A layout my wife can live with

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Many are aware of my rather damp basement troubles. Frankly, I don't have money to fix it thanks to some major issues with some inheritance i was supposed to be receiving. So now I must face reality and look at something more managable.

I have an office right off the kitchen that has been a mess of train stuff since we bought the house. Joy has been patient about it (you have to walk through the office to get to the kitchen), but I know it annoys her even though she dosen't mention it. I am thinking about adding a small "L" shaped layout in the corner. The layout will be built on top of a series of "Billy" bookcases from Ikea. The layout would be 6 feet long, 4 feet wide and 13 inches deep with a small bump out at the turn of the "L" The bench work will be 1x8 knotless pine finished to match the birch vaneer of the bookcases. I plan to countersink the layout into the banchwork to frame the scene.

I want to model late fall or early winter in a New England City. Any ideas?

[MichaelT]

Many are aware of my rather damp basement troubles. Frankly, I don't have money to fix it thanks to some major issues with some inheritance i was supposed to be receiving. So now I must face reality and look at something more managable.

I have an office right off the kitchen that has been a mess of train stuff since we bought the house. Joy has been patient about it (you have to walk through the office to get to the kitchen), but I know it annoys her even though she dosen't mention it. I am thinking about adding a small "L" shaped layout in the corner. The layout will be built on top of a series of "Billy" bookcases from Ikea. The layout would be 6 feet long, 4 feet wide and 13 inches deep with a small bump out at the turn of the "L" The bench work will be 1x8 knotless pine finished to match the birch vaneer of the bookcases. I plan to countersink the layout into the banchwork to frame the scene.

I want to model late fall or early winter in a New England City. Any ideas?

The 2011 MRP issue had a small L shaped layout built on top of Ikea bookcases. Looked pretty functional. Might read through that if you can get your hands on a copy. If not, let me know and I'll try to scan and email it to you.
michael

[daniel_leavitt2000]

There goes my plan to write it up in N Scale 

[DKS]

[Chris333]

The 2011 MRP issue had a small L shaped layout built on top of Ikea bookcases. Looked pretty functional. Might read through that if you can get your hands on a copy. If not, let me know and I'll try to scan and email it to you.
michael

this?
http://web.mac.com/ckjordan/The_Patch/Patch_Home.html

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Dave, it looks good but I think it might be a bit busy for me.

I think I could add a detachable staging extention to the upper end, which would eliminate the need for hidden staging. If I do that then I wouldn't need the underground loop. I would also need to do a mirror image of it since the long wall will be on the left side.

[DKS]

[MichaelT]

this?
http://web.mac.com/ckjordan/The_Patch/Patch_Home.html

Nope; it was based in NC. It was the first article in that issue; forget the name of the layout, but it was a Southern RR layout.

[Chris333]

Bernie's Switching layout for ideas:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uJU2NN1Fz8s/Sa433sc6f8I/AAAAAAAAGSU/YsaobC8r4hI/s800/Bush%252520Term%252520N%252520scalecc.jpg

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Dave, I love it. I may thin it out just a tad, but thats exactly what I was looking for.

[MichaelT]

Dave, I love it. I may thin it out just a tad, but thats exactly what I was looking for.

Dave's the "layout king" !!!

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Dave, what number switches do you use for that? I would love to stick to #7 if possible. This will be an all Atlas C55 layout.

[DKS]

Dave, what number switches do you use for that? I would love to stick to #7 if possible. This will be an all Atlas C55 layout.

I used 5s, but here it is with 7s.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I like you doing a switching layout. That SW1500 is gonna look RIGHT at home.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Oh man, that is perfect perfect perfect! I will swap the industry on the lower leg with the staging on the upper left. Removable staging can run behind my desk/workbench, and I can probably incorporate desk lighting into the staging tracks.

Here is the basic idea behind the layout:
Late fall/early winter where the color seems sapped from all the foliage save for the conifers. This will also help with any UV fade that will occur in the naturally bright room.
I want the layout to look like a small gritty New England city. This will mean small hills, tracks sunken under or over roadways, lots of chain link fences trash and weeds.
"Quaint Charm" will be kept at an absolute minimum. I am not George Sellios. I do not have the same vision.
I want to emphasize the postindustrial aspect of the 1990's. Potholes, patches, half repaired buildings. Once stately brick buildings repaired with cheap cinder blocks etc...
Vehicle headlights, signs, buildings and street lights will all operate.

Now, about the industries I can model. I am going to look at the Boston Line for inspiration.  I think a small corn syrup distribution site would look great at the foreground in the turn. Other industries could include a food distribution plant using either Walthers modular kits or a scratch built concrete building, a furniture company and/or small cement plant.
The layout should be a lot of fun with backing operations similar to the Saxonvuille branch in Natick. That line used a transfer cab to back though about three miles (the entire length of the branch) to the Wonderbread plant.