Chuck,
Let’s hope for the best from your doctor and don’t forget to document your railroad progress with pictures (we love pictures, they say so much more than words). (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
I hope you get a good report, Chuck. We will keep you and your family in our prayers.
Devon, I too have big dreams that are constantly clashing with reality. I’ve stockpiled the necessary parts, track, engines, rolling stock, etc., so now it is just a matter of having the time and putting forth the effort. Time is my biggest obstacle, especially this time of year when the weather is favorable to working outside. My participation in Mik’s Build Challenge has given me the inspiration and a good starting point to get some track down. We’ll see.
That’s the reality I have settled into. I love to build so I am puttering away making the rolling stock and buildings and a loco (that I need to finish like now since it is like two hours away from being done) I am going to stock pile stuff and then just let it happen. I had to remeber that its fun and my not achieving my “goals” was frustrating me and I was missing out on goal number 1, have fun. So Now I ma dreaming and adding stuff to the bucket and just going where the wind takes me. Need to get one train running so I have something to take to club events but beyond that when it happens it happens. Gonna buy 30 or 40 sections of rail in a week and a bender from Greg to stock pile forhe indoor then I will start buying track and storing as you have done.
Ken Brunt said:
I have no idea how much track I have or whether it would be considered small, medium or Large. All I know is it’s the right size for me. But, then again, it ain’t done yet…(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
The track plans are on here: http://www.largescalecentral.com/articles/156/a-raised-road-bed-a-build-log-for-the-rgs-raised-layout
They may not be accurate since I change things as I go along, but it’ll give you a rough idea.
Right size for you. That is the most important thing. Mine is just my size so I can enjoy it.
Edit because my smart phone isn’t, and it can’t post properly
Devon Sinsley said:
That’s the reality I have settled into. I love to build so I am puttering away making the rolling stock and buildings and a loco (that I need to finish like now since it is like two hours away from being done) I am going to stock pile stuff and then just let it happen. I had to remeber that its fun and my not achieving my “goals” was frustrating me and I was missing out on goal number 1, have fun. So Now I ma dreaming and adding stuff to the bucket and just going where the wind takes me. Need to get one train running so I have something to take to club events but beyond that when it happens it happens. Gonna buy 30 or 40 sections of rail in a week and a bender from Greg to stock pile forhe indoor then I will start buying track and storing as you have done.
When you are dreaming, take pictures, it’s so hard to remember everything when awake.
Yer bud,
John
Yeah, I need to ship that bender!! Is it time yet Devon?
Greg
Size in feet is only one way to understand a layout. More important may be the concept of the layout as there are a lot of wide differences and each can be very effective.
Take Bob’s layout and our layout. While Bob may not have as many feet of track as we do, I submit his layout is further along in its concept and just as fun to operate.
I have also seen some rather small in terms of feet of track switching layouts that capture the entire railroad that is being modeled.
If you desire an effective class 1 railroad that runs long freight you will likely need more track.
Stan
Greg Elmassian said:
Yeah, I need to ship that bender!! Is it time yet Devon?
Greg
Greg,
A week from Friday I can Paypal you. Does that work.
It’s been sitting patiently in a box in my garage, I’m sure it is looking forwards to a trip!
(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
Greg
wow, I guess this a good topic of discussion, on the. F.P & SW. R.R. I have been pounding in steel stakes and construction string for leveling. i now have surveyed my grades not to be more then 2%, then a friend of mine ask where was my reference point was. I answer, " what. do you mean.: where is zero? I replied with four letter words to myself. i am starting include pictures. Here are a few. please excuse me if they arent sized correctly.
Jim,
Are your rails set into your ties? Is that a commercial product or something your doing?
Hi Devon,
Looks like grovie track to me
Chuck
Sorry correct spelling is Groovy track. If you google it you will get a lot of info on it.
Chuck
Im in the small category…I have about 55 feet of track in phase 1. Sure, we have all dreamt of having a great empire in the back yard, but like Greg said, here in So Cal, LA particularly, we dont have a lot of real estate to work with.
I am building in 3 phases so A) I can keep within a budget and B) start running trains now until the next phase can be finished.
I think there are a lot of people that plan out a large railroad and never lay a piece of track because they are waiting to build it all at once…and then never build it and eventually sell off everything and get out of the hobby.
Life is too short to sit around dreaming and not running trains!!! 
aluminum rods and ties are fench slats composite
Bob Frein said:
Im in the small category…I have about 55 feet of track in phase 1. Sure, we have all dreamt of having a great empire in the back yard, but like Greg said, here in So Cal, LA particularly, we dont have a lot of real estate to work with.
I am building in 3 phases so A) I can keep within a budget and B) start running trains now until the next phase can be finished.
I think there are a lot of people that plan out a large railroad and never lay a piece of track because they are waiting to build it all at once…and then never build it and eventually sell off everything and get out of the hobby.
Life is too short to sit around dreaming and not running trains!!!
I agree with you 100%. So many people want to build all at once and never get anything down. I did what you did. Started with about 50ft varied oval and add as I got money and track. Im up to around 150ft and thats my limit. I have no interest in going bigger, even though I have track and plenty of space. I prefer a manageable size layout. If its too big you spend more time maintaining then running
I think everyone will have their own interpretation. 500ft of track with sidings, landscaping, buildings, bridges will look much larger then 1000 ft of track with no landscaping etc… To me a landscaped layout up to 200 ft of track is small. Over 200ft is medium size and over 800 large.
Jim Weingart said:
wow, I guess this a good topic of discussion, on the. F.P & SW. R.R. I have been pounding in steel stakes and construction string for leveling. i now have surveyed my grades not to be more then 2%, then a friend of mine ask where was my reference point was. I answer, " what. do you mean.: where is zero? I replied with four letter words to myself. i am starting include pictures. Here are a few. please excuse me if they arent sized correctly.
Nice work on the track. perfect example for someone who cant afford track. If you want something bad enough you will find way to make it work.
Jim Weingart said:
aluminum rods and ties are fench slats composite
You should do a short article on how you did your track, even a youtube video. It would be great to show people that there are ways to do track, especially for those on a budget.
I am using some manufactured track only as templates and I use aristo craft wide turnouts. Power by track power DC and currently 13 double insulate blocks. ALuminums at 12 ft in length and the more you buy price is better I usually get dozen at a time
I thought size didn’t matter? (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-foot-in-mouth.gif)
My layout is less than a scale mile, but I can run an ops session with just 2 trains and it takes about 3 hours to complete. I guess it’s all what you want your layout to do.
Heh…I’m happy! (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
