Well this has been an 8 year journey.  Modeling and running trains has been on mostly a hold.

My Mother passed away 5 years ago.  That was real tough as she was my best friend.  Miss her still terribly.

I cleared my mathematics credential in California.  So I can now teach History and Math all the way to 12th grade. I teach 7th grade mathematics right now.

Finally, I have been finishing my Masters which I started, but stopped when my Mother passed.  3 more weeks and it is done...3 more weeks.

Well I have started my back drop and painting track. What a dramatic difference in the way the track looks. Really stunned by it. And I was also stunned at how well/smooth the back drop came out. Just followed the instructions from the books.

Jim

PS. That is primer on the back drop. It is no done.

So here are some up date pictures of my layout. Like I said earlier, it is not up to the level of most of the work I have seen on this site. But because of some of the work and advice I get on this site, my work is better than it would have been.

It has been a long time since I have posted on this. My precious Mother past away after 3 year battle with more problems than she should have had. I stayed away from my layout for awhile. But finally I started working on it again.

Almost all of level 2 track work is complete. I have been running trains over the track with very few problems. And I fix them along the way.

Hello all.

Well the second level is started. I have the lift section completed as far as the wood work goes. I have completed the swing gate, and reversed the door to open outwards instead of inwards towards the train room.

this is a redesigned version of the Bakersfeild yard of my layout. It is only the yard and mainline. But it is enought to get the level started. I was not happy with the original version. I think this is a better representation/flavor of the yard I am trying to model. That is, given the space I hve to work with.

I will be ripping the wood at some point over the next 2 weeks. I have to pray the weather holds for us here in So Cal.

Jim 

I know I am trying to put too mush in my space for a solo project, but what the heck.

Here is the lower staging plan (95% complete).

Level 2 Bakersfeild to Bena California.

Level 3 Caliente and the Horse shoe curve.

Loop room adjacent to the train room with the multilevels.

Jim.

Well the first stages of the layout have begun. As you can see in the images, the layout room is done. The lower return loop is done and the staging is complete. The All of the wiring for the lower level is done, and working very well. I have runtrains over the rail forward and backward with no derailments. The only spot I have been able to find is on the #8 double cross over. The giude wheels of the steam engine will jump. I have to fix this, but it is not a major problem. And that is good.