Fort Myers, Florida in the 90's - Its the layouts 30th birthday this year - Freemo South 2024

[roundhouse]

Mu

 

What shade of pink did you decide on for the layout, tools, legs, etc?

I must get some but to make sure that we don't get confused between the pinks i may put black spots on aswell

Edited October 24, 2016 by roundhouse

[Vanrouge]

_{I look forward to seeing the layout again at the convention this weekend  it has been a (very) long time since I saw it last. Unless I am mistaken it was at a show in Colchester or was it Chatham????}   

 

_Cheers

_Nick

[long island jack]

 

Uniform optional!!!

[roundhouse]

_{I look forward to seeing the layout again at the convention this weekend it has been a (very) long time since I saw it last. Unless I am mistaken it was at a show in Colchester or was it Chatham????}

 

_Cheers

_Nick

Thanks Nick

 

It's certainly been to Chatham but can't recall about Colchester.

Edited October 24, 2016 by roundhouse

[roundhouse]

This weekend at the NMRA British Region convention in Meriden the station building has had its first outing with glazing in place on the normally operator side. I also took the chan e to build this side of the warehouse. Still plenty to do to both of them but at least it's looking a lot better.

 

Only taken me 22 years to get the glazing fitted on this side of the building.

[roundhouse]

A few more photos from the Convention over the weekend including one of the fiddleyard with few long distance visitors form the North.

[roundhouse]

Its been a while since the last post so a little update.

 

The layout has been stored at home since its last outing in May 2017. However it will be at the Alexandra Palace  show in March 2018 so I hope to add a few more bis of detail aswell as fix the U Haul truck back onto the layout a bit firmer after it fell off.

 

After that show it will be at the next Devon Freemo meet in May.

 

Time to give the locos a bit of a clean up.

[long island jack]

Two top class HO layouts at Alley Pally this year ,wonder what the other one is!!!!!!!!!!

[roundhouse]

Two top class HO layouts at Alley Pally this year ,wonder what the other one is!!!!!!!!!!

Some rusty street

[roundhouse]

With just one week to go before the layouts first outing this year I am hoping to get a little bit of work on the grade crossing tomorrow assuming I am not suffering too much from jetlag or snow stops us getting home.

 

The grade crossing works but the outer sensors in tbe track were not working last time it was set up.

 

Also I have a couple of new decoders to fit that were purchased from Caboose Hobbies a few days ago. One is a sound car one that will go in a refer. I lost a three pack of these about a year ago that I only realised were missing after wiring up the refer ready for the decoder.

 

The other decoder is an Economi for a GP40.

Edited March 17, 2018 by roundhouse

[long island jack]

Some rusty street

someone at Macclesfield said "it's not rusty enough"

[roundhouse]

This afternoon I fitted the Soundtraxx Soundcar decoder that I purchased in Caboose Hobbies into my BLMA Trinity Reefer.

 

The Athearn powered pick up trucks have been installed for some time so all that I needed to do was to cut back the metal weight to leave enough space gfor the speaker and baffle box above where I had previously drilled holes in the chassis floor to allow the sound out.

 

I have also fitted a stay alive which just plugs into the decoder.

 

Here is a photo after the chassis on the programming track undergoing testing and CV value changing.

 

I hope that volume isnt either too quiet or too loud for next weekend but I do have the abiltiy to alter it on the day should the need arise.

 

With the body back on I now need to complete the weathering.

 

This is the third sound fitted reefer, the other two being factory fitted Athearn reefers. I really wold like ot fit  sound to my two kit built Tropicana reefers but I glued them together so well that I cannot find a way into them at the moment.

 

 

[DanielB]

Ian, you're at seaboard southern this year with Santa Barbara, aren't you?

[warbonnetuk]

Ian, you're at seaboard southern this year with Santa Barbara, aren't you?

Yes he is

[DanielB]

Awesome, I'll see him and the crew there then!

 

I'm going to be there with Piedmont Blues - it's my first foray "down south" to an exhibition, so I'm quite looking forward to it!

[roundhouse]

Dan

 

See you in September if not before somewhere.

 

Tonight the layout gets loaded ready for an early start to set off for the Palace and unload etc. We normally only have just over an hour by the time security let you in and opening but this layout is quick to set up and we can start without much stock on the layout.

 

A few new track plans are now laminated after having to buy a new laminator, ready for pinning to layout fascia when needing to look up turnout numbers away from the touch screen.

 

Come see us at stand 106.

Edited February 17, 2022 by roundhouse

[Glorious NSE]

This is the third sound fitted reefer, the other two being factory fitted Athearn reefers. I really wold like ot fit  sound to my two kit built Tropicana reefers but I glued them together so well that I cannot find a way into them at the moment.

Oooh - Let me know if there's any stock changes for Christow when you get chance please!

[roundhouse]

Oooh - Let me know if there's any stock changes for Christow when you get chance please!

Will do in next few days

[roundhouse]

We had a good time at Ally Pally over the weekend. A fair few potential invites which is good. I think putting up the signs saying that the layout fits in one car helped as that did get quite a few comments.

I didn't get much chance to operate as spent a lot of time talking to various people which I enjoyed and we had enough helpers to allow this. A few niggling issues but generally all went well.

A few photos taken over the weekend.

 

The Seminole Gulf daytime excursion set formed of two RDC railcars with a GP9 at each end.

 

My very first US outline loco (bought form the Train Depot in Orlando many years ago now sadly gone) which was repainted and correct details added. The slug behind is an old Athern GP 35 with a new styrene body  as the sides had all the doors removed due to the prime mover being removed leaving just the traction motors

 

Amtrak F40Ph is a Rapido model and is superb. The 'Pepsi can' behind is an Atlas model

Edited March 26, 2018 by roundhouse

[Traintresta]

On 27/04/2014 at 19:32, roundhouse said:

Today I psent soem time working on the layout.

 

The first new siding is now in place and just needs wiring before balasting and other sceninc work around it.

 

I have now decoded that this will be the LPG unloaidng siding.

 

The cement unloading will go down near the trestle bridge as it will give me a bit more room for the silos etc.

 

I have put the LPG tank hlaves together and have two options as to where they will be sited.

 

First one is placing them end on to each other but not sure how prototypical that is.

 

The second option isro put them alongside each other but this will be more cramped between the ned of the siding and the bridge.

 

And just for a bit of fun, the loco I had been working on earlier this morning after giving the sound decoder a good test and reprogamming the loco address.

What is this loco? It’s given me some inspiration. 

[roundhouse]

On 14/07/2019 at 16:30, Traintresta said:

What is this loco? It’s given me some inspiration. 

 

This is a Czech loco produced by MTB, a small Czech manufacturer. Roco also do similar models of this particular loco.

We run them on my Czech layout 'Dobris'.

Edited February 17, 2022 by roundhouse

[roundhouse]

Fort Myers second show this year is this Saturday at the Seaboard Southern show in Crawley almost 25 years to the day that it was first exhibited. However it no longer fits in the same car that it did back in the mid / late 90's as the boards have been widened and the end ones lengthened. We do still have that car though!

 

A few new items of rolling stock will  be in use along with more locos fitted with sound. Hopefully another couple will be so fitted this week in time for the show.

[roundhouse]

It's sad to think that this was the last of my layouts to be set up at a venue albeit a private Freemo event and that was 10 months ago. It may be the first one out if restrictions are eased by the Summer but not holding my breath.

 

Anyway on a brighter note, despite the layout now being 26 years old, work continues on it. A few years back the layout was set up as part of a Freemo layout at the NMRA British convention and as it was orientated with the operating side yo the public I decided to build a bolt on section to the warehouse so that it was no longer a low relief structure. It was a fairly basic new section so in N the last few weeks further detailing has been added such as the canopy soffit support and today the loading bay truck bumpers have been fabricated from styrene. These are based on the ones that can be seen on Google Street View at Orlando Station although the warehouse has been repainted and modified since the time that the layout was constructed.

 

There is more to add but that will keep me busy for a while.

 

Even after all these years a layout is never finished.

Edited February 4, 2021 by roundhouse

[roundhouse]

With no shows or Freemo events this year the layout remains boxed up.

 

However it may well be attending a Freemo meet in the spring 2022 so things are looking up.

 

I couldn't resist buying a new passenger  unit even if its used on the opposite side of the USA to Florida. At least at Freemo meets these sort of things don't really matter. Having travelled numerous times on the frequent NCTD Sprinter service from Oceanside to Escondido in California visiting numerous breweries along the route, when Piko released the German built Desiro units in this livery also fitted with sound I ordered one. Its only been on the programming track and the High Line test circuit in the shed but I am hoping to build high level platforms that can be dropped into place on the low level platform on Fort Myers. As to whether I can make the folding ramps which fold out of the way on the real stations at night for freight to pass in the early hours is another thing.

 

Edited November 28, 2021 by roundhouse

[roundhouse]

With the layouts first outing in March since March 2020, I have been working on some of the freight cars that will be in use at Freemo South.

Having seen roof top photos on Johann Marsbars travel thread showing that the roofs were orange,  I have now repainted them from silver. Further weathering and work on the underframe to stop the cars rocking on their trucks,  these are now getting a good run on the High Line test circuit along with two other boxcar that have had their weathering improved.

 

 

 

 

Edited June 13, 2022 by roundhouse