New house - New Layout, Ripley802's layout build!

[Super]

Really looking good Ripley and quite professional with a CAD drawing. Have you thought of or allowed for the length and for how many sloped rails you are going to use or a combination of sloped rails and sloped curves? One sloped rail is 17" and will only drop you 3".

[ripley802]

Thanks Super. No not yet. I am hoping maybe 3 but it could be more. I may end up needing to use the elevated curves as well to slowly climb. This will be a later phase through so still some planning to do.

[Super]

Thats going to take up a lot of space. You also may want to make up a prototype using cardboard (unless you have already thought of it) to make sure you have the proper length of the rectangular cut out. Just by looking at the gradual drop of the regular sloped rail and judging how tall an engine is, the opening may have to be 12" long??? Thats just eying it up without doing the math. It would be worth the time to make sure before cutting a hole in that nice deck. I am using your experiences to learn and decide if I ever want to try this. I am curious as to how long Muddys opening is but he may have increased the slope of those Trackmaster tracks by dropping them more as the trains fly down to the Egyptian desert.

[ripley802]

Grass has been laid where it will be. I am still trying to come up with something to cover the other section. I wanted to put a quick video together though as sort of an update. Also this is the first (other than some repairs) that I have team any trains so it was a nice change to have some track down and let them go. This will not be the final layout for the track just some I put together.

https://youtu.be/URZCOC4rTFQ

Grass has been laid where it will be. I am still trying to come up with something to cover the other section. I wanted to put a quick video together though as sort of an update. Also this is the first (other than some repairs) that I have team any trains so it was a nice change to have some track down and let them go. This will not be the final layout for the track just some I put together.

https://youtu.be/URZCOC4rTFQ

very nice. You've done a lot of work in a short period of time, Well done

[Super]

Fantastic Ripley, I like how you sculpted the edges to take away from the hard straight lines. My suggestion for the right side is to study up on making a large mountain with tracks that run around and through it. Then you can landscape it with trees viaducts, waterfalls.

If you don't want to drill into your walls and damage them with screws to sturdy the table tops and prevent them from moving you could try what I do a lot. Use these command strips but stick them on horizontally along that top rail and lock the whole think to the wall and easily removed if you have to. I have a whole drawer full of various Command Strips as they come in handy. https://www.command.com/3M/en_US/command...318&rt=rud

Ripley, I really enjoy watching this come together. I need to check out that grass mat you used next time I’m at Hobby Lobby.

[ripley802]

Thanks guys.

@Super
I love the mountain idea and was thinking out where to put one early on. I was going to put it in the corner but like the one side too. Unfortunately I do not think it will make the cut this round as I am planning starting on a Christmas layout soon..

@OTR
Thanks for that. Hope I can be an insperation for all to get out there and build it..lol. Several have been an inspiration to me, Super, Muddy, UCWepn, etc... I will say that if you use adhesive like I did, have another hand to help ya lay it. I was trying by myself and ended up with some lumps..

[ripley802]

Small tease..lol.. it snowed a bit on he Layout today. It is Nov., so Christmas is around the corner.

Sometime for me building a new layout is a love hate type of build. I really love seeing it come together, but I am one who doesn’t do a ton of planning and laying things out, I more or less just build it as it comes to me. But with that comes rebuilding things time and time again because girders are in the way, or track is too short/doesn’t line up, etc... sometimes I have to take a min and walk away then come back and it is like, oh, duh... why didn’t I see that before..

But things are coming together. I need to do a few more track related things and then need to figure out some lights and will be ready to get some pics and video.

[Super]

Anxious to see how she is coming along.