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I thought I cronical my continuing efforts on my shelf layout I starting building over 23 years ago. I had grand ambitious plans as I finally had a finished basement to fix up and showcase a shelf railroad that friends and family would love to visit.
This is my 3rd engineered road with childhood experiences from serious modelers. I did the loop, and point to point in homosote and cork. I was a member of a modular club and learned all I could about DCC. If you ever want to learn DCC or modular design, joining a club and learning how to's from a lot of educated afficinato's is the way to go.
In those early days, being transient, I was relaglated to "N' scale and grew to dispise the micro-issues the scale presents. So this 3rd layout...is working to.....fulfill the dream!
The plan was to have a BIG yard to park a vast collection of rolling stock and Engines and a loop or duel main that could transit separate zones and climites based on my favorite railroad, namely the Santa Fe. I wanted at least 2 trains to be able to roll without much guidance while I could manage switching in a yard and making consists. I'd switch out consists on the main and drop off deliveries off the main while avoiding the 2 trains rolling on the main.
That takes a lot of track and basement space so the shelf layout was the ticket.
The Design....
![Font Line Parallel Pattern Watercraft]()
I spent two years building the shelf, cutting out track bed, homosote, laying track, wiring in the DCC wiring, hardwiring locomotives from DC to DCC, and finally running trains. I had even tried to run a overhead main track high in the ceiling around the drop ceiling...it was enough to "burnout".
![Building Sky Shade Automotive exterior Gas]()
But there was so much more to do! I had very little buildings, no lighting, very little scenery.
So I kept plugging away...and life happened and I had to rethink everything as I feared I would have to tear it all down and move. So I abandoned my overhead line with a helix to connect the shelve unit and I shortened the mainline in order to be able to move it all. And then it sat, waiting to see if I would have to move it or not.
10 years later and it looks as if time passed me by and now I see myself retired and needing a winter hobby.
How about a railroad...I so wish I still had that drive I had in my youth, time has taken it toll on me too. I am in my 60's, FYI.
But I am trying to do more and more.
View media item 22955
I found some sweet deals on used buildings at the train show and am making them "mini diaramas" to plug and place on the layout all ready to go with people, furnishing, LED lighting and the such.
View media item 22963
Today, I get excited with nano LED tech and am working between the building diaoramas and the streets that define the spaces the diaramas plug into. I purchased nano street lights and building nano leds....
![Twig Creative arts Art Font Fashion accessory]()
Engineering street scenes to work with a "popout panel" for loop access....
![World Urban design City Landscape Wood]()
Mounting street lighting...so exciting!
![Vehicle Wood Motor vehicle Electrical wiring Gas]()
I had a dedicated hi amperage 24vdc power supply for use on the layout and I am going to use it for all the lighting, adding several circuits of different adjustable voltages to mimic different brightness of street lights, home lights, store and sign lighting....a very ambicious lighting project.
![Circuit component Motor vehicle Passive circuit component Urban design Electronic engineering]()
And a glut of used recycled builtings to embellish and make into mini diaoramas. Placing then to see how they may fit in the town area around the bottom of the loop....
![Train Toy Urban design Track Engineering]()
And a general view of the "L" shaped layout...
![Toy Urban design Wood Engineering Landscape]()
This top loop is a module that can move and disconnect to the shelf layout in order to gain access to a storage area door....
![Train Toy Motor vehicle Urban design Vehicle]()
More to come soon.
I am wanting to start my own thread about my layout to document future progress and appologize in advance to those viewers looking for progress during the late Spring, Summer, and early Fall months as this is mostly a winter hobby for me.
This is my 3rd engineered road with childhood experiences from serious modelers. I did the loop, and point to point in homosote and cork. I was a member of a modular club and learned all I could about DCC. If you ever want to learn DCC or modular design, joining a club and learning how to's from a lot of educated afficinato's is the way to go.
In those early days, being transient, I was relaglated to "N' scale and grew to dispise the micro-issues the scale presents. So this 3rd layout...is working to.....fulfill the dream!
The plan was to have a BIG yard to park a vast collection of rolling stock and Engines and a loop or duel main that could transit separate zones and climites based on my favorite railroad, namely the Santa Fe. I wanted at least 2 trains to be able to roll without much guidance while I could manage switching in a yard and making consists. I'd switch out consists on the main and drop off deliveries off the main while avoiding the 2 trains rolling on the main.
That takes a lot of track and basement space so the shelf layout was the ticket.
The Design....
I spent two years building the shelf, cutting out track bed, homosote, laying track, wiring in the DCC wiring, hardwiring locomotives from DC to DCC, and finally running trains. I had even tried to run a overhead main track high in the ceiling around the drop ceiling...it was enough to "burnout".
But there was so much more to do! I had very little buildings, no lighting, very little scenery.
So I kept plugging away...and life happened and I had to rethink everything as I feared I would have to tear it all down and move. So I abandoned my overhead line with a helix to connect the shelve unit and I shortened the mainline in order to be able to move it all. And then it sat, waiting to see if I would have to move it or not.
10 years later and it looks as if time passed me by and now I see myself retired and needing a winter hobby.
How about a railroad...I so wish I still had that drive I had in my youth, time has taken it toll on me too. I am in my 60's, FYI.
But I am trying to do more and more.
View media item 22955
I found some sweet deals on used buildings at the train show and am making them "mini diaramas" to plug and place on the layout all ready to go with people, furnishing, LED lighting and the such.
View media item 22963
Today, I get excited with nano LED tech and am working between the building diaoramas and the streets that define the spaces the diaramas plug into. I purchased nano street lights and building nano leds....
Engineering street scenes to work with a "popout panel" for loop access....
Mounting street lighting...so exciting!
I had a dedicated hi amperage 24vdc power supply for use on the layout and I am going to use it for all the lighting, adding several circuits of different adjustable voltages to mimic different brightness of street lights, home lights, store and sign lighting....a very ambicious lighting project.
And a glut of used recycled builtings to embellish and make into mini diaoramas. Placing then to see how they may fit in the town area around the bottom of the loop....
And a general view of the "L" shaped layout...
This top loop is a module that can move and disconnect to the shelf layout in order to gain access to a storage area door....
More to come soon.
I am wanting to start my own thread about my layout to document future progress and appologize in advance to those viewers looking for progress during the late Spring, Summer, and early Fall months as this is mostly a winter hobby for me.
