Seaboard Central 2.0

[davefoxx]

Dave doesn't have this problem, it appears, since the layout itself looks like it can be moved (more like dragged ) enough for access.

The layout is actually secured to the wall to minimize any swaying.  Those table legs look good, but they're not the most stable for layout construction.  Anyhow, I used small metal plates to secure the layout to the wall studs, so it would only take a minute or two to remove the screws and "drag" the layout away from the wall.  This will be helpful if and when I install a backdrop on that wall.

DFF

[Specter3]

Yep, that shelf behind the water heater would make for one fine staging area.

Ahhh, that paint shelf is just a temporary stop on the way to a shelf over the work bench in the background. Can you say Fayettville anyone? And there is just so much railroad hotness where the AR runs into Fayettville. Multiple crossings at all angles, street trackage, old stuff, new stuff, just hot hot hot!

[davefoxx]

Not a bad idea, Specter3, but, for me, I think that's getting too large.  I'll be forever getting the scenery done on the existing layout as it is, let alone further expansions.  A staging area on the other side of the water heater (which could be left unfinished) would add to ops without making the layout too much for me to manage.  Again, not a bad idea, but it's just too much for me at this point.  And, for so long as Code 55 flextrack is out of stock, there can be no expansion even over the water heater.

That said, your proposal for Fayetteville is dead-on: crossings, interchanges, street trackage, and even a branch down to the river.  It would be hot.

Thanks,
DFF

[Philip H]

Leave Fayetteville for the next layout in the next space - perhaps built with your son once he gets some skill.   

[davefoxx]

Leave Fayetteville for the next layout in the next space - perhaps built with your son once he gets some skill.   

Disappointingly, Tyler doesn't seem to have much interest in model trains.  If I'm in the train room, he does come in the room once in a while and ask if there's anything new that I've completed.  But, then he moves on to other things.  My almost-three-year-old daughter, on the other hand, comes in occasionally and asks me to pick her up, so she can watch the choo choos.  This past weekend, she pointed at my Amtrak train and asked me to run it.  She started recalling how she rode on the Wilmington & Western Ry. with Daddy a few months ago and rode on the Auto Train with the whole family last summer.  She said she wants to ride on another train.  Hook.  Line.  Sinker.   

DFF

[Philip H]

before I ripped out the track to create Bufkin's Bayou, my now 16 year old daughter used to want to run trains 3 or 4 time a year, once she found out that switching is essentially a 3D logic puzzle.

All three younger kids build Thomas all over the Living room, and the two older  ones love to help me run trains.

And that ends the thread drift for today.

[Rich_S]

Disappointingly, Tyler doesn't seem to have much interest in model trains.  If I'm in the train room, he does come in the room once in a while and ask if there's anything new that I've completed.  But, then he moves on to other things. 

DFF

Dave, I can tell you from personal experience my father was very disappointed I was not interested in R/C airplanes. No one in my family, either side (Mother or Father) had any interest in railroads or model railroading. Only one family member worked for the railroad, a great uncle I never met, as he passed away shortly after I was born. Somehow I ended up with the railroad bug and had to learn everything about the hobby on my own. Only advice I can give you is, if your son is not interested in railroads or the hobby, don't try to force it on him that will just drive him further away from the hobby. Also if he develops an interest in another hobby, building models, R/C planes or R/C cars, be supportive. My dad use to make fun of the model railroad hobby, telling me things like trains are for little kids and old men. As you can probably figure, we didn't have a lot of quality father son time. 

Moving on and getting back on topic, expanding the A&R to Fayetteville would be pretty cool, but maybe for now I'd go with the staging at the end of the current A&R idea. You have a lot of blue foam just begging for scenery    I'd put the Fayetteville expansion on the future to-do list and hopefully by then all of the C55 woes will be over?       

[davefoxx]

My so-called cassette lost its job today.  More at eleven:



DFF

[Bendtracker1]

Bummer 
Time for a Viking funeral or at least a retirement party.

Any chance you could use that for the extension over to the shelf past the water heater in the future?

[Chris333]

I see no stray wheelsets laying on the floor...

[M.C. Fujiwara]

So now it's an "ex-tension"?

 

[davefoxx]

No, thankfully, there was no disaster and no trains fell to the floor.  Instead, this afternoon, I retired the cassette and built new benchwork, so that the Southern Ry.'s staging track can have a return loop that will allow a train to turn, thereby eliminating the existing push/pull ops into Aberdeen.  This will also allow a slightly longer train.  Please ignore the wood strips and clamps which are being used to temporarily hold down the 2" foam while the adhesive sets up.



The following picture shows how I built the extension.  Eventually, it will get a Masonite fascia that will also act as a fence to keep any trains from meeting their demise on the concrete floor.  The 1"x4" scraps on the floor are because I need to get longer carriage bolts that I use for leveling the table legs.



And, as you can see, the rolling tool cabinet that holds my trains fits underneath the extension.



Now, I just have to get some track.  I only need one #5 right turnout, which is easily obtained at MBK.  The flextrack . . . well, not so much.

DFF

[sizemore]

...can have a return loop that will allow a train to turn, thereby eliminating the existing push/pull ops into Aberdeen.

DFF

"Oh no, I'll just use the 0-5-0" he said.... 


The S.

[davefoxx]

Heh, you got me, S.    But, hey, I'm not afraid to admit my mistakes and am willing to make changes for the sake of improvement.

DFF

[eric220]

Any chance you could use that for the extension over to the shelf past the water heater in the future?

This

So now it's an "ex-tention"?

Ba-dum-ching!