Great work Tom. I had thought of having both scales up there in the ceiling for a while with the G on the outside loop and O on the inside loop, but my allotted clearance heights nixed that idea.
Speaking of clearance heights, I paid a visit this afternoon during my lunch break to Ready to Roll Trains to do measurements on the MTH Arch Bridge, and I'm happy to say that it will fit! Can't tell y'all how happy I am at that result. These pictures of the double track bridge hanging from the ceiling that Ready to Roll has is the exact viewpoint that I want to have when one looks up from the dining table and sees the underside of the train running overhead:
We measured the distance from the level surface to the top of the bridge arch at 8.125 inches, not including the bulb, so sitting on top of the 0.5-inch corkbed at my home layout, the will fit within the 8.5 inch space that I have. As mentioned earlier in this thread, I plan on having the bridge span be 20+/- inches with the 5+/- inches on either end resting on top of the shelves for gravity support. The bridge will be screwed into the cork so that it doesn't slide back and forth. On those 5+/- inch ends, I will have the corkbed at only 0.25 inch so that the bridge is lowered a bit so that the tracks don't have to rise up to meet it and it can be a smooth ride, plus I get to put the light bulb back on top. Right now I'm debating whether to get the bridge version with the white lights along the arches or not. Haven't decided if I want the bridge to be Rust (like in my post yesterday, Silver (like in my photos today), or Black (like in my 2011 photo of the long closed Warrick Hobbies store below).
I am enjoying this.
