I'm skipping around a bit since I decided against my coved sky idea. I'm going to just paint the ceiling flat black.
- I relocated the test layout so I have access to all four sides of it. Then I started moving all my boxes under it. That should clear the space for ceiling painting.
- I got my Legacy CAB2 remote. It's a bit more complicated than a CAB1L but I also only skimmed the set up instructions. I think that I'm doing a few things wrong because my 0-6-0 sounds are messed up and sometimes my B4 doesn't respond. But that's ok. I will read the instructions at some point. I think the most un-obvious part was how to get into reverse. CAB1L just has the direction button. But I figured it out.
- I started figured out how I will construct the open hearth shop and the other mill building on the layout. I've been referencing some prints I have of mill buildings and that's producing my dimensions. Some of the design is from personal experience in mills. The rest of it is from what is necessary to print the parts. Pictures are attached and more discussion on the building follows.
The parts in the pictures aren't even glued together so that's cool that it works well enough on its own. Those parts are also only semi final. Details will be added and the extra bits from printing will be removed. The parts for the truss arrived in the mail today. I think I'll get away with just printing the tie plates that hold the truss pieces together when I start gluing. I'm going to design little recesses in the plate to help locate parts to get the angles right. I assume I'll need to make my own corrugated siding somehow. I don't think my printer can make that and I don't think it would look good either.
In my dreams, the overhead crane works on the model and there are multiple overhead cranes on the rails like in the mill I worked in. I feel like that's going to come much later because I assume DCC would be the only or best way to run a motor for moving down the runway, a motor for the trolley, and a motor for the hoist. I know nothing about DCC. So the design for the crane runway will include brass tube for the rails so I can electrify it later. The wheels probably won't be scale because I don't want to risk crane coming off the tracks and crashing into the model interior. I also would have to crawl on the layout to put the crane back on the rails for at least two of the buildings. I considered footing the bill for a pricey miniature linear bearing set but I doubt I will because they can be pricey. It probably seems like overkill to make the cranes work but I think it would increase the play value of the layout enormously and be a lot of fun!
It stinks that progress is mostly paused for now because of the ceiling thing but I want to make sure I take my time and do it right. I've looked through a lot of layout threads on here and it seems that taking the time to do it right is the best way to spend the time.
