It’s been a month and a bit since my 1×4 shelf layout became a reality and there have been some updates to talk about. The reception has been positive so far and at least a couple times a day someone stops by my desk to talk about the layout, ask train questions or to talk about their own past hobby experiences.

Uncoupler magnets

I added a couple over the track uncoupler magnets just to make things a bit easier for me. They don’t work all the time but they work enough. I had to go through and tweak several of my couplers as the magnets immediately highlighted some issues.

Loading Dock

My first structure was a generic loading dock I added some freight details to it from a simple woodland scenics pack that included a forklift and other assorted objects.

Weathering

I took another crack at weathering, this time I completely rusted out a yellow hopper. Put some rust on the trucks for my freight cars and some dirty detailing to the switcher.

Benchwork

I wouldn’t really call it benchwork but I upgraded from being directly on the metal shelf. I picked up a 1×4 Pine plank from Home depot. It fit perfectly and it fixed some levelling issues I was having from the shelf because it sagged in some places. The main reason I need this is so I can secure the track permanently to it, take it home, and begin more messy scenic details without damaging the actual shelf the track resides on.

Wiring

For simplicity I switched to Atlas rail joiner feeds. It allowed me to get rid of that ugly terminal track I had before. My power pack is also secured to my desk below with some double sided tape which keeps it from shifting around on me.

Tracks

Atlas code 100 flex track is now in place throughout the layout other than the turnouts. The sectionals I was using previously was just to see of my idea worked. The flex track allows me to fit exactly into my small form factor