Great changes to your layout! I think it's important to show those new to the hobby that upgrades/repairs/tweaks are part of the natural evolution to our miniature worlds.

Hey SMT, Love the update on the layout. I recommend running your tendered steam locos like your hornbys or other locos with a free-wheeled pony truck in the front to test the tracks. It could be beneficial in the long run in case steam engines are asked for on streams.

The layout modifications are looking great. Can't wait to see it finished. I always chuckle over how a serious hobbyist's layout is never what you'd call "finished." LOL

Really enjoy your videos. Takes me back to 1979 and my model railway. I had many of the same things you have. Like the big electric soldering gun. And some of the same rolling stock. Brings back good memories. Thanks!

Your work on this layout is amazing and valuable, Harrison. Amazing video, and please make more like this.

Thrilled to see the mountain intergrated a bit more mate. 🇦🇺

Nice upgrades Harrison! Solid track work definitely is a must for good layout performance! Your trains, and your blood pressure will thank you!

Love the video great work. Can't wait to see what it will look like with all the scenery and to see trains running on the new parts in live streams. Keep up the great work

Each time improving the layout, congratulations my dear, let's hope that with that curve the Acela Express event is not repeated

Great work! Incredible artistic talent for this. Thanks for posting!

Now that's looking good, I love the changes❤,next is a bigger freight yard,😊

Gtrat job Harrisson, just a little bit of track cleaning and adjustement and all done

Wow that really tied the whole thing together. Awesome job

Awesome seeing new additions and improvements to your layout! I love that this is your long term custom layout that has evolved over the years, it’s totally yours and is so special because of how much love and care you’ve put into it. It shows! I’m looking forward to seeing the new track in your videos 😁

I’ve got back into model railroading because of your videos. Everyday new tweaks to make a layout better keeps it continuously exciting

Just reaching for the bedside light when notification of a new SMT video pops up....oh well going to bed before 1am is for wimps anyway.🙂 Plus we get to find out Harrison does his own death defying stunts and doesn't use a stuntman. And yayyy for Nerf kittuh appearance.

Amazing video! Love when you do track work, scenery, or anything that’s related to editing/improving the layout. Home to see an update video when you solder the track and lay ballast! Thanks again!

Great job buddy! I’m delving into my trains after many years of HO slot car racing/layouts. My goal is to run them around my den ceiling. Again Kudos to you sir!

On the delight elevation change going to the mountain tunnel I I use carpenters shims that are about a foot long to change grade about a quarter inch. Thanks Hal

Harrison: another model railroader who is living proof that a layout is never completed. It always changes or gets completely ripped out and replaced. And you did some damned nice work as well... And I see the Nurf Cat cameo!!!!

Real happy you did the new track, it had been on my mind for some time now, and then.

Hey SMT just want to say ,I love the new additions to the layout and you have a wealth of knowledge beyond your years.keep up the great videos ! They are truly enjoyable!

Really nice change It looks great! Thanks for the video Harrison.

Great job Harrison, looks great. Michael

Loved watching the upgrades to your layout!!! I never tire of these videos! Thanks for doing them!

You must’ve been looking forward to doing that for a long time judging by how passionately you dug your claws into it and ripped it out.

Make sure the Big Boy and the DD40X can fit through the new tunnel portals. 😊

Great job SMT that looks really good! Great balance on the bench work there first thing I would have done would have been fall through the foam and wrecked it all!😂

Good work, SMT!

beautiful cat The layout is looking good

Harrison what a fantastic job you did on the layout. I know for a fact when it's full up running it's going to be awesome 😊

Since the mountains are so sharp, I’ve called that part of the layout, “The Spiky Taverns.” Or the graveyard for any unfortunate locomotives or rolling stock un able to make it under any bridges or turns. Love to see you finally connect the two now! Love to see the new uploads in the channel.

Looks like an ambitious project. Based on what I've seen over the past months, I look forward to the outcome.

Nicely done and a nice layout!

That new layout looks great. Awesome. ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

That is a great upgrade plus you got to get rid of that nasty foam. I myself am a firm believer on cork roadbed period. Good job

You sure made that look easy. I would have had second thoughts to start ripping track and switches out in multiple places on the layout.

I would lay nickel silver tracks in all tunnels so you don't have to worry about cleaning it as much. I would put your dad's brass track in accessible places and where it can be seen and appreciated.😊

Very good presentation. I am inspired!

Harrison you make track laying look easy, modifications looks great

I’m here at the bar thinking about what to do with my layout and your videos really help

Solid advice on the track bed material; I'll be sticking to cork for my future projects. Shoutout to the comedically-timed shunter. Should give it a name...

I wish I had the place in my basement to build my own layout. Nice upgrade. Thanks for sharing.

Nice use of the extra space 👍

hello SMT Mainline & it's is Randy and i like yours video is cool & Thanks SMT Mainline Friends Randy

Awesome job....

Great job 👍👍👍

Great video happy to see you adding more to your layout

Looks beautiful!

I have some of those brass custom line switches from thirty years ago and they still work just fine. Plus I’m too cheap to tear them out and replace with new ns ones lol

It appears you have a huge basement !

Nice upgrades Harrison 👍

May 17-20. you tube meet and greet. Jim Thorpe Pennsylvania. Reading and Northern RR . I hope you all can come this year

It always pays in dividends to take as much time and care as possible when laying down track. Good going!

Great additions! The feline supervisor seems to approve.

In the past I've used wooden shims that you can buy at a hardware store to put under the track to make transitions between high points and low points

wow very nice just watched your building a layout vlog cya next time

It helps to make changes and know where and when.... on my layout that I purchased second hand it had the foam underlay and I removed it and now have no underlay or cork bed it is much better and id rather hear the clickety clack of the wheels going over the joins than any fake sounds etc.. but thats just me... but with my new layout im designing at present it will have just an underlay foam carpet type stuff.. and no ballast or anything that will be it as im not one for scenery or cork or ballast.. i just want to run trains.. haha.. keep up the great videos.. thanks for another great one.. cheers from Melbourne Australia.. Tim.

Forman is a good looking dude... Nice work on the track...

A cedar shingle under the track works well when you have an elevation change as you have between the tables. It’s a tip from my 1960’s Atlas 6 Layouts you can build book…which is still in print!

awesome track work smt, abit of troubleshooting happens to everyone lol. cant wait for the next one!

Great content Harrison!!

Great work!! Thank you for sharing!

Inspired by this . I'm off today so time to go at the layout thanks

Hi SMT. Happy Thursday my friend. Nice layout and nice upgrade. I’m sure you’ll get the kinks back on track so to speak Have a great day

Live streams are about to be BUSSIN

You helped my with my own layout. I decided to get creative with instant motor mount, just as you do, and I've become more daring with it. Some passenger cars were coming uncoupled over a joint between two tables. Plastic shims under the track didn't work, because the gap under the track varies in width. So, I just squeezed out some instant motor mount between the ties outside of the rails, and it seeped down to just where it was needed, but it was viscous enough to stay between the ties and cool and harden. I did every other gap between ties. Now there is no wavering of the track as the train goes over the joint between tables, and no cars are derailed or uncoupled, even at top speed. Thanks.

Good one, SMT!

Bel lavoro!!! Bravissimo👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

Cool Nerf cat still alive and kicking!

Nice improvements on the layout, plus you know I'm partial to the LRC, so it was nice to see it on the track! Kudos!

love the new stuff!!!

Nice Update. Hi Nerf cat.nice to See ya Again.

Nice train lay out I have a small train layout at my grandma's house

fantastic video im so glad you maid it bigger i have ben wondering if you were going to great job

thats pretty darn cool dude

And the layout is cool!

I envision a coal mine on that mountain, similar to Faller's models. 15:08 Especially in that part of the dead end curve where the red and white car is resting. Great job!

Harrison: it looks as the Foreman Nerf Cat, likes the new track. He didn't swat at the trains to stop. L0l. Keep having fun. Peace

Harrison, Howdy. That older brass track will work fine. I have mine from the 70s and 80s. Just needs to be cleaned regularly. And those switches can be wired up and remotely thrown. You may want to consider this for something in the future. Good luck.

The town even has its own haunted house. Nice touch.

Yes I’ve used the foam underlay on my layout. As you say it’s not as good as cork but I’m too far in to change out the foam out. Nice to see your changes happening.

Wow, You really scared me at 10:19. I'm glad you weren't hurt.

Great updates bud. I'd definitely recommend trying your worst cars and engines on new tracks, they'll find ALL the defects.

I knew Nerf Cat would show up for a layout inspection.

I have a 4x8 which has 2 mainlines plus an upper layer for local freight

Outstanding work nerf cat looking like he approved it

What worries me is the wiring. That has always been my greatest challenge. The control panel would be my greatest interest. looks like state of the art model RR in 1950

Great modifications to the layout and can’t wait to see some steam locomotives running on the new section soon 👍

I really would recommend putting down nickel-silver turnouts there under the new section for long-term reliability (especially in a tunnel!) , and save the brass turnouts for somewhere that only railcars will go, but not engines. An old industrial siding, for example, or a modeled section of rarely used or abandoned track. Nothing takes the fun out of running your trains like having them stop in tunnels due to corrosion or oxidation of the brass track. 😢

And thus everything was connected together! A true railroad system has been formed!

That mountain seems like it’s gonna be the equivalent of the backrooms for locomotives

Glad to see you getting the connections to the mountain part of the layout and track improvements. Looks like it will be quite a lot more fun! I was a little concerned about the "S" curve connector to the mountain section but it looks gentle enough not to cause derailments. In fact, it looks smoother than the "S" curves that happen at the crossover turnouts. This is cool to watch because I'm s l o w l y redoing my layout. The previous owner of my layout had glued and nailed the roadbed and then nailed the track so it was a real pain to tear it up, especially since the ballast then glued it all even more. I installed a couple of feet of new cork roadbed but had to take it up because I changed my mind. It was less trouble to pull up than the original but still, the latex caulk held more than you'd think. SO, my new rule - just use two fine lines of caulk (cut your caulk tube end like a professional - at an angle but just enough to make a tiny opening which allows a small, controlled, line of caulk) down the middle of each half the cork - it should be secure enough yet easy to remove with a chisel to change. We should admit that we or someone will want to change a layout in the future so may as well build with that in mind. I saved all the old broken up cork and you could save the rubber roadbed to grind up for scenery or use somehow. I try to reuse/recycle everything I can because I'm very conscious of the need to conserve earth's resources, be wise in using them, and avoid waste - especially non-organic waste. In nature, EVERYTHING gets reused/recycled and reconfigured. When we fully develop a circular economy, life will be healthier, better for all and more sustainable - and we can enjoy doing our amazing, creative, fun hobbies like model railroading!

If you can, on the tunnel part of the mountain area, try to lift the supports below the track that runs above, and shimmy it a bit... nothing much, put a couple of wooden plates might do it...

Your rails aren't soldered? Whoa!

Great work Harrison, new track is always exciting! Surprised you did not use your track testing engine the green Burlington Athearn. It has served you well, probably deserves its 15 minutes of fame on one of the livestreams one day. Take care, Jeff.

Ever consider raising the tracks on the mountain area up and running track on the mountain surface as well as tunnels.The farther away a car/loco is from your seat the more difficult it is to see. Raising the far away stuff provides a better visual,and it's easy to do. A guy I knew had book cases instead of legs for his set up and faced them away on the far side and attached his hills/mountains to the backs and used the shelf part for engines and cars etc.

Nerf cat observing this and plotting some destruction because that’s what they do!

Hay SMT it’s Xander nice to see you ❤😊

I see Nerf Cat lying there staring at you , probably wondering what the heck you were gesturing and blathering about !