Pretty cool you're into nostalogic HO! (which is dead). I would join www.tycoforums.com. We're all into that as myself! I look at this as postwar O/S in HO!One day, maybe this will be recoginized and looked at as junkie ol' Tyco!

 

I tried to, but for some reason the Antispam thingy when registering isn't working properly (it says that the response was incorrect, even when I typed it in correctly!)

 

My Tyco Chattanooga came with the expanded set, and had the risers, but the tender drive just could not pull its train up and over. So, it stayed flat.

Like the KFC. In Wylie, TX when the tornado hit in '92 or 93, the KFC sign looked like yours.

 

Yes you do not find too many people that model nostalogic ho, unless im unaware of this:dunno:

You have collected quite a bit of stuff, lots of neat structures you have their.

Do you plan on adding some roads? I think your layout will really "pop" when you have some roads running down the middle

Overall everything looks :smilie_daumenpos:

 

Some more updates on the layout. Yesterday I got a few more items for it...

The entire track layout is now made up of Atlas True-Track, except for the operating railroad crossing accessories.

I recently installed crossing grades in this area due to a road crossing the track here. One section has the entire grade glued onto the ties; the other has it only glued on one section due to the crossing being on two sections.

Car accident!

The space next to the church is currently being used as a vacant lot until I put a new building there...

I plan to wire it for two-train operation, as demonstrated in the Tyco Layout Expander System manual I also got:

(I have the first version; IDK what was changed in the black-cover edition, probably just replacing mention of brass track with their then-new Tru-Steel track...)

Except I will first need to get some plastic insulating joiners (Atlas offers these) and a blocking controller switch of some sort (Tyco used to offer them, but IDK who to currently turn to (does Atlas offer something that can do that?)

 

Yep, it is called the Atlas Selector.

 

Hey thanks! I'm getting ready to purchase one right now.

I also bought another pair of terminal joiners and some plastic insulator joiners from the local hobby shop for when I prepare the two-train configuration, along with some "earth" ground cover material. Here's how the layout currently looks:

For this photoshoot, I had my steam locomotive hauling the freight train! (Life-Like PRR 0-4-0 with tender, the newer version with a cowcatcher on the front.)

The new dirt road so far.

Finally, a response to the car that was smashed by a tree! I also plan to build a fire station for the layout (probably Life-Like's Hampden fire house)...

Of course I had to put fences around the houses to avoid trespassers on the tracks.

Train passing over the suburban two-track crossing.

The train is now parked at the station...


At this rate, with the way it's coming along, I may have to write an article somewhere about doing the Tyco Layout Expander System plan using Atlas True-Track!

 

Your True Track looks similar to EZ track, is it compatible??

 

That would be a bit tricky. True-Track has a different roadbed lock thingy than E-Z Track, plus True-Track is Code-83 while E-Z Track is Code-100. You'd probably make an impromptu section by breaking a hook off the E-Z track end, then connecting it to the True-Track (transition joiners from Code-100 to -83 are also recommended.

 

Nice layout! My wife even commented that it is very colorful.

May I make a suggestion? With the wiring, if you have the capability and means, it may help you out if you are able to drill small holes in your table and run the wiring underneath so that it cleans up the overall appearance. I like what you have done, but I would suggest running the wires underneath your table, especially if you are adding a Track Selector to your layout. The wires being underneath the table will make the appearance pretty much seamless.

Otherwise... A very nice looking layout you have going there! :thumbsup:

 

Not bad, but the layout really needs roads to bring everything together.


-J.

 

hoscale37, I do plan to drill some of the wires under the table once I've got the blocking and stuff down properly, and Mr.Buchholz, I do plan to add more roads, probably strips of cardboard or posterboard painted gray and blended with green ground cover material.

 

Cardboard? Go for the shingles man, they will look way better than any cardboard could.

-J.

 

OK, I figured that the Tyco Layout Expander track plan seemed a bit drab, so I thought I'd try another suggested one; currently I still have it set for single-train operation...

Of course I'm not going to get ALL of those Tyco buildings and accessories, though a few of them I may get my hands on (maybe the freight-unloading depot...) I still do need to get a couple Code-83/True-Track left-hand switches though. This track plan is also open to possible expansion ideas...

Here's some progress photos...

The Code-100 tracks are for representing "track under construction." I also drilled holes for the wires from the track to the controller, and it does make it less cluttered!

I also drilled a small hole for Life-Like's scenic lighted railroad signal here. They still offer it but now they claim it's for O and S scales. Sure, it may be a tad large for HO, but it also seems a bit small for O scale, IMO.

Relocated stock pen.

The train passes an apple orchard.

Note my "no parking" sign placed in front of the school; I based that off how several schools in my area put up those signs in school-bus-only zones.

I'm thinking of marquee signs to put on the Tyco theater...

Life-Like Snap-Loc commuter station on the main line, with the supply house and some freight cars on the siding.

A recently-laid dirt road.

I think for a layout that uses a lot of Life-Like products, it looks way better and more like a real model railroad than the stock photos Life-Like usually used of their layouts:

 

The dogbone makes the layout more funner to watch then to have a plain ol' oval!

 

cool it has that vintage look to it. What are the 2 wood blocks with the tall tube for ?

 

Those are to put a tarp over when not in use. I'm thinking of decorating them in some way so they blend in with the layout...

 

Maybe make them removable, so that they pin into to something small on the layout board when you need a cover, but they get fully removed otherwise.

 

More layout pics...

Billboard mounted on a Walthers Cornerstone building kit. I like it because it kinda reminds me of some of Brockton's shops...

I also practiced with doing drilling and parallel wiring ala demonstrated in my Tyco Layout Expander System manual, so I can have more than one scenic light-up running off the main power pack. In this case, the scenic railroad signal in the foreground and the Life-Like "Milltown Switchman." Once I get a replacement bulb for my Bachmann flashing storage tank, I will wire that up to it as well.

Yep, I decided to use a bit of my old Power-Loc track that came with my Freight Runner train set with one of the sidings (they're still "under construction," but now I have some True-Track sections connected. I'm not sure with the other spur if I should get one of those plastic True-Track bumpers, or a regular Atlas Code-83 bumper and install that onto the track instead? (I do still sometimes use Power-Loc; in fact I have a 47x38" oval in my room that I use for testing or breaking in new locomotives before putting them on my layout!)

The elementary school bus circle now has the spur track line as an obstacle (I thought that'd make an interesting scenario!) One option is that the buses could back out of the school bus circle and onto the road...

Passengers waiting at the train station. I do sometimes run an Amtrak train on my layout. The Tyco crossing signal is in the background (still no luck on getting the lights to flash...)

A truck begins to cross the track after the PRR steam freight passes through. The way I planted the signal I got from my old copy of "Basics for Beginners - 10th Edition."

I also put the deck on the back of the Plasticville Cape Cod house.

Yep, the local general store also gets deliveries by rail...

I am also getting a Bachmann "Action Depot" and one of their older "dual crossing gates", because those have removable track, and I am going to try and replace the original brass track section with Code-83 nickel silver track...

 

I recently got a nice surprise Christmas present from my dad: an MRC Tech 4 280 power pack, so I don't have to use those blue ones from Life-Like on my layout to control my trains now...

So far, I do love the realistic operation and better performance I get from the Tech 4 280...

More updated overviews:

 

I recently acquired a couple of old Bachmann action accessories from the late 1970s/early 1980s that I am trying to fix up. One is the Bachmann Action Depot:

However, I wired it to a power pack like instructed, but the pressure sensors don't do anything; the little forklift guy does not come out the doors when the sensor is activated.

Another is the Bachmann deluxe operating railroad crossing (similar to their usual "crossing gate" accessory, but the lights also blink on and off, and a small bell dings inside a small decorative building.

I am currently in the process of restoring this one as well. When I tested it via a power pack, the pressure sensors do work, but instead of the bell dinging really fast like it's supposed to, the gears to work the bell and lights moves VERY SLOWLY. Does it need to be oiled/lubricated or something? The gates also won't move. I think there may be something wrong with that too (maybe the lever thingies need readjusting.) I am also swapping out the original 9-inch brass track section, as it can be removed, and brass track sucks anyway. I am going to try and use a Code-83 track section and see what that does.

 

Hi I have one of those railroad crossing that I am restoring. How do you install the sensors (or switches) on each side of the crossing?

 

More pics of my layout:

More upgraded knuckle couplers! It was a little hard to install some of them, but it was worth it.

The train passing through the Bachmann action depot that needs repairing...

I moved the general store over to that siding that is still under construction. (It does give me places to temporarily park unused freight cars and locomotives!)

Train passes through a log dump. Some of the cars have SceneMaster knuckle couplers on them now.

Santa Fe caboose with said knuckle couplers.

Check out the marquee I added...

The train rolls past some strategically-placed trees.

 

Aw man, I grew up in the sixties and this is generally what me and my buds had. I'm GLAD you and others out there still do retro layouts because it not only brings back memories but it preserves alot of other stuff that might otherwise get trashed because it's not like new highly scaled, weathered, digitized stuff. Other future generations really need this around to show them where their stuff started from. That means your layout doubles as a living, hands-on museum, excellent =)

Todays stuff is totally OMG amazing, no lie, but my real heart will always be in the old common 60's and 70's stuff..

 

Exactly Well Said :thumbsup: I personally have detailed newer stuff with my layout, but when I see layouts like this it brings back alot of memories.

 

More new pics of my layout...

Current overviews.

My operation platform. Note that Gumby and Pokey came from Toyland to watch the trains, like they usually would...

Tyco piggyback flat car.

Still trying to find something to use for a road...

Life-Like operating log dump car and station. I am considering replacing the plastic logs with small twig sections about the same size...

Life-Like signal bridge.

That Plasticville Suburban Station represents an abandoned train station that had since been replaced with the more modern commuter station seen to the right of it.

You may noticed I placed a bit of lichen around the Life-Like crossings to hide the seams. I'm also now considering painting the white parts of the bases green or brown for a somewhat more realistic look.

I decided to relocate the school. I still plan to install a fenced-in playground behind it, like a real elementary school would typically have.

I got around to setting up the Life-Like dual crossing gate that came with my Freight Runner train set, with the help of a couple of additional Power-Loc adapter track sections. The signals themselves look suspiciously like Tyco's own crossing gate, except the gates have yellow stripes instead of white. Then again, it seems there were a LOT of knock-offs of Tyco's operating crossing gate (the Pemco, Bachmann and Life-Like ones seem to resemble Tyco's more, though.)

A roadside fruit stand accompanies the apple orchard.

One gate is able to often stay down on the Life-Like crossing, but the other not so much. Another angle of the crossing. I might try and motorize the gates and/or install LEDs in the signals so it looks more realistic.

The train approaches the residential-area crossing.

I am also planning on getting more track to connect those spurs to the main line, maybe add another siding, a Tyco unloading box car and/or freight unloading depot, Life-Like Hampden fire station, a campground near the back (thinking of getting both the older Build-a-Scene version and the later SceneMaster Essentials version), a lake of some sort and probably a few new locos I can use on the layout as well (I'm kinda leaning towards anything Santa Fe-related Walthers Trainline, even a used Dash 8-40BW would be good!)

 

I have the Avis truck! LOL it is in my box for about 1000 die-cast cars.

 

I like your layout more with every picture you post of it.

 

the good old stuff is the best IMO...I have a Tyco engine that Im in the process of building and its a great looking engine, and would look great with your Tyco stuff!! nice pictures love them!!

 

Looking very good!:thumbsup: One thought for your road could be masking the outline of how you want it. Scrape some of grass, all if you want it smooth, leave some on if you want to keep some texture. Paint any color you want, around here the majority of roads are asphalt, but you could do concrete or any shade you like by mixing paint colors.

 

Re-designed the layout a bit and got another left-hand switch to connect one of the spurs to the main line:

I also rearranged a few of the structures as well...

The switch there is remote-operated. I plan to wire it up to my power pack, but I'll need some extra red/black/green wire from Atlas to do so...

The non-operating Scenemaster crossing signals are now facing the road, as the spur has finally been opened.