Layout Update - Getting Electrified and Plastered!!!

[@DruSteel69]

Great update, Jason. The bridge scene looks really good and great job John printing the dumpsters. Your layout looks great and good luck with the certification. 👊🏼😎

[@TheTrainFreak]

Thanks Andrew!

[@SchuylkillRiverValley]

Thanks Drew

[@SantaFeBob]

Awesome update Jason. Looking forward to the next installment.

[@TheTrainFreak]

Thanks Bob!

[@lynnmccurdythehdmmrc2561]

No apologizes needed, Nice update. Keep'em coming.

[@TheTrainFreak]

Thanks Lynn!

[@theplumber33]

Great to hear things are getting better!!🫵💯👍✌️

[@TheTrainFreak]

Thanks Stephen!

[@theplumber33]

@@TheTrainFreak the layout is looking great also!🤣🫵✌️

[@TheTrainFreak]

Thanks!

[@TriGogglin]

Fantastic update, love your going for certification, the screen and plaster is working out great.. thanks for the update

[@TheTrainFreak]

Thanks Pappy!

[@StormySkyRailProductions]

Great update for us Jason, the layout is coming together real nice! (Dave).

[@TheTrainFreak]

Thanks Dave!

[@randysrockandrollrailroad8207]

Layout is looking good jason 👍🤠👍

[@TheTrainFreak]

Thanks Randy!

[@dundasjunctionmodelr.r-jam8267]

Jason great update, your bridge scene is taking shape, keep up the great work, great progress

[@TheTrainFreak]

Thanks James!

[@joeraderblackrockcentralrr]

Looks real good Jason. You have been busy.

[@TheTrainFreak]

Thanks Joe!

[@banggotyoujunctioncarlbraund]

That ok Jason, you and your family come first. It's great to see the layout, and you have done some outstanding work. Bye for now, take care, stay safe, and have fun

[@TheTrainFreak]

Thanks Carl!

[@mysticrailroad]

nice to see a vid Jason. I liked the terrain shaping :)

[@TheTrainFreak]

Thanks John!

[@OTRWA]

Sweat scene coming together with the trestle in. The cutting leading onto the bridge is going to look sick and really open that scene up...Nice one!

[@TheTrainFreak]

Thanks!

[@cp368productions2]

Probably won't ever even try for MMR but in 2-4 weeks my NMRA membership card should be in my PO Box.

[@TheTrainFreak]

Awesome Tim! Some of the categories isn't really that hard to earn, you should at least look into it and try the ones that seem the easiest to you. I was told by a MMR that it's all about learning, not what you know.

[@johngoforth3797]

Can't wait to see the finished pond and hills. Gonna look great.

[@TheTrainFreak]

Thanks John!

[@OtterCreek]

Enjoyed the update Jason. The terrain is looking good!

[@TheTrainFreak]

Thanks Dennis!

[@RonMontagueSWRR]

Looking good Jason 👍

[@TheTrainFreak]

Thanks Ron!

[@johnbanicki7232]

Looking good. Making nice progress. Good luck with the Electrical AP. Thanks for sharing.

[@TheTrainFreak]

Thanks John!

[@georgiasunbelt]

Nice update Plaster King 😊…water scene gonna be awesome…I can just imagine it 😊

[@TheTrainFreak]

Thanks Anthony!

[@deraildarrell]

Hey Jason, Budweiser sign is Awesome... as well as John @Schuylkill River , trash bin , prints...nice . Logging area is coming along , starting to see the whole picture now... Thanks for the shout out ...on scenery tip...enjoyed 👍 Darrell

[@SchuylkillRiverValley]

Thanks Darrell.

[@deraildarrell]

@@SchuylkillRiverValley Welcome 👍

[@TheTrainFreak]

Thanks Darrell! I can't wait to implement your method.

[@CM-ARM]

Nice update Jason and good luck finishing your certification

[@TheTrainFreak]

Thanks Chris!

[@SchuylkillRiverValley]

You've made some decent progress Jason. Love the bridge scene over the spillway - gonna be a great railfanning spot. Good luck on the Electrical AP Cert. Glad you like the Dempster Dumpsters!

[@TheTrainFreak]

Thanks John! Thanks again for the dumpsters, once I know exactly what I am doing, I'll let you know how many I'll need and I don't mind paying for postage and materials.

[@raybertelsen6090]

Good to see an update Jason, layout is looking great , Good luck on getting your NMRA cert

[@TheTrainFreak]

Thanks Ray!

[@johnarthur6302]

I swear I commented on this one. I know I watched it a week or so ago! Great to see a layout update from you, scenery is my favorite part!

[@TheTrainFreak]

Thanks John! Obviously not mine but if you want it to look somewhat realistic, it has to be done...lol.

[@Crookedriverandeasternrr]

It’s all good Jason. Got get right with those that matter most. Really good update buddy

[@TheTrainFreak]

Thanks Dave! Did you see something lurking on the layout at the beginning?

[@carolinafoothillsrailroad4929]

fantastic update Jason

[@TheTrainFreak]

Thanks!

[@FBMRR]

Great update dude. Coming along nicely.

[@TheTrainFreak]

Thanks Rick!

[@Ausmerica]

Great update Jason. Life issues takes us away from our hobbies now and then. I know I got cobwebs in my train room.

[@TheTrainFreak]

Thanks Arty! At least you're train room is ready for Halloween....lol.

[@Ausmerica]

Yeap it is. @@TheTrainFreak

[@FlyingCrow]

Good to see an update from you. Those dumpsters John made for you are really nice. I hope you didn't take one of Amanda's spoons for that plaster work. You might be in trouble. LOL

[@SchuylkillRiverValley]

Thanks Robert

[@TheTrainFreak]

Thanks Robert! Oh no.....lol! That is a spoon that came from a yard sale when we first got married 15 years ago. I've bought her a much nicer set since then.

[@atanisoftware]

Looking great! Im also working on various NMRA AP bits myself. If everything works out i should have six of seven covered by NMRA 2024 in Long Beach. One other note on NMRA AP, don't forget the Golden Spike Award! It's super simple and can not be awarded *AFTER* MMR award. You mentioned that you are using LCC, im curious how you are using it today?

[@TheTrainFreak]

Thanks! Yes I already have my Golden Spike and it's sitting on an unscenic area of the layout to the right of my Budweiser brewery. I'm just starting on my APs and I figured that Electrical and Civil will be the easiest for me to get. Thanks for watching!

[@atanisoftware]

@@TheTrainFreak after golden spike those are definitely the easiest of them. You shouldn't have much trouble with with scenery or structures (which includes the new trestle!)

[@TheTrainFreak]

That is 3rd and 4th on my list. I'm also working on Assoc Volunteer as a BSA Railroading Merit Badge Counselor. Just takes a while to get 60 points. The others I plan to do is Chief Dispatch and Master Builder Cars.

[@atanisoftware]

@@TheTrainFreak very nice, I'm aiming for golden spike, electrical, scenery, cars, civil, structure, motive power. I'm not sure which from the volunteer group yet but it's definitely the hardest (and easiest) due to the 60 time units requirement. I may write a few articles to cover part of that possibly. If all works out I'll also be hosting the first operating session on the new layout at Long Beach!

[@TheTrainFreak]

Sweet! Best of luck towards your progress!

[@KerleyExpress]

nice up date the plaster part looks hard as a rock

[@TheTrainFreak]

Thanks Dwight!

[@derekalexander4030]

Great update, Jason. Good luck on getting your master model railroader certification. They don’t actually send someone to verify things on the layout, do they? Wouldn’t it be more beneficial for you to mount the block short protection above the benchwork so you would see the light more easily? I like the rolling hills. I haven’t seen anyone use the screen wire in a long time, old school method. Stay well.

[@TheTrainFreak]

Thanks Derek! Yes they will be sending most likely my Division Director to come and inspect where I have to demonstrate that everything is working. The block protection needs to be relatively close to the DCC system and with it having 6 bus lines going in and out of it, I rather it be somewhat hidden but noticeable when it lights up underneath the layout.

[@trainman101]

👍👍😎👍👍

[@TheTrainFreak]

Thanks!

[@manshedrailroad]

Can't wait to see those mounds become hills... Quick question, instead of using the CP6 couldn't you have gotten by with #2057 auto bulbs? I was wondering if the NMRA specifically required the CP6.

[@TheTrainFreak]

Thanks Aaron. No the CP6 is just a NCE product that is very easy to use. The bulbs are auto bulbs but I don't remember exactly what type they are. The AP Cert doesn't specify what products to use, it just specifies that you have some type of short circuit protection on your layout where if one area was to go down, other areas are still up and running.

[@manshedrailroad]

@@TheTrainFreak The CP6 has a flux compacitor vibe to it which is pretty cool.

[@HumancityJunction]

Is the CP6 planned to be your permanent short protection solution, or will you swap to digital circuit breakers in the future?

[@TheTrainFreak]

Not sure at this time. The cost of the digital ones, such as the NCE EB1, is relatively the same cost as the CP6 but the EB1 only does 1 circuit where the CP6 can do up to 6. The EB1 can do up to 8amps where the CP6 (if all jumpers soldered together) could do 6amps. For HO scale, each power district I am using 1 amp except Staging where I ran a jumper from #5 and #6 to create a 2amp circuit. An HO scale sound locomotive that is idling only uses roughly .125 to .25 of an Amp depending on the decoder that is installed. Each type of circuit protector has their pros/cons. I will most likely end up buying one of the digital ones just for my roundhouse when I end up building the lower level since I will have more locomotives there than anywhere else on the layout. Thanks for watching!

[@HumancityJunction]

@@TheTrainFreak I made the decision not to add digital breakers on my current build, primarily due to cost. My command station and booster both have adjustable circuit protection, but I am concerned about damaging my command station instead of a breaker.

[@TheTrainFreak]

My command station has one built in as well but adding the CP6 doesn't shut down the whole layout but only a section if there is a short.

[@nathandelay]

Jason that was a really intriguing video why does the AMRI need those type of standards? For your layout and are they a magazine company like model railroader or totally different just for operations I gotta say, John did a really awesome job on those 3-D printed dumpsters what video games do you play besides the Wii and if you do play the Wii what games do you play I also played Wii as well a long time ago. I remember when I first came out it was amazing technology. did you thought of using old equipment of freight cars or passenger cars that represents 50s like a pastor car turned into an office during those timelines that your modeling but somewhere to modern times like that I got some ideas in mind anyway. I think you should make a video about your opinion about hobby so that people can learn about they don’t have to go so strict or do other people say just like being a river counter, for example but in a good way, and I hope you have an awesome day Jason I can’t wait to see your next video that you come up with.

[@SchuylkillRiverValley]

Thanks Nathan

[@TheTrainFreak]

Thanks Nathan! The only magazine that my layout has ever had a picture in was CowCatcher Magazine and I believe it was the May/June 2022 edition. I really don't play video games anymore like I used to. Having a full time job and being a full time husband/father and being involved in Jr.'s extra curricular activities ends up taking a lot of time away from the things that I used to do. Every once in a while, I might play Skyrim. That is an interesting topic on giving my perspective to the hobby. I would have to think and do a lot of planning on coming up with a video on that.

[@cllines604]

why do you have to have a helex

[@TheTrainFreak]

Because I will have a 2nd level below the level I am building and the helix will tie it together to make it a point to point with reversing loops on both ends for continuous runs for open house sessions.