My best advice would be to start with simpler kits like the Walther’s Dairy Queen. It’s a pretty easy kit consisting of a base, 4 walls with glass, a roof, sign and refrigerators inside. It can be painted or assembled as is. This is the instruction sheet. Simpler structures will allow you to gain experience and confidence. This station has more parts but isn’t too difficult. It might be a good choice for a second or third build. Houses like this are not too difficult. Stay away from more complex kits like the Mi-Jack crane or the fuel oil dealer or buildings with turrets and similar details. Save such kits for when you have more experience.
Thank you very much for the specific recommendations! Do you have/use any assembly aids, clamps, etc. to keep things square until the glue dries, etc.? I'm also a novice woodworker, so I understand clamping, but those are much larger clamps, and the glues are much slower curing. Just trying to understand what does and does not scale down from woodworking assembly...
I don’t use clamps, Andy. The plastic glue holds parts securely in a few seconds and the base keeps everything squared up. For “glass” I use Aileen’s Quick Grab white glue which also holds parts in a few seconds. I used to paint plastic structures but this time around I’m going with the colors they are molded in.
Well that picture is from Walther's website I wish I was that talented. Here is mine, still not bad but need some work over time! Yours kit looks just like it, just not the gas pump island?
You did a nice job! It looks really good on your layout. You are right, that it is the same building as the modern suburban station but with different signage and gas pumps added.
2 Kato restaurants were recently added to the layout, Denny’s and Mama’s Seafood Restaurant which will become an Italian restaurant. Both of these have interiors so I’m thinking of adding lighting and people. When I decide exactly where these will go on the layout I’ll add vehicles and signage.
This post will bring this thread up to date regarding purchases. I found these 2 covered hoppers in the used trains section of my local train store. I also found these prebuilt houses at the same time but they are new items. I’m not sure if the houses will end up on the layout or a T-Trak module. I’ll have one more post later today or tomorrow and this thread will be up to date.
I’m still tweaking the track but I think I’m very close to done. This photo shows a couple of changes. I moved one double crossover from the other leg of the layout to the front (lower left in photo) coming off the horseshoe curve. The other change was to remove the grade crossing on the lower right. The road was going to go from the crossing in the back, over the unprotected crossing on the industrial track and then off the layout via the crossing that was on the lower right. The road will now dead end at the industries on the right. Another road will branch off to the left to the two crossings in this photo. The interchange yard was moved from this to this Moving it makes each of the 3 tracks a little shorter but frees up space for buildings and a road that will leave the layout at the bottom of the photo. This last photo shows the switching lead/engine track. This is the layout as it is right now. The buildings in the photos are not where they will end up. I’m just trying to get a feel for how the layout might look. They will probably move around quite a bit before finding their final locations.
Looking at your interchange tracks, I wonder if it might run smoother by swapping the first two switches coming off the mainline. By swapping the left and right hand switches you would eliminate that rather tight s curve at the throat of the yard.
Yeah, I was looking at the same interchange yard. Even originally, it has more shimmies than a, well, lets keep this conversation family-safe, but you get my point. Unnecessary curves add friction and wear that costs RRs needless extra $. Rather than a RH curve after the first switch, followed by a LH switch, I would use a RH switch in lieu of the curve, that switches traffic directly onto the first (nearest the mains) yard track. Off the through-route of that switch, another RH switch diverging (curved) route feeds the second yard track directly, and the 3rd track via a RH curve to bring it back parallel to the others. This may buy you room for another length of track on all three yard tracks, if you want. But it also occurs to me that your creative use of LH switches may be simply because they're what you already have. That's fine too.
Thanks for the suggestion, Andy. All the switches I have are on the layout, I’d like to get by with the 1 right and 2 left switches that make up the interchange yard. I’ll try Deacon’s suggestion first. If I’m not happy with the track then I’ll buy a right hand switch and go with your suggestion. I can always use the left hand switch on a future T-Trak module.
If you could spare a little room between the front and rear main pairs in the corner, the yard lead could be lengthened (and curved), to allow more work from it rather than from the main, avoiding fouling mainline traffic. If you don't already have a copy, I strongly recommend John Armstrong's book "Track Planning for Realistic Operation" It goes into detail about how switching moves are made, how yards (of all sizes) function, and their various parts' roles. It was an eye-opening read for me, and remains a valued reference.
