Alan Hummel posted:WOW!!! Your layout benchwork is AMAZING!!!
Thank you, it's been a project but I'm very happy with it.
My total layout area is 25'x50',with 2'7" shelves in width on the north 44' run that will house my yard & a few industries. The shelf is 37&1/2" high from the floor. The east end has 2'5" wide shelves,same approximate height. I have about a 10' run of shelves 3' wide on the south end then it's water works,i.e. sump pump,water heater,etc.,then I have about another 16' run of shelves 3' wide finishing up the south wall. The shelves on the west end are 3' deep but I can only run about another 10' on that end as desks & furniture take up the rest of that run. So I plan about a 44' run on the north end of the basement,then make a 50' radius curve heading south. I plan to use the south shelf mentioned last for a short industry. The south shelfs will house something. I plan on making a straight run east & west that'll house mainline tracks. My basement's full,but I'll work "over" the obstacles as lumber becomes available.
Sounds like a good plan that should offer some really nice modeling.
My "thing" here in my area,is that it looks "cramped" compared to yours,Chris,and I thought you had a shorter area,correct me if I'm wrong. What am I missing? I'm trying to view my layout from my mind's eye while you have a table top laid out. 10 60' grain hoppers fill up a yard track & it makes me think O is going to look "out of place" in my area. Am I just being paranoid?
Paranoid?...No, it tells me that you're thinking. O Scale will definitely chew up space quickly and as such some "modifications" are in order. In my case I won't be running 100 hoppers full of coal with a Y6 and a Class A on the point with a Y6 pusher, maybe 30 hoppers on a good day...it will look the part. I don't think you'll have anything to worry about with your set up. If need be widen a shelf by a few inches here and there, play with the design a bit in relation to the operations you wish to have. My tabletop portion is for a bit of a yard and a engine servicing area and is roughly 30 feet long and about 6 feet in depth so it will work well. The overall length of the layout is 44 feet by 23 feet. I am also incorporating areas where I can expand in the future if I choose.
Al Hummel