The track work was now completed and it was time for the first test run. I was a little nervous because I had many failed attempts at building indoor train layouts as a child. I always had issues with poor track connections and poor track work. Thanks to the internet I felt more confident this time around. My first G scale trains was a Bachmann Big Hauler set and an LGB value starter set. I started out with track power mainly because it was the most cost effective at the time and I was not confident in taking things apart or building things. Phase one really a learning experience for me. It was time to connect the power to the rails. The throttle was turned up and...................................................................................................... The train ran flawlessly around the track. I felt like I had just climbed Everest. Seeing a months worth of work pay off.  The first train to run on the Kittatinny Mountain Railroad Now that I had a train running it was time to landscape the layout. I made a trip to my local nursery and came home with the first trees to populate the layout. I started out with Dwarf Alberta Spruce trees and a few boxwoods. I never had a green thumb so dealing with plants was another first for me. The trees were planted with no extra special care. It was more trial and error for me.  Landscaping begins The next step was to start adding detail to the layout. I had no previous modeling experience but in order to stick with my low budget railroad I had to learn how to build things. A lot of my ideas initially came from The Daisy Beach Railway. It was 7/8th line but it had the charm that I was looking for in my railroad and everything built was very simple but had charm. My railway started out using 1:22-1:24 scale. I chose this scale because it was more affordable then then 1:20 scale and 7/8th I had to build all my engines and rolling stock. Something I was not comfortable with. My first project was to build a trestle and cribbing for a stream that I had built in the layout. I took some scrape wood and made my first thing out of wood, a trestle and cribbing. It was not pretty but it served its purpose.  My first attempt at carpentry. Bachmann Big Hauler testing out the strength Check back for updates |
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