I've been posting some how-to videos on youtube and hadn't shared them to my blog yet.  They are nowhere near as good as Luke Towan, but going for some easy and inexpensive ways to do things and sharing hobby tricks that I've found work over time.

Videos so far:

We made a recent trip back to our house in West Virginia and concluded that expanding into the other part of the attic would be a very expensive proposition, so I've decided to build a layout in the current finished room with heating, AC, windows and lighting.  It is about 25 feet by 11 feet, depending on how high the layout is built due to the issue with the sloped ceiling.  I carefully remeasured the room and as soon as I got back started some new designs.

So I stayed up way too late last night. This all started when my friend Tom bought some old AHM/Rivarossi cars at a train show. It has probably been coming on for a while before that, but this was really what lit the fire. I'm sure we all remember Rivarossi Streamlined cars. Many different roadnames were made, but I always thought the trucks were flat. Hardly any detail. I'm sure I'll get a reply that says that I could have just bought Train Station trucks or Walthers trucks, but this way I have the pride of knowing it is something I have made and produced.

Welp, the Landmark Industrial Siding is no more.  Never was, really.  The layout room is now the fiance's daughter's room.  It's ok.  As long as I keep saying that to myself, anyway.

I've gone from a spare room to about 80".  That being what it is, I've settled on something of an Inglenook - stretched and bent a little.  

For those of you following my HOn3 layout we got together for the annual op session this past weekend. 

In addition to my SPNG equipment and blackstone models the guys brought some beautiful brass and printed locomotives and rolling stock.

There is also a cab ride available of this layout here:

Trim pieces are installed on the backdrop for The Hills Line. Since my design doesn't include a valance, I wanted a way to finish the backdrop edges and define the layout boundaries. Exterior vinyl trim does a good job, and helps hide my less than perfect cuts to the backdrop coil.

Finished up the locomotive servicing pad.

The Woodland Scenics kit was a real pain in the neck, the casting was really very poor and took a lot of work to clean up, also the fuel cranes were so very poorly cast that I couldn't get them straightened out enough to look acceptable let alone to clean the flash off of them as they are very delicate.

Replacement fuel cranes from Alexander Models were substituted and are much nicer in my opinion.

Adding an update to my progress.

     Got the majority of my roadbed down. All of my mainline, sidings, staging, and some spurs. 

     I started by sanding all of the shine off the foam and putting a light coat of brown interior paint on it. I hate the pink color and it helps me later on when I begin to carve the terrain. (The pink shows through so I know exactly where I am carving.)

Howdy to all.

It has been awhile for any work on the layout,, I have been dabbling with ESU lok sound and my Proto Throttle,, which is too cool!! But I digress.

Going to be tearing down my layout.I have touched it for the last five months. i still have a passion for model railroading but just not with this layout. Thinking of a few ideas for the new layout.