Looks like a real fun project

and having your son involved is pretty special...........oh yeah, YOU'VE GOT ONE AMAZING WIFE FOR ALLOWING A LAYOUT TO BE BUILT IN THAT BEAUTIFUL FOYER!

I like both. . .

First weekend of work done

Thanks for the comments.  Yes, I feel very lucky to have such a supportive wife.  She is into doll miniatures and is enjoying watching me build this.  The MRL P&L is definitely in my back pocket and will begin once the kitchen and basement remodels are complete.  So now I have this great excuse to start on a smaller railroad project and see where it goes.  This weekend we got the cross braces installed on the left hand module.  Up next is to install cross braces on the right hand side and complete to double level reverse loops.  I still need to build the 45 degree peninsula on the left side where the track will pull through the town and then loop to climb along the wall.  Where the cars and track are is the location of the town and crew change yard of Solvang.  It will also be the visible staging yard.  I've had to start from scratch for a fleet of cars.  It's a fun work in progress.  I'm going to have one Milwaukee run through train just because I love the Milwaukee.  But it's going to be a Soo layout.  I'll try to keep posting progress when I get blocks of time to make some progress.  I appreciate the comments and any advice is welcome.

. 

Updates and progress

The Soo Line N Scale freelanced Solvang Subdivison is coming along.  I've been uploading pictures to my flickr so feel free to follow.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/146119909@N08/

I've forgotten how to embed here so pardon the lack of pictures (i'm not too patient with computers hence the lack of updates).  The benchwork is 90% complete and the layout design pretty much decided upon.  Roadbed is being glued at this current moment.  

The design is this - a secondary mainline in Wisconsin between Milwaukee/Chicago and Minneapolis with ABS signaling and one pocket of CTC siding.  A train coming from Minneapolis heading east would first be seen through the facia inside a tunnel (my son's idea and he wanted tunnels).  The facia scene will also allow a view out of the tunnel portal to see the ABS target signal and the beginning of the Viroqua siding.  The siding circles around the small farm community of Viroqua.  The siding ends and the tracks disappear behind a rock cut.  After passing an in the woods sauna camping party the tracks cross a rural highway gated signalled crossing with a trailer bar in full swing on the side of the road.  The train then crosses a creek over an open deck bridge and enters the CTC siding.  I'd like to have a paper mill in the corner along this siding but we'll see what fits.  The siding ends and the train passes through a small tunnel.  On the other side of the tunnel, the tracks go over a ravine on an arch span bridge into a rock cut and then circle down the peninsula around a campground themed park where everyone is enjoying the 4th of July weekend.  The train passes under the arch span bridge and enters a siding guarded by operating semaphores and small division point yard in the town of Solvang.  Solvang will have a few industries such a cold storage, maybe a box company or LPG.  I'm still deciding as I go.  At the end of the yard the siding ends and then ducks into a tunnel as the train continues east.  Inside this tunnel (that leads to the facia view) is a switch to a stub end three or four track staging yard that hides under the upper tier and can be accessed from underneath.

This layout will be able to have up to three operators.  Trains on the layout include a Soo manifest train that sets and picks up a block of cars in Solvang.  The Solvang local that services the layout's industries.  Also an Amtrak and a trackage rights Milwaukee manifest.   The trains can be up to five feet long to fit in the sidings.

I'm terrible at blogging but I'm keeping a photo diary on flickr.  I'll try to be better since I've always been inspired watching others' progress and hope to keep passing that motivation along to others wanting to get past planning.  I've spent over five years planning a MRL basement layout of NP's P&L line that MRL almost bought in 1996.  That layout that was put on hold due to needed house projects.  That is MRL layout is now back on the table but moved to the guest bedroom.  Once I finish this Soo layout with my wife and son, I'll then be back to the MRL.  This layout should keep me busy for the next five years and will be fun for when we have family or guests over.

Questions, comments, and suggestions are always welcome. 

Soo

Hi, Todd, it looks like you are making great progress on the Soo layout, and building it so it can be moved is a great idea. I model the Soo, but in HO scale, in the mid 1950's, in MN, on a series of portable modules that can be added to and moved around as needed. Mine is mainly the Western division of the Soo including Minneapolis, Duluth, and Thief River Falls, (hometown) all the way to the Canadian border. Keep up the progress! Jim