Jim's layout topic/blog

[riogrande]

It's completely worth having a pleasant train room with finished walls, floors, and ceiling. No concrete dust...good lighting...solid walls to tie in your benchwork.

That's my feeling too. There is guy on MRH and Model Railroadier forums building a CB&Q in Wyoming. While the layout is quite impressive so far, the cluttered and unfinished layout room totally distracts from the nice layout. Granted, it's a pretty large room with unfinished walls and ceiling with pipes running everywhere. When you see pictures of the layout, all that unfinished stuff is totally dominates the scenes when he shows wide photo's of the layout. I realize it's tempting when you move to have a large layout room to rush in and start building, but the result is less than satisfying. Not only is a layout much MUCH nicer in a finished room, it also increase the value of the property too, if done to professional standards.



When Photobucket pulled their stunt, I switched to Imgur. So far that's worked well for me as a host.

As for backdrops, I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet. Attching them to hardboard instead of directly to the drywall would keep them separate. What would be ideal is if the backdrops had a backing sort of like a post it not, something that would make it adhere but would allow it to be peeled off if ever needed.

This layout isn't really planned to be double decked, except partially. Sort of like Rob Spangler. Staging will be under the main yard and use the existing sections pictured above. Twelve inches above that will be the main yard. I plan a branch line on the lower level around part of the free standing part of the layout that will be scenicked but that's it. I have read that a lot of people who have done double decked layouts later didn't like that format. This is also my first shot at something this big so this is about as complicated as I want to get. Mostly single deck running with a branchline on the lower level for operating interest.

At present, I prefer not to used foam for sub-roadbed under track. I'd rather nail/spike the track down old school. It's easy to adjust or revise track in the early stages that way.

[riogrande]

No update pictures atm but maybe this weekend. Here is a schematic representation of benchwork built so far.

[heavyfeather]

Thanks, I have been looking forward to an update.

[riogrande]

As promised, here are a couple more photo's showing more benchwork up. Unfortunately, last weekend part of these weekend has gotten sucked away with other things.



There is another 8 foot section to attach to the corner piece near the stairs as well.

[riogrande]

Worked on the existing bench-work to fill in corners:

[Gary P]

Jim - No apologies needed. I think it is progressing very nicely!

[riogrande]

Last weekend I assembled a bench-work section that will be in the helix area.



This weekend I did some more work on the layout bench-work.

I did a mock-up of four benchwork sections on the floor to make sure it all checked out measurement-wise from the drawing. So far so good.





Then got two sections up on legs. They are at a lower elevation to allow for a branch-line that will drop down while the mainline climbs in elevation.



I am attaching the benchwork lower and lower in a step-wise fashion to accommodate a lower level branch-line. I'm not real skilled at bench-work but have an idea on how it it will go.

[riogrande]

Managed to get some bench-work assembled and up this weekend.

This is about 80% of the area where the helix is planned to go.



Overall view of the bench-work so far.

[nwp0ncrr]

Looking great Jim. Making some great progress.

[riogrande]

Here are some more progress photo's on the bench work. Working my way around to the peninsula.

Here is the helix area benchwork mostly done:



This time around I'm using my old camera tripod as a Trammel pivot.



Roadbed leaving staging up on risers, max grade here is 1.8%



Here I'm mocking up a section to figure out what needs added to handle the curves through here - planned curve radii expected to be approx 33" and 36":



Assembling the next section that will attach to it.

[riogrande]

Last weekend I got hijacked for yard work and rain barrels but I did get some progress on the benchwork.

I got most of the next section of bench-work measured and modified for a corner section on Saturday.

Sunday, I had to mask off the floor and ceiling and paint the support pole with gray primer. Then I put the bench-work section that goes by the pole in place. I still need to attach the legs and add a piece of wood or too, then the section in the back ground can go up next.

[riogrande]

Added 2 more sections over the weekend:





The peninsula is going up now. I figure two more sections to complete it.

[Gary P]

Nice progress Jim, and your construction skills look great too!

[riogrande]

Thanks Gary. My carpentry skills are actually very basic, but servicable. LOL To me L-girder and spline is kind of exotic and beyond my skill level. But hopefull the results will be good still.

Main thing I'm trying to do is construct the open grid sections fairly square and even and then when put on legs, make sure they are level. I have to calculate grade from one riser to the next; maybe I'm getting old but I have to really think about what I am doing, and recheck it over and over.

[riogrande]

I was able to build the last two major sections over the weekend. Back is sore! I still need to get braces on the legs to increase stability and move a couple to give enough space for the branchline planned for below.

[Gary P]

Jim - Thanks for posting the bench construction pictures. I love seeing how this is coming together.

[riogrande]

Glad to. This is my first attempt at any thing of this scale. Intrepidly moving forward.

[riogrande]

Nothing really exciting this weekend but got all of the legs on the peninsula braced. It was fairly time consuming as this is not second nature and I had to make sure everything was trued up with the level as I went - tweak, adjust, repeat. The peninsula is much more stable now.

I added a number of cross members for something to attach sub-roadbed, braces and strength the modules a bit more too.



I also had to separate to sections on the peninsula because I needed to relocate several legs ad I didn't allow for space for the branch line that will run around the lower level of part of the layout.

[riogrande]

Progress has been stalled since April when my wife and I had to divert our time to tearing down our deck down to the frame and replacing most of the old/decaying wood. More recently we had some storm damage to the roof and some window frame rot we are also dealing with but bit by bit I'm starting to get back to the layout.

I've done some organizing and have started to draw out center-lines in the staging area and am working on track geometry to see how I can fit things in and maintain some decent minimum radii etc. My mainline minimum radius is 32" but I may end up with some curved turnouts with short sections of 30" inside radius to maximize the holding capacity of the staging yard.

Here are some photo's with center-lines with easements included where curves meet straight sections. I'll need to add some surface to an area where the curve is at the edge as I've been tweaking things. I had to do the same thing on the last layout so just having to make adjustments while building.

Here is an area of the main staging section that narrows to 18-inches and expands out to 24 for a total of 11 tracks.



I had to use some trial and error to reasonable maximum fit curves in while maintaining a sufficient separation of 2 1/2 inches in the middle - radii ranging from 40 1/2 inches down to about 35 inches. Easements drawn in at both ends.



As you may see, the most inner center-line goes off the edge of the subroadbed, so I will need to add some here to hold the track on part of the curve. I had to do the same thing on the last layout.



Test fitting turnouts in the yard ladder at the end leading out to open mainline.

[riogrande]

Was going to start laying some Peco electrofrog turnouts but discovered I need some precision wire cutters to cut the jumpers to get them ready for frog juicers.

Have most of my track laying tools out and ready:



While waiting for the wire cutters to come, I'm working on subroadbed and track geometry at the other end of the yard. It's kind of tricky to get 11 tracks down to 1 for the helix in this area and maximize the staging length.