# CircusFreakGritz's Layout Progress Thread!



## CircusFreakGritz (Oct 27, 2010)

So it's finally getting built...never thought I'd see the day! My dad and I are building the benchwork, following directions from an old book. It's L-shaped with approximately 8x8 foot dimensions (each leg is 8 feet, but they overlap at the corner).

Still need to screw in a couple sections and lay the crossbars on top of the frame for the surface piece of foam to rest on.

Once the benchwork is done, I plan on loosely modeling the MBTA Green Line, probably the E-branch including the street running section and loop at the end. Not sure if/how I'll do the Northeastern subway portal at the other end. I may also have a freight line in the back, separated from the trolley line by buildings. Not sure yet. I'll post more pictures as more gets finished! Merry Christmas!


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Feels good huh?

Are you going to put a base board under the foam board?
Or just the foam board?

If just the foam board, be careful on leaning too hard on it.

A 1/4"sheet of plywood? 1/2" better? 
I would think is better then none.

I have never used foam board yet.....so this is just a thought.

Maybe someone else will have more advise on that?

But it feels good right?


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

How are you going to reach all the way to the back to work on the platform? 

I concur with Ed, I'd back the foam with something, I can't imagine that being structural material!


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## CircusFreakGritz (Oct 27, 2010)

Hey guys, thanks for the replies. You're right, I should use plywood first then foam. Not sure how I'll reach into the corner, that's for sure. Maybe I'll make it a mountain. Who ever said trolleys don't go through mountain tunnels :laugh:


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I'm planning an 8 foot deep platform, so I'm going to have access holes with scenery on them that I'll drop down to get in the middle. You may want to consider something like that as well.


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## CircusFreakGritz (Oct 27, 2010)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> I'm planning an 8 foot deep platform, so I'm going to have access holes with scenery on them that I'll drop down to get in the middle. You may want to consider something like that as well.


LOL, mine isn't going to be 8 feet deep, just 3 or so.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Well, 3 feet is probably not a huge issue to reach the back. I know my arms aren't 8 feet long, so I figure I'll need an alternate method.


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## IlliniViking (Dec 13, 2009)

I have a 3' by 8' N scale layout. http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=5127I used 2" foam for a base with no plywood and it seems pretty strong. If I was to do it again I would put some plywood under it though. Not only would it be stronger but gives you more options if you want to carve out some foam for a river or canyon. Looks like a good start, keep us updated.


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## CircusFreakGritz (Oct 27, 2010)

IlliniViking said:


> I have a 3' by 8' N scale layout. http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=5127I used 2" foam for a base with no plywood and it seems pretty strong. If I was to do it again I would put some plywood under it though. Not only would it be stronger but gives you more options if you want to carve out some foam for a river or canyon. Looks like a good start, keep us updated.


Thanks for the advice and compliment. Will def keep you all posted


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## CircusFreakGritz (Oct 27, 2010)

Alright, I know it has been a while. I decided to go with just foam. I "sealed" it with paint (recommendation from hobby store)...now I just have to decide what to actually build on the thing. I got cork and tracks and glue and all...probably won't be make more progress though until May when I'm out of school for the summer.

I'm thinking of having a small yard on the left with a street running section on the right. In the far corner I'd like a mountain...but we'll see how this all plays out.


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## novice (Feb 2, 2011)

Looking good - I did a similar layout and put wheels on the thing - I can move my layout in and out to get to the hard to reach areas - smartest thing I've done so far IMO.


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## concretepumper (Jan 2, 2011)

Lookin' good. :thumbsup: I also recently built a "L" shape layout. Take your time bud! I am already planning the next layout.


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## Xnats (Dec 5, 2010)

Something does not seem right to me! I'm guessing you know what you forgot to install?
Need some track and trains running, even if only temporary, before you start the real deal :laugh::laugh: Looking good so far though :thumbsup:


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## CircusFreakGritz (Oct 27, 2010)

Xnats said:


> Something does not seem right to me! I'm guessing you know what you forgot to install?
> Need some track and trains running, even if only temporary, before you start the real deal :laugh::laugh: Looking good so far though :thumbsup:


I know, I know. I'm just too slow to pull the trigger because I want to make it totally right the first time. I know you guys are probably thinking that's stupid because reworking it is half the fun, but I'll get there I promise!


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

CFG,

Not to be the messenger of doom and gloom, but ...

Are you sure that the foam itself is strong enough to support (without cracking) any significant downward load (like a misplaced elbow plant) between those wood supports? That scares me a bit. Your "panel supports" are parallel frames, only ... rather than a box section around the perimeter of each panel. If you slip and land on the foam in the middle of your support frames, I suspect there's a good chance the foam could crack.

I'd suggest adding some frame supports 90-degrees to the existing ones, reasonably close to the front / back edges.

Tread carefully, my friend ... tread carefully ...

TJ


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## CircusFreakGritz (Oct 27, 2010)

Thanks for the concern, but it's sturdier than it looks. I think the worst thing that could happen is it would get dented. That wouldn't even be too bad since in reality terrains aren't totally flat.

Also, I will literally kill anyone who falls on it.


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## concretepumper (Jan 2, 2011)

TJ has a good point!  I know I lean my elbows when soldering and working. I chose from the start with a heavy duty table topped with 1/2" OSB. Give it some thought bud! :thumbsup:


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## CircusFreakGritz (Oct 27, 2010)

*4/30/11 progress*

Alright, so I started laying some cork. Used a glue gun. Didn't have enough glue to finish, plus I gotta decide how I'm going to do the streets. I want to have part of the area near the loop be street running, so I think I'll end up using more cork and putting some kind of plaster on top to form "pavement".

Since I ran out of glue I decided to nail some track down (roughly) just to see my beautiful Boeings in their future home.  Once I've got all the cork down I'll glue down the track.

1) In the foreground is where the trains will switch back, modeled after Cleveland Circle in Boston. You can see the loop in the background, modeled after the Heath Street loop. 









2) Loop 









3) Loop 









4) 









5)









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8)









9)









Outside of the loop I plan to have a track that feeds into an elevated section, much like the Lechmere/Science Park part of the Green line. This section will connect back to the switching area at my "Cleveland Circle" to allow for continuous running should I get lazy.


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## CircusFreakGritz (Oct 27, 2010)

Hey guys,

I've glued some more cork down in places and nailed some track down to the cork. I haven't glued the tracks yet, as I'm not sure how exactly to do so. Any thoughts?

Also, around where the loop section is, I want to have an incline and then an elevated section. Any ideas on how to make the incline look realistic--materials to use, etc.?

Anyway, here are some pics.


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## haphall (Feb 1, 2011)

Benchwork is looking good, although I'd seriously consider something a bit stouter than the foam for a base as has been said. Plywood will be a must when I start building mine.
On a side note: Your handle indicates a 'love' for the circus but the engines and cars you've shown don't support that. Reason I mention it is there's quite a bit of HO circus stuff (cars and books) up on ebay right now at reasonable prices if you're interested. It's a good theme for a layout. Just sayin'.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

That looks like the 2" structural foam, probably pretty strong.


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## CircusFreakGritz (Oct 27, 2010)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> That looks like the 2" structural foam, probably pretty strong.


Yup, it is very strong. There are some slight indentations from leaning on it and some imperfections, but most of these will be covered over with pavement or "grass" eventually!


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## CircusFreakGritz (Oct 27, 2010)

Wow, I can't believe it's been almost a year and I'm nowhere near being done!! But I guess that's what school, work and a social life do to you?

I've changed the configuration around a bit since the last pictures I uploaded. Almost all the track is glued down now, except for a couple of yard sidings. I plan on installing an Operator's Lobby building in the yard, so I'll glue the tracks in place once I decide how big the lobby will be.

I've paved my main street. Next will sand it down and paint it. Also, got a couple more Boeing LRV's and a couple pre-war PCC's. Take a look. I hope you enjoy the pictures.

-Scott


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

CircusFreakGritz said:


> Wow, I can't believe it's been almost a year and I'm nowhere near being done!! But I guess that's what school, work and a social life do to you?


We were talking about how to calculate train speed in model scale in a recent thread, and I was discussing how a true model-scale calculation should also slow down time to get the dynamic physics and motions properly scaled.

So ... that works in your favor ... model train time works in s-l-o-w m-o-t-i-o-n ...!

Enjoy the (slow) ride!

TJ


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## CircusFreakGritz (Oct 27, 2010)

tjcruiser said:


> We were talking about how to calculate train speed in model scale in a recent thread, and I was discussing how a true model-scale calculation should also slow down time to get the dynamic physics and motions properly scaled.
> 
> So ... that works in your favor ... model train time works in s-l-o-w m-o-t-i-o-n ...!
> 
> ...


Thanks, TJ, and to everyone else who has been following this thread.

I've been working on the layout a bit recently. I was away at school from Jan-June so I was unable to work on train stuff! But, I am finally back at it and excited to be making some progress.  

I have painted the foam a nice evergreen color and have been working to smooth out the roads so I can paint them. I bought some "pavement"-colored paint from WalMart and also some small buildings and traffic lights to assemble and add to the layout. I've also been working on digitizing an old Boeing LRV locomotive and adding directional lights.

I periodically post layout updates on YouTube. Please feel free to check them out. The link to my channel is http://bit.ly/NomunV . I also post other types of videos, mostly train videos of the Boston MBTA.

Thanks guys!


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Hey 'Freak,

Glad to have you back onboard and making some nice progress with the layout. Keep us posted!

TJ


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## brylerjunction (Aug 8, 2011)

that looks cool..could you tell me who made the MBTA Green Line Trolleys you have??


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## brik-el (Feb 24, 2012)

Looking good!:thumbsup:


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## CircusFreakGritz (Oct 27, 2010)

New video.

I've refined the street running section several times, painted it "pavement" color, and added more ballast, a traffic signal, street lamps, and acquired some nice buildings :laugh: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WufBVekxaZ8


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## CircusFreakGritz (Oct 27, 2010)

brylerjunction said:


> that looks cool..could you tell me who made the MBTA Green Line Trolleys you have??


They were sold under the Mehano brand and also AHM. You can find them on eBay a lot (search Boeing LRV) and at model train shows.




brik-el said:


> Looking good!:thumbsup:


Thanks!!!


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## CircusFreakGritz (Oct 27, 2010)

haphall said:


> Benchwork is looking good, although I'd seriously consider something a bit stouter than the foam for a base as has been said. Plywood will be a must when I start building mine.
> On a side note: Your handle indicates a 'love' for the circus but the engines and cars you've shown don't support that. Reason I mention it is there's quite a bit of HO circus stuff (cars and books) up on ebay right now at reasonable prices if you're interested. It's a good theme for a layout. Just sayin'.


Thanks for the suggestion. My user name is actually completely random... I started using it back in middle school for things. I'm not much of a REAL circus freak! :laugh:


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Beautifu, smooth and quiet running LRV...

Do you plan to install a working overhead?

That's when the real fun begins...especially if you
use poles rather than pantographs...

Don


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## CircusFreakGritz (Oct 27, 2010)

DonR said:


> Beautifu, smooth and quiet running LRV...
> 
> Do you plan to install a working overhead?
> 
> ...


Hi Don, thanks for your comments. I do plan to eventually, but to be honest I have a few things I need to address first:

1. Do I want to run equipment with pantographs, trolley poles or both? I want to run both, so that I can run prototypical PCC's, but I fear that making the wire compatible with trolley poles will be really frustrating. So, should I start first with just a basic, less-exact overhead wiring that will only work with pantographs? This way I can use cheap materials like wooden dowels and cheap wire to develop my skills first.

2. I'm uncertain about what to use for materials, and how to build it. I've seen diagrams online but it looks very challenging, time consuming and expensive--not only do you need the poles but you need wire which can get pricey and you need hangers if you want to make it look prototypical and work with trolley poles (vs. pantographs).

3. Maintenance of overhead wire--what happens when the wiring gets loose and the trolley pole jumps off the wire...I feel like a working system capable of trolley pole operation would require a lot of corrective maintenance which would take some of the fun out of it. Not sure on this, though.

Of course, having working overhead wire would be awesome. I'm just not sure how to begin. Do you (or does anyone else) have any advice? Any thoughts will definitely be appreciated and considered! :thumbsup:


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## broox (Apr 13, 2012)

that pavement area looks bad *** :thumbsup:


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## nearboston (Dec 19, 2013)

*Thread Ressurection*

I am bringing this thread back to life , as I am interested in doing something similar, and have a few questions. 

My first one is regarding painting/repainting. My LRV is in the San Francisco colors and I am looking for the best MBTA green out there. Any suggestions? 

Thanks in advance.

CP


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## Locodub (Nov 18, 2013)

It would be interesting to see some updates.


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