New plans under development for my NEW Z-scale empire layout

From 2009

Last update: 18.06.2010 23:19

After several years with no model railroad activities for myself, I have now more time and a renewed interest to involve myself in modelrailroading again.

The last years I have been busy to work with Radio Filadelfia, a local christian radiostation, as a manager, responsible for both all the equipments and the editorial contents for the radio. In 2009 we have expanded to send 78 hours every week, a 400% increase compared to pre-2009. With this extra work and my normal day-to-day job as a system consultant, it have not been much time left for model railroads.

But now this expansion has been stabilised and I want to do some modelling again!! I'm back :-)

Replace the old layout with a new
I have realized that my old layout, last worked on in 2005, never will be finished, so the current plans now is to replace the old layout with a new layout, build with a new concept:

A lot of uninterrupted action with long running trains on the doubletracked mainline. Industrial building areas and dry South California style landscape dividing the 2 mainlines. Mainlevel at 0 with double tracks, a -50 level with some action and a staging area on level -150 with 2 helixezz to the mainlevel.
Track to be used: In visble areas; Microtrains flextrack and some Wright turnouts and handlayed turnouts. In hidden areas: Peco flextrack and Märklin turnouts.
Conventional analog powering with sections, Tortoise(or similar) on all non-Märklin turnouts.

The planning has started, and I am happy to present the current plans, still under development:

Status from the layout on 04.01.10: 

A testbuild of a #6 turnout was a great learning experience. It's not perfect at all, but I will learn and hopefully the turnouts will be good after some more practice. It's fun!

Status from the layout on 02.01.10: 

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.

Status from the layout on 14.12.09: 

The layout has been expanded with a switching yard and some industrie spurs on lower level. In this view we have filled up the entire yard with a lot of equipment.
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.

Status from the layout on 10.12.09: 

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