Layout Thoughts... What if...

[Bruce Bird]

Okay Lee (and anyone else), here we go.

The red is the track, the green is fascia and the light blue is skyboard.  The Elkins branch will sit in the U shape above Williamsport in the lower right corner.

The far right side is cut off, but it's only about the last 6 inches.

[davefoxx]

Yowza!  Nice job, Bruce.  Very impressive.  What phase of construction are you in on your monster layout?

Dave Foxx

[asciibaron]

that is an impressive layout and i think it captures the WM very well.  i really like the LDE's - Helmstetters Curve, NC tower, Rockwood, and Salisbury Viaduct.  the Elkins line should be a nice addition.  the quality of run is there for sure, making operating the layout fun.  I like that there is a view block between Hagerstown and Cumberland - it might be a somewhat short run, but not being able to see between the two points helps to extend the distance.  i really like the torturous feeling of the climb out of Cumberland and up over the mountain to Deal.   

Lee, the gauntlet has been thrown down

[asciibaron]

regarding your layout Lee - i would suggest you take the plan for Hagerstown that was recently designed, and then erase everything on either side.  then, come up with a list of LDE's you would like to have.  then try to fit them into your space.  tacking on bits and pieces to the existing layout will not scratch the itch you seem to have. 

for big mainline trains, you need big mainline space without it heading into spaghetti bowl territory.  i think that your layout as it is right now is a bit confusing for a first time operator and the hidden staging only exacerbates the problem.  i am the king of trying to do to much in a limited space, and what do i have to show for it - nothing.  my layout is in pieces at the moment simply because i have a list of wants that i will never be able to shoehorn into my alcove.  maybe scale back your ambitions and reduce the amount of modeled things?  that should make your space seem larger and improve the quality of the run.

maybe sitting down and really being honest about what you enjoy versus what you want might help focus the layout.  for me, i'm happy with my plan to focus on the mine branch to Odgensburg with the mainline trains as a backdrop. 

just some grist for the mill

-steve

[Bruce Bird]

The whole thing is operational.  All I need to do is get things set up for operation (car cards, pockets instructions, etc.) and get LOTS of trees planted.  Most buildings and bridges have yet to be built.

[wm3798]

ROAD TRIP!

That's exactly the territory I'd want to cover... I love that you haven't wussed out on grades, and you fearlessly have stretched out long runs of mainlines.  John Armstrong may quibble with track passing through a few scenes more than once, but dammit, that looks like fun.

I think I'll just tear down my layout, and lease all my equipment to you.  Your only obligation would be to post a video of my trains running on a daily basis.

So, If I tanked up the car now, what time would I get to your house?

Lee

[Ryan87]

Lee,

Could you draw a diagram of your potential space? (sans current layout  )

Plus a list of needed / wanted LDE Thingies...

[davefoxx]

Lee,

Could you draw a diagram of your potential space? (sans current layout  )

Plus a list of needed / wanted LDE Thingies...

...and don't leave out the closet. 

DFF

[asciibaron]

...and don't leave out the closet. 

it's an architectural master piece after all. hehe. 

sadly, the closet is twice the size of my layout space

[wm3798]

I can't give you a scale diagram just now, but imagine a 5 pound bag, with a 10 lb. pile of crap next to it...

You get the idea...

Lee

[TiVoPrince]

For the record
when imagining that bag and the adjacent 10 pounds of potential contents, the bag is already full...

[sizemore]

I can't give you a scale diagram just now, but imagine a 5 pound bag, with a 10 lb. pile of crap next to it...

You get the idea...

Lee

Weren't you going to annex a room next to it for a Connellsville extension? Whatever happened to the room?

[wm3798]

That's still open for discussion, but I still have these two to contend with...


So that's at least 5 years off.

Lee

[Bruce Bird]

Thanks for the comments, guys!

Lee- the roadtrip would be about 11 hours- shorter depending on how fast you like to drive.  Shorter if you flew- no wait, Joe Biden says you shouldn't fly anywhere right now!

I'll need to post a few more pics. There aren't that many places where the track passes back through the same 'scene'.  I've used some offset stair-step arrangements and lots of trees will seperate others.  The maximum grades are 2% and I've actually gotten rather good at shoving 30 car trains uphil with helpers behind the caboose.  Thank goodness for the Digitrax throttles and their two controls.

[sizemore]

That's still open for discussion, but I still have these two to contend with...


So that's at least 5 years off.

Lee

A large shed, bunk beds, a fan and a space heater. DONE.  ;D

T