Glad I was able to share information that was valuable.
While the track is supposed to be here tomorrow, I really wanted to get that subroadbed piece fitted so I got creative. I made tracings of an O-88 LH switch and O-88 curved track and then made paper cutouts of them with enough fidelity that I could use them to final fit the subroadbed. It was crude, but it worked.
After getting the take off angle how I wanted it, I went underneath the layout and marked the joint line with a fat Sharpie. I cut the angle with my Skil Saw. Meanwhile, I had stabilized the straight piece on the other end and then traced the mid piece to get its two joint planes. I cut some cleats to tie it all together and pre-drilled clearance holes for the SPAX 1 1/4" screws.
I screwed all three pieces together and tried it on.
I took the belt sander and cleaned up the edges since the fascia board goes back onto this edge and it works best when the joints are nice and fair.
I also put on the cleats on both ends that will support the new roadbed. These are the cleats to join the tapered end to the existing layout. The clearance holes are pre-drilled with makes it much easier to drive screws from overhead when you're under the layout. I use the flexible extension on the DeWalt exclusively when I'm working below so I can hold the drill near my shoulder inside of up in the air while driving screws. The star drive screws don't cam out like a Phillips and you don't need lots of pressure to hold the bit in place.
With the roadbed piece built, I permanently fastened the new girder in place. I needed to use a stand-off block on the left end to ride over top of the Simpson Strong-Tie angle junction plate that holds the old girder assembly.
The girder's held in place with 1/4" carriage bolts, nuts and washers. On the other end, it's a 90° joint. In this instance I screwed the block to the girder using 3 SPAX screws and then clamped it to the other girder. After checking the joint for squareness, I drilled with the 1/4" clearance drills and used carriage bolts to hold it in place. There are three, which is overkill. I wasn't getting good clamping with the first one and wanted to add some more. This girder will be holding my 172 pound weight so I made it solid.
The last thing I did today was to cut and attach the 3 new joists. I put up a datum string line to set their outer position so the fascia would go on nice and straight. It's easy to put in joists. Clamp the joist in place, drill a clearance hole upwards from the flange just up to the joist (on and angle), and then screw them in place with one screw on each end. I use a 2" SPAX screw for this. They don't need lateral strength and when the risers and roadbed go in, the whole thing is very rigid and strong.
I'm going to fit the roadbed assembly on again tomorrow since I think I should make a longer joist for the 3rd one in the background. The curve extends out over the edge and I'll want the joist cantilevered out a little further to give more support.
Tomorrow will complete this carpentry project just in time for the track to arrive. I may hold off actually laying the track until all the mountain mess is complete. I will probably put down the Flexibed vinyl roadbed at this point, but no track nor ballast. This part of the layout is now very over-built since it has three sets of girders in an area that would normally have only two. In fact, I wish I would have decided to build this added track when I did the first build, but again, that's the beauty of L-girder, it's adaptable.
