What did you do on your layout today? (N scale)

[nscalestation]

Hi everyone,

 

Been enjoying seeing what you are all working on.  A few weeks ago it got me inspired to start a rebuild of a module that was given to me a few years ago.   These were a pair of 45 degree modules and I did the other one last year.  This is what they both looked like when I got them.  Double track Peco code 80 and some heavy layers of scenery material.  There were about 40 years old.

 

 

 

Here we are a little further along in the rebuild.  This will be a scene with a highway passing under the single track.  Gives me a place to display some of my trucks and buses.  This module will be used with the AsiaNrail layout so the new track will be Peco code 55 running right up to the edge of the module.   I have been posting regular updates on my Tokyo in N Scale blog HERE.  Plan is to have this one ready for our next setup at the National Narrow Gauge Convention in September.

 

Edited June 18, 2019 by nscalestation
grammer

[Kiha66]

Great work rebuilding that old module brad!  If you want to have some fun you should add a giant beckoning cat overlooking the highway like in Tokoname.

 

https://laughingsquid.com/tokonyan-a-giant-lucky-cat-figurine-in-tokoname-japan/

[nscalestation]

Hi Sam,  I like the idea of a maneki-neko figure on one of the hillsides.  Just need to find a tiny one.   I already plan to have at least one "funny" on this module as a sign along the highway.

 

 

I have actually seen signs like this when riding the bus through some of the mountainous areas.  And on this last trip I actually saw a "Saru" sitting on the side of the road.

[Sheffie]

Today I laid out the strip of grass that goes across the front of the layout, and added the ballast between that and the track. I also put down a bunch of bushes, not really pictured. 

And I finally got around to deploying the set of cars. I decided that one of the cars belongs to a worker at the goods warehouse, so it’s parked on the side street. The others belong to passengers, probably. Anyway, they’re parking by the passenger platform. 

[Pauljag900]

The 3v power supplies arrived from China so I got around to doing the small factory module and fitted it to the layout.

after taking the pics I realised I need to weather the flooring area.

 

[valkyriepm]

23 hours ago, Pauljag900 said:

The 3v power supplies arrived from China so I got around to doing the small factory module and fitted it to the layout.

after taking the pics I realised I need to weather the flooring area.

Great looking! Love it!

 

Martin

[Chuo]

On 6/20/2019 at 12:38 PM, Pauljag900 said:

The 3v power supplies arrived from China so I got around to doing the small factory module and fitted it to the layout.

 after taking the pics I realised I need to weather the flooring area.

  

 

The detail is great. It really came together and fit the space well. 😍

[Sheffie]

It has been a frustrating couple of days.

• The E-127 two-car set is getting stuck at a particular point in the track. It's just at the base of a hill, and the close coupler is too close to allow the train to flex upwards, so the rear wheels of the front car are getting lifted off the track. This cuts power to the motor. Now, the front wheels look like they should be collecting power too, but after testing with a 9V battery it looks like they only conduct power to the motor when something is pressing down with considerably more force than the weight of the train. So I'm left with the option of messing with unfamiliar power connections, filing down the door surrounds between the cars so that there's a little more flex, taking the layout apart to re-engineer the track, running my noisiest train significantly faster, or reaching out to give it a push.
• The C57 doesn't clear the two tunnel entrances that are on a curve. The outer front corner just sticks out too far, by a millimeter or so, and catches on the edge of the portal. So. I can dig out the ballast and move the portals out a little and rebuild the hillside, or I can try to engineer some kind of sliding guide that pushes the edge of the train around the corner it's catching on. Or I can put the steam loco on the shelf and free up a siding with enough space for a 1 or 2 car commuter train.
• The EF510 has lost its rear pantograph—just the cross bar. I haven't yet looked in its storage box to see whether it came off last time it was removed from that. I don't know whether I want to hope for that or not. Part of me wants to replace the plastic one-arm pantographs with metal diamond shaped ones, which are less correct but look more elegant.
• The DE10 is actually okay. This is a little ironic, because it's the one locomotive unit for which I have a mint condition replacement just waiting to go.

Edited June 25, 2019 by Sheffie

[Keith]

4 hours ago, Sheffie said:

It has been a frustrating couple of days.

Gee, how many mirrors did you break to bring you that luck

[Sheffie]

Alright. I have done thing number two.  

The portals are about a millimetre to the left, the C57 is back on its siding having passed through both without incident. 

I have discovered that the missing pantograph is not in the EF510 box, so it looks like I will be ordering some new pantography soon. 

 

Finally, I’m all set to go digging again, this time to adjust the slope of this F62 straight. 

 

[Pauljag900]

I ve seen quite a few trucks and vehicles that I would like to buy and display on my layout but realised I don t have any road to put them on.I d seen a friend of jeffs do a freeway over his layout so have been trying to work out the best way to do it.My first idea was to use kato double viaduct track and remove the rails but it’s not quite wide enough unless I double it up. So with a pile of foamboard and builder sheets left over i decided to try and make one.This is the first attempt and need to make the final section ,I ll probably carry on but if I’m not happy with it I ll use the Kato track.Need to figure out the support piers and tidy things up a bit then I ll make a decision.

 

 

 

n

[serotta1972]

If I were one of the citizens in that little town, I would not appreciate a super expressway going over my house. Imagine the environmental impact. 😜😁

[Pauljag900]

Ha ha,I m probably going to put it on the other board across the city and station area but needed to see what it looks like first,boards are the same depth  and will just  need to re position the supports which are only hot glued at the mo.

[railsquid]

6 hours ago, serotta1972 said:

If I were one of the citizens in that little town, I would not appreciate a super expressway going over my house. Imagine the environmental impact. 😜😁

 

Just pretend it's China.

 

https://www.gizmodo.jp/2011/07/locates_right.html

[bill937ca]

Or Shimbashi.

 

http://visit-minato-city.com/shimbashi_izakaya/

[Sheffie]

First pass at the hilltop shrine.

 

And that means that the layout is finally all green. 

[RMB]

I've finished scratch building another three Japanese shops for my layout. These are based on real buildings that I found through Google Street View.

Link to Google Maps

[bill937ca]

Added some more ballast yesterday. Running some trains on the layout today.

[cteno4]

5 hours ago, RMB said:

I've finished scratch building another three Japanese shops for my layout. These are based on real buildings that I found through Google Street View.

Link to Google Maps

 

 

Nice work rmb! Did you use paylite for the material or chipboard? 

 

That’s a nice little strip of shops. Nice thin Ttrak module.

 

jeff

[RMB]

2 hours ago, cteno4 said:

 

Nice work rmb! Did you use paylite for the material or chipboard? 

 

That’s a nice little strip of shops. Nice thin Ttrak module.

 

jeff

Thanks Jeff!

It's mdf on top. I have a bunch more buildings to make to start filling out this shelf layout which is about 5 feet long. Wish I'd gone the Ttrak route 😊

[cteno4]

Sorry I meant the material you used for the structures. I see you are doing a couple of blocks of that scene!

 

ttrak is good to make in smaller sections and for groups but it does force you into pretty set track plans of ovals. You can freeform more and so sort of a hybrid sectional but that tends to lead to larger and different shaped modules with more complicated track plans.

 

jeff

[RMB]

Sorry! These are all from polystyrene sheets, module 0.6mm thick. They're N scale, so pretty small.

[Sheffie]

I planted a few trees. I think it needs more though. 

[valkyriepm]

17 hours ago, RMB said:

I've finished scratch building another three Japanese shops for my layout. These are based on real buildings that I found through Google Street View.

Wow! They look great! That's my type of modeling. Love to find inspiration on street view😁

Looking forward to more avances!

 

Martin

[Pauljag900]

Amazing what you find when tidying stuff away!

Found a piece of grey A4. 3mm  pvc so used  it to make some piers then covered them in left over brick card.

they re a bit thin to be completely realistic but I was governed by the track spacing. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 28, 2019 by Pauljag900