A new layout!

[wiley209]

So far things have been running smoothly with my upgraded layout.


An action shot.


The old Roundpost Junction school house, which has been closed for a long time due to it being too small for public school standards. A new school building will be built in front of it, and the old school house will be reopened as an annex to the new building (it will be a Life-Like "Union Avenue School" building kit.) The playground equipment will also be moved.


A grade crossing with Bachmann Plasticville crossing signals as a temporary setup. I will eventually replace them with working crossing signals of some sort.


The downtown section again.




A couple of structures on my layout that I fitted with lights. I will be illuminating a few more of my structures, to enhance the layout.


Trying out some two-train action. The second train is powered by a Mantua Burlington Northen GP-20. I plan to soon get a second DCC locomotive (probably a Bachmann FT-A Santa Fe diesel.)

[jbrock27]

Are you bummed over the news about Model Power?

[wiley209]

Are you bummed over the news about Model Power?

Yeah I heard; it does stink. I'm hoping someone else will pick up the Mantua line, like maybe Walthers. (I was thinking of getting a DCC Mantua GP-20.)

[RAM]

You may still be able to find them in some hobby shop, or on ebay.

[RAM]

Wiley, If you are going to put lights in your building, On the inside paint the out side wall black or some other dark color.  It will make a world of difference.

[Doneldon]

Wiley, If you are going to put lights in your building, On the inside paint the out side wall black or some other dark color.  It will make a world of difference.

Wiley-

You can also glue black construction paper to the insides of your structures. This is usually easier to do than painting the insides of structures after they've been built. Painting is the way to go pre-build. Put masking tape across the outside of any opening in the wall like windows and doors, and wrap around the edges if you plan to spray the black paint. That sure makes things go fast and it's nice to have structures which don't look like you have X-ray vision.
                                                                                                                                                                                                -- D

[jward]

one thing i've noticed in your overview photos is that your entire layout is built on unsupported plywood sheets. do you intend on keeping it this way or building some support framework underneath. unsupported plywood has a tendency to warp and sag, which would quickly render your layout unusable.

[wiley209]

one thing i've noticed in your overview photos is that your entire layout is built on unsupported plywood sheets. do you intend on keeping it this way or building some support framework underneath. unsupported plywood has a tendency to warp and sag, which would quickly render your layout unusable.

I did put some supports under the plywood to keep it all at the same level, actually.

And RAM and Doneldon, with some of the buildings, I do paint the interiors of some buildings black so far when I plan to illuminate them. I also did that with my Life-Like flashing storage tank, as I wasn't too thrilled about how the whole tank would blink on and off. So I got out my black model paint, and now only the very top blinks like it's supposed to.

[wiley209]

Here's a few more updates!


Life-Like Mt. Vernon Manufacturing Company building kit. It's designed in a modular way so you can build it any way you want; I just simply reversed how it appears on the box/stock photo.


The new school campus! The front building is a Life-Like Union Avenue School building kit from the 1990s (it seems to have used the same mold as Life-Like's Mainline Station kit from the same era), and I put the Plasticville schoolhouse behind it for additional classroom space, and the playground in between.


Late '70s Life-Like semaphore. It has the bulb in the bottom, and uses fiber-optics to light the indications, and has a lever for moving the banner. After this photo was taken, I wired it up and it is now active.


Early '90s Tyco Chattanooga Choo-Choo locomotive, tender and rolling stock. The loco and tender are actually made by Mehano (it's a modified Mehano Mikado 2-8-2 that AHM/IHC used to offer), and it ironically runs much better than Tyco's own Chattanooga locomotives did (the way it's built and powered reminds me of a newer base-line Bachmann locomotive, with the weights and the can motor.) That second boxcar (red white and blue one) has one of those rollers with little rock-like materials that simulates a "chugging" sound when in motion, just like those older Lionel "chugging" tenders. Tyco made an electronic "chugging" boxcar in the '80s that was battery-operated and sounded more convincing (it had speed-synchronization too), and I am trying to find one of those to use.


Yes, on my layout, steam and diesel locomotives run together!

[Joe323]

I like your layout very much and am looking forward to further updates.

[wiley209]

Some more updates, in time for tomorrow's National Train Day!


This locomotive's body was a little beat, so I thought I'd swap it out with a different shell...


Now it's been updated with the BNSF "Heritage" paint scheme! I may probably upgrade this one to DCC.


Amtrak comes to the layout! The Amtrak Dash 8-32BWH in the "Pepsi Can" paint style of the early '90s is also a Walthers TrainLine locomotive. I'll probably upgrade this one to DCC as well. The passenger cars are mostly Life-Like, along with a Tyco coach.


Train parked at the station.


From another angle.


Several of the locomotives in my current roster. So far only the BNSF GP40 is DCC-equipped. I plan to upgrade one of the Walthers GP9Ms, both Dash 8s and the Proto 1000 F3A. I'm also getting a Bachmann Plus Santa Fe Consolidation steam locomotive!

[jward]

the trainline gp9ms are a pretty easy hardwire job. if you are handy with a soldering iron, you can install a decoder in under an hour.

[wiley209]

Got another DCC-equipped locomotive!


Bachmann FTA Santa Fe Warbonnet diesel.

I also upgraded my Proto 1000 Santa Fe F3A loco with a TCS A4X decoder, and it so far works pretty well! (But I need to replace the bulb though...)
So now in total I have three DCC-equipped locomotives on my layout. Now I'll probably get set to work on upgrading my Walthers Trainline locomotives (need to get the decoders for them first!)

[wiley209]

Showing some multiple-train action. My sidings are starting to come along; now I just need to buy another left-hand switch!

[wiley209]

So I installed a Life-Like lighted bumper on a small siding...



Griswold crossing signal! I'm planning on getting a controller/detector for this crossing (maybe a Logic Rail Tech "Grade Crossing Pro")...


My newest locomotive: an early 1990s Bachmann Plus Santa Fe Consolidation steam locomotive and tender! It runs pretty well, and the smoke unit works pretty well, but I find it best to not let it sit still for long, because when run off a DCC unit it continues to smoke... is that bad for the locomotive or the layout?