HO somewhere in Appalachia.....

[chuck geiger]

Holy crap this is great!

[LIRR]

A random observation….one can get more than enough operations from a mid-size layout with a relatively simple track plan.
Every track and siding is represented except for 1 track I forgot. At Nessman there’s a double ended arrive/depart track between the 2 stub tracks and the main, so there’s 3 parallel double ended tracks here.
Layout room is about 11 ft x 17 ft. I extended a branch along the walls in the adjacent space once the kids moved out.



General Sequence (varies a bit for different waybill cycle):
-Switch Nessman, make up first Wiegand turn
-Run to Wiegand interchange to swap cars and return
-Switch yard to get cut of cars ready for pick up by westbound thru
-westbound picks up and sets out at Nessman
-Switch yard to make up second Wiegand turn
-Run to Wiegand to switch local industries and return
-Switch yard to get cut of cars ready for pick up by eastbound thru
-Eastbound picks up and sets out at Nessman
-Switch yard to make up first Smackwater turn
-Smackwater turn works Guenther, Calvin, Smackwater & wood chip loader and returns Nessman

Also 2 coal  moves, these can be run at any time during the sequence:
Interstate mine run from staging (via Calvin & Guenther) sets out & picks up at Green River coal continues back to staging via Wiegand
Coal turn from staging (via Calvin & Guenther) to Nessman, runs around its train, back-up move up the branch, switches Blue Creek coal, returns Nessman, runs around train again, returns staging via Guenther & Calvin. 

Total time for all of these moves is 5-1/2 hours.
Most moves coincidently take 20 – 24 minutes. Smackwater turn and Blue Creek coal job each take about an hour.

If I just want to run trains, anytime during the sequence I can simply run a train staging-to-staging, it's 11 minutes or so - about 8+ minutes from when the loco leaving staging is visible until the caboose disappears at the other end..

[LIRR]

Adding a valance has been on my to do list for years. Got started a few times but I was struggling with how to attach to ceiling...over finished scenery in some areas. Intended to use 1/8 Masonite. Tricky to handle and install 10” x 8ft lengths without another pair of hands. Especially over the finished scenery. I won’t bore anyone with the trial and errors and failures of various options. Recently saw a photo of someone’s layout (I forget whose/where) with a below layout curtain and the bell went off in my head.

I went with a fabric valance. Bought a 42” x 9 yard bolt of fabric from a quilt shop, had it cut into 10” strips. I screwed 2” angles to the ceiling tiles with drywall screws, dipped the screws in white glue (may or may not help, but it made me feel better). I used 5/32 x 1” x 8ft plastic lattice. Much more flexible than wood or masonite. Attached to lattice with 6-32 nuts and bolts.



When I hung a piece of fabric I noticed it didn’t block the light. So I taped paper to the lattice. The paper/fabric combo blocks the light nicely.



I attached the fabric over the paper using adhesive Velcro

[LIRR]

Making progress on A. Boreland Furniture Co.

[LIRR]

Making progress on the A Boreland Furniture Co scene...

[LIRR]

Working my way around the room installing fabric valance....

[davefoxx]

That valance really gives a professional appearance.  Kudos!

Has the fleet grown?  I see a B&O F-unit and an Interstate RS3, in addition to the Southern engines.

DFF

[LIRR]

No additions to the fleet.....the Interstate RS3 is a shell, for now I have a pair of RS3s - an SOU and an INT that work an INT coal turn. This shell will replace the SOU to give me an INT pair. The BO is the first loco I bought when switching to HO from N. It’s not DCC, but it’s DCC ready. The thought was to add a decoder, but I’m not sure which one could/would work and I’d need to add a speaker. I can buy a new F7 (Bachmann) with DCC & sound for about the same cost. I’m thinking of taking the mechanism out and making it a dummy.

[davefoxx]

Get a Decoder Buddy, a 21-pin decoder of your choice of brand (I prefer ESU), a speaker (ESU decoders come with a speaker), an enclosure (e.g., ESU sells enclosure packs to build your own or folks like @Lemosteam make 3D prints of enclosures).  Then it's just a matter of soldering some wires.  The advantage of Decoder Buddy is that (1) it's inexpensive, (2) if you were to somehow ruin it with poor soldering, you have not destroyed the decoder, and (3) once you have the Decoder Buddy and speaker installed, your DCC decoder is plug and play.  That B&O F unit is a perfect candidate for your first attempt at installing custom DCC and sound, because it doesn't have a lot of lights or other special effects, and you have tons of room under that cab unit shell.

Hope this helps,
DFF

[CRL]

Better yet... have a buddy that will install the decoder for you if you buy him tacos.

[mu26aeh]

Get a Decoder Buddy, a 21-pin decoder of your choice of brand (I prefer ESU), a speaker (ESU decoders come with a speaker), an enclosure (e.g., ESU sells enclosure packs to build your own or folks like @Lemosteam make 3D prints of enclosures).  Then it's just a matter of soldering some wires.  The advantage of Decoder Buddy is that (1) it's inexpensive, (2) if you were to somehow ruin it with poor soldering, you have not destroyed the decoder, and (3) once you have the Decoder Buddy and speaker installed, your DCC decoder is plug and play.  That B&O F unit is a perfect candidate for your first attempt at installing custom DCC and sound, because it doesn't have a lot of lights or other special effects, and you have tons of room under that cab unit shell.

Hope this helps,
DFF

I'm using a decoder buddy in my GP15s.  My first attempt hasn't really panned out, I'm not sure what the issue is.  My buddy with the LP has it right now, waiting to see if he can program it, I have the LED test board as well

[glakedylan]

your scenes look so realistic
very fine work!
thanks for sharing


sincerely
Gary

[LIRR]

Thanks Gary....

[LIRR]

More than once I’ve decided to get the decoder.....but I’m DCC illiterate. None of decoders/mfr info I look at says: this decoder fits/works with this loco. Nor does the Bachmann info indicate what decoder can/will/should work with the unit. Besides, I’m more of a ‘take it out of the box and turn it’ on type. I also hate anything to do with electricity, wiring, soldering etc....but it’s a necessary evil associated with the hobby. I thought I picked one once but when I went to order it at my LHS it was about $60 if I recall. I can get a new F7 (Bachmann) with DCC & sound for about the same via mail order.

[LIRR]