Just Between You, Me, and the Bingo Card: Life Lessons from the Assisted Living Facility

This is layout #1, made about 25 years ago and was where I learned what not to do with the landscaping.
The peaks were snow covered and the rocks were made using a form/mold and they looked like shit. So I cut the top off to flatten it out and peeled all the "rocks" off the mountains and decided to redo the majority of it.

The white scars are from the glued on rocks.


The hole in the side was from aggressive rock removal.


The Coors box was used to cover the hidden portion of track to keep shit from falling on it. Surprised myself that I was smart enough to do that 25 years ago.


Recover and filled holes with plaster cloth.
After that dries, I'll cover and form the plaster cloth with Sculptamold, which is fast and easy to use paper mache.



The gray coating was a spray paint called fleckstone or some shit like that, it was supposed to be granite looking.

 

what Gauge is this Brett?

 

N scale, standard gauge.

 

Glad I didn't buy any Cheba hut stock, their sales are crashing with you working on this project!

 

Spent a bit of time covering that grey stuff with hydrocal, so a more realistic rock face can be carved in and stained. Taking a quick leftover sushi break while it all dries. I'll prolly form the lake tonight as well.

 

Was kinda hoping these were volcanoes!

 

Be cooler if they were...

 

Volcano....hmmm
So the MOW train was unhappy with the situation, so that crew made a few changes.






Was able to reuse some of it.




There was way too much cliffhanger action, and I don't do heights. So this is where it's at now.

 

What are the dimensions of it? I picked up some bnsf line Kato n scale and have been picking at it during Christmas time the last few years... I think I'm going to eventually set it up like mason street from Laporte to Laurel. I also got a couple of brill trolley's from bachman and have considered setting them up east to west a la mountain....

Its all new to me though so in time I'll get it figured out. I don't really want a large display though either and really like the noch briefcase layouts for their portability and ease of packing away

 

The larger layout that has the most recent water feature is 60"x 40"
The one I'm currently working on is 48"x 42"
The minimum radius track available in a snap together is 9 3/4" and would be fine for a circle with a Brill trolley or a short length engine.
11 1/4" is currently considered as the go to minimum track radius for the modern length engines and most of the steam engine models. It's considered a medium radius. That being said, these are rules that do not have to be strictly adhered to.

I use the Bachmann snap track to draw my layouts and get my minimum at 11 1/4" but most of my radius is larger than that. I then use Flex Trak for my layouts which is cheaper by the foot, less joints which equals a smoother running layout and allows more creativity.

Sticker says HO, but it is actually N scale track, just mislabled. Price is prolly triple that now as well. I only use this to make sure none of my turns are less that the medium radius.


A full circle of 11 1/4" radius will require 24", out to out.


Here you can see the snap track on top of the flex trak, to get the radius in the corners and make sure it wasn't any tighter than that.




If you use flex trak, and I recommend it, you will need a set of rail cutters.
This set will cut Z, N, HO, and On30 rail. depending on the orientation of the cutter jaws, one side will cut flush, this is the side you want to use, the other end will be cut in a point and this is the discarded piece.


Flex trak has one fixed rail and one floating rail. When you make your bends, you will have to trim off something at some point. Notice that one rail is now longer after making the bend.


Also tip here, stagger your connections and the rail will run smoother. Also, soldering you connections is required with flex trak, and that is an art form that must be practiced.
Try to keep your track connections on straight portions as this will make it easier, curved connections are a bit of a bitch to keep true. The track comes in 36" to 30" lengths, and sometimes you have to cut a piece short to get the joints on the straight section. some times it's just simply unavoidable and there will be swearing.

Here is an early example of what not to do, not staggered and shitty soldering makes for a wonky section of track.


This is after I figured it out and started to stagger my track and concentrated on getting the rails tight and a clean solder connection.
You only need to stagger by 2-3 ties.


Atlas has the best track as far as brand. Don't buy any other brand (the cheaper stuff), it's not easy to work with.

 

Thanks for all that detail. I ended up getting what was seemingly a deal on the Kato unitrack with the set I got. It has a good number of different radius track as it came with an inner oval set too. I also picked up a couple switched turnouts to play with when I have set it up around the tree. I'll look and see what doors are damaged at home Depot next time I'm there.

 

Slowly making progress.

 

Planted some trees and started filling the upper lake. Posting this from a bar and forgot to take pics.

Also did some searching for new rolling stock, specifically 36' wooden stock for the old timey D&RGW. And that shit is hard (impossible) to find. Most of what I have now is discontinued but available on Ebay for 3-4 times the original cost.

 

made this way too deep, can only fill up to a half inch at a time.




free range cattle on the tundra, they'll eventually make their way down to the main lake below after it fills.

 

question on the tractor to livestock ratio...

 

The cows are scale correct, the white things are sheep that are HO scale, so a bit big. Not sure why I have them. But they can be painted black with brown streaks and become buffalo. Or be sheeps on roids, or left out all together.

 

Put them in the volcano

 

yes yes, a sacrifice is needed

 

It's a good day to bake brownies and paint small things. Paint is decades old but seemed to revive ok with a little thinner.
Railroad Prius.


Primer coat.


First coat.

 

Aerodynamic hub caps.

2nd coat. At the bar so it will dry without me messing with it.