HO 80s/90s CSX, NS, & Conrail layout resurrection.

[Scratchbuilder]

Just had a good read through of your project - fantastic work Paul.
All that wiring and live soldering irons - just be thankfull JR and myself are not helping, more flames that you can handle...
As an aside, I had an email from one of the stores I deal with in the UK, and they had just recieved a new stock of Hornby engines and scrolled down to see them, nearly went blind at the prices of the locos.... In my day of railway building, for the price of one of thos loco's you could get a whole layout....
Mike.

[Mini Me]

Just had a good read through of your project - fantastic work Paul.
All that wiring and live soldering irons - just be thankfull JR and myself are not helping, more flames that you can handle...
As an aside, I had an email from one of the stores I deal with in the UK, and they had just recieved a new stock of Hornby engines and scrolled down to see them, nearly went blind at the prices of the locos.... In my day of railway building, for the price of one of thos loco's you could get a whole layout....
Mike.

Agreed Mike.....same here in the States, it is prohibitive.....I have Brass Steam locomotives that cost less than what they charge for a plastic kit with a "hair clipper" motor in it.

[Mini Me]

Roughing in the extension for the TOFC yard. You'll notice I've moved into the Man Cave Annex due to the availability of heat, as 55F is not good for the application of paint or adhesives. Combination yard mule garage, trailer repair & office bottom right foreground. Trackage includes mainline, runaround, siding & assoc. turnouts to service the yard. Runaround & siding compressed due to space constraints.
[ATTACH]499133[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]499134[/ATTACH]

Track work looks good Paul...your latest iteration of the C&O just keeps growing....

[minitnkr]

This extension will take it to the wall so no more growth south & it's already to the north & east walls. Wiring will be next.

[Mini Me]

Niiiiiiiiice! :thumb2:

[minitnkr]

Some progress on TOFC yard.

[JR]

Looking good Paul.
Any one see Portello on the tv at the rail way museum in California yesterday, massive layout , just not long-enough to enjoy .

[minitnkr]

New extension bench work complete. Now wiring, ballasting, painting, structures & gardening.

[Lee Drennen]

teration of the C&O just keeps growing....

C&O??? Huh

[minitnkr]

Conrail 80s/90s actually, though after the resale they reverted back to old pre-consolidation markings sometimes.

[minitnkr]

Yard lined using chart tape from back when charts were home made. Mule storage, trailer repair & office building not placed yet. I still see some Chessie, Southern, & PennCentral markings on CSX & Norfolk Southern train cars.

[minitnkr]

Taping completed, structure placed, & ballasting started. Most TOFC spine cars are 4 or 5 trailers long so my runaround & load/unload areas are that long. Storage areas extend further to the south & east.


C&Cs encouraged.

[JR]

Nice Paul, starting to take real shape now:thumb2::thumb2::thumb2:

I watch Jaw Tooth on the tube, the length of trains in the US is something else.

[minitnkr]

Can be measured in miles out west & they run at 70 to 80mph, so stopping is like stopping a super tanker.

[minitnkr]

Added some lighting, some more taping, some details to the structure, & laid out the hard top road crown. Here I'm trying to show operations as mules take unloaded pigs to storage & customers pick up their trailers from storage. Last pic shows trailer in shop for minor repairs.