The Housatonic Railroad in N Scale

[Philip H]

And frankly - that's not minimal scenery. @Ed Kapuscinski currently has minimal scenery.

[Pomperaugrr]

Have I mentioned I love your layout?

Because I love your layout.

But you know what I don't love? Being gaslit by your locomotives. Those sound like non-turbo units instead the sexy whine of a GP35. 

Ah, I understand.  Out of the five GP-35's owned by the HRRC, #3600 - 3604, all but the #3601 had their turbos removed.  The #3601 does have the turbo sound on my layout.  I do still have to dial in the horns and adjust some of the volume CV's.  I am still at the low end of the learning curve when it comes to DCC sound.

[Pomperaugrr]

And frankly - that's not minimal scenery. @Ed Kapuscinski currently has minimal scenery.

I am bothered by the lack of roads, paved areas, underbrush, tree debris, static grass, and more detailed "Super Trees" which are on the agenda.  I am just trying to get the basic layer in place, since the layout sat dormant for a long time and the overall effect motivates me to keep going.  The trees are easily removable so I can super detail areas when I have time.

In fairness, Ed just started his layout, where mine has been a work in progress for many years due to other priorities.  All of the rooftop and industrial details are just being held in place by gravity, until I get time to actually finish those scenes.  Once substantially complete, I will start the expansion of the layout into a 6' x 10' walk in closet on the other side of the wall from "Letourneau Gorge."

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Ah, I understand.  Out of the five GP-35's owned by the HRRC, #3600 - 3604, all but the #3601 had their turbos removed.  The #3601 does have the turbo sound on my layout.  I do still have to dial in the horns and adjust some of the volume CV's.  I am still at the low end of the learning curve when it comes to DCC sound.

Haha, then go fix those stacks! lol

But seriously. Your layout is one of my "this is what I want to accomplish" type deals. Don't let it go to your head.

[Pomperaugrr]

Haha, then go fix those stacks! lol

But seriously. Your layout is one of my "this is what I want to accomplish" type deals. Don't let it go to your head.

The whole reason I post here is to stay grounded, I appreciate honest feedback.  And yeah, I have to fix the stacks on the 4 non-turbo GP-35's.   Some day.

[Cajonpassfan]

The whole reason I post here is to stay grounded, I appreciate honest feedback.  And yeah, I have to fix the stacks on the 4 non-turbo GP-35's.   Some day.

Lol, Eric, I have so many "some day" projects I can't even count that high. As someone with a large-ish home layout I can totally relate, and your overall macro approach totally works. Layouts this size devour available time and take discipline to complete. You can always add layers of detail, and non turbo stacks, but what you have now is very impressive and promises to be even more so as you progress. Inspiring!

Btw, I can't open the track plan at the beginning of this thread, nothing there, nada. If it's just me, don't worry about it, but if it's gone, would you mind reposting it or a current version of it?
Thanks, Otto K.

[Pomperaugrr]

Lol, Eric, I have so many "some day" projects I can't even count that high. As someone with a large-ish home layout I can totally relate, and your overall macro approach totally works. Layouts this size devour available time and take discipline to complete. You can always add layers of detail, and non turbo stacks, but what you have now is very impressive and promises to be even more so as you progress. Inspiring!

Btw, I can't open the track plan at the beginning of this thread, nothing there, nada. If it's just me, don't worry about it, but if it's gone, would you mind reposting it or a current version of it?
Thanks, Otto K.

I will have to draw up a current version of the track plan.  The old photos are gone, but I did find a crappy MS Paint track plan which I have posted below.

[Pomperaugrr]

This is the most recently revised track plan and is a few years old.  I have made changes as I installed track, both for aesthetic and operational reasons, but this gives an idea of where I am headed.  The smaller room at the top left of the plan is a future expansion project.  The track plan for that area will definitely be changed.  For now there is just a temporary track on a shelf in that "room" allowing for continuous running.  The layout is operated as a point to point short-line, but the continuous running track along the backdrop lets me just have a train running while I am working on other projects and also functions as a switching lead for my staging yard located in the closet on the lower left of the plan.

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[nickelplate759]

Parts of the plan seem to be around 40" deep (front to back), like parts of the wye in the lower-right corner (in the picture) and the CSX Interchange/staging.  How do you access more distant tracks for maintenance, etc.?

I'm always struggling with how to manage that.

[Pomperaugrr]

Parts of the plan seem to be around 40" deep (front to back), like parts of the wye in the lower-right corner (in the picture) and the CSX Interchange/staging.  How do you access more distant tracks for maintenance, etc.?

I'm always struggling with how to manage that.

Luckily I am 6'4" and have a decent reach capability.  The layout is 53" off the floor.  I can reach most of it easily as most benchwork is between 24" and 32" deep.  For the corners, I do use a step ladder, but I rarely have to reach in that deep, now that scenery is mostly in place.

If I were to do it again, I would definitely reduce the "reach in factor," and not go any wider than 24" for benchwork.

[basementcalling]

Luckily I am 6'4" and have a decent reach capability.  The layout is 53" off the floor.  I can reach most of it easily as most benchwork is between 24" and 32" deep.  For the corners, I do use a step ladder, but I rarely have to reach in that deep, now that scenery is mostly in place.

If I were to do it again, I would definitely reduce the "reach in factor," and not go any wider than 24" for benchwork.

Tall or short, you have really captured the mass of the prototype scenery dominating the trains every bit as much as if you'd used mountains instead of buildings

[Cajonpassfan]

Thanks for posting the "newer" plan Eric, ...that is pretty amazing how you managed to squeeze so many distinct scenes into the available space. Looking forward to your progress!
Thanks, Otto

[Pomperaugrr]

I did not have any modeling time for the last couple of weeks, but I did take a few minutes to run some trains last evening. This is a quick video of my "bashed" N scale RS3M, pulling a railfan rare mileage trip for the Berkshiere Scenic RR. The RS3M stared with an atlas RS3 shell, MP-15DC stacks, and fans from another shell, fitted onto a Bachman RS3 chassis, then paint and decals for my Housatonic RR. It represents the #9935 owned by the Housatonic RR. It is DCC equipped, but there is no sound...yet. It is crossing the scenic (but fictional) Letourneau Gorge, named after a good friend and member here, "Trainforfun," from Canada.

[basementcalling]

I did not have any modeling time for the last couple of weeks, but I did take a few minutes to run some trains last evening. This is a quick video of my "bashed" N scale RS3M, pulling a railfan rare mileage trip for the Berkshiere Scenic RR. The RS3M stared with an atlas RS3 shell, MP-15DC stacks, and fans from another shell, fitted onto a Bachman RS3 chassis, then paint and decals for my Housatonic RR. It represents the #9935 owned by the Housatonic RR. It is DCC equipped, but there is no sound...yet. It is crossing the scenic (but fictional) Letourneau Gorge, named after a good friend and member here, "Trainforfun," from Canada.

Glad you clarified which Letourneau the gorge is a tribute to. My first thought was he named it for Mary Kay Letourneau?

[Pomperaugrr]

Glad you clarified which Letourneau the gorge is a tribute to. My first thought was he named it for Mary Kay Letourneau?

    That would definitely be the wrong Letourneau!