And now for something completely different...

So, the next few posts will catch us up to where we are now.  Benchwork was done in stages, probably way overbuilt, but attached to walls and I can walk around on it to reach the far corners.  

Since I am using sectional track, I just used trusty old MacPaint as track planning software.  As plywood was added on lower level benchwork, I started placing items on it to get a feel where and how things would fit.  This helped immensely, as I found I was able to keep O-54 as the minimum radius on the lower, on the two dogbone ends.  (O-72 is planned as a minimum on the upper, to accommodate cars that need bigger turn radii.)  The downside is, the ensuing clutter has to be moved multiple times as I move around on the tables to work on the perimeter.  

Once the lower plywood was fully installed, I placed the whole lower track, hooked up wires, and ran it for a few weeks to verify reliability.  Also, first chance to fire up the MTH DCS, which has been sitting on boxes in the hall drawers for a decade.  (Warranty long expired, luckily it worked.)

The benchwork is gorgeous......I will be looking forward to watching your progress!

Peter

With the lower track roughly in place, I can start work on the upper benchwork.  Previously installed a 1" x 2" on the perimeter wall, so just need supports in a few appropriate places deconflicted with the lower track.  Where tunnels will be, preserved access through the lower plywood.

Looks like you ripped your own dimensional lumber.  Baltic Birch?

Nice benchwork.

Thanks.  It is a combination, mostly depending on what I had laying around from other projects.  The framing is primarily 1" x 4" Poplar, with a few specific pieces ripped (to the same dimensions) from Baltic Birch plywood where needed for added strength.  (The posts and long beams the joists sit on, for example.)   The table top is just regular Birch ply to keep the costs manageable, as I expected a few goofs and re-dos along the way.  (BB is available here as special order only, while regular ply is stocked at Lowes, Depot, and Menards.)

We collected and will operate mostly modern era.  Which is why we have an 8 1/2" elevation change... double stack containers will be able to run through tunnels without the need to "daylight" them.  (Hindsight is 20/20, right?  Appalachian railroads, talking to you.)   I did, however, have to modify some portals.  Interestingly enough, MTH Premier husky stacks won't fit it MTH tunnel portals.  I was able to modify them to work by sacrificing one, cutting off the bottom two rows of bricks and adding them to another to raise its overall height  (left one in picture).  One sacrificial portal can make 6 working portals, before the bricks start to arch over and will no longer fit.  Note, there is some variation to finish of portals from different batches.  My sacrificial portal was a partner to and therefor a perfect color match to the first heightened one, but others can have a slightly different shade of grey (right one in picture) and may need to be painted to match.

Our pay is in seeing everyone having a good time and sharing this hobby.

I really like this layout for the ability to just watch a train run around or play in a yard if you want and all in a manageable space. Agonizing over the same exercise as we ready to put up a permanent layout. A change in the planning process that I didn't contemplate was moving toward a fixed income in retirement that puts a crimp on unfettered spending. Going to have to make do with what we have and temper the benchwork based on current cost, but fortunately we have the trains and most of the track. Excited to start something later this summer and very happy for you that you are finally fulfilling a dream. Great patience and very nice work to date. Thank you for sharing.

Thanks.  Long time getting to that plan.  Also just retired, but had luckily purchased most things in advance, so just having to find where I stashed things away in the order I need them.  (sometimes a problem).

In the hall approaching the train room, I filled some of my idle moments building a display cabinet with storage drawers.  Date stamped in 2006 and 2007, which gives an idea how slowly I work.  Glass enclosed shelves each have 3 tier terrace with track.  Bottom shelf has ability to run power to keep batteries charged, which I was terrible at.  Have since replaced all batteries with BCRs.  

In full disclosure, you can see a glaring error in my benchwork.  I started the benchwork when I was still expecting to use O-45 in the lower, so the angled section with the yard is built at 30°.  (Three sections of Atlas O-45 make a 90° curve, so each section, including turnouts, are 30°).  As the plan evolved and O-54 became the min diameter, the yard did not work, since O-54 turnouts are only 22.5°  (four sections of O-54 make a 90° curve).  I had to add a one-third curve track section (7.5°) on each switch, which allows me to keep the yard on the 30° benchwork but adds some extra space between yard tracks as an unintended consequence.  It would have been nice to keep yard tracks closer, but on the brighter side, maybe in the future I can add a container gantry in the otherwise unusable space.

Sather, Benchwork looks really really nice.  I like what you did on the tunnel portals.  I'm thinkin all the tunnel portals on our layout will be custom built cause many will be two track but offset.   

Nice job so far. Keep up the good work.

Tom

@TomSuperO posted:

I'm thinkin all the tunnel portals on our layout will be custom built cause many will be two track but offset.

Thanks, Tom.  I will probably have to make some custom ones as well, since in my limited space a few of my tunnels start on curves.  Longer cars would hit the sides of most off-the-shelf portals.

Nice job on the plan, benchwork, and cabinetry.  The built-in is especially well done. 

I hope that your plan to be able to walk on it for access works out for you.  Between aging bodies, the urge to include as much track and accessories as possible, and the tendency for problems to occur in the hardest-to-reach location, walking on it can be a challenge. 

Your story sounds familiar to most of us. We bought our house 24 years ago and I had fully intended to build a layout (HO at the time), shortly after closing......Finally got a small one built about 6 years ago.

I like what your are doing. I agree that the connecting grade would have been nice but the real estate just isn't there. I have the same problem BTW.

Great bench work and display cabinet. Keep us posted.

Bob

nice photo's and well done...............The big Dog give a hardy WOOF ! !

@Mallard4468 posted:

Nice job on the plan, benchwork, and cabinetry.  The built-in is especially well done.

I hope that your plan to be able to walk on it for access works out for you.  Between aging bodies, the urge to include as much track and accessories as possible, and the tendency for problems to occur in the hardest-to-reach location, walking on it can be a challenge.

Good point.  The walking around option is nice during the construction phase, but will actually go away once the tables get cluttered with stuff.  I figure I will finish the upper/outer before that happens to the lower.  The upper has no turnouts specifically to improve reliability, but you are right - problems occur in hard-to-reach locations, and falling at my age would be a life-changing experience.   May have to invest in one of those cantilevered ladders.  

@RSJB18 posted:

Your story sounds familiar to most of us. We bought our house 24 years ago and I had fully intended to build a layout (HO at the time), shortly after closing......Finally got a small one built about 6 years ago.

I like what your are doing. I agree that the connecting grade would have been nice but the real estate just isn't there. I have the same problem BTW.

Great bench work and display cabinet. Keep us posted.

Bob

Thanks, Bob.  I spent a long time stuck in a planning loop, an example of "perfect is the enemy of good" enough.