train will not be seen twice in at least 12-15 minutes giving the impression that each train is gone for a long time. The logging trains moving independently should help fill in action while the main line trains are out of view. There will be sound systems the saw mill, slaughter house, ice house, freight station, passenger station, etc. I am an accomplished model maker building scale RC aircraft, train cars, buildings, etc., so I will be making most if not all things needed like trestles, bridges, etc. I have a smaller kubota tractor with loader so will also be doing the excavation and back filling. There will be a lot to come.
Ted,
Welcome aboard.
Is it done yet? (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)
Wow, those are some plans! Welcome. Mantra here: pics or it didn’t happen. We really like to follow along so don’t wait for something to be “done“ as we like to watch. Cheers!
Welcome aboard!
Aloha, Ted! Welcome to the group!
Welcome to the madness, Ted. Being in SE Mass, you will have absolutely no excuse for not attending our “Benevolent Dictators” Ops session in July.
Welcome aboard Ted. As an FYI there is an active group of us in SE Mass who are members of the Rusty Rails and Rotten Ties club.
LAO
Wow, all that? Welcome to the club.
Welcome aboard!
Welcome Ted !
Thanks everyone. I know it sounds ambitious and I’m sure you can tell, I’ve had a long time to think about. This year I hope to get some track down as I’ll mainly be focusing on finishing off my other major hobby of antique car restoration. I’m in the process now of re-wooding a 34’ Chevy Pickup cab which will be going through a full, rotisserie restoration. In between times, when the truck is in paint or when I’m waiting for something pertaining to the truck, I will be working on a 30’ Chevy 4dr sedan, which will be another full frame off restoration. The 30’ has already had about 1/3 the work done by its owner but will still take most of 16-18 months to complete. The truck should be finished by late fall is all goes well. I do ambitious projects but I’m known for getting them done quickly. My own 32’ Olds convertible shown in my avatar was a four year, exact OEM restoration that I did in my own spare time while doing cars for others with my normal spare time. I also work a 40 hour full time job.
I figure about 3 years to get the majority of my garden RR plan accomplished but we‘ll see how it goes as a lot pertains to finishing these last two vehicles. My own Oldsmobile won its First Junior award at the AACA show in Hershey then it was nominated for a national award which I recently got notified that it won so I will be going to Philadelphia to accept my award at the AACA awards banquet. The Olds is one of only 249 originally made and only one of three currently known in the deluxe,wood wheeled configuration. It is the only one known to be restored to exact OEM specs. I did the whole restoration myself other than engine machining and spraying of the paint. It has many new parts, recreated by me, either by machining the part on my lathe or vertical mill, to rubber parts cast from molds i machined. All those parts are unavailable and are exact copies of the originals they replaced. While I enjoy the restoration hobby immensely, it is very taxing on ones brain and patience when dealing with outside contractors like painters and machine shops so I’ve decided to take break and go back to more relaxing hobbies. While my restoration work concentrated on being 100% correct, my rail road will be more done to taste and for fun so there will be things that might not be prototypicalply correct but oh well. I will start posting pictures when I get home from our Christmas vacation seeing family in Florida. If you’re interested, here is the restoration forum I did on my Olds
https://forums.aaca.org/topic/283261-32-oldsmobile-deluxe-convertible-roadster/
Welcome. Keep up the enthusiasm!
Welcome. Can’t wait to watch the empire unfold
Welcome. Looking forward to your inspiration.
Welcome to the madness Ted. Your plans are ambitious but they sound great. I really like the idea of timing the trains to make them appear like they have gone somewhere.
Welcome to the nut house, Ted. Very ambitious plan and based on the other projects you mentioned, I have no doubt you’ll get ‘er done. Looking forward to watching it come alive.
sounds wonderfully ambitious to me, good luck and look forward to your posted progress, and Dan’s comment isn’t entirely correct, it should read “nuts’” house, Bill
Climb on board Ted, hold on for the ride of your life with this mob…
And Now For The Best News… Your jumping in at just the right time… The 2020 Mik’s Build Challenge starts in 4 days, just what you need to really get going.
Here’s a link: http://www.largescalecentral.com/forums/topic/29026/2019-mik-s-build-challenge
Each year the Challenge goes out on Jan 1st. and then the fun starts. Go to the link, scout around and especially peruse the individual builds from last year. Good Times, great guys ( well maybe most of them), and incredible builds all under $30.
I’m personally challenging you to jump in and join the fun…
BTW: I have a 29’ Stud 4dr sedan., And I run D&RGW 315.
Welcome to the funny farm… (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
Ted, something tells me you’re a prime candidate for the Challenge:
