Layout Tour Part 1. Thoughts, Ideas, Where I'm at and Where I'm going.
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- Опубликовано: 11 дек 2024
- I share with you my HO scale 20x12 model railroad and describe my thoughts and vision for the layout. I show you key features the layout has and tell you about possible changes.
Hi, I retired from Union Pacific Railroad in October 2016 . I worked from 1979 to 1996 with Southern Pacific and when Union Pacific bought out Southern Pacific . I worked in the bridge dept for most of my career and the last 2 in the track dept. I am trying to get into HO model railroading and I think your videos are great
Thanks Jerry! And thanks for your work with Southern Pacific! SP is still much loved by modelers and rail enthusiasts today. I miss the SP geeps working my town and area.
With all of the different skills needed for model railroading it'll keep your hands and mind active. Bridges are such a key visual feature on a model railroad, I'm sure with your knowledge you can do one right. I retired in 2018, so I assume we are close to the same age. I think the hobby is good for us, keeps us sharp.
I appreciate you watching and welcome to the hobby!
@@SPSteve I think I will make my model railroad mostly SP
@@jerryebner159 Sounds great! The manufacturers give us SP modelers a lot of support by continuing to bring out new and updated SP locomotives and rolling stock.
Great plan by building the loco cabinet, including getting experience by working on landscaping of the track. I too included a stereo system (including subs) as I have included music with every model railroading experience since grade school. Good job!
Thanks Andy! All experience is good experience. Yep, gotta have a stereo in the train room. It's a big plus for making the train room a place I like to spend time in. Thanks for watching!
Love everything about your layout! My father was executive officer with the Southern Pacific. In charge of the Communications department as the Assistant General Superintendent of Communications - System. The railroad had many firsts other than just being a railroad. That communications department was the largest privately owned microwave system in the world when he headed that (along with the General Superintendent- System). At one time SP was the largest private land holder in California. My father was one of the first management trainees. They sent my to UTEP for 3 and 1/2 years and that was all he did. 3 and 1/2 years for electrical engineering .
At the end with the communications department that they had they developed a company called the SPCC. From that they sold it and it became the company you know as Sprint. Thanks for being so incredibly meticulous.
That's a great story you have with your family's involvement with SP. The telecommunication network was very advanced with SPRINT being the spinoff as you mentioned. SP had a far reaching network of track and many innovations over its history. Thanks for the kind comment and thanks for watching! I've had a few former SP people check in. Always nice to hear everyone's story.
Entire layout is really nice. You really are doing a fantastic job. Great planning with the lighting above. I think it really enhances the layout. Looking forward to part two.
Thanks! Overall, it's come together pretty well. I'm wanting to make a couple adjustments, but for the most part I'll go with what I have. The layout isn't perfect, but I think once I have all of the elements in place, scenery, structures, etc., it'll be fine. The valance does double duty in it gives the layout a nice, finished appearance and it helps spread the light over the benchwork. Thanks for coming along on the journey!
Really love that shadowbox look with the LED lighting.
Thanks! I think the shadow box valance makes it tidy. And the bottom of the valance helps distribute the light from the LED strips over the benchwork. I appreciate you watching!
@@SPSteve And I also like the shadow box idea for my first layout, because I have CATS, and can cover the front with a heavy canvas sheet / drop cloth to keep them from rearranging everything. LOL
@@What_If_We_Tried That's a great idea. Plus, if the layout will be idle for a while the sheets will keep the dust off. My mini Schnauzer can't jump that high. 😄
Your layout looks incredible! For having no experience, you did a wonderful job. I really enjoyed your layout tour. I am looking forward to your part two. I think your bridge scene is breathtaking. It is definitely the focal point of your layout. I hope you continue to stay in a hobby and work on your layout. Have a great day and thank you for sharing. (Frank)
Thanks Frank! Part 2 of the tour is up. I invite you to go to my RUclips home page and look inside my Model Railroading playlist. I have over 100 videos covering the construction of my layout. I appreciate you watching!
@@SPSteve I will definitely go check it out! 😊
One take-a-way is the preparation of the space and you have done a great job. Lights, valances, extra outlets, flooring, and room painting are all critically important and are very hard and messy to do when a layout is in building. A layout of any size needs plenty of storage for kits, unused rolling stock, and supplies. You are going to want to have storage for big tools handy. You probably need two workstations, one for cars and engines, the other for kits in progress. Finally, clean, clean, clean makes for a better layout. Brooms, dustpans, shop vac. trash cans. Thanks for letting me comment. Been working on all this for a few weeks. Had to stop building and work all this out.
@@blainedunlap4242 I completely agree. A clean and orderly work environment goes a long way towards being productive. A comfortable work area also makes for a nice place to spend time. Thanks for your input and for watching!
Very Nice Job thus far Sir!
Certainly glad you didn’t give up on it!
Love that Canyon
@@kerry_glock Thanks! I'm glad I stayed with it as well, it's been very enjoyable working on the layout over the past couple years. I am also pleased with the North Canyon. I think it'll be really nice when I get to adding the grass and trees in the canyon bottom. Thanks for watching!
This is a really beautifully presented layout. I appreciate the time and effort you put into the valance and fascia. The completed scenery is also really impressive. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks! I find that having benchwork that looks finished makes the room environment more enjoyable to spend time in. My goal is to have a well scenic'd, diorama layout that will have several signature scenes for video. I look forward to continue working towards that goal. Thanks for watching!
Clean layout and well designed for the space. Good presentation.
Thanks! I try to keep the layout functional so I can run trains while at the same time continuing with work towards finishing it. I appreciate you watching!
I think your track plane and set up are one of the best set ups I have seen and I live in San Antonio, Texas
I appreciate it! The rural section may get some rework, but the track plan will be very similar. I'm happy with the city section. I'm looking forward to the day when I get my buildings in place. I went to USAF basic training in San Antonio. I've been there a couple times. I like your mix of classic and modern buildings in your downtown. Seems like a nice city.
Excellent tour. Your tidy underbench wiring is impressive. Respect.
Thanks! I have videos that cover all of that in my Model Railroading playlist. I've documented most of the work I've done on the layout. I appreciate you watching!
Looks great! I like the valance that mirrors the fascia below, nice touch. And the resulting effect, with the lighting, is spot on.
Thanks! I pass through the room often, so I want it to look good. The valance does a good job to focus the light over the layout. I appreciate you watching!
I like the progress you have made. The scenery looks good. I look forward to seeing your future projects. Remember this is a hobby and not a job. Do your thing to make yourself happy.
Right-on Ray. We need to build our layouts to please ourselves. I've been trying to get a video out every week to keep people up to date. I also have a Model Railroad playlist with over 100 videos if you'd like to look at those. Thanks for watching!
I really like your set up
Thanks Jerry! I like having continuous running so I can just hang out in the room and watch trains run; my layout also has some limited operations capability to keep one guy occupied for an hour or so now and then. I wish you success in determining how to build your layout!
What a great looking layout. You've done a lot in a short time. I like your scenery and the openess of the layout. I have been working on mine for years and am slowly beginning scenery and adding structures. I built it for operations but can also run trains continuously. My youngest son enjoys running trains. Keep up the inspiring work! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Robert! Half the layout is rural only, no buildings, the other half will be my city. It's a lot of work and it takes time. Thanks for the comment and I appreciate you watching!
You made the right choice. Nice looking layout.
Thanks John. I appreciate you watching!
That was a fantastic update, Steve, and were so glad that you decided to keep going with the layout. Your layout is incredible and your scenery work is off the charts great. I’m really enjoying your layout build and it is very inspiring. If you were to redesign the area of track leading across to the possible shelf by the door and reduced it to one track, I believe that you would be able increase the radius of the hidden helix and it would be great for operations. I can’t wait for update part 2. Wonderful layout.
Thanks Derek! I'd really love to put a 2 turn helix in the big loop area. My big issue in that area is having unobstructed door access, so that part of the layout is as big as it can be and a 24" radius helix is concerning. I don't want to have to crawl up inside the helix to remove derailed cars.
I can build an extension off the benchwork to cut down the length of a lift out section that would reach over to a shelf section on the wall. I think it would be nice to be able to run trains on and off the layout. Especially for operating the city section like you mentioned. We'll see how it works out. But I think that is doable.
I appreciate you coming along on the journey!
Very nicely done. Phenomenal attention to detail.
Thanks Bruce! I think a little extra care up front saves a lot of headaches down the road. I appreciate you watching!
Thanks for the tour, great to hear your vision and how it's shaping so far. And excellent attention to detail, definitely you have set a high standard for yourself and accomplished it so far.
A few comments on your potential future plans:
24-inch helix will be fine, people have run some really big steam locos up and down 24-inch helicies without any problems. The key is the trackwork, and I'm sure with your attention to it all will be fine. People make some truly janky helices and they still work, so don't worry about it. Make sure you use cabinet grade plywood for it so that it's dimensionally stable, considering your room environment.
Regarding your staging idea against that east wall, definitely do that, even a foot deep will get you plenty of trackage. Matter a fact you can make two shelves there full length by removing your display cabinet. The cabinet is a nice touch but you can build another one above your staging decks after you buld your staging. Besides that all your locomotives will end up in the staging so no need for a display cabinet - they are meant to run not sit on a shelf and will be displayed in the staging as full trains anyway. I like your thinking about removing those double tracks that lead to the edge, and replacing them with a single line. A 44-inch lift out is not a big deal either - it's just a piece of wood, or aluminium profile, or a steel stud (that's ideal as it does not contract/expand) with a track on it. You can make it drop down, lift up, or lift out, however you prefer. I said two shelves, as well, so the first shelf is on your 0 height level, and the other can be where you wanted to wrap around from the truss bridge and down into the helix. Instead, cross the doorway with another liftout section onto the second staging shelf 8-12 inches higher (you would be climbing into it from the truss bridge instead of winding down the helix). This would give your layout a huge bump up in the number of trains you can run, and if you keep your two staging shelfs half full, each staging shelf could receive the incoming trains from the other shelf. Along with that, you can make the end track pieces (6-8 inches) on both shelfs dead, so trains will stop on their own without you worrying about them. You would 0-5-0 the locomotives to the front of the train for the next run, and it's ready to go. And isolate all tracks and put them on a switch so you can turn those tracks on or off when needed (when not in use they are on display 😀).
Wow, that all sound great. I'll have to see how things work out when I get to work over on that part of the layout. I'm going to make some changes, but I don't know how extensive? I'll definitely have some decisions to weigh. Thanks for the great input and thanks for watching!
Your right. Your layout is going amazing.. you said this is your first time making a layout? I think that's truly having a talent for this. It's looking great.
Thanks! Yes, my first layout. I do have some prior modeling experience; I built military models for a couple years.
Excellent scenery. Nothing wrong with a railfan based layout. A man after my own heart for design.
The hobby has something to offer for everyone and we can all do our own thing. Thanks!
A layout is a Journey, Thankyou for sharing yours.
It absolutely is. I appreciate you watching!
Wow! Just one word comes to my mind watching your video - meticulous. Beautiful work. 👍👍👍
Thanks! I appreciate the kind words and thanks for watching!
I really enjoyed your video. Great presentation, thanks for posting.
Thanks! I appreciate you watching!
I've just moved in home with a large basement, but it is a rental. Not sure they will sell me the house, but not going to count on it. So, Looking to a a clean, simple, module layout. I really like how you have this setup though. Think I commented prior, but happy to say it again. This looks great! I really want the trains to be able to loop around the layout without being baby sat. Then, I can do a switching yard that requires detailed interactions. Enjoy the hobby.
I'm with you 100%. I can continuous run my main line while I switch the town section. Nothing wrong with building modules that you can take with you if you move. I'd love to have a big basement to build a layout in, but I have plenty to keep me busy with what I have. Good luck with your modeling decision and thanks for watching!
Outstanding The cabinet is fantastic
Thanks! The cabinet has been great, and it has pretty good dust control. I appreciate you watching!
Strong work........especially since you said you have limited MRR experience. Looking forward to the video
Thanks! I had zero MRR experience before starting this layout. I've learned what I know on the go. Many of the skills needed to build a layout cross over to other types of work so I had a lot of those skills in my back pocket. But MRR specific knowledge, I had none. I'm still learning all the time. Thanks for watching, I appreciate you coming along on the journey!
Looks Good👍👍👍👍.
Thanks!
Listening to music or a podcast is the way to go while building the layout
Absolutely. It's a great way to spend the time working while being entertained. Makes the time spent extra enjoyable!
Your layout design and presentation is excellent! Keep going! I helped Kermit Paul with his "Lone Pine & Tonopah" (seen on yt), sadly he passed in 2018, layout dismantled. I'm also the historian for the 1968 Mustang GT/CS, and Shelby coupes "Little Red" and "Green Hornet". I know and met Craig Jackson, Jay Leno, and I have a Lee Iacocca Award. I also have a Model RR book on SFX I wrote for you.
Wow! You are very accomplished! Thanks for viewing my channel, that's really cool. You've rubbed elbows with some automotive royalty. What's SFX?
Is "Little Red" the prototype car they found in a field in Mexico? I remember reading something about that. Wasn't Craig Jackson involved with that car? I don't recall the "Green Hornet" GT/CS.
I've had 2 of my cars in Hemmings Muscle Machines magazine; my 1978 Olds Starfire race car and my 1971 Pontiac Formula 400. I currently have 2 classic muscle cars, a 1970 Olds Rallye 350 4 speed and a 1974 Pontiac 455 Trans Am. Also 2 motorcycles, a 2022 Moto Guzzi V7 Special and a 1977 BMW R75/7. I had some of my scale RC airplanes in magazines back in the late 90's and early 2000's.
I appreciate you watching and posting! Pretty cool. :)
@@SPSteve Wow, great history and your work in print! Somehow, I'd love to mail you one of my Model RR effects book (free).
@@paulm.newitt3246 What's the title of your book?
@@SPSteve "A Beginner's Guide to Creative Effects for your Model Railroad" (2011).
@@paulm.newitt3246 I found some on Ebay. I'll have to give it a look when I get closer to the time when I'll be implementing ideas that you have. I plan to do all of the rock and groundwork on the layout first and follow that with greenery. I won't be adding buildings, lights, signal, etc., until after all that is completed. Thanks for letting me know about the book!
Merci du partage! Joli réseau! Stéph.
Thanks! I appreciate you watching!
Thank you, nice layout, and a fascinating tour.
Thanks! Very kind! It's been enjoyable to work on the past few years. I appreciate you watching!
It is going to be nice!!!! SP is half of my main. Like the rare sp engines too. They have some very neat ones.
Thanks! I think as SP modelers we are fortunate to have so many great locomotive options. I'm grateful the manufacturers have supported SP modelers so well. Thanks for watching!
Superb work so far.. Take your time....
Thanks! Building a layout is a long term commitment, that's for sure.
Stunning layout!!! Wow
Thanks, I appreciate you watching!
THANK YOU FOR SUPER DETAIL ON YOUR LAYOUT AS PLAN OUT WELL WITH DETAIL BUILD OVER THE LAYOUT
Thanks! I appreciate you watching!
Well done.
Thanks! I appreciate you watching.
You can pat yourself on your back. I like what you're doing, it looks great. Don't give up because in this hobby you are never going to finish.
Thanks! I think I've reached the point of no return, I have too much time and money in the hobby now to quit. I imagine even after all the pieces are in place there will always be new things to add. I appreciate you watching!
Thank you.For sharing what you do👋🚂💭
Thanks, I appreciate you watching!
Really beautiful layout! Especially that canyon part with the two bridges stands out, the backdrop fits perfectly. It´s indeed a very good idea to care for perfect trackwork. I really regret I don´t have powered frogs at my turnouts at the moment, it´s a major issue. I will definetly follow your future progress and subscribed. 😀
Thanks very much! I have over 100 videos of work I've done on my layout in my Model Railroading playlist. I cover the method I used to power my frogs if that would be helpful to you. I appreciate the sub, I try to get content out regularly. I appreciate you watching!
Very nice explanation of everything. You have a very thought out layout. Some good ideas I picked up during the tour :)
Thanks Robin! I like running my trains so reliability is important. I'm glad you found some things you can use on your layout. I appreciate you watching!
layout up date is looking good. Nice relaxing watch as I worked on some modeling.
Thanks! I have a few adjustments I'd like to make, but just keep moving it forward. I appreciate you watching!
Looks great so far!
Thanks Gregory! I appreciate you watching!
Your layout is exquisite. The lighting is inexpensive and I learned something about now allowing shadows lol I understand you want your trains to disappear in and out of the tunnel and canyon scene, but on the SP in California, it's not unusual to see the tail end of your train on the top of the grade while your motors are in front of you downgrade. Your scenery work is out of this world. I would love to see a how to video on your rock work one day. Keep up the great work! New subscriber here!
Thanks! I appreciate the sub! I have several videos on painting the rocks in my Model Railroading playlist as well as over 100 other model railroad videos. Take a look if you're interested. I'm going to pass on the helix idea, so my trains might be poking out at each end. It's all good. Thanks for watching and coming along on the journey!
Very good overview!
Thanks! I'm truly looking forward to seeing the model railroad come together over the next few years. As you know, it's a journey. I appreciate you watching!
Build a layout? Goold choice. Everyone needs something at the end of the day they call their own and this is ione you can do year round. You made a good call.
Thanks, it's been enjoyable. Model railroading requires many different skills so it's always fresh. Thanks for watching!
Wire Is Nice And Clean.👍👍.
Thanks! It works good. :)
That’s Gonna Happen. The Power Of model Railroad Is Strong.
It's a great hobby, very rewarding and enjoyable.
Everything is wonderful.....but...."no prior experience" is something I find VERY hard to believe. Nice layout all the same.
Thanks! I was new to model railroading, but I had carpentry, electrical and modeling skills before beginning the hobby. So, it was just a matter of applying those skills in a new way. I appreciate you watching!
You will love the Scaletrains SD40T-2's I have 2 in DRGW they are gorgeous! I have another DRGW and a 123" nose SP unit on order (and 2x DRGW GP40s and 2 sd45s!! gonna be a expensive couple of months...) my layout has 2.7% grades and squeezed a set of hidden storage sidings on under the high side of the layout. I am on version 7.8 of the layout design as changes kept creeping in as construction progressed and problems got fixed!
I'm looking forward to receiving the SD40T-2's. I ordered one SP and one D&RGW. It's an evolution for sure. The rural side of my layout is going to get a rework. Like people say, they're never finished, but it good to get the track finalized. Thanks for watching!
@@SPSteve I found they are perfectly speed matched straight out the box! love the Loksnd5 decoders much easier for me than Tsnami2!!
A couple of suggestions. I use rare earth magnets from Amazon, 1mm diameter X3 mm depth in place of the unsightly Kadee uncoupler magnets. Easy to install with a drill and glue, and they work better then Kadee's product which can catch on the metal "hose" if not adjusted to the right height. This will give you easy switching operations without the hand of god interfering. Second look at the types of cars and locomotives you want to run and the era that you would like to model. So 60's locomotives and rolling stock and generally shorter then modern stock, so they would easily handle a 24" helix. I run 50's to 70's locomotives and cars, so I can get away with a 18 / 20" double helix on my short branch line running trains of 8 to 15 cars.
Good suggestions, thanks for the tips! I'm open to the magnets but I don't know how that's all going to come together so I'm not putting much thought into it now. It will be at least a year before I will be adding structures. I'm focused on the rock and groundwork now, and after that greenery.
My era is 1960 - 1980, so a lot of 50' box cars. I have some 70' locomotives so those and a string of 15 cars makes me wonder if the rolling resistance of a 24" helix would be too high causing uncoupling or derailments? Reliable running is a top priority. The helix would be single track if I decided to do it. I appreciate the input and thanks for watching!
@@SPSteve ruclips.net/video/H9aNsxmxYbQ/видео.html a how to video
Very beautiful layout can't wait 2 see it all done maby Model Railroad magazine will do a magazine article about your layout that would be awesome for you
Thanks David! It'll be a while before it's finished, but a photo in Model Railroader would be pretty cool! I'll try to keep at it and slowly chip away towards getting it done. Thanks for coming along on the journey!
@SPSteve thanx for having us into your home sharing your heart felt ideas and creations on your layout it's AMAZING Bud
@@daivdwalker2374 Thank you, my friend!
@SPSteve You're very Welcome Bud
You may not think it's perfect, but very nice for a first layout,looks great to me,helix would hide the train disappear for a bit longer but 24 inch may cause problems
Thanks! I agree that a 24" helix would be a problem, so I am not doing that. I just ordered a Scale Trains SD45X, and I don't think it would like the 24" radius pulling a string of cars. And it would limit me in the future as to what kind of rolling stock I could use. I appreciate you watching and the comment!
looks very nice mate!! I am doing a Rio Grande layout in HO, some vids of test trains can be seen on my page..EDIT l like your lighting setup! Stealing that!!
I'm a Rio Grande fan. I have 3 D&RGW locomotives on pre-order. I've been happy with the layout lighting; I think you'll find it works well. Thanks for watching!
Can't believe you are new to the hobby. Looks great!! Enjoyed the tour very much. Can I ask roughly where you are located?
Thanks! I'm located in Arizona. I appreciate you watching!
You’re layout is great but, do not do something because you feel it is to small!! I am limited to a smaller radius because of space! My main lines are 22 & 24 inch radius!! I have no problems with derailments!! It will happen when the speed is just to high! I like to run 10/12 cars at a speed of notch 12, it really looks great and with the MRC dcc is wonderful! I never thought I would be enjoying the hobby this at my age (80)!! Just take your time and enjoy!
Thanks CJ! I just ordered the new Scale Train SD45X and it is just what you're talking about. It has a minimum radius of 22" and a recommended of 24" so it'll be a squeeze to get it to run on my layout. Just take it nice and slow. It is a great hobby and I'm not too far behind you in age. Thanks for watching!
Steve, your layout is striking. I appreciate your attention to detail and it shows in all aspects of your layout. I'm curious about the photo backdrops. Did you do those or are they from a vendor? They blend with the scenery beautifully!
Thanks, I appreciate the kind words! The backdrops are from LARC Products and they're printed on the Pro 10.5 material they offer. I have videos where I installed the backdrops in my Model Railroading playlist if you want to take a look. Those videos will give you more details. I also have videos on painting the scenery to match the backdrops in my Model Railroad playlist if you're interested. I appreciate you watching!
Using Atlas Flextrack will Help weather Wise Cool.
Yes the layout is all Atlas code 83 flextrack
♥♥👏🏼👏🏼
Thanks!
I don’t know what kind of decoder you use, but if you don’t already, ESU is an amazing option. I found a method that I haven’t seen anywhere else of making consisting extremely easy, along with the possibility of adding multiple function maps. I have a video on it on my channel. As far as I’m aware, no one else knows about this. If you do decide to watch it, just know it’s kinda cringey. I apologize, it’s my first time.
I buy almost all of my locomotives with DCC and sound installed from the factory. So, I get whatever the locomotive comes with. For Scale Trains it is ESU Loksound, Athearn Genesis it is Soundtraxx Tsunami. To consist I just use my Digitrax throttle. I appreciate your input though.
I'm too jealous. I started my "dream" layout in Denver...1986 or so, then had to move, so all the bench work trashed. Then I lived where we don't have basements. Now, back in California....again, no basements. Frustrated.
I understand your frustration, Tim. I have a small 1250 sq/ft house with no basement in AZ. I added a back porch onto my house to have a place for a layout. My oldest son wants me to move to Colorado to be up by him. I'm tempted to move just to have a place with a basement. Thanks for watching!
where did you get those SP logo signs at , I would like to have one?
You can find the signs on Ebay or Amazon. Ebay even has some authentic original SP signs, but they are $$$. Be cool to have though!
what brand of turnouts do you have that are powered?
Jerry, the turnouts are all Atlas Customline, and all of the turnouts on my layout have powered frogs.
lift out extension by the rear door? Why not a swing gate instead?
The liftout is simple without having to rely on hinges to keep alignment. I used table leaf brass locating dowels to align the lift-out section. I lift it out and set it back in, perfect alignment and easy.
Like The Old Saying Is this You are The Biggest Crittic of that Layout people Don’t Like It ah Well.
Awesome channel great video keep them up make sure you like and subscribe thank you for your support
Thanks! I appreciate you watching!