I Am Finally Unveiling My Layout!

[Terry Toenges]

Impressive!
Are you going to do more with the track in the rail yard?
I would build up the ground around the track in the yard so the track looks more level with the ground.
http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,8820.msg72863.html#msg72863

[jward]

beautiful layout.
if i could make one suggestion, many people do not use enough light over the layout. with the new energy efficient bulbs you can light up the train room like the outdoors. then you can take your photos using the room light, without the flash. you will get some incredibly life like photos and i think you'll be pleased with the added light....

[BestSnowman]

beautiful layout.
if i could make one suggestion, many people do not use enough light over the layout. with the new energy efficient bulbs you can light up the train room like the outdoors. then you can take your photos using the room light, without the flash. you will get some incredibly life like photos and i think you'll be pleased with the added light....

I agree with the lighting, the room I have my layout in has light fixture that needs to be replaced (I currently rent and I don't want to replace a ceiling fan/light on my own dollar if I'm probably going to move in the next year or two) and the only time I get get decent pictures is in the morning when sun is coming in the window... unfortunately this is often when I am at work.

[BradKT]

Re: the lighting issue...I am still experimenting with that.  I have 3 100 watt ceiling lights in the room, plus a 3-light lamp (each bulb is 60 watts).  I did post several  pics that were taken without using the camera flash and it did make a difference when I shot the photos during the daytime or at night.

[OkieRick]

Brad,

A few technical questions if I may. 

What are you using to power your turnouts - are they Atlas all-in-one or do you have Tortoise driven turnouts / switches?  Are they DCC controlled at the time?

Did you use any Flex-Track?

Did you use Code 100 or 83 track?  (I have too much of each not to plan on using both and will use 100 to 83 conversion sections and separate 100 loops.)

Do you have a MRR club around you close?


You've done a beautiful job - keep us posted on how you're doing.
Rick

[BradKT]

The switches are not DCC controlled. They are manually controlled.  The switch controls are Atlas and are powered by a separate Atlas DC transformer (I had a couple of Atlas transformers that I hadn't used, so I dedicated one of them to power the switches).  When I install the 2 Tomar RR crossing signals (2 crossings), I will probably power them with the same transformer.

The street lights will be a different matter.  I am going to have to talk to Jim Banner again about that one.  I was advised by the manufacturer that I need a 50 watt power source to power 50 of their street lights and am thinking of using a 50 watt Lionel transformer to do so.

I used Bachman EZ-track (nickel silver).  The roadbed is augmented with a little Woodland Scenics plaster cloth (cut into thin strips) and modeling plaster.  I used the Woodland Scenics earth colors to try to match the color of the EZ track roadbed.

I did not use any flex track...or Atlas track...nothing but Bachmann EZ track.

I live on the West Side of Los Angeles.  I don't know of any MRR clubs near me, but there probably are some.

I plan to take a few pics that show the entire overall layout tomorrow morning and will post them to you can see the whole layout.

[jward]

re: lighting.
i did notice the photos taken under natural light. they looked great.

one thing that can be done to increase lighting using standard fixtures is to up the wattage of the bulbs. whtih the new twist type energy saving bulbs,  the equivalent of a 150 watt bulb consumes about 40 watts. these will work in even a lamp rated for 60 watt bulbs. as an added bonus, they put out very little heat as well.

another trick for better pix is to change the setting on your camera. many digitals have provisions for taking photos under tungsten or fluorescent lighting. using those settings will eliminate alot of the yellowish tone in photos taken under indoor lighting.

snowman, i had a layout similar to your situation, i lit it with clip lights mounted on the backdrop. home depot has them at modest cost. just be aware you should use the energy saving bulbs in them, a 100 watt standard bulb puts out enough heat to damage the fixture.

[BradKT]

I posted 16 new pics today which are layout overview shots.  These pics show the entire layout, especially the track layout...as well as where everything is located.

I hope that this answers some more of the questions that some of you have had.

These pics were taken without using the camera flash.

[hotrainlover]

Bradkt,
Thanks for the new pictures.  This layout was well planned.  I like the way it flows from scene to scene.

[jward]

i think you have every right to be proud of what you've accomplished here. now i have to get started on my new one so i can show it off too.....lol

that is, if i can keep the real ones from distracting me as they run by the apartment.....

[BestSnowman]

Very nice! Definitely something to be proud of.

[Yampa Bob]

Brad,
The overview shots are very nice. It's amazing how the perspective changes with distance from the layout. In the earlier close ups the refinery looked enormous, yet very realistic. Amazing detail.

Well done.

[d1027j]

I think this is a great layout. I am a novice just beginning and only hope my turns out at least half as nice as yours.
BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!

[train with no shame]

Very Nice . WoW .....Everything i want and then some . As well I'm new also .And hope mine looks , That good someday . We plan to move . And when we do . The Layout will grow . Great Layout !!!!!!!

I'm learning so much from just searching and reading post ....

regards    Mark F

[BradKT]

Thank you everyone.  Now I have to get back to work on it.  I just added about 5 more billboards behind the middle track on the back of the layout and will add the work crew for the cement plant tomorrow...along with several nonoperational RR signals.

I am also in the process of looking for some drapes, which will help to muffle the noise.  When I have 3 trains running at the same time, those metal wheels on EZ track mounted on plywood can get kind of loud and the sound is just bouncing off the bare walls and wood floor right now.  As there are 5 windows in that room, drapes will help to muffle that a little.

Once I get the drapes, then I can do the background...and then the wall pics.  I have a number of 8 1/2" x 11" railroad pics in plastic box frames (plus the metal logo signs for each RR that I run...Santa Fe (and BNSF), Denver and Rio Grande Western, Southern Pacific and Union Pacific).  They are not all train pics...I found a great website that had the classic advertisements and marketing slogans for some of the great trains like the Southern Pacific Daylight, the D&RG California Zephyr, the Santa Fe Super Chief and El Capitan, the Union Pacific City of Los Angeles, etc.  They will make the room look great when they are up on the walls and will be concentrated into 4 groups (divided by the windows, with the logos in the middle of each group).  They will be located behind and on the sides of the layout above the top of the background.  A big Union Pacific clock will be in the middle.

Somewhere in all of this, I still have to wire the street lights and install the RR crossing signals.

The passenger station and the truck-rail facility will be saved for last as they are at the front of the layout and will be the easiest to do.