The New Beginnings

While there is still some fine tuning to be done, I've 're-constructed' my layout.  Well, the benchwork is back in place after being modified.

I cut six inches off the back of the yard table and the same off the back of the two main oval sections; I also added five and a half inches to the yard portion but really cut the total length of this run short by half an inch to allow for better door clearance.

The real big footprint adjustment was in cutting the south wall of the room table short seven feet, really six feet and eleven inches but that's just a quibble.  Gone is just under three feet of the 'bubble' and all of the old port and the back extension for the staging yard.

That all may seem a drastic reduction in available modeling space.  But it is a great improvement in versatility of room use.  And, more importantly, it is an easy reach to almost all of the surface, even for my wife who is a foot shorter than I am.

You will note in the photos below that the base height is lowered as well - a change appreciated by the lady of the house - that will allow more of the backdrop to show through.  It is well to keep in mind that the backdrop was painted for the original layout construction, ten years ago now.  That layout and the last never got to the track laying stage.  This one certainly will and sooner rather than later if not immediately.  Still have other duties and activities.

I repainted all visible surfaces to ease laying out the new track arrangement - more on that below.  I also stained the four paired legs to make a better visual presentation.  All of this was done over the course of the last two days.

I will give a written word description of the new track plan and try to match as best I can with the photographs.  Like the benchwork, the track plan will get a little, though very little.  Most of the changes will come from translating to a drawing to full size.  Though with as many drawings as I've translated from paper to actual table top, I don't expect too many adjustments.  Always a few.

 Above shows the basic cut prior to repainting.

 Same from the other end where you can see the add.

 This is the perspective you'd see from within the room - well, if you were the back wall of the closet maybe.

 Here I've added a building, a piece of track, and a caboose to give a perspective of the size available relative to actual N scale items.

 A closer shot.

 And a much closer view.

 And another longer angle.

 The point of these shots to give you a perspective for imaging what you might do in this space.  Not what I am going to do, maybe, but imagination is as much a part of model railroading as any other.

 One more close shot from another angle but you are probably already peaking at the next shot.

 The above shows a general overview of the room.

 This is where the yard will be except for the far corner which will be the farming and farm industry area.

 This is the area where there will be a mining area inside the L shaped oval, behind it will be the logging area, the end on the right will be a river canyon, and the left most portion will be the beginning of the seaport.

 The above left will be the farm town, the right side will be the company town, lower - in elevation - will be an industrial area, and in front of that will the seaport.

 Another overview with the same items for perspective.

 And another closer shot.

And a last comment about that white space between the table and the backdrop.  It will disappear because there will be higher terrain in back than in front.  Though I will be challenged along the back of the yard since space is tight there.  But that is part of the fun.  Maybe a more detailed description of the new track plan in a future post.

That's all for now.

Update!

Wow, not since January have I made an entry here.  Well, I'm getting much closer to putting the layout back up.  Decided to reduce the layout's size a bit after realizing one thing: never build more layout than it will take to bring satisfaction.  And that has lead to a redraw.  Don't have time just now to give all the details but I just realized I've had a highly significant breakthrough.  Every track plan I've drawn in the past always left me feeling disappointed on two fronts.  One was not having everything I wanted in the layout to the degree desired.  I doubt any of us ever cross that barrier.  The other front, however, I've overcome in a big way.  Normally, after designing a plan, I can go back to the plans I have from others, published plans, and realize mine isn't "as good."  I have designed some good ones, there is one at the Placer County Fair Grounds in Roseville, somewhat modified over the years by others but retaining my core, that has entertained a lot of people, club members and the general public.  But always there has been that nagging sense of "inferiority."  This time, not meaning to be arrogant here, I've designed a layout track plan that works so well I can't go back to those published plans anymore because they don't achieve what I have.  I still enjoy those plans, six hundred or so, but I just "know" this one doesn't need further inspiration.  It does need some final tweaking, but the core is solid and isn't going anywhere!  Of course, a lot of knowledge and inspiration did come from quite a few of those many published plans.  But it is pretty cool to be able to say I don't need to go back to go forward.  So, hooray for me.  Time to get back to work.