@Jayhawk500 posted:Good afternoon fellow O Gaugers. I've been putting this off for some time and I believe it's now time to let you all in on what's going on here in Ohio. After moving "back Home" (sort of, Home is still over an hour away, but I'm close to my family) 2 years ago, it was my intention to build a nice large layout in the basement. The house we bought was perfect for my layout. In the winter of 2022, I posted requesting some help in planning a layout for the basement. A member here emailed me and we started a very long conversation. To make a long story short, Here is a copy of the plan I settled on.
There is a small loop on the right side. This was requested so I had somewhere to run my Dad's American Flyer 4-8-4. I grow up playing with this train and it brings back some very fond memories.
I did some searching on the internet for benchwork and found some I liked. I then proceeded to build my own with some modiications.
I used 5-ply Birch plywood from Menards to build the entire structure. I had a pile of 1/2" OSB, so that got used for the decking, and finally, I put on a layer of 1/2" sound deadening fiberboard.
The roundhouse end of the layout was expanded to be 2 full 4x8 sections with another 20" in the middle. The roundhouse base will be inlayed into the fiberboard so the gargraves track will be flush. And YES, I will be using Fastrack. I was able to accumulate a large amount of used track and switches. I don't mind the clickty-clack of the wheels and when I run my SD70 UP 9096, the noise of the engine is fairly non-existant. As a side note, the main portion of the room has pencil drawings of trains by Stewart S. Buck. These were given to me by a firefighter friend before we left Oregon.
Until next time...
Nice plan and train room. I like all the FD memorabilia. This is going to be a great layout. Good luck with the build and keep sharing your progress.
@Randy Harrison posted:Today I spent the afternoon in the basement measuring, rough cutting, final cutting and installing a curved corner for the platform. When one sees it, it does not look like a big deal but, for my old disabled body, it was quite a workout. Also, for the first time, I used my Father's Day present, a battery powered hand jig saw. This is quite a leap of faith for me. I tend not to trust anything that requires a battery. However, my son Chris spoke very highly of Ryobi power tools. He used them helping a friend do a major outdoor project. So, in addition to the saw, I also received 2 batteries and a charger. I must confess that i really like the saw. Even with the heavy battery, the tool was well balanced in my hand and worked with ease. So, Chris has finally dragged me kicking and screaming into the 21st century. I now admit that the battery powered tool is MUCH more convenient.
Randy- I got my first battery drill in 1987, a Makita pistol-grip drill with a 3/8" chuck. I still have it and it still works. The batteries are basically shot but I can get enough charge in them to run the drill.
Fast forward to now and almost all of my portable tools are battery. A word of advice, pick a brand and stick with it. This way batteries are interchangeable between tools and charging is standardized. I've settled on Milwaukee.
Most of my lawn equipment is battery too, also Ryobi 48v.
Bob
