After getting the trim coil up on the top level and the top benchwork on, I gave the coil a nice coating of Kilz and then painted on “Skyline” colored paint from Ace.

.

Here’s a panoramic shot of the room too:

All that stuff I said about using manual turnouts… forget about it.

I decided since this is my “permanent” layout, I’m gonna go all out on it still. I know all mainline turnouts and sidings will be tortoise controlled with either a Hare or Wabbit DCC module, depending on location.

Yards and industry tracks I’m not sure yet. I’m thinking manual, but not sure if I would want to use the Hump Yard ones, the oversized looking Caboose Industries ones, possible some manual Blue Point controls, or just make ‘em all remote operated as well.

This weekend I managed to get level 1 (the lower level) completed.

I drilled two holes into each bracket for cable routing, and went ahead and ran the DCC bus cable while I had the decking off. I then secured the the benchwork top with 2-4 screws per backet depending on location.

Then it was time to add the supports for the backdrop, which is aluminum trim coil. I picked up some 2″x48″ pieces of wood strip from lowe’s and cut them down to 10″ pieces. Then using Heavy Duty Liquid Nails, I glued the wood strips straight to the exposed bracket.

Next up, the trim coil. This is was just a matter of puting more liquid nails on the wood strip, pushing up the trim coil and moving to the next one. I used some staples from a staple gun a some spots to hold the trim coil in place, like the corners.

I had to break and cut the coil and one spot cause it was angling up and creating a bulge. I glued the two pieces together and will eventually use some caulking probably to blend the seems. Shouldn’t be visible to much.

Trimmed out the area for the bracket to go in.

and voila! An (almost) seemless brackdrop running around the whole level.

Just an update on the shelves. On Friday I got all the 2×2x15 braces attached to each bracket. Just need to drill a hole in 40 of them for cable running.

The very top shelf I am using I think 3/8″ Luan plywood. It only need to act as a “sky” so I didn’t go with anything fancy for that level.

Today I then visited Lowe’s and picked up 2 4×8 sheets of 15/32″ specialty plywood. I had them cut it to 6 15″x8′ sheets to limit the number of cut’s I’d need to do at home…. and to fit it all in the car! 8′ just fits in the Mazda 3 5-dr if you ever wondered

Getting close to a pretty set plan now.

Removed the Level 1 yard, angled the Level 2 yard to get away from the constant squared/straight track, and added the straight sections on each level to be used for the removable staging caddies.

My order of 2×2x18 wood stakes arrived at Ace today, so I ran over to pick ‘em up as soon I got home from work. Made a little “assembly line” in the garage and in 4 passes cut the tip off all ‘em to make a 2×2x15 wood brace. Each of these will be attached to a shelf bracket, plywood on top, and then 1″ blue foam.

Another idea popped into my head while looking at the layout and trying to figure out how to turn trays and simulate thru-trains, etc…

I first thought about using a staging cart. Basically a little I could roll out from under the layout, raise up to level height and roll trains on and off. But figuring out how to raise the tracks that high for level 1 and 2 seemed like a pain. Then the idea of a caddy/tray hit me.

So here’s my thoughts. On level 1 I would remove the yard ladder totally. It’s place I would put 2 arrival/departure tracks simulating the tail end of the yard the train is approaching. Under each track (2 yards and 1 main) I would cut of a 1″ deep channel into the blue foam that will be on top the 1/4″ plywood (or 1/2″ haven’t decided yet). Length would be about 40-50″, width maybe 1″ or 2″. I’ll have to tinker with real stuff to determine that. In each channel I would then place a piece of 1″x?”plywood with track attached.

I now have a removable “staging tray” for trains. This would allow to me turn trains around such as an Amtrak train, and simulate the train entering the yard and leaving layout without having to use up real estate for another yard. One of these is enough for me and the budget, heh.

I would do the same for level 2, just had a straight section behind the refinery for the tray piece to remove trains that are continuing on past the refinery to whereever they are headed.

I really like this idea and it’ll be a snap to implement. Here’s a really crappy drawing I made on a post-it note

I probably mentioned at one time my plan to use JMRI and Digitrax to run block occupancy and signal logic. Well, with my idea of switching back to manual turnout control that sorta changes a lot of the signaling logic I once needed.

With everything running on DCC (turnouts, block occupancy, signals), JMRI would be able to prototypically change aspects. With this system, something like throughing a turnout to a siding would have all signals appropriate signals by the computer.

With manual turnouts though, I loose that feedback logic to the DCC system and I pretty much can only run a signal system based on occupancy (as far as I can tell).

I began to think if that’s the direction I’m headed, why bother with the expense and time of programming JMRI to run a block signal system when I can use Atlas’ “Plug-N-Play” signal system to the same thing. It would simulate signal logic to a certain point, which for my use (ie: no multi-user super prototypical operating sessions), would work fine.

Since the Atlas Block Detector was made for DC, I would have to pick up some NCE BD-20 DCC block detectors.

I’m sorta starting to lean in this direction for the Signal system. I’m also kinda liking the idea of not having to boot up the computer/software everytime I wanna run the layout. The Atlas system would be totally self contained on the layout power.

More info:

Atlas N-scale System | NCE BD-20 Block Detector

At least that’s what it feels like.

Here’s the drafts I came up with last night for a point-to-point layout.

The level 1 yard would be made to simulate just the beginning of a much larger yard. (ie: a mirror would be used to simulate tracks just keep on going).

I would keep some hidden staging along level 1’s north wall. Just to have a spot to hide some trains that go to where I call “some other place”. (ie: build a train either yard and send off to “some other place”) until another session.

I was also toying around with the idea of creating maybe a little staging cart, something I can butt up against the south end of level 1, to run some other “ready to roll” trains as run-throughs. I would want to store the cart under the layout on the south wall, so I would have to figure out a way to raise the track up and down about 4-5″ from cart top to layout level.

I’m also debating on going back to all manual turnout control. One goal with the continuous loop was to be able to build fully computer controlled scenarios, utilizing the full east/west hidden staging yards. With a point-to-point, I don’t think that would work as I would want.

Oh, and another reason for manual turnouts. $$$

At 39 turnouts, that’s almost $700 in tortoise devices alone, plus another $500 or so for decoders. That’s almost $1200!

Humpyard manual turnouts - around $253. Little easier on the wallet.

So… I’ll probably use humpyard manual turnout throws for every turnout. I’d still like to have signaling work with block occupancy using Digitrax and JMRI. Though I’m not sure how to incorporate manual turnouts into this. For example, when I throw a switch, how will the system now that and set the signal aspects according.

Also, the staging area will be hooked up with IRdot-p detectors for automatic train stopping.

All and all I think things are coming together and I’ll still end up with a good layout. I won’t be able to sit back and watch trains run around the layout continuously, but at least I’ll still be able to watch trains on a layout.