My Indiana Layout - Part 2

[John B]

I love it when a plan comes together.



Not that I had any doubts; but it sure is nice to see something move under it's own power under this...not saying that it will be impossible to fix anything when the buildings are up...but it will be difficult

[John B]

Looks like it's been a while since I updated this topic. I do a lot of mental arranging and less building. I've got to stop changing my mind on what I want to do and actually do something.

I did install the trestle to nowhere. This scene, not complete by any means, is just a chunk cut out of the fascia to break up the green color. The trestle goes into each portal for about 3-4 inches and that's it.






Next came the add-on section covering the track leading up to the mine. Well, haste and Murphy's Law come into play. I made a cut-out section for access to the train along the straight section of the track. First picture shows all the buildings covering the cutout. The second picture shows the end of the access section (there are two re-railers under the cutout section).









The next picture shows where the engine is stuck at...and I mean STUCK




The bad thing about the section covering the track, I knew when I built it that there would be a problem. Not enough time to do it right the first time; plenty of time to do it right the second time

[John B]

Now where did I put that razor knife?





Takes many months to make a big mess...only takes minutes to hide everything

[ACL1504]

John,

Just getting caught up on your Part 2 build. WOW, I love all the changes you've made. I certainly seem to fit with the new scenery and track plan.

Wonderful changes for sure.

Tom 

[postalkarl]

Hey John:

The layout is coming along nicely. I'm very much enjoying it. Keep the pics flowing.

Karl

[John B]

Well with a cleaned off work area, I was able to determine where the engine was. I cut out a straight section on the other side of the previous cutout. The left hand building will stop at the left-hand cutout. There will be a street(?) in between that area and the right-hand cutout to separate the big companies from local retail stores and such. The main problem is the circular section of the platform. The track enters toward the viewing side and goes towards the wall before it hugs the curve and makes it's way up.


The first picture so the section of straight cutout I made and of course the engine, it was stuck on track feeding wires.




The second picture shows the bridge from the lower section leading into the upper section. That will not be able to be installed due to the area that I will have to cut out because of the lower track.

[John B]

I am thinking of removing the entire mountain on the right hand side of the layout the area is approximately 4 x 8 feet, plus removing the rising track section that leads up to it. I have ton of kits and really no room to put them on. The covers a double main loop and the track to the upper level...that it.

[John B]

Well, I have changed the layout a little bit

[John B]

Still have more to remove. All of the upper track will be gone; plus the turnaround track on the wood risers. I will install pink foam over the useable track area to match the rest of the layout. I will be cutting away about two feet of the end piece fascia and have a walk-in area. My layout's main industry is wood products and breweries. I will be placing Jensen's Lumber Co. near Joanstown on the lower level. I also have SSlimited Toothpick factory which will be placed where Johnstown used to be. I have several breweries placed throughout the layout. I will be placing all of Walther's Pier & Traveling Crane and Carfloat apron on the right hand side of the ripped out mountain area. On the left hand side will be the Mountain Lumber Company Sawmill, Planing Mill and Shed, and the Sawmill outbuildings. I hated the mountain as soon as I completed it. That is all you saw when you entered my layout room and it stood out like a sore thumb. A ton of work and many, many hours went into the construction of it. It was a learning phase for me (never made a mountain before) and I will never do that again.

[John B]

I think I've gone where no man has gone before...I also think I lost the instructions

[John B]

Reason #73 for my lack of progress on the layout...I am easily distracted...this is a shot of  my workbench today

[Mark Dalrymple]

I think I've gone where no man has gone before...

I seriously doubt that, John

Your new direction looks very good.  Think carefully about the view one gets when they enter the room - mock it up.  Maybe make a model.  It will be a fraction of the time spent on building and then tearing down a mountain, and may lead you to tweak your ideas a little.  You have an opportunity for some very deep views here.  I still get excited whenever I show people the view across my peninsula to the city beyond - and so do the viewers.  It is plainly obvious to see.  And yet my peninsula is currently made up of stacked polystyrene and cutout pictures of buildings pinned to blocks of polystyrene.  It is amazing how the minds eye can fill in the blanks.

Looking forwards to watching this develop, cheers, Mark.

[ACL1504]

John,

I for one understand your layout "redo"! I have the t-shirt for redoing mine twice.

My last layout had a very large mountain area. Being the fact that me real passion is building structures, the removal of the mountain area was the best thing I ever did.

I also like Mark's suggestions but again, I don't have the patience for mock up and paper models. I do see the benefit of doing it though.

Tom 

[John B]

Sometimes what looks good on paper or print turns out impractical in real life. No one that enters my layout room has liked the huge mountain. I tried to dress up the mountain; but it's like putting fingernail polish on a sore thumb, it's still a sore thumb and it still sticks out like one. Too much lost space; only thing perplexing was wasting a that time and energy making the mountain...but I did gain a lot of experience along the way

[John B]

Oh no! I know what you are saying; what's the matter with this nut? He just ripped out a HUGE mountain range and he is going to build another one? Well, yes I am. This mountain will only be large enough to make this mine seem plausible. Should not be very large at all.





Finishing up on an RDA kit. It needs a lot of weathering and drybrushing