My layout - The Whistle Post

Trainman1965 · #1 (**permalink**) 04-16-2006, 04:45 PM

Well as of this morning i dont have a layout anymore. I took it all down and throwed it out the door. We lets here the rest of the storey......The plywood i use to make the top of the layout with had been wet before in it's life but it was dry and seemed to be in good shape but after i got it in the house and used it to make the layout with it stared to warp and it seem to just get worse as time went by. i got up this moring and make a pot of coffee and then it happen i started taking it apart. YES the hole dang thing. I was just going to take the top off and replace it with some new wood but after i got it off the frame i had built was warping real bad so i took the compleat thing apart and out the door it went. Now i am about to start over with all NEW wood i wont to changed something about it anyways so now would be the time. I wont to have a upper deck running throught a hill side with a trussel and then have a lower track going through a tunnel on the bottem. with the rest running in the flats. so here we go TD, Andy, Boss, i am going to need you guys to help me out with this as i have never done anything like this before. But i am sure with you guys help i can get it done.

Boss Boomer · #2 (**permalink**) 04-16-2006, 05:20 PM

Trainman, I'd say...git yourself one of those Kalmbach books about building lay-outs and train tables and such. If you can dream about what the layout is that you want to end up with, then invest a few bucks in a couple of books about building a really nice, satisfying, and long-lasting layout. You had your "starter" layout, now do a really good lay-out that'll make you feel proud of your efforts!

Sounds like you're a candidate for an "open grid" lay-out right about now, seeings how you want to have a bi-level track scheme. I'll tell you what...ain't nothing quite so much fun as having the thrill of a train running thru a mountain and ducking into a tunnel! Sounds like Colorado narrow-guage stuff for sure! 'Course, some of those Eastern roads got their mountains and tunnels, too, don't they?

You got the room and you got the desire to make a really neat layout, so do yourself the favor and DON'T re-invent the wheel--other folks have already done that. Just read about what they did and avoid making the mistakes that other folks have already made and paid for, and build something YOU will really be happy with! No kidding...it might take a little longer to do it the way the "experts" say to do it, but that's WHY they're the experts! They know what to do and how to do it the best way they ever learned.

Good for you, man, and yah...the rest of us guys will be here to help answer questions and such for you!

Trainman1965 · #3 (**permalink**) 04-16-2006, 05:43 PM

Thanks i am going to need it. I have three books on layouts now and the open grid is in one of them i will have to find it again. that sounds about like what i wont to do. maybe i can find some info on the net to help me out in understanding how to get started with this. see ya later

ak-milw · #4 (**permalink**) 04-16-2006, 09:21 PM

TM,
Hey man, I am here for ya!! Anything I can help with let me know, on here a PM an e-mail whatever. When I started years ago I didn't have the internet or people close by to help me with problems so I had to learn just about everything by myself through trial and error. I have built more than a few layouts for myself and other people, and I won't say I have all the answers, but I have most of them. So any thing you need let me know. I am also sure that the other guy's are with me on this too!!