sparkyftw Posted March 30, 2008 Posted March 30, 2008 So I have been planning on setting up a railroad again in my house. It has been a long time since one has really been set up. Luckly I have all the old track my Grandpa and mom used when they built theirs. Here is the first post of a very long work in progress (they say it never truly gets done). So first step was going through all the old stuff. And I pulled out my engines. Sadly these have all seen better days and none of them work other then the maroon one. I will use this to test the track for faults before I get it all set in place for good. Now I found tons of stuff in the attic looking for the rest of the old stuff. There is probably stuff still up there, but I haven't had a chance to go through it all. But I did find a slot car track (2 actually). The construction is put on hold while I have fun Now onto the STP railroad. History The STP Railroad started when three growing industries decided to connect their warehouses and factories to the main lines. They carved through the mountains and filled in canyons to connect to the mainline. The entire city was torn up to make way for the rails. Entire factories were rebuilt to allow access to the rails. The town, even after a decade of the rails being completed, still hasn't finished recovering from the massive construction operation. The world is moving fast into the digital age, faster then the town and industries cared to keep up with. The old factories are either bankrupt, or on the fast track to closing. The old warehouses on the track are in misrepair. People moved away when the factories closed. New homes being built after the rails were left to rot. Some were never completed, just a wood and brick shell from yesteryear. Future The town, hoping to breath new air into the area has lowered their property taxes. Cheap land is getting even cheaper. The promise of track access is appealing for new companies. Small companies with the need for expansion are being given great deals on land. More tax breaks are promised if companies can get employees to move into the town. There is even talks of bringing in a commuter line connected to the larger metro area. The mayer is hoping to bring back his town, and started a legacy that never got off the ground. There is a good story for you guys. Also I want each and every one of you to hold me to that. I tried to use things I have already so that I can save money, and hopefully get the place to progress into something greater then I can imagine right now. I have huge ideas for this thing, that mean tons of expansion. Luckly I have room. Now on to the real life stuff. Table Construction For the table, I used 2x4 studs and made a 4' x 8' frame. The table is 40" off the ground, bringing the scenery and track closer to eye level, and allowing for easy access and storage under the table. future add-ons will probably be made from 1x4 to make it lighter and cheaper, and that the probably won't hold as much stuff in one area. Started with the wood, mix of old and new. This isn't all the wood, as I added some things in after this picture. Used the new drill on this project (loved it) The outside of the frame. There is no 2x4 in the lower front to make it easier to pull things out. And yes, my bedroom has pink walls. Everything is level (mostly). I also screwed it into the 2 walls (which will probably end up just causing problems). Screwing in the cross beams. They are every 2 feet (roughly). Since I was building this alone, I used the clamps to hold them up. Worked really nice. Everything is held in with 3 1/2 wood screws. The table almost done. The table top is on. Table is done. Top is nailed down with 2 inch nails. And a lot of them at that. Plywood is 5/8" AC Trackwork This is going to be the most updated part. Since I don't have all the track (still need more switches), there is a lot of older track that I won't be using. Also these pictures don't show the changes I have made already and I am doing. I followed plans in a book for that, and now I am changing it to make it more like something I want. I will take updated pics and post once I have more done to really make an update. Also these pics are after it was all put together (mostly, missing some small pieces) That should give you a general idea. I still have to lay down cork roadbed, and ballast it all. I have 5 switches to buy before that. And I am making changes to make scenery easier. Scenery The scenery for this something that will grow and change over time, to show the progress of real times. The top left spur will probably end up being turned iinto a yard, or a mix of yard and more industries, and maybe a sea port with a pier to 2 that goes into the water. The left side of the table will see a large mountain and tunnels, to cover that part of the track. That will break up the scene, and hopefully help people believe that the trains are going somewhere other then in just an oval. There will also be a coal mine put in here, and a long spur coming down to ground level. The story and city is going to be started with a mix of older, and new builders (under construction), and it will be modified over time as I decide what to do. I hope that I can get some custom buildings put in, so it is not all out of a box. Electrical I will be using DCC (Digital Command Control). All wiring will be done under table and be connected to a control panel. All the track but for top spur will have continuous power, and not sectioned off. The top spur is completely insulted for programming (so says radodrill). All the switches are powered and the controls will be at the front of the table. Because of the design of the table and framing, I cannot do undertable switches for all of them, but what I can will probably be converted over at some point, if at all. Other junk/plans The ultimate plan is to fill this room in with things. I have plans for a yard, a scenic route through the wilderness, and a much larger metro area, which will include a fully automated commuter rail (much like a subway or minnesota's light rail.) I may even get it all hooked up and run the switches through a computer, but that is a far way away. Time to get back to laying this puppy out. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wevsspot Posted March 30, 2008 Posted March 30, 2008 Very cool sparky, you've brought back some fond memories. Thank you! Keep us posted on the progress. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
radodrill Posted March 30, 2008 Posted March 30, 2008 All this because I mentioned getting a sweet deal on a new loco Looks good so far; interested in seeing the finished project. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReelFiles Posted March 31, 2008 Posted March 31, 2008 I remember building mountains and tunnels out of chicken wire, then covering them with paper mache (or however it's spelled) and coloring it, much cheaper than buying factory made stuff. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkyftw Posted March 31, 2008 Posted March 31, 2008 haha don't worry there is plans for that. I pretty much have the track laid out to how it is going to be, other then the one spur that I haven't decided one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
radodrill Posted March 31, 2008 Posted March 31, 2008 chicken wire makes a good base; paper mache is a good option; but they also make cloth that's pre-impregnated with plaster, just dip it in mater and apply to the base. Either way, be sure to cover the track before doing the landscape. After you've got the foundation (plaster or paper mache) you can apply glue and add scenic textures (i.e. grass, moss, etc). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkyftw Posted March 31, 2008 Posted March 31, 2008 haha rado I have read all about. Plus I got 2 other people in this house with experience. I got it covered. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
suedenim Posted March 31, 2008 Posted March 31, 2008 Love this. I'm going through a spurt of buying my kid wooden brio train stuff which he will learn to love. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkyftw Posted March 31, 2008 Posted March 31, 2008 I love those old wooden train things. my cousins have tons of the thomas stuff. And tons of HO stuff. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
radodrill Posted March 31, 2008 Posted March 31, 2008 We had a massive amount of BRIO trains and sold it for a substantial sum of money on eBay a few years back. And Sparky, I was offering the scenery info for the benefit of others who might be reading this thread. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
slick2500 Posted March 31, 2008 Posted March 31, 2008 Sparky I think you would get along good with my dad, needless to say his shed is not full of tools. He has a 12x12 foot shed with a complete layout in it. I'll see if I can't find some pictures of it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkyftw Posted March 31, 2008 Posted March 31, 2008 haha rado sometimes I forget that. Maybe I will do some video tutorials with some stuff. More news. I ripped out everything I had started so far. I am going to go with some that fits the story (hopefully). also it SHOULD allow for some expansion. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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