July update

Well its official, I'm now over the hill. On the 13 of July I got a huge surprise for my birthday, 3 of my 4 children and there families came to TX to help celebrate me making it to 50. I also was able to talk to my son station in Okinawa, Japan serving in the USMC. Its been a long time getting all my family together now that everybody has become adults and left TX, been trying to convince the wife of the same thing but no bueno. Anyway let get an update on the layout since the last time.

Track work has proceeded, most of the yard is laid:

I also removed the last of the track from the old layout from the far wall:

I ended up removing most of the old benchwork to be able to redo it following the new plan. In the past people have asked me the sequence on my bench-work so here goes.

Attach double slot bracket to wall and attack appropriate shelf:

 Attach 1x4 to brackets using door shims to level things out:

Glue 1" pink foam down to 1x4 stringers using Loctite Power Grab adhesive:

Lastly attach ceiling tile to top of foam. That it easy and quick.

I also added another peninsula which will represent the end of the Everman Branch lead.

 So yes progress continues and hope to get more update done soon.

Progress - Take 2

Well progress has commenced. Been a while since I update this blog so here goes. Over the past couple of months been working on the new revision of my Everman Job layout. With the acquisition of my youngest boy's bedroom a new layout has been designed and construction has commenced.

I tore out old portions of the layout to make way for new revision. I'm trying to reuse most of the existing layout around the wall. A hole was cut into new room for pass thru for new yard.

The new room's bench work has been installed.

Foam and ceiling tile has been put down for a base just like I did in other room.

Backdrop and lighting installed.

   

 

Ive started laying out the track plan out and cork has been installed.

 

Track is starting to get laid

Well that gets us caught up for now.

A new begining

Well for the past few months been trying to run some trains and having some problems with my design. After the light bulb in my head turned on, I realized it was how some of the industries were switched per the prototype. Also with my youngest went away to the Marine's I negotiated a land deal and Ive acquired another room. So let the expansion begin.

Here is a copy of the new track plan:

This entitles removing all track and redoing all the peninsulas. But this plan improves what I was trying to do all along. Let the destruction commence.

First scenery delivery

Been a busy month. My youngest graduated from high school and has just left for boot camp in CA to become a Marine. Its weird to have all 4 of my children out of public school and starting there young lives. After making a couple of purchase from both Arizona Rock and Scenic Express I have some scenery supplies.

Now with some supplies in hand, scenery shall now commence. Not sure how far this shall take me but I have a feeling not very far.

My latest accusition

On a trip to Ft Worth stopped by one of the Local Hobby shops to get some supplies. After talking about my layout to them they said that they had one of the latest FWWR engines. I was under the assumption that Athearn had done the graphics incorrectly. But low and behold they had done them write. So after working out a deal I purchased this:

Now if Athearn could only get the details rite it would be fantastic. Only things that I need to add are Tsunami, couplers, replace the cab , nose, battery box's, and other misc details.  Well maybe I will get to this soon and get it off the self.

As for the layout working on drawing up building plans so construction can begin and scenery started.

April Changes

Well been a busy month but not as much done as I had hoped. I got the backdrop finished and painted, FINALLY.

I've run some trains and ran into a couple of Operating problems with my yard and after looking at some photos that I had taken I decided to move the peninsula that RTP was on. Here is a photo of the prototype:

Here is what I have done so far:

By moving the peninsula this opened up area aisle  so that I could add bench work for Bunge Oil. So here is the beginning bench work addition.

This addition will give me the room to better represent this industry. The tank unloading tracks will move a couple of inches to the right so the area between the siding has some room, trying to compress the area I had made the tracks too close together this new space will be much better. I will also be able to model the storage tanks and the building better as shown:

Tulsa 2012

Been busy but not on the layout. On March 23, I went to Tulsa OK for the Layout Design & Operations Weekend. Thia is the second OPP till you drop event I have ever been to, rewarding and now motivated to get things going on my layout. I'm tired, but had a blast. On Friday night I operated on Jim Senese's Kansas City Railway. Jim's interest is urban railroading in KS. The KCT represents 4-1/2 miles of railroads in the West and East Bottoms of Kansas City. We ran in two man crews for about 3 hrs. Saturday was the Design Workshops all day including 2 presentations by Lance Mindheim. As a bonus Lance used my plan in his Designing a switching Layout presentation, He is one of many who help me with the plan and I thank him. Saturday night Opp session was at Sammy Carlile's Hereford Sub. I meet Sammy couple of years ago at the MCPM Meet in KS and have become friends. Sammy's layout is a double deck layout in his garage. Its Santa Fe mainline from Amarillo, Tx west to Clovis, NM. Also at his house was a few other friends so we all had a great time. Sunday morning operated at Tom Fausser's Central New Jersey & Lehigh Valley. This layout is set in Hoboken / Jersey City New Jersey. His layout uses car floats and is heavy industry. I had a great time and everybody was very warm and friendly. Looking forward to getting things running again at home.

The following weekend the wife and I traveled to Collage Station for Parents Day. My daughter is a junior at A&M and is also in the Aggie Band. The highlight of the trip was when she got here senior boots. At the band banquet she also received an award for most outstanding Junior.  Cant believe it was a little over 3 years ago she was graduating from high school and next year she will be graduating from collage. Time flies when you have kids.