I used to have several Zmod modules, but after moving to a smaller apartement, I only have one module left, the Silver Creek module. The length of the module is 1200 mm(4 feet) by 400 mm. 

All equipment are from AZL, American Z-line, running DCC.

More info about the Silver Creek Zmod Layout - PlateLayer by Svein-Martin Holt

Link to the article: DCC-EX and Platelayer

Link to the article: Kentucky Fried Chicken Shop

Check out the video:(Turn on sound)

The newest signal is a D-type Hooded 3 Light Signal, modelled using Fusion 360.

The first D-type signal is assembled, still unpainted. And a few more gate crossing signal bridges are waiting to be painted.

The project is still under development.

The page: Railroad Crossing Gate

Using adresseable LED's creating a matrix to light up a skybox, let you show different images and lightpattern on the skydrop.

Check out the article here:

LED-matrix skybox - PlateLayer by Svein-Martin Holt

Both levels of the layout shown in this images.

Zity Moving & Storage Company is one of the industries on Zity Edge. The building is based on the Ztrack REA Transfer Warehouse kit by Archistories.

The Fuller Paint building is created from a photo, glued on a foam base.

All lights are adresseable LED's, run by an Arduino Microcontroller.

All engines and boxcars are from AZL.

Many buildings have been added and they are all now equipped with LED-light, all adresseable and run by an Arduino Mega.

Here a panorama overview of the Zity Edge Layout, both in daylight and by night.

The roads on ZIty Edge Layout are created using raster images and PhotoShop. Check out the description in this article.

Adresseable LED's for Lights and animations

Hundreds of windows are cut out on the facade and glazing are inserted.

54 adresseable WS2812 LED's in the current line, with various colortemperature in the different rooms, including the warning beacons and flashing light on top of the roof. All run by an arduino using the FastLED and MobaLedlib libraries.

The floodlight of the church are installed. More details on the landscape will be installed later.

Check out the short testvideo #4 from Zity Edge Layout.

Buttons to set all turnouts for the different routes are included on the panel. The "reset" button set all the turnouts in correct position. It's also run at startup of JMRI.

I took the layout out of the closet and moved it on the table in the livingroom, so I could install and clean all tracks.

Check out the short testvideo #3 from Zity Edge Layout.

All images are taken with my Nikon D7500, 100ASA, AF-S Nikkor 50mm 1:1.4 G, using Helicon Remote and Helicon Focus, stacking 8-11 shots for each image, to give a good as possible depth of field. 1-4 sec exposuretime.

The only buildings that are plastic kit are the 2 Kibri factories in the front. All other are printed on paper and glued on a 3 mm foambase.

Check out the page here: http://www.platelayer.com/moffat-tunnel-in-z-scale.aspx

Check out the travelblog: holtinterrail.wordpress.com

Check it out here: http://www.platelayer.com/zmod-module-standard.aspx

The new design works much better on mobilphones and smaller screens. The new design is also much cleaner than before.

Some of the content have been restructured, so it should be more easy to use.

Hopefully you like the New design.

The place is Hobbymessen 2012, in Horten, Norway. Vendors and other layout will be present, and our Zmod-layout will have 7 modules, running DCC.

Here torsja(right) and myself are ready for the show.

Modules on show: torsja crossing, Saguaro River adn the new Silver Creek module.

Check out the Silver Creek Image Library.

Video from the roadshow: http://youtu.be/_ny3WKuIKu8

We have now finished the first day of the show, and have run a lot of trains.

We got some help from 12 year old Erik Bjørnsen from the city of Kongsberg. He worked as a train engineer using his android phone as a throttle. Great help for us.

12 year old Erik Bjørnsen worked as a train engineer for several hours.
He did a great job running trains.

Earlier I have decided to use LED-strips for the layout lighting, WarmWhite bright LED-strips for the main layout lighting, a Blue LED-strip for the night-"light" and several RGB LED-strips to create the change between day and night + many other effects, like thunder and lighting. And I want to use a PC to control it and sync light and sound.

I have done some test with a RGB-driver using PC serial port and my own software, but have now started to look into use product using the DMX-protocol. DMX-equipment is widely used in Theater and show business to control lights, but the price can be a challenge. But, eBay is your friend and when searching for shops in Hong Kong and China, I have found exactly what I need, cheap RGB-controllers. Combined with many free software options, I have started to play with it. Example items on ebay: DXM > RGB LED Controller, PX24506, Type2. DMX > USB interface.

I am in the process checking different software, and at the moment the most promising is PC-Dimmer2012, which let me setup different shows, controlling light and sound. Another good solution is DMXControl, but it crash at the moment on my PC. A few other I have tested and work with my USB to DMX interface is the following: StageConsole, Freestyler, AbueLites ++. I will also test JMRI to be used with DMX.

My testsetup with the USB to DMX interface, a RGB LED-controller and a LED Strip, all controlled by PC-Dimmer.

The layout will have the following light channels(for now :-) ):

• DMX LED controller #1 12V/6A
  Channel 01: 1 channel UV LED lights/black light
  Channel 02: 1 channel strobe control, ligthning effect
  Channel 03: 1 channel spare
• DMX LED controller #2 12V/9A
  Channel 04: 1 channel layout main warm white LED strip
  Channel 05: 1 channel layout main blue LED strip
  Channel 06: 1 channel layout room lighting warm white LED strip
• DMX LED controller #3 12V/9A
  Channel 07-09: 3 channels Backlight Group #1 between backdrop and layout - RGB LED strip
• DMX LED controller #4 12V/9A
  Channel 10-12: 3 channels Backlight Group #2 between backdrop and layout - RGB LED strip
• DMX LED controller #5 12V/9A
  Channel 13: 1 channel lights inside buildings
  Channel 14: 1 channel backdrop window cut out lights
  Channel 15: 1 channel street lights

The layout are also divided into Power Districts, so its possible to run both DCC and conventional DC on the layout at the same time, like DCC on Power District A and DC on Power District B, if that is wanted.

The different systems are selected with switches on the Power Routing Panel. Some yardtracks have also conventional wiring with the option to toggle power on the yardtracks when using conventional DC power. 

Check out the layout and the power districts on the final rev 8.3 asbuilt drawings.

Take a new air ride and enjoy more action from some of the Z-scale layouts on NTS 2011, including scenes from Mr. Daves layout, Golden ~ Blackhawk & Central R.R. and 2 soundequipped AZL Challengers i Z-scale.

The video also featuring some more equipment running on the Bay Area Z-scalers (BAZ BoyZ) and Southern California Z-scalers (ZoCal) huge modular layout seen on NTS 2011 in Sacramento, CA, USA.

Check out my first video from the show, The Z-scale AZL Challenger.

Take an air ride and enjoy this complete main line run taking 16 minutes for one round for this high speed passenger train headed by the sound equipped AZL Challenger i Z-scale. The video featuring the Bay Area Z-scalers (BAZ BoyZ) and Southern California Z-scalers (ZoCal) huge modular layout seen on NTS 2011 in Sacramento, CA, USA.

Check out the latest version of the trackplan and the different levels.
Revision 8.1 trackplan.

Now, when I have started to physically build the first feet of track on the layout, installing the lowest level, its time to freeze the development of the plans.

But, new ideas pop up all the time. The last days, 3-4 major changes have been developed and refined on the layout, hopefully the last current version is the one that shall be build.

From revision 4, there was an elevated track, used to divide the elevated city over the hidden station from the mainstation. I think thats a good idea, and want to keep that.

Playing around on the internet to find real elevated tracks, I come over The High Line project. Yes, thats what I want to model!! The High Line project is about to preserve and develop what remains of the old High Line to public use today. The High Line was originally constructed in the 1930s, to lift dangerous freight trains off Manhattan's streets.

On this The High Line project website I could fine a lot about the history and a lot of old photos that gave me the inspiration to include this as my elevated track on the layout.

One image from the archives, Bell Telephone Company and the High Line running through the building, giving Bell direct connection to the line on their private siding.
This image and many other, can be found here: The High Line In Operation.

Here a blog: High Line

I also found a scan of a booklet, describing the project, from 1934, giving good inspiration:

This gave me the inspiration to set up the final(hopefully) version of the layout(rev 8):

This is a major change in the concept of the layout. The mainstation is flipped around, so the entrance track coming from west now will follow the front of the layout the whole way along the the front board. This gives much more visible running on the mainline and also give a good solution on the main station. The hidden station and the elevated track are also redesigned. Some more turnouts needed to be installed on the mainline, so each track can reach the hidden station.
Now there are also some new tracks in the closed, so I can run trains before the helix even is build. The lower level with Tehachapi loop and the big helix to connect both layouts are still in the plan, but now I can waith with that part and still run some trains.

The development the last days, from revision 4.1 to revision 8:
Click on images for more info:

Check out the different levels. Revison 4

The lower level has also been modified to give space for the rotated mainstation. The sigle topevel is cahnged a little, to be incorporated in the city. The rest of the layout is not changed from the previous revision.

I think this new concept on the cityscene will make a better layout. Check out the new revision.

The decoder and the 2 speakers are placed in the tender. Some adjustment are needed; like light intensity and to turn off the coal showling in this oilfired monster. This first testrun was to see how the instrallation and the engine worked. I am satisfied and look forward to to use it in some real action on a bigger layout.

The hardware is installed, with warm-white LED's for front and rear lamp and also a red and yellow LED's in the drivecab, to simulate the flickering from the burning. Some adjustment in the setting of the lights, etc, are still to be done.

Here some images showing the process:

Here is a rough rendering showing the principle of the layout. On the right, the city building skyline, with relief building along the wall, covering the shadow station on top level. No bridges are installed,  no tunnelportals and no water, but hopefully you will have an idea of how I think it could be.

On the lower level you can see the Tehachapi Loop.

A new revision. Always new ideas, but that's ok. I love to play with the PC and try different ideas.

After some input from friends on the net about the Loop, I have done some rework on the layout; Removed the shadow station and created a 2 Level Layout, separated by a helix, with a model of Tehachapi Loop in California on lower level, based on my old drawings for a layout for Tehachapi. The Upper level is very similar to the previous version.

Check out the new version.

This new version has gone through many major changes. There have also been other revisions of the plans before this last, current plan.
The new plan have the shadowstation back in, and a new top level has been added. Some track have been removed, but it still looks like a spaghetti bowl, if you look at all layers. But if you only look at the visible tracks, it looks better.
Check out the plan here.

The last months I have done a lot of work with my new modules, but tonight I want to redesign the plans for my permanent layout.

I want to make a more simple trackplan, so the staging yard on level -150 is removed, also the helixes.

This gives a simpler, but still a good trackplan, that will give a lot of action. 3 trains can be run on each of the 3 loops, without any block control, if wanted.

It should now be much easier to find everything and a lot of broken links and other errors have been fixed.

I have also created a new banner and finalized the graphics presentation. There are still more development going on. So stay tuned.

Hope you like it and enjoy my new site!!

I have started that work, and the first thing was to select a new technical solution. I found the mojoPortal engine, and I find that it fit my needs. And it's free!

I also have changed the graphical part. I hope you like it.

The site will mainly be in english, but may also have some norwegian pages or links.

I am still in the development stage, but stay tuned for any new development.

7 hours in Tehachapi Loop, Keddie Wye Bridge and Feather River Canyon, Cajon Pass and a lot of other action.

Enjoy the video "Destination Dunsmuir".

Check out my images on FaceBook.

I was lucky to be there with my good friend torsja and we had 3 wonderful days, meeting many old and new friends and Z-heads.

Here you will find some images taken by me and torsja. Check also out the image gallery and the videos.

Check out a video from my NZC2010 Youtube Playlist 

The revised and now current plans for the new layout: Select different levels.

The yard-area on level 0 is changed; New scratchbuild curved turnouts will be used. #6, outer radius 400 mm, inner radius 220 mm. The tracks have also been extended.

The revised and now current plans for the new layout: Select different levels.

There will be a lot of custombuild curved turnouts in the switching yard.

First version of the new layout.

The current plans for the new layout: Select different levels.

Link to San Diego Model Railroad 2006

See the images here: Eurospoor 2003