My dream/nightmare layout... July Update 7/31/19 Big Boy month!

There really is something to be said for the proper mindset. I lost it when I got the news. I'm working to get it back.

 

Earlier it was asked, with a project so large where do you start? That's like, How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!

 

I took a "bite" today and finished the plywood deck for a 3 track storage yard. This yard wasn't in the original plan, and would have been a lot easier to do earlier on. I think the worst of it is over.

Wow, it has been a month, and a lot has happened.

First the bad news, which isn't really that bad, compared to what I've already been through. I went to the dermatologist a couple weeks ago for my annual skin check, and he decided to finally biopsy a spot on my back that he'd been watching for the last 6 years. It came back as another melanoma. So today, he carved out a larger chunk. Everyone involved feels that this far less serious than the previous episode, and that today's surgery will resolve the issue.

Back to trains!!!

My call for help, as it were, was  answered in the form of forum member CGWforever. This guy is a real go getter. In his four weekly visits this month, we have accomplished so much. But, it's not just what we get done when he comes over, it's the motivation he gives me to keep working between visits.

Here are some before and after pairs. Before is 12/31/12. After is 1/31/13.


















I don't have a good before for this shot, but all the black roadbed is new.



The really good news is I may have even more help coming next month!! Stay tuned.

 

As for my resolution of an hour per day average, I have surpassed that goal in spite of not working some days.

 

I want to get back down there now, but I have to wait a few days for my back to start healing.

That is some layout. I know you said it was 2000 sq. feet but I'm wondering about the dimensions. Length & width!!

Now that is cool!! Very nice- keep up the great work here- you will have a beautiful place to build some very long trains- keep us posted!! Nice pics too

Man'o'man, I wish you lived next door.

Wow my head is still spinning!  When is the open house!

Really fun work with him and keep things moving as much as we can! His layout did gave me the idea for my next new layout. Always enjoy work on his layout!

The main space is 39' x 46' but there's a 17' x 12' extension on the one corner. Only a small part of that extension will have layout on the upper deck. It is all one room, there never were any partitions.

 

Thanks guys!!

 

The open house is really whenever anyone wants to see it. Just contact me and set it up. At this time trains are not able to run due to construction mess. I'm guessing that within a few months at the current rate of progress, things will be much further along and cleaned up with even more of the layout operational. The goal is to be able host operating sessions.

Well, it's been a rather slow week on the railroad. I had to take it easy for a number of days because of the stitches in my back. I got some track secured Wednesday, but not as much as I would have liked.

Today things got kicked back into high gear, as CGWforever came over. We have established a comfortable division of labor, where I cut lumber and grab tools, while he assembles the pieces. Our afternoon was spent doing benchwork in one corner.

 Unfortunately I didn't have a lot of before pics for this area, but these first two are pretty close, and show some of today's progress. 

Here the backdrop support on the upper level was completed, the final braces supporting the cantilever upper deck were installed and the benchwork has been modified to reflect its curved profile.

 

Where the work lamp is hanging, there will be a wye on the lower level, and two tracks curving around to the left, something on the order of 072 and 080 perhaps slightly greater. 



Rather than add a leg, a scrap triangle of plywood, leftover from roadbed cutting, finds new life as a support gusset. Surprisingly strong! We've dubbed this "seat of the pants engineering".



Here's another example. I picked up those iron brackets many years ago at an auction when amusement park closed. They aren't bent to 90 degrees because their original purpose was to be used for park benches. This is how I work around that.



Next week expect to see more trackwork, and the start of the second helix. Stay tuned.

Hi Elliot. I met you briefly back in June 1993 when I visited your EnterTrainment. I had heard about your personal and health problems over the years and I am happy to see that you are starting to enjoy life again.

The pictures are great keep them coming. If I was in MN I would be helping you as well.

Thanks Clutch Guy. You were asking about the flat St Paul houses? They were saved and will be reused on this layout.






Tomorrow is going to be a fun day. Construction is going to begin on the second helix. This week I reached waaaay back to high school geometry, and drew on the concrete to get the dimensions for the 8' octagon that will form the foundation.



Helix foundation kit. Some assembly required!

Elliot,

 

Some great space you have there, and it looks like a really interesting layout.  

 

Thanks for sharing the progress, and the best part is you are making some and enjoying it!

 

Thanks Rich. CGWforever should be here in a few minutes, and we'll get that "kit" assembled.

WOW! Very ambitious.  You must have a lot of energy.

Thanks, I used to have a lot more. Now it helps to have help.

That's Patrick wielding the screw gun. 



The 8' octagon is complete.

That piece of electrical conduit goes from floor to ceiling and is the center for my compass.

Very busy day on the railroad today. Patrick came over and a bunch of benchwork got done.

 

The first section of the new hidden yard takes shape.

Frame installed, time to connect the pieces with a short bridge.



Heading up the helix! Half way around the first turn.



Instead of using 3/4" plywood, I use 2 layers of 3/8" plywood glued together to form a single continuous roadbed.




Let's see what I can get done before he comes over next week.

I can see the floor trusses, but this is in a basement of a house, and not

a City Hall, or school,  just looking at the wood, speaks to me about the framing

of a house ,  $$$$$$$ !

Yes Terry, this is my basement. The engineered joists that you are seeing span the full width of the house, just under 40 feet, with a center support beam held up by 3 columns which can be seen in various pictures if you look for them. The beam itself, along with the duct work, is already boxed in.

 

The rest of the lumber is the layout, and while it is expensive, some of it is over 35 years old. I've been buying it a little bit at a time for a long time. It is mostly 1x4's with some 2x4's and a bunch of 3/4" plywood. I'm actually almost done buying lumber, the bulk of the benchwork should be done by the end of the year.

Elliot,

I am yet to start my benchwork for my basement layout of approx. 13' x 10' and felt my little project was intimidating. RR Track Software crapped out and now I am trying to start planning all over again and am doing a great deal of re-thinking.

Thank you for providing pictures as your layout continue your work. I just turned 60 in Jan and take the train 2+ hours a day to and from my work, so little time for any work during the week and at times just rest the weekend to get ready for Monday!

I will now due to you, plan and schedule time to work on the layout re-design and then the benchwork. It will have to be small work and cost spread over time, but need to get my big arse in gear!

 

Thanks again! 

 

Keep up the Great Work!

Thanks Dennis, it makes me feel good to hear that people enjoying and even benefitting from my experience / insanity. 

 

Honestly, I could never get the hang of track planning software, and I tried 3 or 4 different ones. In the end, good old fashioned paper, pencil, compass and ruler served me best.

 

As with anything in life that we really want, we have to find or make time for it. Good luck and get crackin'.

Well, it's been just over 2 months since I started this topic, and a lot has been accomplished. With Patrick's weekly visits keeping me motivated, it is looking like all the track on the main level will be complete by June.

 

The helix should be done by the end of March. Here's a sequence of photos showing the construction. First shot 2/13/13, last 3/4/13.

Elliot, Coming along nicely! 

Thanks Charlie. You'll be happy to know that the Lionel auto racks just clear the support posts. The Big Boy wasn't as lucky.

Elliot

 

    Having kept up with your amazing posts since the beginning, you should realize how much more positive you sound. Making new friends is the best part of the hobby. Keep  it going. If you are ever in Chicago contact me and come and enjoy some time at our club.

 

Best

 

Ray Marion

Thanks Ray. In addition to the positive of meeting people, since I've been working on the layout again, my blood sugar has gone WAY down. There is a certain exercise factor involved with a layout this large. Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.

 

My wife and I do get down to Chicago on a fairly regular basis. I'll let you know when we are planning a visit, I'd love to meet you and visit the club.

Elliot, Glad to see you are back in the traingame, welcome home !

Haven't talked to you(CTT) in what seems like forever.

Hi Doug. A comeback is a long process. I missed and forgot a lot in six years. It really does seem like forever. OGR is my new online home.

Glad to see you making a come back. What a space you have there to work with. The helix is sweeeeet!

Thank you. That's a cool video.

 

I'm a little envious of your working turnouts. I'm sort of committed to using the screw drive machines leftover from the mall. I have the power supply, but don't know how to hook it up. The system was designed by an electrical engineer. If I can get the first one hooked up, the other hundred should be a piece of cake.

You said this much earlier in this thread and I had meant to comment that that this is a near-constant theme that makes this forum by far the best I have seen anywhere.  Just about everyone here not only loves toy trains but has that desire to share and look at what others are sharing. 

 

That said, you have a lot of share with such an expansive, facinating layout.   I love the pictures and comments form you and others here, but it makes me tired just to look at the size and think about all the work involved, not just in finishing the benchwork/track but then the scenery and all.  As I observed earlier, I often feel challenged just keeping up with my 28 x 16 layout, which is much smaller than yours: now that mine is about 1/2 complete (i.e., down to the terrain and vegetation, etc.) I find that maintenance on that finished portion takes about half my time, leaving me less to complete the rest.  I've concluded that it is about as much as I can handle. 

 

Your's is a fantastic project!

Thank you Lee.

 

This monster can seem daunting, but so far there hasn't really been anything to maintain. Of course there aren't that many functioning systems yet. My hope is that I only have to do things once. Everything is being built to a different standard from what most people do. This practice is a carryover from my time at the mall. An example of my overkill is having electrical feeders on every 3 foot section of track.

 

I was thinking about this the other day, and I realized that this layout primarily track. The scenery and structure aspect will be rather minimalist. The majority of the structures will be industries, and or flats.  This is due to the fact that it actually based on real railroads in the Twin Cities. What has happened is the narrow scenes fill with track, leaving little room for much else. In one spot the Mississippi river will be compressed to a 2 inch ditch between tracks.

 

The track is really the biggest project. Benchwork construction is winding down. I'm going to set a goal, here and now, of having all track completed and powered by the end of 2014. 

 

Heading back down now to keep chipping away. Patrick was supposed to come over today, but we pushed his visit back to Thursday because of the snow.

 

Elliot --

I can't tell you Thank You enough for making the effort to show us your progress, but THANK YOU!  For Sharyl and I the building of our layout was much more fun than running the trains for our family and friends.  I don't know if that makes sense but the hands on building and seeing a tangible outcome that works is simply fun.  It inspires me to think about adding on and revising some scenes, I need to convince my scenery partner first

 

Our youngest son and his family live in MPLS and I would love to visit your layout some day within the next year.  Thank You again for letting us tag along during your construction progress, we appreciate it greatly!

 I'm looking and reading threw these posts and this one sums it up for me too. Would be cool to have someone near that's into trains this much. I probably wouldn't leave and would become that unwelcome guest!!!

 Just .....wow!

Elliot

 

Looking very very nice, beautiful craftsmanship

 

Alex

Thank you Jon. I really appreciate that. You're right, while running the trains may be the end goal, and that is fun, the challenge of getting there is the most rewarding. Just let me know when you will be in town and and you can bring the whole gang.

Patrick came over today, and we went to town. The helix got another third of a turn, flying over the first turnout, and stopping just short of the second. The next segment is where the second track begins.




The level was used to verify the vertical clearance. Nailed it. Whew.



The other project was to get the subroadbed down for the yard





This is what the area looked like to start.




Here's where we ended up.



Next week Patrick will be coming over twice. In the meantime, I'll keep working on things.

Thank you Alex. That's quite the compliment coming from someone who does such beautiful model work as yourself. This is just rough construction. It's not quite as pretty close up, but it gets the job done.

 

Joe, I apologize for living so far off the beaten path. I wish I lived closer to all you guys. 

Totally blown away with all this grand work ELLIOT.  Keep on keepin on!!!  This is just great!  I recently retired and if I lived closer I'd be there a few times a week.  Love the helix.  How big of a power plant you gonna have for this monster?

laz57

Thanks Laz. I have my "Tim Allen" power supplies from the mall. A monster layout needs monster power.

This board has nine 6.3V 20A transformers. Three transformers are ganged together in series for 20A at 18.9V. So there are 3 power supplies on each board. I have 3 boards, but the plan is to only use two. Only one is in service right now, but I'd like to bring the second online this year, with all this new track.



Truth is, I'm not even sure if I need all this power. I've got an almost 100% can motor locomotive roster, and very few passenger cars. These supplies were designed with older equipment in mind.

Elliot what diameter is the track when it "rounds" the corner to the next aisle?

Hi Mike.

 

The curves at the ends of the peninsulas are generally 092 for the outside track. No mainline track is under 072. The double track curve that will connect the existing track to the new section will be something close to 084 and 076.

 

Where you see the four track curve, which I've nicknamed the "Horseshoe curve" for obvious reasons, the middle two tracks are the mains. The outside and the sharper inside are yard leads.