Room Prep

The new room was prepped with drywall which was primed and painted (dark blue). The lighting has all been installed. The next room prep operation will be installing the egg crate ceiling panels. For more information on the room preparations you can read about them in "The Relay" (newsletter of the Chesapeake Division of the MER/NMRA, website http://www.chesapeake-nmra.org)

Table sizes

The table listed in this post and pictures is 11'6" long and 2' wide. The main yard which will be on the 14'4" wall will be full length and 30" wide.

It's like cell phones in here!

There was a time when it was all about making things smaller and lighter, with predictions that some day soon they would be small enough to fit on your wrist or such, but then someone figured out that you could add games and apps and the internet to them and suddenly bigger was better.

That was cell phones.

Now, after decades of moving from O to HO to N to Z to T to E=MC2, S and O articles seem to be everywhere. Maybe this is due to our aging eyes, or maybe it is because we are just (collectively) looking differently at how we define what an interesting (to us) layout is. I'm inclined toward the latter, but I half expect to open MRH one day and find that the Proto:48 articles have given way to the Proto:24, Proto:12, or even Proto:1 movements! LOL!

I look forward to see more on your layout, Kurt.

@AJ

AJ: Thanks. I'll get another poorly hand/computer drawn picture up of the yard table soon. There are 17 spots for cars on the street trackage are, but not all 17 will be filled at any one time.

I came to realize back in Jan that I had too much HO stuff (read that as bought but will never use). So I decided to sell it all off and restart in a completed/finished train room and move to O scale. Twice as large, 1/4 the number of cars and tracks needed or able to fit in the space. Walls are physical boundaries that help constrain the rampant model railroad. I work better with defined limits.

Ah! A new O scaler here!

Ah! A new O scaler here! Great! Welcome to the "dark side".

Your layout project is interesting.

I had the same symptoms: ebay and friends who make O scale.

I stay tuned here.

@Jack

Jack:

Not really new, I"ve just been in the throes of room prep since February. I've been faithfully following all the other O scale blogs and working to get the room ready to host the layout. I'm excited and wish I could knock out all my trackwork as quickly and as well and Kurt from Cleveland Flats has. But in time I'll get there.

Thanks,

Kurt

I recognize a couple of K

I recognize a couple of K line ESSO tankers, Industrial Rails PENN Salt tanker  some  older Atlas 40 foot boxcars, etc.all rocognizable from above. Now ready for 2 rail operations.very Nice. Good luck and keep us posted.

Great Kurt!

Great Kurt!

I like to see the birth and the development of a new layout. Your trackplan looks good. I think you'll make a shortline company.

I took 2 years before to find my definitive trackplan for my layout. I've began the scratchbuilding of my turnouts. A pleasant work.

A new project is always full of excitment and develops new skills and new knowledge. I've a lot of motivation following the projects of the modellers. That gives me motivation to make my own layout.

I stay tuned here  

Recognizing some of my freight cars

transfer:

Yes, I have several of the old Atlas/Roco freight cars. I'm going to follow Jack from Frances article here on MRH on shaving the molded details off and superdetailing them.  http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/22559

That along with handlaying the Code 100 rail should keep me more than occupied during the winter and spring. Also there are several building pieces coming and on hand to build the grocery warehouse, the Montgomery Ward warehouse and the cement unloading facility.

More photos as things move along.

Thank you Kurt.

Thank you Kurt.

Old cars can be realistic thanks to an upgrade and weathering.

For example... one of my old Roco/Atlas/Bel-Bev. A model from the 70's which will find a new life on my layout.

Wire, stirrups, and ladders on order

Jack from France:

I've enjoyed and been inspired by your blog on updating Atlas/Roco freight cars. I have Scale City stirrups and ladders on order to replace the molded (moldy) ones on my boxcars and gondolas and reefers (oh my!). Looking forward to the winter with modeling on the weekends. Guess I can get a start on the boxcars by stripping them with Isopropyl 91 rubbing (stripping) alcohol.

Jack, I didn't know the Scale

Jack,

I didn't know the Scale City brand. Thank you! It's interesting.

I've made my stirrups using thin strips of nickel silver but it's faster to use Scale City ones.

I go to visit their website.

Welcome

Kurt is good to have you on board. I am also an O scaler.  You can see the story on

https://forum.mrhmag.com/post/a-new-chapter-12200311

O scale is a wonderful thing, big, massive and manly, urrr-urrr-urrr. You are going to enjoy it tremendously. Keep us posted on your layout.

Here is a photo of the layout:

Update on my layout 10/31

Guys:

I have finished painting the walls. The egg crate drop ceiling is done in the long entry side of my train room. I have to clip and install 5 more pieces of egg crate panels and that task will be done. Pictures to follow.

Kurt