http://www.platelayer.com/archive-2004.aspx

PlateLayer by Svein-Martin Holt

 

Archive Section Layout 2004

 


Status from the layout on 30.08.10:

Demolition day, the old layout has been destroyed and an era is over. Check out the blog: Demolition day


Status from the layout on 28.02.04:

I have now interrupted the building of the layout and started with my first module based on the norwegian Zmod-standard. Follow the building here, but continue to stay tuned on this page also. I will continue working on the mainlayout, so it will be more reports here on this page also in the future.

Status from the layout on 26.02.04:

All tracks are now painted and almost all tracks are also ballasted. More parts of the landscape have been finished with grass and bushes, but it's still much to do...

Status from the layout on 23.02.04:

The weekend has been busy finishing the rocks on the layout. Now the first coloring of the rocks is finished, more grass has been installed and some more bushes. Still some white areas that shall be covered with grass, before the planting of more bushes and trees will start. The skyline in the back, is still unfinished and waiting on the final form. Ballasting has not been done yet, and will be one of the next step to finish the layout. On the top picture you have a good overview of the whole new section, with the different levels visible.
The progress can also easely be seen if you compare the lower right picture with the same picture from 2 days ago. Some coloring do miracles...
Today I have also been "chatting" with the z_scale group, with many other Z-heads online, from around the globe. Great and something to repeat.

Status from the layout on 21.02.04:

The work to finish the rocks have started. Between all molded rockpieces, there must be added more plaster. In the middle of the process it looks like in the left picture. Many small pieces of dry plaster, removed just before it's set. After removing all extra plaster, as seen in the right picture, it's ready for coloring. There are still some other areas to finish before coloring, but we are soon there....

Status from the layout on 19.02.04:

Now all tracks crossing the sectionborders, are aligned to the other section, so it's soon possible to run trains. There is still some wiring to do. All tracks are connected to centrally placed panels under the layout, but they need to be connected to the powerlines. There are still much work to do with the rock and plaster between the rockmoldings. The left picture shows one of the connections between 2 sections.

Status from the layout on 11.02.04:

Tonight I have set up the whole layout and connected all 3 sections together for the first time. I have created a panoramapicture, using 6 different pictures merged together, to create this overview image. You may see some edges. The final trackworks on the middle section, where this section is connected to the other sections, will be finished next. After that, the terrain can be finished on the middle section. Soon the first train can run through the whole layout, from section to section....

Here you can see the final trackplan and configuration for the three sections this layout have. (Actually it is 4, one section is in the closet, containing the lower helix)
All the tracks can be seen on the drawing, also tracks hidden under the terrain and the hidden station on the middle section.


Status from the layout on 09.02.04:

800 pixels wide nightshot. Extra wide nightshot: 1200 pixels. Bonus nightshot 800


See the action in 3 min 7 sec
Run the video and watch the action with the
AZL GS4 4449 Daylight.
Again and again and again...
Run the windows media file now.
(You must have Windows Media Player installed. The file will be streamed and should start to run before all 8Mb of data is downloaded completely.)


I have got my new toy; the AZL SP GS4 #4449 in Daylight colors, with 7 PennZee Reefers. Wonderful. This is a very nice model and it runs really good.
I was lucky to meet Hans Ridderwold, the owner of AZL and the creator of the models, in his office in Oslo, 2 days ago. It was near like heaven..... All models from AZL were exposed in the showcase on the wall. I should have taken with me some more money(or plasticcard), but I ended up with my origional order for a GS4 and 7 PennZee reefers. After some hours talking, I returned home with my new jewels.
The number of the engine is special. I understand that this number, 4449, is the only running engine today. I also have a video from 1984, where the 4449 is running on Tehachapi. Cool...
There have also been some progress on the layout the last days. Many rockcastings have been installed. They will have plaster in between, before everything shall be colored. Some areas have got the final cover, with green gras and bushes. Only all the details are missing....
On the 2 top pictures, the GS4 is waiting on the crossing, when the AZL Santa Fe E8 in warbonnet colors, are passing with the long passengertrain.
On the 2 bottom pictures, the SP GS4 is just leaving the station, and the E8 is waiting on all passenger, to get on board.

Status from the layout on 30.01.04:

Tonight i have finished 2 tunnelportals on the layout. The final painting is not finished. The portals are made in cardboard and glued together. The model for the portal is tunnel 10 near Tehachapi Loop in California. Hopefully you will see that I have tried to create something similar to the real one. Here is a picture from Greg Hewgill's site: Portal tunnel 10, the model for my little replica.

Status from the layout on 20.01.04:

Now the roadcrossing in the junction is ready for painting and some final work. A lot of traffic waiting(to much?) in the junction area. The green building shall later be replaced by a brass switchtower.

Status from the layout on 18.01.04:

There have been some progress in the central area of the layout. Parts of the city have started to grow. Preparation for a road crossing over three of the tracks has started. The frontboard is completed, partially seen at the bottom of the pictures. The development is a dynamic process, with changes all the time. New ideas, the old plans need to be changed. One of the great thing with this hobby, you never know the final result before you are there.....

Status from the layout on 11.01.04:

Tonight one part of the final frontboard has been installed and given the correct shape. The frontboard is glued to the frame, so it will be no screewheads seen on it. Some of the terrainform has been created to. See the difference, compare with the left picture from 03.10.04, whre the frontboard is missing.
On the right picture you can see 2 pieces of the brickwall between levels that also have been installed tonight. Now I need to create the tunnelportals.

Status from the layout on 03.01.04:

The first progress in the new year is the start to create the landscape with plastersoaked gasbind. Here you can see some of the final terrainforms on the layout. The plaster should be covered with more plaster in some areas, and with rocks molded in plaster for other areas, before it is painted and covered with different grass, etc..