Jim’s been in touch again – his last post is here.
“Hi Al.
Jim from Cape Breton, Canada again.
Here’s Part #3 of my model train layout. Using a Canon PowerShot SD960 IS Digital Elph camera in video mode, I originally recorded,about 4 years ago, a DVD of approximately 1 hour in length for my 2 grand sons (one then 8 & the other then 12) who live in Ontario, a province in Canada, which is about 1700 km from where I live.
I have since divided the video into 10 parts to keep them “short & sweet.” In your last posting of Part #2 of my layout, there were 2 questions regarding the layout & I will answer them here.
Question #1: Do I have a copy of the track plan? Answer: Yes,there is a track plan picture at the end of this posting. The red numbers are turnouts & the red letters are magnetic uncouplers.
Question #2: Is the curved wooden trestle made from a kit? Answer: No, I made it by first cutting, with a band saw, short pine boards into ¼” x ¼” strips to use for the supports & cross members of various lengths which numbered over 500 individual pieces that were then painted flat brown.
I assembled the trestle upside down on my work table, which enabled me to sit down during assembly & it took approximately 3 weeks of evenings, because of the tedious job of gluing, clamping & drying all these pieces together.
The final assembly was surprisingly strong & was then placed in the finished & waiting quarry & gorge (just like in the real world) in front of the also finished waterfall.
The actual dimensions are 28” long by 9” high & the HO scale measurements are: 204’ (63m) long, 63’ (19m) high, 12’ (4m) wide at the top, 29’ (9m) wide at the bottom. This is by far the largest scratch-built object (other than the mountains) on the layout.
I invite any questions regarding the layout & would like to thank both you, Al, for your postings which I always find very interesting & informative & to all your viewers for their support & interest.
Keep up the great work all you model railroaders!
Jim.”
Latest ebay cheat sheet is here – still updated everyday.
A huge thanks to Jim for the next video installment and kindly answering our questions.
Hope you enjoyed the video as much as I did.
That’s all this time folks.
Please do keep ’em coming – and don’t forget the Beginner’s Guide is you want to get going on your layout. Why let everyone else have the fun?
Best
Al
Jim Did u know you need to put a buffer box car after the locomotive and not a tanker car in case there’s an accident,lol Just say n. Great layout though.
In one of my posts I modified a plastic trestle kit to make a curved trestle and a tall trestle. They are not as fancy as yours.
THE TRESTLE. What a wonderful projectT. So realistic. My hat isb off to you….. Photograph s are great ,too THANKS FOR SHARING
Keep up the good work BILL NOROSKI
Jim…
Very nice layout…. looks great…. full of buildings, people and paraphernalia. And, nice backgrounds. Slow down the trains and it will have a real look in your video.
Jim: Beautiful work…the use of the lightin* for night time is fantastic… looks ver6 realistic in scope and color. Real craftsmanship in your building and sert8ngs… admirable layout.
Jim,
Love the videos. Track plan is good. Could you give the overall dimensions of the layout?
Thanks!
Tom
Very nice job there Bill, see guys, polish people can do a great job.lol I can say that because I have a ski on the last three letters of my name also. Lol All right, all right, I hope my Ogauge is nice also. Great set-up and the trestles
Look really nice. The people are on spot and like the seconde & third guy said about your trestles, mainly the second, goooo slowerrrrrrrrrr and set up will look real. Great job.
SDG Saint.Petersburg Fl
Jim, great layout love all the clutter so real. Yes slowing it down looks more realistic. Re the tanker car, must be a US rule, here in OZ on our transcontinental unit trains a fuel tanker after the locos is a norm. Usually followed by a sleeper car for the relief crews.
Look g forward to the other videos.
Vin
Newcastle, Australia
Sorry Jim, I typed Bill, I was reading Bills before yours Jim. Nice track plan and everything else you are doing on your table. Keep up the great work.
SDG St.Petersburg Fl
Jim it seems like a lot of moves to get to and from the roundhouse and a lot of short stubs in the yard, are there reasons?
How do you get to the middle yard tracks, are there unnumbered crossovers in the middle of the yard tracks.
Do you use tracks related to turnouts 8&9, 3&11, as receiving and departure tracks? It looks like you have to cheery pick to build and brake down your consist?
Is that a transfer table located between turnouts 8&9?
You seem to like doing a lot of switching which I also enjoy but a real railroad operations department would not.
I do like your main line alignment.