New Christmas Display Layout this year

[pipefitter]

yes it is summer, and by that it's usually when I start preparing for big projects like these:

Hey nice fleet! Seriously, I've found that summer is the perfect time to start Christmas projects. Next thing you know, it's here.

Robert

[Johnson Bar Jeff]

yes it is summer, and by that it's usually when I start preparing for big projects like these:

Hey nice fleet! Seriously, I've found that summer is the perfect time to start Christmas projects. Next thing you know, it's here.

Robert

You can say that twice and mean it! I bought my first Christmas gift two weeks ago! 

[J3a-614]

Welcome back, hadn't heard from you for while!

While on the subject of Christmas, I came across this site a while back, and I think it has some things on it to make us smile. . .

General link:

http://www.thortrains.net/

Christmas section link:

http://www.thortrains.net/yuledx1a.html

http://www.thortrains.net/yulerr1.html

Doggone it!  This Thor fellow had some humor pages that don't show up now for some reason, including his adventures as a young railfan ca. 1960 in the Hudson Tubes and a Christmas shopping trip he made in a slightly earlier time on the B&O to Philadelphia.  The latter included a visit to Wanamaker's department store with its enormous pipe organ (he thought the organist was Dracula, due to being in a tuxedo).  Both stories leave me with the definite impression his mother was a saint; she did not kill her most precotious son, who make both Dennis Mitchel ("Dennis the Menace")and Curtis Wilkins ("Curtis") look like amateurs in the trouble department. . .

Have fun.

[Johnson Bar Jeff]

I've gotten lots of ideas from Thor's site. Nice idea to post a link to it. 

[Joe Satnik]

Dear RGIM,

I researched Lionel post-war steamers, finally figuring out that the 2046 was the loco I wanted. 

Found one at a train show. 

Cleaned it, lubed it, and tuned up the whistle mechanism in the tender.  It's a great loco.   

I have a challenge for you. 

Put a 4 foot long train on the bottom rung of your new yard. 

Next, get it out on to your main-line.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

[ryeguyisme]

Here's a vid showing the results of my custom rail-bending I was referring to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kaJowcCUf0

It takes quite a bit of time to do but the results are so worth it, beats having to buy track when I have an epic ton of tubular that my parents bought me but I had never used until now


if you're wondering about roadbed, I'm looking around for a cheap price or an alternative to cork or foam roadbed, any ideas? I thought of using the scraps of foam board I collect from the schools.


^drawing out the curves I need for that corner which all 4 of the are larger than O27, which this picture also answers how to access the middle of the layout, the benchwork is so heavy duty I sit on it to work sometimes not to mention i was standing up to take this picture


Joe: that last plan is still in concept phase, the switch yard is designed to handle a lionel 0-8-0 and 1 or 2 cars to come out of the yard and create a consist on the track near the mainline.

J3a: I have checked out thor's stuff, it's proven helpful for other ideas but some of the track plans become too limited for my ideas


And thanks, my fleet is growing, a little too constantly for my own liking if I don't get organized i may have more engines than cars D:

[Doneldon]

ryeguyisyou-

Why not have yourself bronzed?  Then you could stand in the middle of your layout and be a statue.  And when no one is looking, do a little building or maintenance.  It could work.

                                                                                   -- D

[Johnson Bar Jeff]

If I don't get organized i may have more engines than cars D:

This is a problem why? 

[ryeguyisme]

If I don't get organized i may have more engines than cars D:

This is a problem why? 

xD typical me 

ryeguyisyou-

Why not have yourself bronzed?  Then you could stand in the middle of your layout and be a statue.  And when no one is looking, do a little building or maintenance.  It could work.

                                                                                   -- D

Well but thy statue of liberty is a lady D:

[J3a-614]

Rye,

I don't know if it's a good idea or not, but what about carpet remnants for your roadbed/ballast, possibly the indoor-outdoor version?  It's softer than any wood or even foam you would find, which means it would absorb sound.  Shooting it with paint and perhaps even ballasting it would cure any color problems and perhaps keep fuzz out of your loco mechanisms (an important consideration here).  And for you, an important consideration is that it would be cheap! 

Principle disadvantages would include the fuzz and the stuff might be a bit thin for representing a high-profile ballast line, and you would also have to doctor the edges somehow for appearance.

Any comments?

[ryeguyisme]

I can't talk much right now but heres a quick update:

I have completed all the railbending for the lower 2 levels, here check it out in ACTION:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3vwawFM1l4

[Doneldon]

ryeguy-

That first triple meet is scary.  I don't think children should view such violence!  (Looks cool, too.)
                                                                                       -- D

[ryeguyisme]

haha wait til I get it all on roadbed and with white paint for snow not to mention ties for the rails to make them a bit more realistic

[Joe Satnik]

RGIM,

Beautiful job on your concentric curves and rail bending as shown in the video.  Geometry class helped, didn't it?

May I ask the radius (or diameter) of the loop on the right?

Thanks. 

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

[ryeguyisme]

Joe,
Indeed Geometry class I aced, that loop on the right is in fact O27 , BUT I'm planning on broadening that curve to O32-ish possibly and the minimum radius on the layout at that point would be O31