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Update on my layout. I gave it the name Motor City Central! The layout is pretty much CSX around Michigan in the Detroit area. I finally got my KATO Unit Track and layed it out. I got to say I am really impressed with this track. It's really nice and the switches are realistic and grab the flanges well (Unlike EZ Track). Here's some photos from this evening. I have not nailed the track down due to some wiring that I still need to do from the switches.


Overall veiw of the layout.


Rougemere Yard


The diamond (Inspired by Holly for how awkward the CSX crosses the CN).


Walbridge Yard where the two lines connect with each other.


This is the lead at Walbridge Yard to the future turntable where there will be:

- A 3-stall roundhouse
- A diesel fueling area
- A track for a MOW crane and gondola
- A deadline track with scrapped Chessie and Seaboard System locos.

That's all for now! So far so good!

Chris is trying to make a layout as fast as he can. Tonight, we were working on it, he realized he didn't have enough of a certain switch and instead of going and buying it, he decided to let let it go. I guess thats what u do when your trying to build a layout in less than a month.
I guess thats why they call him chris-racer! =P lol

Looks good so far Chris. Only thing I would suggest would be to make sure your yard tracks are long enough for the trains you're planning to run. Your yard tracks look awfully short compared to the length of your rolling stock and engines. Once you nail that track down, it'll be a lot harder to make changes if you start having operational difficulties with your current track plan...

Well, my trains will be short on the layout. I like 1-2 engine 5-6 car trains (Inspired by Q326 and Q327).

Chris, you cant even fit that (2 engines 5-6 cars) in there. Besides you have like 3 packages of straight track left, make more room, because someday your collection is gunna grow and your gunna be wishing you had more track space. Remeber A true model railroader takes his time, to make a quality layout.
This isn't junk yard wars, we can slow down. lol

Chris.... I'd like to come over and operate sometime boss.... Lookin good....

Railfan James wrote:Chris.... I'd like to come over and operate sometime boss.... Lookin good....

Thanks James. I actually curved some of the inner-line abit before the diamond so it feels more seperated when it crosses over the "Looped" line. I also extended the yard tracks on both yards to now hold 7-8 car trains! I also have more track than I needed which I will exchange for 3 more switches to make 2 inustries and a long spur to a power plant where CSX switch swap-out the empty hoppers for loaded ones and operate similar to the GLC at Osmer.

This is why I preached Flex Track because it forces you to go slow. I think chris likes short tracks because he does that too with Trainz.

Mike Tabone wrote:...I think chris likes short tracks because he does that too with Trainz.

Is this because of how I modeled Lincoln Yard on the CSX Saginaw Sub?

no, just in general, I've noticed not that its bad that you like to make things really short. The trains I run on my route would stretch from Plymouth to Romulus on your layout. I still like them though because I'm to lazy to put the time into scenary

hmmmmmmm..yeah do did kind of compress them, you even left out Waltz and the intermediate signals. Then after Carleton it just stops.

Mike Tabone wrote:This is why I preached Flex Track because it forces you to go slow.Trainz.

He told me Flex track and cork roadbed was too difficult

What is wrong with the way I want to do my model railroad? I love this KATO Unit Track. It's so easy and yet the switches are nice because NOTHING derails on them. Today I ran my layout for two hours and not a single derailment. Also, the roadbed has many textures and looks realistic. Cork roadbed isn't too difficult, it's just I've had bad experiences with it and I wanted a simpler approach to the layout.

whoa easy there Chris

I'd like to point out that it would be very wise to support the corners of the wood, and the edges because if I know plywood it is going to bend like paris hilton at a bar-b-que

Mike Tabone wrote:......I know plywood it is going to bend like paris hilton at a bar-b-que

Yeah, but a drill will penetrate easily into it like Paris Hilton.

geeps wrote:

Mike Tabone wrote:This is why I preached Flex Track because it forces you to go slow.Trainz.

He told me Flex track and cork roadbed was too difficult

Not sure if this will help or not but...

When I started in N scale, I tried to start right in with flextrack and cork roadbed. Coming from O scale (Lionel equipment for the most part), that was a bad idea. I almost switched back to HO scale, but managed to collect enough money to purchase a Kato train set that came with an engine, three cars, caboose and a loop of track. Best investment ever.

After six years of building layouts with the Unitrack (albeit temporary layouts that I could modify or rebuild on a whim), I finally took the plunge and started working with cork roadbed and sectional track. I still have not tried to build a layout using flextrack, and have no desire to, as the results I have gotten without it have been more than satisfactory.

That being said, I would strongly caution you, Chris, from nailing your Unitrack down, at least right away. You can learn a ton about track planning with that Unitrack, especially if you can make changes to your track easily. However, it is your layout, and I'm sure you'll learn a ton just from the things you feel you did wrong by the time you're ready to build another layout.

I see Charles. I have no intentions of nailing the track down soon. I might start doing scenary around it later on, but I want to get building kits and stuff now and buy locos and rollingstock through time.

What hes saying is dont be stuburn, be creative and open your mind up to different thing, you may find something that you like better.

cOOl Layout ChRisRacer i like it