Sorry

Sorry, my pictures are way to big... I will narrow them in future postings.

Greetz, Ronald.

Welcome to the world of the LAJ!

There is another guy on this site as well as myself who are fans of the LAJ.  The reason that it uses BNSF equipment now is that it has been a wholly owned subsidiary of the Santa Fe that went with the Santa Fe to the BNSF when BN & SF merged.  If you use Google Earth to look at Vernon, don't be tricked by what look to be all brand new buildings.  Google Earth takes their street view pics from main streets.  A friend I met on another train site was under the impression that Vernon had destroyed all of the old buildings and put up modern buildings when he looked at street view while at home in Stuttgart, Germany.  He came to the U.S. on vacation and another friend and I gave him a guided tour around Vernon and City of Commerce.  He discovered that Vernon is simply carrying on an "old west" tradition.  Vernon is layed out with a street on one side, the industry, and then the tracks running behind then another industry, and finally another street.  Many of the industries have put up modern, impressive, false fronts facing the street, but when you walk down a side street, you see the part of the building behind the "false front" is old with a lot of character.

I have a bunch of pics that I took during a couple of visits to Vernon.  My email address is russbellinis (AT)gmail(dot)com.  If you wish to contact me, I can send you a bunch of the pictures that I took of the LAJ. 

Lance Mindheim a good resorce

Lance Mindheim has written several books and articles on switching layouts and has built 3 or 4 switching layouts.  In fact, one of the layouts he built was based on the LAJ.  His web site has some great content, tips, and pictures and some of those are LAJ specific .  Also there is a tab at the top titled "The Model Railroads" to sends you to some LAJ model specific pictures.

Welcome to world of O scale.  Hopefully it is as rewarding to you as it has been for me.

https://lancemindheim.com/     When viewing the blog, you will to go back about a year to get to the LAJ content.  The recent content is good but it is LAJ specific.

Thanks guys!

@John; yes,  Lance is my inspirator in this  His article in Great Model Railroads was in fact the point that I decided to build this one.

@Russ, I will send you a mail so that you have my email adress. Would appreciate the pictures very much 

Grtz, Ronald.

Vernon

I worked in Vernon . Google Earth doesn't do it justice, there were tracks everywhere. In one side and out the other. Often had to move my car so a train could pass bye on its way to somewhere. 

Very Cool!

This looks like a very fun layout to build and operate.  I've said for years that if I build another layout after the N&AC it will be an O-Scale urban switching layout.  I will follow along with interest!  

Thank you guys for your

Thank you guys for your interest! Much appreciated 

Good layout idea

Building has started!

To the moderator; thanks for downsizing, took me a few minutes to see how it works here. Have it under control 

Thank you guys! Well, I'm on the way in building this layout so it is time for a update. My layouts are mostly build from the lighter version of birch plywood that is available here in the Netherlands. I searches for the translation and it should be called poplar plywood? In fact it is lighter in weight than the birch.

We have the option to let it saw in the sizes you want at the local home depot so last week I went there and got the first batch for the legs and 6 modules:

Went home to start my building. The first one already existed, I assembled it from a previous attempt in a shorter version:

It was terribly cold here last week so my lovely wife gave me permission to start construction in the kitchen and living room. This happened before in the last years so I knew she wouldn't make a big fuzz of it. Hey, a vacuumcleaner will do the job afterwards, it is just dust  I started the legs, they are made from 1,3 by 1,7 inch pinewood. Construction is with pin and hole to make a sturdy leg. I glue them with white glue and hold them with clamps that I got from my now 83-year old father who was a carpenter:

I made the first batch of 7 and went out of pine. I then also started construction on the 5 other modules to build. Their build is pretty straightforward. A 9 mm (=3/8) deck with surrounding support of 9 mm (= 3/8) strips glued and spiked to them. This construction is solid enough:

Provision made for the legs, they are simply shoved in:

And the first 2 modules on their legs. All the 4 big modules will get 2 sets of legs, the smaller end ones are getting just one:

And after some hard work I had a bunch of legs and modules:

Stilll some woodwork to do in the coming days. I first started with setting out the plan on these first modules:

My carton plans where handy here, setting it out on the modules was very easy.

I had cut ties before. I use the ties from Mt. Albert that are avalable through Fast tracks in Canada. I ordered the 500 ties-bag because I needed the longer ones for the crossing. The shipping was so high that a extra bag with normal ties extra would be too expensive. So I cut them from these longer ones:

Then glud to the base, I don't use a sub roadbed. This railway is build almost level with the surrounding so this would be enough:

So far for now, stay tuned!

Grtz, Ronald.

Lucky Man!

You have a very understanding wife!  That's a good thing to have.  (I have one too!)   

Yeah!

Michael, its the key to success 

More!

So it goes on. Went on with laying my ties:

When all laid I have to distress them. So these are new:

And a treat with a steelbrush:

The result:

Then the stain goes on, this is normal stuff used for your fencing:

When dried and sanded a little, it looks like this; worn by sunlight:

I finished this module for a exhibition I had last weekend:

And did some spiking there, I will show that later on.

Early this week I Started colouring the module with the 3 turnouts:

I noticed a slight heigth difference, after the first ties dried I re-sanded them so that I would have level tiework:

Coloured the rest:

Now it was time to cut some ties again, so I took the Mt. Albert bag and my NWSL cutter and the fun could begin:

I do this batchwise to keep the fun in my work:

And time for some tie-laying on the short module to the left. Set out lines to lay over and keep it straight:

And colouring:

It starts to look as a layout, this is exactly the left part of the total length:

So far, later more!

Update

Hello all,

Yesterday I did a lot to the layout.  I added a nother module, number 4. It beholds one turnout and 1 crossing. On the plan this is the place where District Blvd crosses.

So, the empty module on its legs:

Then I decided where the both would go. For my crossing I use a printout from Fast Tracks (www.handlaidtrack.com) :

And glued it down with white glue:

Then I started with the cutting of all the different ties. Working from the outside to the inside:

To the end of it:

And with the leads glued down:

As you see I already drawn the centerlines for the rest of the track.

I use a ready made turnout for the street. I once bought it from a friend and it astill works well. It is build with code 143 rail on copper ties. Here I will fit it in:

The only thing is that I have to raise it a little, I will do that later on with thin plywood. The front track needs a piece of ready-to-run, there I use a piece of Peco code 124:

And to now it looks like this, 4 modules, 4 meter (12 feet) long:

More to come, thanks for watching!

It goes on.

Hello, there I am again. Building is going on. The crossing needed some sanding so I did. In that process some ties loosened, I glued them back on and sanded them when dried:

Then I attached the next module that needed ties. And had to determine how the plan would work the best. Tried that with some 0 gauge Lenz stuff.

First one:

Second one:

And the second it is! It "flows" much better and looks good. See for yourself:

I again use the Fast Tracks turnout template:

And when it was on the right spot I glued it down. I also set the lines for the rest of the tracks:

From here I started cutting the individial ties for the turnout and glued them in place:

And glued down the rest of the ties. The top spur will be the diesel facility spur and will be embedded in concrete. So there I use the Peco code 124 flex track:

Still on small module to go! Looks good so ​far!:

More to come, stay tuned!!

Grtz, Ronald.

Hi there!

This will be an interesting thread to follow, keep it up!  

Cheers from Sweden!

Thanks!

Hi,

Thank you, I will do my best to keep it a interesting build 

Grtz, Ronald.

Hello, short update for

Hello, short update for today. I laid the last 2 foot module on our table together with the last long module. And set the lines for the track:

Had to cut the last 100 ties, now there is no more:

And laid the ties. The ready Peco track is my loco service track:

It also beholds a piece of abandoned track that goes into the next module:

That's it for now, later more!

Grtz, Ronald.

It goes on.

Next update: First I have to paint a few tieplates:

These are the smallest I bought and are for code 100 rail. I only will do a short piece of track with these.

I also did the ties with a few colours of weathering powders:

For my tracklaying I use track gauges from the German firm Wenz ( https://wenz-modellbau.eshop.t-online.de/). These work very well, just screw them in place in short distance of each other:

I then lossen them a little, shoving the tieplates under them, align it and then spike:

And offcourse check the distance between the rails with the NMRA gauge:

It takes some time, this is approx. 2 hours of work:

I also give the track detail as the fish plates. They are from the same manufacturer that I buy all the stuff from; Right-O-Way:

And mounted with superglue on the side of the rail:

And a photo of the used spikes and plates. Compared to a 2-cent euro piece (yes, I'm European):

An after about 4 hours of work this is the result:

I'm very proud of what I have accomplished, so I know I made the right choice doing this and not bought standard track (which is nothing wrong with that).

Later more to come!

Greetz, Ronald.

Fascinating

Ronald, thanks for sharing your work.  That is quality work, and it looks great!  I've never seen the process of handlaying track before, so I'm following along with interest.  I especially like the detail of having real tie plates and ties, plus the fish plates.

I remember reading an article by Tony Koester years ago where he questioned whether he should cut a small grove in the track at each of the fishplate joins, 39' apart, so the wheels would go clickety-clack like on the prototype.  He decided no in HO scale, but it could be cool in O scale, with the heavier cars and engines.  Have you thought of doing that?

Great to see track laying in progress

Ronald,

Thanks for sharing.  Your module approach is fun to see.  But I'm really enjoying watching you hand laying the track....it's beautiful!  Looking forward to seeing your crossing come together as I am working on one is HO scale as well. 

Best of luck on your layout!

Gary H.

Update

Michael, Gary; thanks!

It goes on. After this piece of track I'm starting the first turnout. Ties are treated with powders:

The turnout parts are ready for use:

Determine where the points and frog will go:

 They are fixed with gauges from the German firm Wenz ( https://wenz-modellbau.eshop.t-online.de/).

Then I made the rail to the points:

Next to the points I installed the rail braces:

After that I assembled the gauge plates. They are made of 2 parts that must need superglued together. They need to be insulated so I glued a piece of paper between them:

Made 2 sets:

Fit them:

Build the track next to the turnout:

And the build to that point:

Later more!

Grtz, Ronald.

LAJ Ballast

Don't go overboard with ballast, much less roadbed, on an LAJ layout. Originally the ties & rails were laid on bare ground. Their ballast looks like an afterthought. It just looks like Santa Fe had some ballast hoppers they wanted to empty so did it on the LAJ.  There is some new ballast in the A Yard that BuNSnifF did recently. LOL

I don't remember seeing any ballast when we went to

Vernon a few years ago, Andy.  Was the ballast added since our last trip there?