This is simply a continuation of excellence, fine , fine, fine. Modeling at its highest level. The new areas add realism and do not detract from the feel or flow, the placement of backdrops are an option.
I like the open staging, it becomes part of the railroad, not throw a hole in the wall behind a curtain. Yes I think it would look nice with a photo backdrop with some blue sky and clouds. It is a beautiful layout with some very cool structures. Enjoyed the switching operations. What a great layout and show Thank you sir for sharing
awesome!!! ty Rob for sharing Bill's layout with us again....And ty Bill for letting us see it...wish i could afford some of those fsm kits they are sweet
I think the staging looks just fine, especially with some switching operations available too. "Black Dog Steele", what a wonderful way of memorializing a beloved friend. I love it. Thanks Rob and give our thanks to Bill as well for the great tour. Oh, and let Bill know I would some of those Black Dog kits if he should pursue it. Thanks! Cheers, Dan
Thanks Danny for the comment. Yes it is a great way to remember a great dog. Still miss her. Maybe Rob and I will have to start a kit company! LOL. Bill S
Dear Stephen, I really appreciate your channel. Every time I discover that there is a new Upload there is nothing more important for me! All thumbs up! I love it to view what I am dreaming of to do when I somewhen have the space and time to the same. You're uploads are so devotedly and detailed. Please keep on doing your channel. Great thanks to you :-) All the best from Vienna
Hi Rob. Nice footage. What a tremendous layout. I don't mind visible staging. Especially when it's scenic and of such high quality. I wish we could get structure kits of that quality over here in the UK. I'd spend as much time making and weathering as playing trains. Cheers
Really enjoyed the visual impact of this layout and the quality of the modelling. Achieving equal excellence in scenic backdrops would be a challenge but I bet you could do it. I would put a wooden pelmet across the top of the window so that you could apply building frontages to it to continue the eyeline. Absolutely first class.
Thanks for the comments. I pretty much did what you described. Put an 18 x 72 inch piece of foamboard across the far wall to hide most of the window, painted it sky blue, placed a 6 inch wide shelf across the space at the base of the foamboard between the two stagings, built up with foam a ridge of hills with lots of trees and then blended in behind the hills some images of coal country (tops of breakers, culm piles, overview of Mahanoy City, PA, etc). It came out okay. If nothing else, it takes that awful curtain out of the way that I never even noticed until I saw the video. Photography is revealing, isn't it? Thanks again for watching. Bill Schopf
I really enjoy your layout. I live in schuylkill county (pronounced school-kill btw) which is right in the middle of what your modelling so I can relate to the scenery. Keep up the excellent work!
Thanks Chad. I never could figure out how to pronounce that darned word. School-kill does make sense. What did I call it -- Sky Kill? Thanks again for the compliment. Bill S
The wall above Reading and Wilkes Barre do look kinda bare. I think SOMETHING there would enhance the area. Perhaps if the sky colour in the photo backdrop could be blended into the colour of the walls, I think it would work. And as Rob says, just some sky and clouds around the window. Gorgeous layout. Great video, Rob. Thanks.
As both you and Davie Maclean suggested, some sky and clouds is probably the way to go. Keep the sky the dull gray blue hazy color it is now and feather in some thunderheads or something above a photo backdrop of an urban scene to represent the two cities of Reading and Wilkes Barre. I appreciate both of your comments and your taking the time to think about it. Bill Schopf
EXCELLENT layout. BACKDROPS for staging yards: After reading the other comments, I'm reversing my initial "yes, backdrops". Basic Hollywood scenic rule: Never jar the visual illusion. Even in blockbusters with lots of cuts, the scenery is CONSISTANT. 1) A sudden change from blue sky would BREAK the illusion. 2) Fill in all blank wall spaces, espc. between the stairwall corner and where your building begins with tight scenery, or maybe billboards or something. Soften those outside corners with a tall big tree. 3) The blue on your walls is a nice "hazy sky" color that works, but because these areas appear to have taller sky, adding a bit of high fog or light whispy clouds will enhance the illusion. You can see the way the clouds on Stephen's backdrops add to the effect. If you haven't got that skill, there are lots of talented student artists, who would do this kind of thing for very reasonable cost. IF YOU DECIDE you want some backdrop, logically you should have a few more buildings in a flat roofline perspective behind the buildings and the backdrop should somehow fade into the blue paint before you reach the outside corners. Otherwise, you highlight the change.
Robert: Great comments. Really great. Thanks for the time to think through this. I think I'm coming to your way of thinking. I'd thought of Trackside Scenery's autumn hill backdrops but the more I looked at it the more jarring it seemed it would be. Too much difference. What I'm thinking is this. If you look at the video again from the 42 minute mark to the end (about 3 minutes) look at the buildings on the upper shelf at the back above the ones the video highlighted. I'm thinking of doing this on the Wilkes Barre wall. Scratchbuilt buildings with photos of buildings layered two deep behind them to enhance the illusion of a city. Then lots of fluffy clouds (maybe nimbo cumulus or something that would contrast with the hazy blue). Love the billboard idea to hide the corner. Any chance I could get your e-mail address and I could send some pix of what I'm doing and get your input? Would appreciate it. Thanks again for taking the time and thoughts. Really appreciated. Bill S
My new staging yard "Salt River Valley Crew Change Yard" on my layout will be totally visible. I will treat it as a crew change location so you are the new crew getting a train or dropping a train, But it really is just the staging yard.
Cool idea. I like the idea of using this as a crew change location. The mileage would be just about right to have this on a prototype railroad. Might have to implement this in the next op session. Thanks for the input. Bill S
I have very little backdrop on my loft layout as the angle of the roof trusses is approximately what that cam ceiling appears to be on the Wilkes Barre side, so I'm no expert and I'm not speaking from experience. However, the buildings already in place look so good on both sides I would be tempted just to (as BNSF3012 suggests) paint it as sky and clouds including the portion above the window. Maybe even get some "sky" coloured curtains! ;-) Awesome layout (including the temporary buildings!) and a great video. Have you had enough of the short videos Rob?! ;-) Cheers
Interesting idea. Maybe a view looking into a panorama of a city. You guys are right. Something has to be done with the window. Thanks for the input. Bill
Thanks for another great video Rob. What a stunning railway, and yes I prefer seeing all the trains rather than hiding them away in staging. I am not sure you really need a backdrop to Reading and Wilkes Barre as the rest of the layout doesn't have any and one little section might look out of place. Oh funny thing I use the names of Reading and Wilkes Barre on my own layout here in the UK, as off layout destinations, although it is nothing like this one, but I just learnt watching you video I had been miss pronouncing Wilkes Barre, and should be saying Wilkesberry. Thanks for that.
I have watched both the videos of your layout. I look at the change to visible staging as a "Win Win". The layout looks bigger and more complete, the scenes on both sides are attractive, and because it is "off to one side", the area can be both a world of its own, and also part of your original world. I like the change. I think I look at the backdrop question in the same way. One part of your layout would have backdrops, other pars will not. Each area id separate physically from the other. So each can have its own features. You can change features any time you choose to. With or without a backdrop, it will be an attractive area. I would guess I would prefer to see it with a backdrop in the new area, to the full height of the walls.
Thanks for the reply, Drake. I also thnk it looks bigger and it is sort of in a world (worlds) of its own with the two distinct scenes. Since the video I have made some major changes that Rob will probably video when this Covid-19 settles down. The one at the left has become more "city" with 3 large industries -- one of which also serves as a backdrop. It is really more of a switching yard now than staging although I can stage up to 2 short trains there. The one at the right remains more staging but also has some changes. Since the video I found a place on the railroad by adding 4 inches into the aisle to come up with two 27 foot long staging tracks which has totally changed the ballgame. I would be interested to see your reactions to the changes once the next video goes out. Thanks again for the response and stay healthy through all this. Bill S
@@bschopf1 I have watched all of Robs videos, many of them twice, so I will likely see when he does an update. I would be happy to let you know what I think.
build a connecter from left to the rite in frt of the window ,and have 1 or 2 tracks that go from the left side to the rite side ,,and u can have ur continuous layout again ,but still have ur left stagging and right stagging .
Nice layout, good improvements since last time. I would put photo backdrops up anywhere you can, as to across the window, if you have a good break then skip going across the window. For example, a valance would solve that, but you could just stop at the trim. As to visible staging, I'm personally not a fan, to each layout builder their own, but I like keeping the instinct that trains leaving are going off into the distant world, or coming from it. Just my $0.02. Really great structures on this layout! Superb modeling, and looks to be a very enjoyable layout to operate.
Andy: See the comment above to Robert Mein. What I'm thinking are photo backdrops -- only individual photographed buildings that are strategically place behind other buildings. I think I will go across the window as well. Remove the curtain and put insulboard between the venetian blinds and window glass to keep out the summer heat. I'm just not going to use sweeping photo panoramas that the backdrop companies sell. I'll try to fool with my own. See how it goes. I can always tear it down and start over if it stinks. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Bill S
Makes sense to me Bill. I'm just a complete fans for photo realistic backdrops, weather created in entirety of pieced together. They just add so much distance to your model view. Great layout too, I really enjoy when Rob catches us up on it. Look forward to seeing how your staging arrangement works out for you. And no matter what I or anyone else says, and as you know, it only matters what you prefer, it's your layout. While I have my preferences, I see the other ways, and I think everything comes with benefits and tradeoffs, there's few perfect choices. While I'm not generally a fan of visible staging, I know that comes with some difficult compromises, that aren't the right tradeoff many times. Regardless of what choices I make, your layout looks to be a complete success, and wins marks in the area I care most about, and that is that it looks to be a real joy to run trains on and operate. Not to mention, I love coal operations, as I model that myself.
Thanks for the kind words, Andy. Rob will keep you up to date, I'm sure. Too bad we don't live closer together and we could op on each other's coal roads. How far is NW Penna from you? Bill
Indeed, and Rob is, or Rob, you are, a great asset to our modeling community. The sharing of information is a core value of modeling, in my humble opinion. And I try within my UA-cam Model Builders community. It is too bad, the internet is amazing for us modelers, to share information, and develop community when geography is a problem. I'd love to see you join in on some of our nightly online video chats at appear.in/youtubemodelbuilders or to any of you watching and commenting, we're just a diverse group of modelers trying to share with each other and the internet, and are a growing group of friends there, and from all over the world, but we also do recorded shows to try to share with the larger modeling community. Bill, I'm prolly 5-6 hours out of Pensy, I was up for the Fine Scale Expo in Altoona last year, and do travel a bit to shows, visit layouts, operate, etc. I would gladly make the drive sometime, if you planned an op session out in advance. I hope people will be willing to travel to help me operate mine, but I'm a year or so away from having my layout ready to operate. I'm also working with some technology and cameras to allow for internet based operating sessions. I have got quite a bit of scenery done, but I still have trackwork to do. I have started on the top deck, which is required, being a point-to-point design, to get trains running meaningfully. I need to do an update video, since I haven't posted one in more than a year, I'll try to do that in the next few days.
Internet based operating sessions! That sounds really interesting. I'd like to see your ideas on how you want to accomplish this. That will add a whole new dimension to operating. I plan to tune in to the site above. What times does it run? Or will the link tell me? Interesting ideas, Andy. Let's try to stay in touch. Thanks again for all the comments and ideas. Bill S
Hi Rob, what a stunning layout!. Bill is indeed a talented craftsman. However, I do think the layout is somewhat spoilt by the lack of weathering on the track, all that nickel!, you never see that in the real world!! apart from that it's fantastic. What is the name of the music you have used in the video? it is really nice. Looking forward to your next update. Cheers..... Les (UK)
Pauline: You are dead right about all the code 100 Atlas nickel track showing. It looks okay when you are standing in front of it. But put it on a video and it looks a foot high. I guess I'm just too old and stubborn to tear out all the track and re-do it with weathered code 83. Just sort of close your eyes, I guess, and don't look at the track that much. Maybe a little paint on the rails that show would help. Thanks for the constructive comment. Bill Schopf
Les- it really isn't an issue when you are there in person, in fact I didn't even notice it! (Makes me wonder why I spent so much time air brushing my track...) yes, in pictures and video it becomes more obvious. Similar to many details on our layouts. But most importantly the layout runs flawlessly, and when running trains all that other stuff fades away. Oh- the music. It is called Acoustic Breeze, and I got it from www.bensound.com.
Hi Bill, It's Les, Thanks for your reply. You don't need to tear up the track, just airbrush some track weathering paint onto the rails. If you don't want to do it yourself perhaps you could find a willing volunteer (Rob) to give you a hand!!. As for the walls, perhaps you could tone down the brightness of the white with some sky blue and a few clouds. Either way it's still a fantastic layout, well done. Regards..... Les.
What paint would you suggest. I tried a Woodland Scenics paint stick and it was awful. I tried another paint maybe from Rusty Rails and it wouldn't adhere well. Any ideas on a good product to use. Using the airbrush on a finished layout scares me. Overspray is highly likely. I'm not the most talented of airbrushers. Any ideas, Les, would be appreciated. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Bill
Hi Bill, I'm not sure which would be the best paint to use ,or what you have available in the U.S but perhaps you could try a rusty color Tamiya Acrylic. As for airbrushing, if you use a Dual Action type Airbrush it should keep the over spray to a minimum. Just as an example if you check out this guy on UA-cam (Everard Junction episode 7) it shows his method, and as you will see he has little or no over spray at all. I hope this will be of some use. ...Les.
I don't see an issue with his open staging area. It's detailed or still being detailed and allows for yard switching duties. Plus, it's his layout, his money and his personal taste. Seen way too many whistle dicks in this hobby attempt to tear other modelers down because that persons layout doesn't conform to "their views".
LOVE DETAIL VIDEO AS FRIEND LAYOUT REL BEAUTY AS GREAT OPERATION THERE. ALL MY STAGE YARDS ARE OUT OPEN TO SEE AS MAKE PART OPERATION. MOVE SELF BE CROSS TOP WINDOW THAT USE SPACE FOR STORING CARS NOT USE ON LAYOUT.
Thanks for the idea of putting the car storage tracks over the window. I hadn't thought of that, Robert. Great idea. It would free up the two walls for backdrops then. I like it. Thanks for watching and for the nice comments. Bill Schopf
Simply stunning work .....a true craftsman to the hobby ....
Great layout Bill. I’ve watched the tour multiple times. Really impressed with your structures.
Frank P.
This is simply a continuation of excellence, fine , fine, fine. Modeling at its highest level. The new areas add realism and do not detract from the feel or flow, the placement of backdrops are an option.
I like the visible staging yards. The loss of the tunnel, in favor of visible tracks, was another plus. Great job!
Great layout Bill, love your technique with the wood blocks.
I like the open staging, it becomes part of the railroad, not throw a hole in the wall behind a curtain.
Yes I think it would look nice with a photo backdrop with some blue sky and clouds. It is a beautiful layout with some very cool structures. Enjoyed the switching operations.
What a great layout and show
Thank you sir for sharing
Absolutely stunning!!!!....Thanks for taking us along!!
You are welcome!
awesome!!! ty Rob for sharing Bill's layout with us again....And ty Bill for letting us see it...wish i could afford some of those fsm kits they are sweet
Beautiful Model Railway layout. I love it.
Structures are stunning!! Well done!
I think the staging looks just fine, especially with some switching operations available too. "Black Dog Steele", what a wonderful way of memorializing a beloved friend. I love it. Thanks Rob and give our thanks to Bill as well for the great tour. Oh, and let Bill know I would some of those Black Dog kits if he should pursue it. Thanks! Cheers, Dan
Thanks Dan- Bill does read the comments, and is appreciating all the ideas. And the Black Dog kit idea is under discussion...
Thanks Danny for the comment. Yes it is a great way to remember a great dog. Still miss her. Maybe Rob and I will have to start a kit company! LOL. Bill S
Love what you've done opening up the staging yards. Looks great plus more operation. I have open staging also. Keep up the great work!
Fantastic, what else can you say , the update on the layout unbelievable
Cheers Glynn
Thanks Glynn!
Dear Stephen, I really appreciate your channel. Every time I discover that there is a new Upload there is nothing more important for me! All thumbs up!
I love it to view what I am dreaming of to do when I somewhen have the space and time to the same. You're uploads are so devotedly and detailed. Please keep on doing your channel. Great thanks to you :-) All the best from Vienna
Thank you for the kind words. It is nice to know the channel and videos are appreciated. I plan to keep it going as long as possible!
Hi Rob. Nice footage. What a tremendous layout. I don't mind visible staging. Especially when it's scenic and of such high quality. I wish we could get structure kits of that quality over here in the UK. I'd spend as much time making and weathering as playing trains. Cheers
Outstanding video. Great content and production. Staging can be visible.
I like the visible staging.
Really enjoyed the visual impact of this layout and the quality of the modelling. Achieving equal excellence in scenic backdrops would be a challenge but I bet you could do it. I would put a wooden pelmet across the top of the window so that you could apply building frontages to it to continue the eyeline. Absolutely first class.
Thanks for the comments. I pretty much did what you described. Put an 18 x 72 inch piece of foamboard across the far wall to hide most of the window, painted it sky blue, placed a 6 inch wide shelf across the space at the base of the foamboard between the two stagings, built up with foam a ridge of hills with lots of trees and then blended in behind the hills some images of coal country (tops of breakers, culm piles, overview of Mahanoy City, PA, etc). It came out okay. If nothing else, it takes that awful curtain out of the way that I never even noticed until I saw the video. Photography is revealing, isn't it? Thanks again for watching. Bill Schopf
Nice balance between to talk and very informative dialogue.
I really enjoy your layout. I live in schuylkill county (pronounced school-kill btw) which is right in the middle of what your modelling so I can relate to the scenery. Keep up the excellent work!
Thanks Chad. I never could figure out how to pronounce that darned word. School-kill does make sense. What did I call it -- Sky Kill? Thanks again for the compliment. Bill S
Nice layout. Bill love it
I love the visible staging
The wall above Reading and Wilkes Barre do look kinda bare. I think SOMETHING there would enhance the area. Perhaps if the sky colour in the photo backdrop could be blended into the colour of the walls, I think it would work. And as Rob says, just some sky and clouds around the window.
Gorgeous layout. Great video, Rob. Thanks.
As both you and Davie Maclean suggested, some sky and clouds is probably the way to go. Keep the sky the dull gray blue hazy color it is now and feather in some thunderheads or something above a photo backdrop of an urban scene to represent the two cities of Reading and Wilkes Barre. I appreciate both of your comments and your taking the time to think about it. Bill Schopf
Awesome video!
EXCELLENT layout. BACKDROPS for staging yards: After reading the other comments, I'm reversing my initial "yes, backdrops". Basic Hollywood scenic rule: Never jar the visual illusion. Even in blockbusters with lots of cuts, the scenery is CONSISTANT.
1) A sudden change from blue sky would BREAK the illusion. 2) Fill in all blank wall spaces, espc. between the stairwall corner and where your building begins with tight scenery, or maybe billboards or something. Soften those outside corners with a tall big tree. 3) The blue on your walls is a nice "hazy sky" color that works, but because these areas appear to have taller sky, adding a bit of high fog or light whispy clouds will enhance the illusion. You can see the way the clouds on Stephen's backdrops add to the effect.
If you haven't got that skill, there are lots of talented student artists, who would do this kind of thing for very reasonable cost.
IF YOU DECIDE you want some backdrop, logically you should have a few more buildings in a flat roofline perspective behind the buildings and the backdrop should somehow fade into the blue paint before you reach the outside corners. Otherwise, you highlight the change.
Robert Thomas Mein n
Robert: Great comments. Really great. Thanks for the time to think through this. I think I'm coming to your way of thinking. I'd thought of Trackside Scenery's autumn hill backdrops but the more I looked at it the more jarring it seemed it would be. Too much difference. What I'm thinking is this. If you look at the video again from the 42 minute mark to the end (about 3 minutes) look at the buildings on the upper shelf at the back above the ones the video highlighted. I'm thinking of doing this on the Wilkes Barre wall. Scratchbuilt buildings with photos of buildings layered two deep behind them to enhance the illusion of a city. Then lots of fluffy clouds (maybe nimbo cumulus or something that would contrast with the hazy blue). Love the billboard idea to hide the corner. Any chance I could get your e-mail address and I could send some pix of what I'm doing and get your input? Would appreciate it. Thanks again for taking the time and thoughts. Really appreciated. Bill S
My new staging yard "Salt River Valley Crew Change Yard" on my layout will be totally visible. I will treat it as a crew change location so you are the new crew getting a train or dropping a train, But it really is just the staging yard.
Cool idea. I like the idea of using this as a crew change location. The mileage would be just about right to have this on a prototype railroad. Might have to implement this in the next op session. Thanks for the input. Bill S
I have very little backdrop on my loft layout as the angle of the roof trusses is approximately what that cam ceiling appears to be on the Wilkes Barre side, so I'm no expert and I'm not speaking from experience. However, the buildings already in place look so good on both sides I would be tempted just to (as BNSF3012 suggests) paint it as sky and clouds including the portion above the window. Maybe even get some "sky" coloured curtains! ;-)
Awesome layout (including the temporary buildings!) and a great video. Have you had enough of the short videos Rob?! ;-) Cheers
Thanks for the comment. See the reply just below to BNSF3012. I appreciate your time in watching and thinking about the problem area on the walls.
When I saw the wall behind Wilksbury at about 4:00 into the video I envisioned a full scale engineers view.
Interesting idea. Maybe a view looking into a panorama of a city. You guys are right. Something has to be done with the window. Thanks for the input. Bill
Impressive
Thanks for another great video Rob. What a stunning railway, and yes I prefer seeing all the trains rather than hiding them away in staging. I am not sure you really need a backdrop to Reading and Wilkes Barre as the rest of the layout doesn't have any and one little section might look out of place. Oh funny thing I use the names of Reading and Wilkes Barre on my own layout here in the UK, as off layout destinations, although it is nothing like this one, but I just learnt watching you video I had been miss pronouncing Wilkes Barre, and should be saying Wilkesberry. Thanks for that.
My pleasure- Bill is a great host and visiting is always very fun and educational.
I have watched both the videos of your layout. I look at the change to visible staging as a "Win Win". The layout looks bigger and more complete, the scenes on both sides are attractive, and because it is "off to one side", the area can be both a world of its own, and also part of your original world. I like the change. I think I look at the backdrop question in the same way. One part of your layout would have backdrops, other pars will not. Each area id separate physically from the other. So each can have its own features. You can change features any time you choose to. With or without a backdrop, it will be an attractive area. I would guess I would prefer to see it with a backdrop in the new area, to the full height of the walls.
Thanks for the reply, Drake. I also thnk it looks bigger and it is sort of in a world (worlds) of its own with the two distinct scenes. Since the video I have made some major changes that Rob will probably video when this Covid-19 settles down. The one at the left has become more "city" with 3 large industries -- one of which also serves as a backdrop. It is really more of a switching yard now than staging although I can stage up to 2 short trains there. The one at the right remains more staging but also has some changes. Since the video I found a place on the railroad by adding 4 inches into the aisle to come up with two 27 foot long staging tracks which has totally changed the ballgame. I would be interested to see your reactions to the changes once the next video goes out. Thanks again for the response and stay healthy through all this. Bill S
@@bschopf1 I have watched all of Robs videos, many of them twice, so I will likely see when he does an update. I would be happy to let you know what I think.
build a connecter from left to the rite in frt of the window ,and have 1 or 2 tracks that go from the left side to the rite side ,,and u can have ur continuous layout again ,but still have ur left stagging and right stagging .
Nice layout, good improvements since last time. I would put photo backdrops up anywhere you can, as to across the window, if you have a good break then skip going across the window. For example, a valance would solve that, but you could just stop at the trim. As to visible staging, I'm personally not a fan, to each layout builder their own, but I like keeping the instinct that trains leaving are going off into the distant world, or coming from it. Just my $0.02. Really great structures on this layout! Superb modeling, and looks to be a very enjoyable layout to operate.
Andy: See the comment above to Robert Mein. What I'm thinking are photo backdrops -- only individual photographed buildings that are strategically place behind other buildings. I think I will go across the window as well. Remove the curtain and put insulboard between the venetian blinds and window glass to keep out the summer heat. I'm just not going to use sweeping photo panoramas that the backdrop companies sell. I'll try to fool with my own. See how it goes. I can always tear it down and start over if it stinks. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Bill S
Makes sense to me Bill. I'm just a complete fans for photo realistic backdrops, weather created in entirety of pieced together. They just add so much distance to your model view. Great layout too, I really enjoy when Rob catches us up on it. Look forward to seeing how your staging arrangement works out for you. And no matter what I or anyone else says, and as you know, it only matters what you prefer, it's your layout. While I have my preferences, I see the other ways, and I think everything comes with benefits and tradeoffs, there's few perfect choices. While I'm not generally a fan of visible staging, I know that comes with some difficult compromises, that aren't the right tradeoff many times. Regardless of what choices I make, your layout looks to be a complete success, and wins marks in the area I care most about, and that is that it looks to be a real joy to run trains on and operate. Not to mention, I love coal operations, as I model that myself.
Thanks for the kind words, Andy. Rob will keep you up to date, I'm sure. Too bad we don't live closer together and we could op on each other's coal roads. How far is NW Penna from you? Bill
Indeed, and Rob is, or Rob, you are, a great asset to our modeling community. The sharing of information is a core value of modeling, in my humble opinion. And I try within my UA-cam Model Builders community. It is too bad, the internet is amazing for us modelers, to share information, and develop community when geography is a problem. I'd love to see you join in on some of our nightly online video chats at appear.in/youtubemodelbuilders or to any of you watching and commenting, we're just a diverse group of modelers trying to share with each other and the internet, and are a growing group of friends there, and from all over the world, but we also do recorded shows to try to share with the larger modeling community. Bill, I'm prolly 5-6 hours out of Pensy, I was up for the Fine Scale Expo in Altoona last year, and do travel a bit to shows, visit layouts, operate, etc. I would gladly make the drive sometime, if you planned an op session out in advance. I hope people will be willing to travel to help me operate mine, but I'm a year or so away from having my layout ready to operate. I'm also working with some technology and cameras to allow for internet based operating sessions. I have got quite a bit of scenery done, but I still have trackwork to do. I have started on the top deck, which is required, being a point-to-point design, to get trains running meaningfully. I need to do an update video, since I haven't posted one in more than a year, I'll try to do that in the next few days.
Internet based operating sessions! That sounds really interesting. I'd like to see your ideas on how you want to accomplish this. That will add a whole new dimension to operating. I plan to tune in to the site above. What times does it run? Or will the link tell me? Interesting ideas, Andy. Let's try to stay in touch. Thanks again for all the comments and ideas. Bill S
just awesome !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi Rob, what a stunning layout!. Bill is indeed a talented craftsman. However, I do think the layout is somewhat spoilt by the lack of weathering on the track, all that nickel!, you never see that in the real world!! apart from that it's fantastic. What is the name of the music you have used in the video? it is really nice. Looking forward to your next update. Cheers..... Les (UK)
Pauline: You are dead right about all the code 100 Atlas nickel track showing. It looks okay when you are standing in front of it. But put it on a video and it looks a foot high. I guess I'm just too old and stubborn to tear out all the track and re-do it with weathered code 83. Just sort of close your eyes, I guess, and don't look at the track that much. Maybe a little paint on the rails that show would help. Thanks for the constructive comment. Bill Schopf
Les- it really isn't an issue when you are there in person, in fact I didn't even notice it! (Makes me wonder why I spent so much time air brushing my track...) yes, in pictures and video it becomes more obvious. Similar to many details on our layouts. But most importantly the layout runs flawlessly, and when running trains all that other stuff fades away. Oh- the music. It is called Acoustic Breeze, and I got it from www.bensound.com.
Hi Bill, It's Les, Thanks for your reply. You don't need to tear up the track, just airbrush some track weathering paint onto the rails. If you don't want to do it yourself perhaps you could find a willing volunteer (Rob) to give you a hand!!. As for the walls, perhaps you could tone down the brightness of the white with some sky blue and a few clouds. Either way it's still a fantastic layout, well done. Regards..... Les.
What paint would you suggest. I tried a Woodland Scenics paint stick and it was awful. I tried another paint maybe from Rusty Rails and it wouldn't adhere well. Any ideas on a good product to use. Using the airbrush on a finished layout scares me. Overspray is highly likely. I'm not the most talented of airbrushers. Any ideas, Les, would be appreciated. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Bill
Hi Bill, I'm not sure which would be the best paint to use ,or what you have available in the U.S but perhaps you could try a rusty color Tamiya Acrylic. As for airbrushing, if you use a Dual Action type Airbrush it should keep the over spray to a minimum. Just as an example if you check out this guy on UA-cam (Everard Junction episode 7) it shows his method, and as you will see he has little or no over spray at all. I hope this will be of some use. ...Les.
The staging looks OK. A backdrop all the way around would finish off the layout. Mike Aussie HO
I don't see an issue with his open staging area. It's detailed or still being detailed and allows for yard switching duties. Plus, it's his layout, his money and his personal taste. Seen way too many whistle dicks in this hobby attempt to tear other modelers down because that persons layout doesn't conform to "their views".
LOVE DETAIL VIDEO AS FRIEND LAYOUT REL BEAUTY AS GREAT OPERATION THERE.
ALL MY STAGE YARDS ARE OUT OPEN TO SEE AS MAKE PART OPERATION.
MOVE SELF BE CROSS TOP WINDOW THAT USE SPACE FOR STORING CARS NOT USE ON LAYOUT.
Thanks for the idea of putting the car storage tracks over the window. I hadn't thought of that, Robert. Great idea. It would free up the two walls for backdrops then. I like it. Thanks for watching and for the nice comments. Bill Schopf
I don't see anything wrong with a visible staging yard I have one my layout.
Mr. Bill, teardown that wall.....lol
*faints*