Author Topic: The New Northern Central  (Read 157032 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Specter3

  • Crew
  • *
  • Posts: 928
  • Respect: +227
Re: The New Northern Central
« Reply #1380 on: January 19, 2026, 01:37:39 PM »
+2
Yeah, but you still have a significant chunk of layout to run on and work on without “wasting” time and materials. Plus, as you do it you refine what you want it to do and be. In that stage for my own layout I realized I had bitten off more than I could ever chew and deleted an entire deck of sceniced layout. Since I had already built the benchwork 1/3 of the deleted layout has morphed into a branch line. Its amazing the ideas that come to you as you run some trains on what you have.

Ed Kapuscinski

  • Global Moderator
  • Crew
  • *
  • Posts: 26027
  • Head Kino
  • Respect: +11442
    • Conrail 1285
Re: The New Northern Central
« Reply #1381 on: January 19, 2026, 02:50:11 PM »
+1
Yeah, but you still have a significant chunk of layout to run on and work on without “wasting” time and materials. Plus, as you do it you refine what you want it to do and be. In that stage for my own layout I realized I had bitten off more than I could ever chew and deleted an entire deck of sceniced layout. Since I had already built the benchwork 1/3 of the deleted layout has morphed into a branch line. Its amazing the ideas that come to you as you run some trains on what you have.

Very very true, and that's exactly why I did this. I couldn't stand the idea that it'd be years before I had stuff running. The way I plan to continue is to do so in a way that allows me to "play all the way" and that temporary "falsework" only comes down when it has to.

davefoxx

  • Crew
  • *
  • Posts: 12323
  • Gender: Male
  • TRW Plaid Member
  • Respect: +8526
Re: The New Northern Central
« Reply #1382 on: January 19, 2026, 02:54:26 PM »
+2
It’s amazing the ideas that come to you as you run some trains on what you have.

^This.  So much this.  Exactly how my layout has evolved.  It’s amazing what you can do when you track plan fourth dimensionally. 😜

DFF

A Proud HOer
BUY ALL THE TRAINS!
Still General Counsel to the Laurel Valley Ry.

wm3798

  • Crew
  • *
  • Posts: 16551
  • Gender: Male
  • I like models. She likes antiques. Perfect!
  • Respect: +7432
    • Western Maryland Railway Western Lines
Re: The New Northern Central
« Reply #1383 on: January 19, 2026, 03:43:46 PM »
+5
Agreed.  You'll recall that I built a "temporary loop" to allow a train to run laps while I worked the kinks out of the more complete design that I eventually built.





It definitely helped me understand what was needed for the layout to produce the kind of operations I wanted to represent.
Lee
Rockin' It Old School

Lee Weldon www.wmrywesternlines.net

Ed Kapuscinski

  • Global Moderator
  • Crew
  • *
  • Posts: 26027
  • Head Kino
  • Respect: +11442
    • Conrail 1285
Re: The New Northern Central
« Reply #1384 on: January 20, 2026, 10:25:12 AM »
0
Agreed.  You'll recall that I built a "temporary loop" to allow a train to run laps while I worked the kinks out of the more complete design that I eventually built.





It definitely helped me understand what was needed for the layout to produce the kind of operations I wanted to represent.
Lee


Yep! This idea didn't come out of the blue my friend.

wm3798

  • Crew
  • *
  • Posts: 16551
  • Gender: Male
  • I like models. She likes antiques. Perfect!
  • Respect: +7432
    • Western Maryland Railway Western Lines
Re: The New Northern Central
« Reply #1385 on: January 21, 2026, 07:20:49 PM »
0
But if you hold an impromptu ops session, at least your yard is up to the task!
L
Rockin' It Old School

Lee Weldon www.wmrywesternlines.net

Ed Kapuscinski

  • Global Moderator
  • Crew
  • *
  • Posts: 26027
  • Head Kino
  • Respect: +11442
    • Conrail 1285
Re: The New Northern Central
« Reply #1386 on: January 22, 2026, 01:08:37 PM »
0
But if you hold an impromptu ops session, at least your yard is up to the task!
L

Lol true, AND externally validated: https://conrail1285.com/ops-session-1-in-the-books/

Holy crap, I can't believe that was two years ago. Yikes.

That being said, your too small yard was the most fun I've had operating.

I feel like there's a certain type of joke that can be made there, but I'll leave it to you lol

seusscaboose

  • The Pitt
  • Crew
  • *
  • Posts: 2097
  • Respect: +217
Re: The New Northern Central
« Reply #1387 on: January 22, 2026, 03:47:52 PM »
0
Hey Now
"I have a train full of basements"

NKPH&TS #3589

Inspiration at:
http://nkphts.org/modelersnotebook

Ed Kapuscinski

  • Global Moderator
  • Crew
  • *
  • Posts: 26027
  • Head Kino
  • Respect: +11442
    • Conrail 1285
Re: The New Northern Central
« Reply #1388 on: April 10, 2026, 10:05:54 AM »
+4
Time for a quarterly update??

I haven't been making a ton of visible progress on the layout (how exciting is "I added another ten ties back under joints"??).

But the progress I have been making has allowed me to start painting track, which is the first step of my scenic process.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

I also made one visible change: I rotated Todd's One of Everything 90 degrees so people can actually see the front of it. Why would it be situated like this in real life? I have no idea, but sometimes you need to make the choice to make things more fun.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

Scottl

  • Crew
  • *
  • Posts: 5293
  • Respect: +2594
Re: The New Northern Central
« Reply #1389 on: April 10, 2026, 11:45:19 AM »
0
It would be great to see more of this. Such great work. :D

davefoxx

  • Crew
  • *
  • Posts: 12323
  • Gender: Male
  • TRW Plaid Member
  • Respect: +8526
Re: The New Northern Central
« Reply #1390 on: April 10, 2026, 12:27:12 PM »
+2
Todd’s One of Everything being turned ninety degrees to the road is easily explainable as if the proprietor took over the building.  In the building’s former use, perhaps more commercial or manufacturing purposes, it was better suited with access from the side facing the camera, which is perpendicular to the road.  Todd’s didn’t want to go to the expense of a full-blown structural remodel.  Add a sign near the road for more visibility.

DFF

A Proud HOer
BUY ALL THE TRAINS!
Still General Counsel to the Laurel Valley Ry.

Dave V

  • Crew
  • *
  • Posts: 12192
  • Gender: Male
  • Foothills Farm Studios -- Dave's Model Railroading
  • Respect: +11576
Re: The New Northern Central
« Reply #1391 on: April 10, 2026, 12:32:17 PM »
0
Add a sign near the road for more visibility.

DFF

Oh, wow, this. Something we don't model enough!

mu26aeh

  • Crew
  • *
  • Posts: 5860
  • Gender: Male
  • Respect: +4840
Re: The New Northern Central
« Reply #1392 on: April 10, 2026, 01:15:17 PM »
+1
Or the more obvious answer is that the owner is a huge railfan and built the building facing the tracks so he had a front row seat fir those colorful Conrail consists

Ed Kapuscinski

  • Global Moderator
  • Crew
  • *
  • Posts: 26027
  • Head Kino
  • Respect: +11442
    • Conrail 1285
Re: The New Northern Central
« Reply #1393 on: April 10, 2026, 02:11:00 PM »
0
Or the more obvious answer is that the owner is a huge railfan and built the building facing the tracks so he had a front row seat fir those colorful Conrail consists

I mean, if it's Todd, this makes complete sense and has been adopted as canon.

Ed Kapuscinski

  • Global Moderator
  • Crew
  • *
  • Posts: 26027
  • Head Kino
  • Respect: +11442
    • Conrail 1285
Re: The New Northern Central
« Reply #1394 on: April 14, 2026, 11:31:59 AM »
+6
I started painting the track in York. Amazing the difference it makes.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

While doing it, I also added some foamcore to bring the level of the ground around Pershing Ave up to the correct level for future street running. This is a bit of a tossed together mockup of how it'll look. Ignore the GP35 lurking in the background.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]