Layout construction begins.

[keiichi77]

Since I have built my table top and started to position the track I think my progress thread should be posted here. After seeing my track set up I decided to shorten the track that leads off layout. This gives me the room to add a one sided platform. Although I will miss the long siding I love the look of 2 platforms on either side of the mains. I wish I could have both but but if the tabletop was any bigger I wouldn't be able to get it up the stairs.  I also decided to add a tram to the urban section  of the layout. I originally wanted an auto reversing point to point tram but once all the buildings and scenery are in place I don't think you will notice to much that the tram just circles a small loop. Anyway here is my old and new plan. I will post pictures in a couple weeks once my final track order comes in.

[Hobby Dreamer]

Looking forward to future posts!

Rick

[KenS]

Yes, do keep us updated as this progresses.

[keiichi77]

Not much of an update as I am still waiting for my last track order to arrive (last scanned at customs 6 days ago) but here is where I am at so far.  I started to build the elevated section today but ran out of insulation board and glue. The track is loosely placed where  it will be to help me figure out where I will have to raise the level with insulation board. Once all the track is in place I will glue it down. Since most of one end will be under the high level I am leaving access to the tunnel on the end, in case of a derailment. Hopefully later this week I will get to work on it again. I decided to build it at my railway club since we will be taking our modular layout out for the Orangedale train show in June. I am hoping to have this operational by then so I can take it along for the trip.

[keiichi77]

My last track order came in today which also included a Kato overhead station and platforms.  Tonight I placed the track in final position and built up more foam support for the upper level. Everything seems to be coming together.  Comments, suggestions or criticism is welcome. :)

[Bernard]

I like the plan it gives for long continuous running of a train....one question, on the last photo on the upper level track, are you going to support it with foam on the edge?

[keiichi77]

Yep, I have to purchase more foam board. Basically all the raised foam on the layout are supports for a sheet of foam that will cover then entire layout end closest to the camera. I will post another picture once I get the sheet in place.

[KenS]

My concern there is that it looks like your tunnel with be three layers  of foam high (0.75" each?).  Is that going to be sufficient to insert your hand to clean track or fix a derailment, or worse replace a bad track joiner (although with unitrack you can probably unhook the end and pull it out for that)?

[keiichi77]

I managed to get the time this morning to buy the foam board and install the upper level today. After placing it on I had the same concern as you mentioned KenS, so I decided to cut the foam board (might be visible in the picture) the larger section will be glued down, the smaller strip closest to the camera will be removable allowing easier access to the tunnel. When I design the scenery for the upper level I will try to plan it in a way to hide the seem. I still have some tweaking to do with the elevations to make them smoother but other then that I am happy with the way it is turning out. :)

[keiichi77]

Just a quick update, I have been weathering my rails before I glue the track in place, I find it a lot easier and faster this way although it is still very time consuming. Here is a before and after shot of my double crossover.

[KenS]

Nice.  I've been thinking of doing that using some of the Floquil track paint markers.  What are you using?

[keiichi77]

I used Floquil 110007 Rail Brown paint and brushed it on, one coat was enough for the rails but the plastic guard rails took two coats. After it dried I used a bright boy to clean any paint I got on the surface of the rails, being careful not to take the paint off the top of the guard rails. I haven't tried the markers myself but was interested in picking them up sometime to see how they work.

[KenS]

The problem I've had with similar markers is volume control. You send paint to the tip by pushing on it. Push too little and the tip dries out and you aren't painting. Push too much, and paint blobs up and dribbles on things.  Getting it right with some markers I was using to paint lines on roads was very difficult.

I tried one of the Floquil markers last year, and didn't have as much of a problem, so they may be better made than the other ones I'd been using. And it did do a good job of painting the rails. Although I think I probably could have done just as well with a small brush and a bottle of paint. I'm still thinking about which I want to use (which is a great excuse for not painting my track yet  ).

BTW, instead of the bright boy, another way to clean the track is to take a paper towel, stretch it across a gloved finger-tip, lightly dampen it with a touch of paint thinner, then wipe the top of the track before the paint dries. Very quick and effective; I did my old HO layout that way (although I airbrushed the track, something I wouldn't do with unitrack since I wouldn't want paint getting into the Unijoiners).

[keiichi77]

Nothing major to report but I have been playing around with the upper area which I originally planned to be a small town with traditional style buildings, but after seeing a few Youtube videos and threads in the forum I decided to make it farm land. I plan on most of the area being covered with rice fields (I will figure out how to make rice plants later) with 3 farm houses and a single road. The road will have a steel wire placed in it so I can run Tomytec buses from the upper lever to the lower level (I still have to work on the elevation for the road under the bridge).  I won't be using Tomytec road sections for the upper area as I needed a way for the buses to loop back on the same road without taking too much space. The only way I could figure out how to do this while still keeping only one road was to have a parking lot turn around area where the bus would loop back on the same road it came up on.  I tacked down some thick cork for the farms and rice fields and played around with several layouts before I came up with the one in the picture. The 3 HO scale containers are where the farm houses will be, I am hoping to squeeze in a bath in the bus turn around area to give the bus a reason to stop there. The raised area in the front corner with be for a temple. As you can see from the markings on the insulation board the road was originally going to be over to the left and pass through the temple area but I ended up moving it to make room for a temple.  I will have to get a bridge to take the road off layout just in front of the tunnel portal.

[keiichi77]

Well it been a few weeks but I finally had some time recently to work a little on the layout. I had to re arrange the rice fields to get the road layout I needed to make a tight turn for the Tomytec buses. The buildings still have to be moved around to find the proper position to make it all work but that is roughly where they will be, they just might be angled more around the bus turnaround area. I won't be able to work on it much in the coming weeks, my first baby is due any day now so updates will be more sporadic. :)

[Bernard]

The rice fields are coming along nicely....and let us know when your baby is born but in the meantime....enjoy your sleep schedule now. 

[Mudkip Orange]

Those Tomytec buildings are GOOD at taking up space on a layout.

With the old-style 50cm by 50cm buildings it was frigging impossible.

[keiichi77]

Sorry for the late update, having a newborn really eats away your time and ability to get sleep. First I guess is the life update, we had a baby girl 8 weeks ago, she was 8.8lbs and we named her Emma Grace. 

Now for the layout update, I haven't had much time to work on it but over the past 2 months I was focusing on the rice fields and farming area. I used several shades and grades of Woodland Scenics ground foams to get that over grown green effect I was looking for. I am still debating whether to add a narrow dirt path between the fields, or I might just leave it the way it is. Opinions are welcome.

The ground cover that spilled into my rice fields will be scraped off once I figure out what I want to do for the rice plants.

Well that is all for now, going to attempt that sleep thing again.

[keitaro]

wow thats great 

[KenS]

Congrats on the baby.

And the layout is looking good.

I don't know enought about real rice paddys to know if a dirt path would be typical, but it seems like a good way to break up the regularity of the divisions between fields would be to have a path on one of them.

[Mudkip Orange]

Lookin' good so far.

As far as babby, recommend picking up a copy of this book.

[keiichi77]

Mudkip, I am so buying a copy of that book, LOL.

[Bernard]

Congratulations on the new Baby!

And Mudkip....I couldn't stop laughing and when I was describing the post to my wife, before I could tell her the "punch line" she knew the answer....that book is all the rage.

[keiichi77]

Hello everyone, it has been awhile but I finally have some progress on my layout. Over the past month I have made a couple orders for some supplies. I have the inner loop for the Tomytec bus system in place, it is much smaller then I had hoped for but that's my own fault for adding the second tram line (I am still waiting for any Japanese company to make the trams used in Sapporo). The outer bus loop will be much larger, so hopefully it will distract people from the the bus on the inner loop going around and around...lol Well that's all for now, I have one more order on the way so the updates should be more frequent now. Later :)