Eilif's evolving layout. Update 5/31

[Super]

Fantastic job on the layout Eilif

Great imagination and creation of your Lego risers. They look perfect, good work. Is that brown curved tunnel from Tomy, it looks nice. We had also purchased the EF6019 Freight set quite a while back and loved the engine so much we were able to buy just the engines (2 more) new from the UK. You are right, it is a very strong runner. Have you thought of using the automatic switch points, either a 2 way or 3 way for the layout? They are great fun and add a new dimension to letting the trains run without having to jump up to manually switch a point before a crash. Keep up the good work and thanks for sharing the pictures with us. Soon you will have to move to a California King sized bed

Thanks!

The brown tunnel is from the Discovery Kids Tomy knock-off set that was selling at Khols for a while.
http://www.kohls.com/product/prd-1498667...in-set.jsp
I picked one up at clearance a while back and I'll probably do a review of the whole set at some point. It's where the tan passenger station came from as well.

I've considered the automatic switch points, at some point I'll probably go ahead and make another order from Hobby Search, but right now, I'm keeping it on-the-cheap and the layout is growing mostly from what I find at resale.

[Super]

Thanks for the info Eilif

I didn't know this set was that easily accessible. First time I saw it was on PlarailMikes YouTube Channel Too bad the tracks weren't able to connect straight up to the Tomy blue ones. Are they light gray or dark? Now I see where you also got the neat billboard too.

Too bad about the auto switches as I have sold quite a few in the last couple of months on Ebay. They are really neat. I have one in the layout now and a 2 way and 3 way put away for later layouts or for when my Grandson gets older and has kids of his own.

Sort of a silvery grey color. This picture shows pretty well how they look and how their male end will connect to the plarail female end.

It doesn't work the other way, however so to make a loop connecting with Plarail track, you'd have to enlarge the female end of one piece of the off-brand track. It wouldn't be hard to do though. I've made Plarail F/F tracks by modding the end of a tomy track before and it's pretty easy.

If you're looking for one and live near Kohls, I'd recommend checking in. I got mine a couple months ago and they didn't seem to be selling. They're probably still marked with the sale price also, which I think was around $25 bucks. There are some issues with the risers and the train (I'll go over those in the review), but even they are serviceable.

[Super]

Thanks Eilif

I would have grabbed one if the tracks hooked up just to get the tunnel and billboard. I see new ones on Ebay for $25 or Best Offer and free shipping so they are still out there.

And now we arrive at the Layout as it presently exists.


I added a third line, in this case an outer loop.


The third line differs from the others in that you can't change the trains direction without at least sharing a line with the inner lower loop, necessitating rolling the train on the inner lower loop onto one of the siding loops.

I am a bit proud of this added corner though. It serves both to allow transfers between the outer loop and the upper loop and as a way to allow change of direction for the upper loop with only spending a moment on the lower loop.


I also built a few double wide LEGO supports...


... For the areas where it is now necessary




This layout has made me realize that I could really use some double track, possibly some wide curves and definitely some double track crossing points. Right now there is no easy access from the between the inner and outer lower lines.

Looks awesome I love it, i really like the loop change I have never done that i must try it!

[Super]

Nicely done Eilif

Soon one bed will not be enough

Wow, that evolved a lot in a small time

Wow!!!