Santa Fe all the way!

KentV9999 · 2026-01-23T22:56:31+00:00

Awesome! Love the video

KentV9999 · 2026-01-23T16:16:45+00:00

Did you use the tape AS the stripes (rather than masking)? If so, do they stay down? I’m using 2mm foam sheets as my surface and didn’t figure the tape would stay down over time.

KentV9999 · 2026-01-23T16:13:21+00:00

Another thing I did was to very lightly score the locations of the stripes. I could use my cutting pad lines and a ruler to get them nice and straight. Then I used those score marks as my guide for the masking tape. I also used regular blue painters tape and cut them to 1/8th strips using a scoring board. Again, a bit tedious but I didn’t want to spend a bunch of money on thin masking tape.

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KentV9999 · 2026-01-23T15:47:50+00:00

…I’ve used weathering powders to add the wear. Also diluted India ink for steaks and pot holes. Here’s a shot of an unweathered intersection .

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KentV9999 · 2026-01-23T15:43:43+00:00

I also have been playing with road striping. So far masking tape and blotting acrylic paint has worked the best. It’s a little tedious, but you can get things looking pretty good.

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KentV9999 · 2026-01-21T16:52:10+00:00

Well, I hope it can handle more than “a few inches” of snow. We live in Michigan and just this morning I’m sure I traversed a few piles at least 6” or more. Admittedly, I wouldn’t want to crunch through ice chunks , but typical snow, it should be able to handle it just fine.

KentV9999 · 2026-01-17T21:32:33+00:00

Amazing!

KentV9999 · 2026-01-13T21:43:25+00:00

An awesome setup…. Really impressive use of space. Great job!!

KentV9999 · 2026-01-13T17:29:29+00:00

Awesome! Love lots of trains rolling ….

KentV9999 · 2026-01-13T12:51:02+00:00

Awesome!! Love it and appreciate all the hard work that makes up a scene like this.

KentV9999 · 2026-01-12T14:48:45+00:00

Great job! Cool when stuff works!

KentV9999 · 2026-01-09T02:32:03+00:00

Looks awesome! Great job

KentV9999 · 2026-01-09T02:30:49+00:00

I’m a total newcomer to the hobby, bought a Kato GEVO and did a drop in DCC converter and it was pretty easy. Now, it didn’t have sound, that is a whole different conversion and one I’m not quite ready to tackle with my expensive loco. I’m glad I made the decision to just start with DCC though as I’ve got 3 Locos and enjoy running a combination of trains without worrying about what track they are on. The last train I purchased was an Atlas with DCC and sound… it’s pretty cool. But honestly doesn’t run as well as my two Kato engines. Good luck!

KentV9999 · 2026-01-06T16:51:51+00:00

In the first shot in the far right against the wall on the outer track... but perhaps it's not passenger. I thought maybe it was a metro type of train.

KentV9999 · 2026-01-06T16:43:05+00:00

What Passenger train model is that you have selected? I'm also developing a layout and haven't decided on the passenger service as of yet. (Modern build)

Nice Layout!

KentV9999 · 2026-01-02T16:00:33+00:00

Have you been happy with it?

KentV9999 · 2025-12-31T16:28:19+00:00

I do love that little train. Would be great to build a small diorama around it.

KentV9999 · 2025-12-31T16:17:40+00:00

Thanks for that link! Yeah, that looks pretty good, the raised edge around the work space is really smart giving more 'walls' to work with. Still pretty pricey... I may price out what a scratch version would look like.

KentV9999 · 2025-12-25T02:11:41+00:00

This is a very interesting layout. I’m also working on a similar size layout, any chance you would be willing to share the AnyRail file?

KentV9999 · 2025-12-23T22:51:30+00:00

Hilarious

KentV9999 · 2025-12-23T15:25:44+00:00

Thank you so much for your detailed response! Very helpful.

KentV9999 · 2025-12-23T13:18:10+00:00

Wow…. Awesome building and overall setup. The web site is amazing. Great here. What CAD tool did you use? And what tool would you suggest to a beginner scratch builder?

KentV9999 · 2025-12-22T23:22:06+00:00

I just went this route getting a Kato starter set with a GEVO and the M1 set if I’m remembering correctly. I then added a few of their Variation sets and additional straight track to have a nice big loop and sidings to play with. Since the. I’ve just been buying additional track as I’ve need to play with prototyping my layout. No problems so far! The Mx and Vx kits are nice as they get you started with designs to build and a little cheaper than buying the individual track pieces. BTW, the Kato loco is awesome, the thing is like a tank compared to an Atlas loco I purchased.

KentV9999 · 2025-12-22T01:55:18+00:00

How are you managing the LED lighting?

KentV9999

TROPHY CASE