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| Last updated on November 20, 2020
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Looking good so far and I hope that you keep this layout growing in the future.
I’m glad to see this next installment in the Olympia project. I still think the original Olympia project is one of the neatest project layouts MR has completed (just so well thought out and balanced) and I’m keen to see how it well it grows.
Thank you
Chris
David, I model in all scales, but Bachmann has done an excellent job with their On30 that I went nuts and have over 10 locos and I’m still going. The details are great and these 61 year old eyes like not having to put on the reading glasses. My layout is of course going to be logging and I have enjoyed using some o your great ideas. Let the Olympia keep on rolling!
Love it Dave! Can’t wait to see further progress and finished product.
Keep them coming David always good to see the old Olympia receive a new life.
You mentioned the keep alive from NCEDCC. Did one go into the porter as well? I have both a climax and a davenport (critter kitbash). How different from the sound decoder install was the KA addition?
Or is the KA more for sound continuity than power?
Thanks!
Great series, David. Although I model primarily in N scale (space constraints), my wife and I did set up a Christmas Village this past Christmas, complete with an On30 train. I enjoyed working with the On30 stuff immensely (old eyes) and am trying to figure out how to also have a small layout year round – again, space constraints. It would be a shame for On30 to go the way of the dodo bird. Looking forward to all of your future blogs.
Nice video. DO you all have the original track plan available anywhere for folks who are not MRVP subscribers?
Hey gang, thank you for all the interest in Olympia 2!
I was afraid that we’d tapped out enthusiasm for On30 with our original year-long series, but apparently not.
I’ll be the first to admit that by the time I’d sold the Naugatuck, I’d thoroughly burned out on doing any layout construction at home – considering that I often build layouts all day at work – I needed a break.
However, when KJ suggested I take the Olympia home to clear some space around the office, that sparked all sorts of new ideas. Working in a new scale and a completely different kind of prototype railroading has been a great way to restart. I’m actually excited about building a layout again – and I really look forward to those moments when I can slip away and work on it.
Blog 3 (already shot) for March will show remarkable progress from this episode’s tabletop, and once we get April’s installment filmed, you’ll see we are now in wholesale construction mode and working on connecting the sections (joining the track with the original isn’t going to be easy).
Thanks too for all of the ideas and suggestions. Greg, I’m going to experiment with the mirror idea.
I have to admit, that the opening snow scene at the beginning of the episode seems totally out of place, as it was in the 60s and sunny here all weekend – and I managed to do some yard work!
Incidentally Mark, those pulpwood piles are resin castings from Bachmann. They you get one when you buy one of the firm’s pulpwood flatcars, but Bachmann also sold them as two-packs for a while. I’ve found them on eBay.
And yes, at the moment, I film the blogs at home on the weekends – It’s been a while since I had to do all the video work myself – the MRVP team has spoiled me rotten!
Enjoy the series!
David
David, you do know ‘more-stuff’ will magically appear over night when the lights go out, that’s why I leave the night-light on in the train cave, I’ve got On30 stuff, and thanks for the ideas! it’s really is a nice scale to work with. Looking forward to your next Log Blog…
Glad to see you’re tackling this additional diorama, David. I’ll be currious to see how you join them up. Also, it looks like at least one end of the diorama might be great for a MIRROR. There’s an effective technique you haven’t attempted yet. Cheers!
Love the concept. While in the service I built an N scale layout using the same shadow box concept. It allowed me to rearrange to fit different rooms. I did standardize the track locations at the ends of the boxes to allow different geometries and for L shaped arrangements just built throw away generic scenery and track to fit whatever corner arrangement I had to live with. It worked great in N so I’m very interested to see how it works in O since I’m considering a move from HO to O as the eyes grow older.
What did you use for the Pulp Logs? I need a bunch of these. Living in Northern Minnesota, I would guess that similar wood is available here, as what you used down in the Milwaukee area.
I suspect that your basement is happy again to have a model railroad residing there even for a short time. Looks like a good addition to an already great module and adding the logging camp and spar pole will really make it “real”. Thanks David.
Looks interesting. It’s very unfortunate that the Naugatuck Valley had to come down, though. That was a terrific layout to see in action!
Guess this would be an improvement in size as it replaces the old layout. Know what you mean about “stuff” in the basement. Ya no sooner get some out of the way and start building a background and magically more “stuff” appears seemingly overnight.
Wow…with this and the Canadian Canyons layout you are going to be one busy fellow. I must admit that I am jealous!!
Man you have this to build this plus The Canadian Canyons series Better get your wife some flowers.
This has to be my most anticipated project of MRR – which is really saying something because you have some incredible projects going on right now. Perhaps it’s because with very little space and means available, this is something that I could actually accomplish myself. Thank you so much David – for opening up your home to us, and letting viewers follow along as you build this exciting new addition.
Looking forward to this Blog; the original Olympia series was enjoyable. Question : If the original and new sections will be against the basement wall in a straight line, how will access/use of the backside “staging” be affected? I really wish a print article could be published regarding the Olympia layout. The videos are great, but I learn a lot from studying pictures. Maybe a print article after the extension is built?
Good intro David and look forward to this addition to the Olympia layout. So who ventured out into the snow to ‘tape’ this episode… or as I suspect maybe you had to run all the equipment and set up each shoot? One man’s junk is another’s treasure!
Another great project that I will enjoy following its progress.