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Post by runamuckchuck on Oct 30, 2023 22:29:10 GMT
This may be as good a time as any to give you my impressions of the adaptability of the BORA Centipede work bench to use as support for a train layout.
Cons
1. You must adapt the space to the table dimensions not visa versa.
Unless you are going to use peninsulas, you are limited to a square or rectangle shape. The lolly columns pretty much dictated the total length I could do w/o two legs (dog or otherwise) that would flank the columns for engine sheds for instance.
2. The biggest con is the lack of access under the table. This calls for significant planning for wire management/electrical connections to say nothing about no place to store all the Lemax/MTH/Lionel boxes.
3. You build the layout as you go, one section at a time, support, ground cover, track , housing etc. I started out with two three table rows end to end and side to side which is where the town/village is located. This allowed me to access the front and back of the buildings to place roads. parking lots, and the vehicles.
Subsequently I worked one row of tables at a time with the middle table of three absent to maximize access to the two on either side. The third table was added when the outer two tables were complete.
4. You don't know if it will work/run train wise until you are finished. No initial test runs. If you mess up or have a bad piece of track you have to undo what you have done until you have access.
5.Expense. These things are not cheap but can be purchased at deep discounts on Amazon if you don't have to rush into things.
For reference I used 21 36" tall 2'X4' Centipede leg and tops.
Pros
1.Extremely light weight legs and manageable tops make setup quick and simple under 5 minutes. The tables are not rigid but they are extremely stable.
2. They break down easily for very compact storage. I will be using a firewood rack to store the table tops. I anticipate that with all the legs and table tops I will use approximately 4'X6'+/- of floor space.
3. The gaps between the tables can be used to route wires.
If I had anything to do over again I might buy the 4'X6' version only because of the dimensions of the available room for the layout. The train configuration is not complicated. I bought the track I needed to fill the available space. The one thing that I added was the two turnouts to run the excursion train through the tunnels which separated the town from the Halloween theme park area.
Well there folks is my tale of the temporary seasonal layout from start to finish. It took me 45 days. Most of the delay was inexperience and waiting for materials that I did not know I would need at the outset mostly associated with the town.
The next posting will be after the Halloween teardown and Christmas reboot right after Thanksgiving. I am old fashioned that way.
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Post by Country Joe on Oct 31, 2023 1:22:10 GMT
The Halloween layout is really cool, Chuck. You also did good with the videos. They were a lot of fun. Surprisingly (to me) I like the orange track.👍👍
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Post by Traindiesel! on Oct 31, 2023 6:01:45 GMT
The videos are great, Chuck! Thank you for sharing. Great trains and I love the dinosaurs. Hopefully the towns people will be ready if the dinosaurs attack!!
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Post by runamuckchuck on Nov 8, 2023 23:01:21 GMT
Yes, I know, I said nothing new until after Thanksgiving.
But this is a post asking for opinions, not praise or at a boy comments.
In considering improvements for next year's layout ( at 73 should that be considered optimism?) I am evaluating if the small town departure point really added anything to the layout story?
It was fun to figure it out but it was the most difficult portion of the entire layout due to my inexperience and sort of seat of the pants approach as I improvised.
Since this is fundamentally a Halloween/Christmas layout would you suggest that I lose the town and just go totally with the respective holiday?
Your thoughts are appreciated.
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Post by Country Joe on Nov 9, 2023 13:45:57 GMT
I think it would be a great Christmas layout either with or without the town. Why not exclude the town this year. It will make a nice layout. You can include the town next year if you really don’t like it without the town.
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Post by runamuckchuck on Nov 9, 2023 15:49:39 GMT
Thanks CJ, since the town is already up from the Halloween scheme, the reverse of what you suggest is more likely for this year. I introduced visitors to the layout in stages figuring that the sound, motion, and lights of the Lemax buildings would draw everyone to the far end of the layout and blow right by the town. The town is on the near side of the layout as you enter the room.
I first lit up the town, got the Halloween trolly running and ran the Santa Fe excursion train. Only after the town had soaked in did I light up Spooky Town and start the Halloween set.
Once Spooky Town started little if any attention was paid to the town except on the way out. That is why I am asking myself if the town is worth the effort/bother other than as a contrast to the holiday portion of the layout.
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Post by thebigcrabcake on Nov 17, 2023 20:15:16 GMT
I think your Halloween layout turned out GREAT! It's super fun which is the point, after all. Enjoyed your videos as well. I can't wait to see what you come up with for Christmas 2024. I know it will be amazing.
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Post by runamuckchuck on Nov 17, 2023 22:00:14 GMT
I think your Halloween layout turned out GREAT! It's super fun which is the point, after all. Enjoyed your videos as well. I can't wait to see what you come up with for Christmas 2024. I know it will be amazing. Thanks Emile with the caliber of your layouts hight praise indeed. I just got out of my funk and 2023 Christmas is back on. In the process of revamping the track layout in the North Pole which is taking more unanticipated thought. Also trying to apply lessons learned from Spooky Town experience.
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Post by Adam on Nov 17, 2023 22:38:05 GMT
I think your Halloween layout turned out GREAT! It's super fun which is the point, after all. Enjoyed your videos as well. I can't wait to see what you come up with for Christmas 2024. I know it will be amazing. Thanks Emile with the caliber of your layouts hight praise indeed. I just got out of my funk and 2023 Christmas is back on. In the process of revamping the track layout in the North Pole which is taking more unanticipated thought. Also trying to apply lessons learned from Spooky Town experience. Great news! I find that getting started is half the battle and any funk quickly goes away. I can't wait to get started on my Christmas village. I do that over the Thanksgiving weekend usually.
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Post by chipset35 on Nov 18, 2023 15:06:11 GMT
Well this is embarrassing. The photos I took portrait are on their sides and the photos that I took landscape are the correct orientation. I tried to delete the post but to no success. Can the moderator delete this and I will start from scratch please. Just open the photo in Microsoft Paint, reduce its size by 50% and save as a .jpg file. When you re-post that new file it will fit and be properly aligned.
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Post by runamuckchuck on Dec 3, 2023 22:21:17 GMT
Well for those of you who have been following this misadventure, the next phase is about to be unveiled. The layout is done to the extent any layout is ever done. I am now unboxing the applicable Christmas trains, and getting them ready to run. There will be three liveries, one passenger, one freight, and one quirky little cutie that does both.
In the North Pole destination Lemax is still the sole provider of fun and frolic within the confines of the North Pole. MTH and Atlas provide the transitional structures within the transition zone.
The small town is pretty much unchanged except for the addition of some winter birch trees scattered about, and a pickup truck filled with Christmas paraphernalia. Sorry for while I would have preferred to remove the convertibles from the town being as it is now almost Winter many were/are inaccessible and are still there. These towns folk are hardy individuals after all likely of Nordic stock.
Still photos and then short videos coming early to mid week.
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Post by atsda on Dec 3, 2023 23:27:21 GMT
Chuck, Exciting progress. Thanks for the descriptive, and humorous, post. Alfred (So what if the convertables fill up with snow - and idea?)
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Post by runamuckchuck on Dec 4, 2023 0:29:07 GMT
Chuck, Exciting progress. Thanks for the descriptive, and humorous, post. Alfred (So what if the convertables fill up with snow - and idea?) It is great ideas like this that can end you up in prison in some countries!
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Post by Adam on Dec 4, 2023 0:31:46 GMT
Well for those of you who have been following this misadventure, the next phase is about to be unveiled. The layout is done to the extent any layout is ever done. I am now unboxing the applicable Christmas trains, and getting them ready to run. There will be three liveries, one passenger, one freight, and one quirky little cutie that does both. In the North Pole destination Lemax is still the sole provider of fun and frolic within the confines of the North Pole. MTH and Atlas provide the transitional structures within the transition zone. The small town is pretty much unchanged except for the addition of some winter birch trees scattered about, and a pickup truck filled with Christmas paraphernalia. Sorry for while I would have preferred to remove the convertibles from the town being as it is now almost Winter many were/are inaccessible and are still there. These towns folk are hardy individuals after all likely of Nordic stock. Still photos and then short videos coming early to mid week. Cant wait to see it!
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Post by runamuckchuck on Dec 4, 2023 15:17:09 GMT
As promised here are a series of photos of Christmas 2023 to give you a sense of what is going on that you may miss in the video. The town changes are minimal as noted in the first three photos, two new trucks, and some winter birch trees. No dinosaurs this time just two crazy extreme sports polar bears on a tobagen, on one mountain. The Lionel Zombie mountain tunnels have been switched out for Polar Express versions more suitable to the eye, and season. Snow is courtesy of inexpensive paper/plastic lined drop clothes available at any hardware store. Besides cheap, they are not messy and can be folded up to almost nothing for reuse in coming years. Is does not hold up to critical scrutiny but it is white and has irregularities which make it look better than it should. Trains are MTH Rail King North Pole streamlined passenger set, an MTH Christmas Imperial Diesel for freight which has yet to have the consist placed on the track, and last but not least the Lionel NPC Doodlebug. For Christmas unlike Halloween the wow factor is primarily in the trains and track as you will see in the video. Those of you with good memories, will note that the track configuration is different for Christmas than for Spooky Town. Two concentric ovals rather than a figure eight of sorts to keep the trains on the periphery of the North Pole rather than cruising through Spooky Town. This also allows me to run two to three trains and/or a motorized unit in and around the North Pole. Those elves better keep a sharp eye out as there are no crossings! Once I have selected the freight cars, and have my basic remote control sets all paired up and ready to go a video will be forthcoming about mid week. |
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