1960's OWNY/NYCish 7'x17' Layout

[M.C. Fujiwara]

Installed some Downtown Deco flats that rep the "outskirts" of Monticello:



Originally I attached all three flats on the left to a single piece of styrene, with the idea that I could bend the styrene at the joints & curve all three around the track, but the center flat popped off, so I installed the outer two (still connected to the styrene), then attached the center flat to the curved styrene:



I'll get some roofs on there later.

Richfield Oil is just sitting there until I see if I have enough room for DD's Trackside Tavern in the triangle of space between track & road.
Or if I want something taller to act as more of a viewblock of where Broadway runs into the backdrop.

Finally finished wiring up all 9 LEDs on Penn Plax Plastics, so I installed that in the industrial area:











Dude used to work for Penn Plax Plastics (innovator in aquarium-grade plastics!) for many years, and even though the building isn't 100% accurate, he was pretty tickled pink that I was able to find the seahorse logo.
Originally I wanted to install a freight elevator (or LED representing on) that moved randomly up & down the floors, and Silicon Valley Free-moN friend Eric designed one with a step motor & fake raspberry pi (I think), but I'm running out of time on this project.
Personally, I like the way the freight door lights shine through the cars as they move into their spots:

There will be a larger factory on the other side of the tracks, creating a mini "brink & concrete canyon", and should make a pretty groovy night scene.

Thanks for looking.
Have to figure out how to install some Streamline Backshops lighting packages & brass truck pickups in Rivarossi 60' coaches 
So back to the workbench!

[dnhouston]

Great progress M.C.  All the little scenes are really starting to take shape.

[Miles]

I worked with Mark on the structures for the layout, notably these downtown structures. Here we see "Merchant's Row IV" and the "Magnolia Hotel" kits from Walthers and a bar kit from DPM. The only building that is not part of the batch used on this layout in any of the photos is the one featuring the handpainted "Bull Durham" and "Packard" advertisements. That will continue to live on my layout. These were posed on my Oakland Industrial modules before handing them over to Mark to plop on the layout.









These were posed on my Oakland Industrial modules before handing them over to Mark to plop on the layout.

Mark, I'm so impressed with everything you've done scenery wise on the layout!! Also, those Downtown Deco kits came out really nice.

[Dave V]

Building a layout for a client in his 3rd-floor game room based on Monticello, NY in late 1950's/early 60's:

Been thinking about this plan, and about Dave Frary's HO PRR Middle Division.



Add some staging to either, and we might have a new Juniata Division...reduced to N scale, of course.

By the way, my father is a hardcore NYO&W fan and historical society member, and for a Californian, you've really captured the feel!

[M.C. Fujiwara]

Thanks Miles,
Now that I've got all the track & most of the scenery done, I'm working on getting all the structures finished & prepped for installation (I'm hoping to plop down as many buildings as I can at once, instead of driving back & forth as I've been doing).

Thanks for the kind words, Dr. Dave.
Never been to that area of NY before, so working off photos.
Not going to be 100% accurate (thus the "ish" in the title), but the dude really digs it, and says certain sections remind him of taking the train in the '50's, so I've got that going for me.

Wish I could have done this in N scale, as that big phat lobe on the left makes reaching the turnouts at top very difficult (am using a rod w/ earplug at end to throw points) and the curves are very tight for HO.

If I had known his plan for the whole room, I'd probably have run a thin shelf of trains behind the video games and have the other return loop in the opposite corner.  That would have allowed me to bend the left lobe into space right, creating more of a "G" shape, thinner benchwork, & easier access to all tracks.
But it is what it is.

Maybe I'm missing something, but I had to almost destroy these Rivarossi 60' coaches to get inside to install the lighting packages.
Unscrew everything off the bottom, remove bottom, pop off one side, pop off roof (all the while breaking off most the tabs).



After Dremeling off part of the thin weights to expose the holes for the feeder wires, it was pretty straightforward to attach 30 gauge magnet wire to the lightboards, CA them to the roof & then thread the wires through the interior.
I'm using Streamline Backshop's N scale lightboards, as Bryan wasn't sure if the HO ones would fit the 60' coaches.
They provide plenty of light, and have a potentiometer to adjust brilliance, as you can see from my state-of-the-art DCC testing station:



There are ways to have two wipers on each truck, separated by an insulating washer, to collect both pos & neg on each truck, but I just have one truck pos & the other neg.
The capacitors on the boards keep them lit for 3-4 seconds after power removed anyway.

Soldered the feeder wires to the truck wipers, and good to go.



Also added some Preiser 1/2 people & some newspapers.
If I had more time I would have loved to paint the interior seats, have a couple joining the Meter High Club in the bathroom, etc., but so it goes.



Installed two Tam Valley Depot Hex Frog Juicers to help with the little stuttering & stalling over turnouts:



I was sure I isolated the frogs--already plastic rail joiners above the frog, & I used a thin hobby knife to cut the small wires joining frog to point rails--but I guess I didn't get all of them (or some metal was still touching), because my nose soon told me the magic smoke escaped from one of the sections:



So that's off to Tam Valley for a repair.
Other hex juicer works great.
& I've excavated under each frog to make sure each is totally isolated.

Finally got the staging shelf up, then track laid & wired:





I'll attach a low fascia to ensure no trains fall off during an earthquake.
The shelf is the first thing you see when you walk up the stairs.
It will hold a couple of 50"-cuts of cars, and client will be able to back a train into the empty track, hook up with another cut, & then pull out onto the layout.
Or just display cool cars.

Alrighty, back to finish the last of the passenger coach light board installs, figure out why my BLI SW1500 all of a sudden decided to start/stop/have conductivity issues, and finish all the buildings.
So back to the workbench!
Thanks for looking.

[M.C. Fujiwara]

The BLI I-5 started having the same stuttering issues as the SW7, so tried resetting PowerCab throttle, then SmartBooster.
No bueno.
Just about to mail off the locos to BLI for inspection when the lightbulb went off over me head:
Switched out the 6-pin cord between the PowerCab & SmartBooster, replaced it with the curly 4-pin cord.
Tah-dah!

Theoretically, which cord shouldn't matter as the SmartBooster should override the PowerCab throttle as the command station, but there it is.
Glad it was a simple solution!

Finished up painting the staging / display yard:



Still need to attach a piece of fascia that extends a couple inches above the shelf so no trains fall off the tall cliff.

Finished & installed another warehouse in the industrial district:



"BoxItUp" was the name of a horse the client used to own & race.
So had to add some horses elsewhere:



Only had thin, Rust EZ-Line on me, and that was invisible at that distance, so I'll string the fence when I get thick black EZ-Line.
(Or see if he notices the Emperor's New Fencing" )

Lots of buildings in various states of completion.
Soldering & installing the LEDs seems to take up the most time.
Here's the corner grocery:



Should have 3-4 more buildings done this weekend.

Quick video giving an overview of the layout progress so far.

Sorry for the shakiness: didn't have a tripod on me at time of shooting.

Back to the workbench!
(Usually, with the start of the Premier League, I don't get out to the garage until the afternoon, but with a TV out there, I can get to the workbench starting with the first 4:45 AM match! Woot!)

[M.C. Fujiwara]

Built & installed the stretch of buildings for All-Star Items (garment industry):









Still needs lots of weathering & details.
All those LEDs looked great until the 12V 500mA wallwart blew out.

So off to Fry's to get a 12V 2amp wallwart.

Meanwhile, in the 110-degF garage workshop, furiously finishing all the buildings for Monticello, including flats:



& finishing up the interior details of all the fine work Miles did on most of the Broadway stretch:



Next step (after finishing the fine 21st Amendment brew)(& take a shower): build a billiard hall & pin-ball arcade with machines with flashing lights!
Back to the workbench!
(Well, when I wake up in the morning at 3AM when it's cool)

Happy Weekend, everyone.

[Philip H]

Nicely done MC.  Your paved jungle is coming along well, though in addition to weathering the road surface, ya need a car or three and some workers shooting dice on the loading docks.  And perhaps a Lady of The Evening plying her trade behind a building with a customer who doesn't suspect the cop sneaking up on them.  or some such similar scene that's partially hidden but cool on the reveal.

Excellent hydration choice, FWIW.

[M.C. Fujiwara]

Thanks for the kind words & suggestions, Philip.
Already have some vehicles ready to go, and a kabillion figures that I need to start painting.
Client has a wacky sense of humor as well, so I'll definitely will have some fun with scenes both sunny & shady as I detail each section!

Garage is so hot [how hot is it?]
So hot I have a towel wrapped around my head to keep the sweat out of my eyes and off the models.
On the plus side, after another beer or two, I'm ready to go interstellar traveling.

[eja]

Looking terrific .....

One thing bothers me, however ...  I lot of the lighting in the "industrial area" seems too bluish to my what of thinking.  Given the time-frame, I would expect a more incandescent look to the light.

But YMMV.  I wish it was in my house ......


eja

[johnb]

I'll take a Pan Galactic Gargleblaster. If you give me 2, I'll listen to Vogan poetry.

Plus 10 nerd points for using a gif from the BBC version

[M.C. Fujiwara]

The only reason I attempt model railroading is to convince Slartibartfast that, one day, I can perhaps craft the seagull crap-covered rocks at the bottom of the fjords:



[So much electric hope for Martin Freeman / Mos Def version, but... meh. Pass another Pan Galactic Gargleblaster]

EJA: agree about the hue.
But to borrow from Cookie in City Slickers: "You ain't gonna get any nouveau, amandine, thin crust, bottled water, sauteed city food. Food's brown, hot, and plenty of it."
Basically got a lotta LEDs with a bit of a bluish hue, and so I use them.
Fortunately, they don't look as blue in person.

And a few buildings along Broadway will have many myriad colors & flashers.
Today worked on the movie theater, and also the arcade:



Which I'm hoping will have solid lighting over the pool table & flashing pinball machine lights along the rear wall.

Problem is garage is so sweltering I'm becoming "QuasiLoco, the Camelback of Notre Damnitshot":



And the Giants lost to St. Loo. 
But Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A, & Ligue 1 soccer are back in full swing, electrifying weekend mornings starting at 4:45, Champions League soccer is back up & rocking starting tomorrow at lunch, I'm a frood who really knows where his towel is, and this layout is almost done-diggity-done... so all is right in the world.

Happy Monday, everyone.

[GaryHinshaw]

Epic progress MC, especially in the face of such adversity… (just remember Sunday's Giants game, but I can't help you beat the heat).

I'm surprised that peteski hasn't chimed in here with his suggestion to tint the LEDs with Tamiya transparent amber paint.  That said, I think it looks great as is.

[M.C. Fujiwara]

MadBum memories carry us through the dark days 

I think pesteski did mention that somewhere.  Will pick up some today & try it out.
Cheers!

[coosvalley]

I'm surprised that peteski hasn't chimed in here with his suggestion to tint the LEDs with Tamiya transparent amber paint.  That said, I think it looks great as is.

I have had success tinting blue-ish LEDs with orange/yellow Sharpies...

I've been enjoying these threads from you!