LOL, you have no idea how many mistakes I've made on this layout! But, that's part of the fun in the hobby, always learning! Thanks for the comment!

Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed the video and found it helpful. Good luck on your water scene!

Thank you!

You are right about the layout never being finished! I guess that's the fun in it! Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed the video!

Hello, thanks for the comment. I thought that by using the stain gel hand-brush method it would provide an uneven, yet realistic, look to the wood. However, once completed and placed on the layout I found it was positioned so that you can't really notice the look I was going for. So I agree with you, using the tray method you describe would have basically given me the same result in half the time. Lesson learned for my next one!

Thanks, that is exactly why I did that part of the video. Just to remind folks, especially those doing their first layout, not to be discouraged when you mess up. We are bound to make mistakes, but it's OK, that's how we learn. I can tell you - I never made that roadbed mistake again! Thanks for watching and also for your comment.

LOL, thanks for the comment!

Glad it was helpful!

Thank you, it was a very fun project!

Thank you, I'm glad you liked the video and found the listing of materials helpful!

Thank you! Glad to hear that you are back into the hobby. I'm 71, and I find that working on the layout helps to keep my mind sharp.....or at least sharper than if I wasn't doing anything at all!

That is not only an awesome idea, but as I think about it, it would be a lot of fun to create! Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts, I really appreciate it!

Great! I hope if you fallow through with the idea and make videos of how you do it. I’m learning and creating my own layout and I plan for a stream so that would help me. Thank you for considering my suggestions. Best of luck

Hello, just an FYI, I've completed the scene and just posted the video of it today. Take a look! Thanks again for the suggestion!

Thanks, I appreciate the comment. I've just about finished the layout, minus a few upgrades I'm planning for this fall. I'm starting to work on a 2024 video update to show what's been accomplished in the past two years, as well as sharing the backstories on the creation of the scenes. Thanks again for watching, glad you enjoy the videos!

Thank you! It turned out better than I thought it would. It was a lot of fun to build. I'm planning to do another one, smaller and on a straightaway section of the layout.

Thanks for the comment. You are right about the speed of the trains, slower is always more realistic. In future videos I plan to slow 'em down! Thanks for watching!

Thank you! It was a lot of fun. I'm currently making plans to upgrade the golden pond scene with more mountain structures, different trees, etc.

It is a lot of fun, I'm glad you enjoyed the video!

Thank you, wishing you good luck on your project!

Thanks for visiting

Thanks!

Thank You!

Hi Thomas, thanks for the question and also for vising my channel. If you are going to run 2 mainlines running side by side, I would suggest allowing a minimum of 3 inches between them. If you add a trestle structure, I would recommend a minimum of 8 inches between the lines. I agree with you, things have really changed in this hobby over the years, but like you I find it's still a ton of fun! I hope this answers your question, and please feel free to keep in touch with any future questions or comments. Thank you!

Hi, you are correct, it's not 100% to the prototype. This was my first attempt and I was learning as I progressed. On my next one. I'm going to strive for better detail. Thanks for the comment!

Thanks for your comments, David. I agree, for the most part all plaster cloth is the same. Regarding the mistake I highlighted in the video, many people have sent me messages describing how easily you can get discouraged when making mistakes while learning this hobby. I purposely left the mistake in the video to make the point that we all make mistakes, and when we do, don't get discouraged, just keep pushing on. Thanks again for watching and for your comments, I appreciate it!

Thank you, I appreciate the comment!

Thank you Eric, I appreciate your comments! I've had so much fun designing and building this layout, with more still to come. I do get quite a lot of comments and questions emailed to me and I really enjoy trying to help people out. Thanks again for your comments!

Thank you!

Hello, I am running DC only. I found that when running DC, and you have long runs and want to add grades (risers) to the run, it is not necessary to solder feeders every 3 feet PROVIDED you do the following 3 things: 1) Have 2 terminal tracks on each line, space them out, one at the beginning and the other at the half-way point of the track run. 2) Use 18 Gauge wire to run power from the transformers to the terminal tracks. This heavier gauge of wire carries more power to the track.3) The size and type of transformer used also makes a significant difference in how much power is getting to each terminal track. I use MRC TECH 7 ampac 780 transformers. As for the track, everyone told me not to re-purpose the old brass track. I did anyway, and aside from having to clean it more often than the Nickle track, I have had no problems whatsoever. As you have probably discovered, most of the "old" stuff was built to last! If you clean up the old track you have from 1958, chances are it will still give you many years of dependable use. Thank you for the questions, I hope my answers are helpful. Good luck!

I agree. I document my train building stuff just for fun and if others can benefit from it, so much the better. But for me, it's all about the fun of the hobby. Thanks for your comment!

I gotta agree with this. I left the hobby for about 5 years and on my return I learned that lots of model channels are sell outs or sponsored. Highly disappointing

@@JaysTrain08 Just for for my own research...I currently have a channel similar to this one, no promotion or anything, but have considered benefiting from the ads that I have no control over anyway, and then using those funds to help support the layout. Would you consider this "selling out?" It won't do me any good to build a following so I can earn money for the layout, and then lose half of it because of more ads during my videos. (I have no idea if there will even be more ads). I'm definitely not going to have paid subscriptions for my channel...I don't want the pressure of having to do fancy production to make paid subscriptions worth the monthly fee.

Thank you! I'm glad you found the video helpful!

Thank you, it was fun to build!

Thank you!

@@bensmodelrailroadworkshop Your welcome! 😀

This is great information, thank you for sharing, I appreciate it!

Thank you!

@@bensmodelrailroadworkshop your welcome Ben

Thank you very much!

Thank you!

Thank you! I enjoy making them.

Thanks 👍

Hello Rob, thanks for the question. Yes, it is a DC layout. Each of the 3 lines have two terminal tracks providing power. Each terminal track is positioned at the halfway mark on each line, so I get an even distribution of power. The Tech 7's provide enough power to each line to run the trains so I don't need additional power sources. However, some of my lights are wired directly to the "accessory" connection on one of the Tech 7's and I think that is draining some power from the track, so I'm working to add another small transformer that I can use just for the accessory connections. My winter project!

@@bensmodelrailroadworkshop Thanks! Good luck with the project!

Matthew, I'm glad you found the video helpful. That's one mistake I won't be making again! Thanks for the comment!