Matt Medium, go watch Boomer Diorama

As someone living in Spokane whose family had worked at Hillyard Depot, I'm excited to see updates on this project!

When are you going to start selling the cork?

Here's a idea screw the the riser to the road bed first from the top then clamp the Straight edge on that way you don't have to hold the part when you're under the layout.

Be interesting to see the end product with the track laid. Good video, crisp clean woodwork.

Hey Ondrew! As I'm getting into O Scale trains, I've stumbled onto your channel. Glad you are still getting to work on train related projects. This layout is really impressive. Nice work by you and Dennis!

I followed the bench being upgraded and remember the mismatched and open drawers. Thank you for this follow up. Looking forward to seeing new shop!

nice work shop

I'm surprised I haven't seen this one. I would like to see it completed.

Thanks for all the work and funds you put into this test. Very good information. I appreciate it very much. Thanks!!

Fantastic design. The only thing I'd point out is the locations of the two short tunnels in glacier park. They should be on the point of the river (below the AR in PARK) and just before the loop as these two hard points are where the rock is forcing the river to go around. The geologist in me coming out.

This is a fascinating project -- congrats on being awarded it, and I look forward to seeing more updates! Who knows, maybe someday there will be an opportunity to visit in person since I also live in WA. I am curious if you have concerns about the mainline being routed through the diverging legs of turnouts in so many places. I count five instances in Newport, one or two at Wallace (depending on whether the first or second track from the aisle is the main), one or two at Great Falls, one at Kettle Falls (on the roundhouse side of the scene divider), one at Northport... I stopped looking at that point. Even if these orientations are prototypical, are they in the best interests of an operating model railroad where reliability will be crucial, especially on such a large layout where maintenance must be simple to avoid becoming overwhelming? Is adhering to prototypical orientations necessary when continuity compromises clearly have been made elsewhere? One example of such a continuity compromise is Newport, where the main enters on the GN from Hillyard, swings through the interchange onto the Milwaukee Road branch to Metaline Falls, then punches through the scene divider and reappears on the GN main in Whitefish. To address both the geographic discontinuity and so many diverging turnouts, would it be possible to shift the Newport scene a foot or two to the right so the GN main could wrap around the back side as a hidden track instead of stub-ending in the backdrop? Then it could connect directly to the long bridge scene and the Whitefish trackage, thereby maintaining progression along GN trackage, and Newport could be a standalone switching area for the Milwaukee with a GN interchange. Please don't think I'm trying to Monday morning quarterback the design you've collaborated with the client to develop. Clearly there are dozens, if not hundreds, of hours already invested in this amazing project. As a civil engineer with a background in railroad alignment design, my intent is to inquire whether potential hazards have been considered and mitigated, with the end goal of ensuring the best possible layout gets built for the client's long-term satisfaction.

Those VLL's can ve a real bear! LOL

That first (spiral) layout could be kind of a death trap in a fire situation. Only one way in and out, and hundreds of feet to run. The spiral needed to be broken up and/or reduced.

Fantastic and ambitious project!!!! Wish I had the space!!! Maybe, LOL!! FYI: Copper mined in Anaconda and Butte was hauled to Great Falls for smelting. Great Falls, to my knowledge, had no mining operations of its own.

This is a layout I have day dreamed about! I can’t recommend the Great Northern historical society and Pacific Northwest railroad archives. They were able to get me files of the blueprints of the Spokane great northern depot with no charge or membership (although that quickly changed).

Going to be a significant undertaking to build a layout of this size and scope. I hope your client is willing to share his or her progress with you, to share with us.

Very impressive project and informative tour. First opportunity to view RailModeller Pro design software. Well researched! If executed, would be interested to see videos of the local towns and yard modules, as you build out.

Great looking layout.....should be fun going forward

This could not have come at a better time I have been struggling with how I was going to glue the cork roadbed next week for my layout. So easy and so fast I would have never thought of this and have asked many how to do this and nobody has had an answer. Ondrew you are the greatest keep the how to do videos coming they are super useful for us non professionals.

Thanks!

Excellent video I went ahead and ordered the Rubyfluid, oatey no 95, Peco PL-41 and heat shrink electrical tape. Thanks Ondrew keep the how to’s coming they are very helpful!

Thanks for the video. I have 0-32 too 0-47 curves. What curve switches do I use? On the other side I have O-47 to 0-54 curves. L shaped table I'm trying too start.

Well, I guess if you've just got to have a layout and you really have no other place to put it... Impressive engineering.

I would use white glue diluted 50/50 with water and a bit of isopropyl alcohol added.

What’s the minimum curve radius on this bigg’un?

I,am hoping to try and implement this building method.

Awesome site to see. It amazes me just thinking how that bridge was built.

This is a very helpful video that's extremely well done. The quality of your work is also superb. I do wish you used dimensional lumber like 1x4 pine. I prefer it over plywood. I'm old school and prefer L girder construction. Your videos show a true love and gift to the model railroading community. Respect! Jon

Can somebody else order that layout and buy it?

Question for you? I see this layout has a bridge that lifts out to allow the operator into the center. Do you have any videos, (I searched your channel but could not find) of a lift gate build?

That was a huge layout. I liked what you pointed out that they didn’t cram a bunch of track in all the space and left that open space for scenery. Most of us don’t have that luxury of space but it sure does make for a better layout.

That is really an amazing layout.

Well now, that's a pretty awesome looking layout you are working on there...

Awesome, I noticed the shortage of cork when putting together my Christmas Wish List for this year. I can't find HO cork anywhere.

At last, a substitute for me mammie's choc chip cookies.

Very interesting. The roadbed looks real nice and seems easy to work with. I’ve been debating on putting foam down on my layout and possibly using cork on top of it for my mains. A new idea here, for sure. Thanks for the info on this line of cork. An excellent video, for sure.

Well explained. I will have to try that double bend technique you demonstrated. I am getting ready to run a bus wire and feeders on a fairly large ( 400' main line run) on a HO mountain RR. I used to do this back in the day a on a DC layout w/block controls. First time doing a DCC config. Thanks. (I subscribed also).... Phil Jersey Shore Area

I can add another product that has served me very well: DAP230 clear latex caulk. All you need is a little and it holds very well, and is flexible enough for wide temperature swings. I've reused Atlas and Peco flex track on several layouts over the years. Sliding a putty knife between the track and the cork and it comes right up, with little to no appreciable residue to scrape off.

Have you tried Mat Medium? it frees up with IsoPropal Alchol if you need to adjust/remove change but otherwise creates a pliable (sound reducing) yet firm connection between rail and subroadbed. tack down with pins or with pins and then simply eye dropper over the ties down the center of the track and along the outside edges. You can thin it down some maybe 50/50 but you can also pre-wet with ISP and then it creeps in under the ties. Other benefit is if you need to lift/alter track simply soak it in ISP and wait 15-30 minutes and it will lift off. (Check out the Boomer Railroad videos)

Hi Guys. I like the change up in your format. Something different. I was surprised that the Liquid Nails Project preformed so badly. Is Liquid Nails Project the adhesive people use on foam insulation board? Do you think your results apply to foam board?

Thank you, that was a great torture test and I was surprised by some of the results.

You do have to watch the power grab as it is an electrical conductor until dry…. I thought I has a very High resistance short one mad afternoon of track building.

Liquitex Matt Medium is hands the best. Mod Pog is similar.

I'm curious about your "standard" method of fastening flex track down. My praactice has been cork roadbed with the wayer proof ooad be, followed by at least 72 hours dry time. Then again the waterproof (ok "water resistant wood glue0 un top of the cork, together with track nails through the flex track ties and cork every 12 inches or so into the substrate, I don't remove the track nails the way yu describe removing the pins. Being retired, I have the spare time to wait around for adhesives to seiously cure. You guys doing it as professional layout builders may not have the time luxury I do.

Dear misters Benchwork, cool to see how you did this test. Am curious on the adhesive of which you said it kinda works like concrete. Might be a cool way to keep the cork as flexible as possible, which will certainly help retain its sound deadening properties. Just for reference on the PL Max Premium; is this caulk or adhesive a polymer based product? Don’t know if this will help but most polymer based caulks can be finished with ‘security cleaners.’ Over here in the Netherlands I most often use the Zettex version. Such cleaners are often available with polymer caulk product ranges. Although it could be that regular building supply stores don’t carry ‘m. Specialist supply stores most likely will carry these products. In the automotive sector similar polymer products are used, as well as their finishing products. Cheerio

I use 50/50 water Mod-Podge matte.

When it comes to gorilla glue I’ve never had good luck with it. At first it’s grate. But about a month or 2 later it comes off. My 2 go to glues for track is elemers wood glue and there glue all. The wood glue is fantastic and does hold plastic well. I’m in a humid climate and build N scale in a shed that’s exposed to high heat and bitter cold 100f- -10f through out the year. The water I know will loosen the glue all. But the wood glue will hold after 48 hours of drying over 70f no problem. If you want to prove me wrong go ahead. But if I was building a layout to last the test of time and wanted the track to be repairable if the worst case scenario happens. Then Elmer’s wood glue would be my top choice as I’ve always had the best luck with them. I’ve never used caulk on track tho

You missed Dap Alex silicone. I've been very happy with it. It holds and the easy to lift the track out of when it's dry if you needed to make a repair or modification to the track plan.

Hello, a popular glue for laying track here in the UK is copydex which is a latex based, solvent free, water based glue, which dries clear and the track can be taken up using a palette knife and reused. All the best Anthony.