How Dunham Studios Designs and is Building a "basic" layout for a client.

This should be a very interesting thread and I'm looking forward to seeing the process documented!

-Greg

Barbara, very much looking forward to seeing how this project develops here!   Thanks for documenting it here for us.

David

Looking forward to more pics!

Peter

Thanks and we'll keep posting.

After I win lotto, you will be the second phone call I make.

rat

I'm really, really interested in what Ratpak's First phone call will be?

Clarke

"I'm really, really interested in what Ratpak's First phone call will be?"

Celebratory pizza or calzones?

Love the photos and delighted you folks are sharing.

Ythank you for sharing your process.  I'm sure it will be very interesting to many of us!

I admit (and apologize) that this has been a long time coming, but we've got three complete, all O Gauge, projects from basic (see above) to hugely complex -- and ongoing (see our embedded video post)-- to a fascinating "walk-around" layout built for a father and his seven-year-old son (Currently on our OGR half-page Ad) featuring a layout loop at "seven-year-old height"--about twenty inches above the floor--complete with handheld (LionTech, of course) control.  We're not quite sure whether to do these one at a time or to work them in together, or in three separate OGR Forum posts.  What's your opinion?

Clarke

Great thread Clarke intertwine the projects into one thread.

I'm very interested to see the layouts and the building process and how the professionals go about doing these things. I have admired some of your completed layouts on the TM videos. 

I would prefer separate threads. I think it would make it much easier for the followers to keep them straight and not get mixed up. So many good threads are posted on the OGR forum, the really long ones on just a single subject are sometimes difficult enough to keep up with all by themselves. With a separate thread for each layout it would be much easier for us to follow along and keep the related questions/comments straight. I think it would be highly unlikely, but some members might not want to follow all of the layouts? If so they could follow just the ones they wanted to.

Barbara, separate threads are better.  Better still, edit the threads' titles to include the dates of any new photos.

Looking forward to your next project post and photos.

Great Thread. They provided me with the drawings of my first layout.

I put my vote in with RTR12 and Carl for separate topics.  I may get some things mixed up if they are on the same topic.

Thank you!!

Ditto!

Our railroad museum in Sioux City, IA has a Dunham designed and built HO layout about 15' x 75'. It was built in 91 for a businessman in Omaha, NE. We obtained the layout in about 2004 and had it stored until 2010 when we finished a separate building. It is well build and runs daily. see www.milwaukeerailroadshops.com.

Dick

Believe the link should be :

http://www.milwaukeerailroadshops.org

Hi Barbara,

I, too, would prefer separate threads for each project.  I have admired many of your projects.

Thank you for taking the time to provide us all with a look "inside".

Hey Clarke!  kudos to you as an owner having a shop with WINDOWS and letting natural light!   makes a workers' environment much nicer!  And as RatPack said...after I WIN the lottery I will be making my second phone call to you.  

 Hello REDJIMMY55:  "The Barn", was designed by me (and built by our staff)  in the Adirondack Style with slash-wood siding (siding with the rough edge left on) from a now long-gone local sawmill.  The Barn used to have windows on each end but "progress" involving constant shop expansion over the years (from 2500 to 8000 sq. ft.) closed them off.  But we'd be sealed-in without the front windows.  They actually bring the outside in.  The locals still call it "The Cathedral of St. Barbara of the Adirondacks".  St. Barbara likes it too.

Hello CBQER:  That was our first really-huge HO Scale layout, built for Willie Theisen, the Pizza King in 1990.  750 square feet, I think and in a building built just for it.  Willie soon moved from Omaha to California, donated the layout, and we moved it to the Omaha Western Heritage Museum.  We can always do these things because Dunham Studios layouts are always built to move.  That's always a given.  And you know what?  If you know how, it's simply easier, and cheaper, to do it that way.  It resided at the Museum for many years.  I never knew where it went after that until I received an e-mail with photo attachments from someone in your group.  You've done a great restoration job.  Model Railroader Magazine and I traveled back to Omaha in 1991and did an extensive photo shoot for a story that was never published (the then-new MR Editor Andy Sperandio didn't like the way I typed it, if you can believe that).  You really ought to get with MR and get the story of the layout's travels covered.  You've got a great website, too! 

Clarke

I was just looking back over REDJIMMY55 and RATPAK's comments about winning the lottery, and what I noticed was the idea that we're very expensive.  We can be if we're doing a million dollar exhibit, and we have done a couple.  But we also just delivered a 5 x 9 layout for $8500.00 complete with track, scenery and controls.  So, it all depends what expensive is. Or isn't.  See us at York in April for some surprising small and affordable Hi-Rail Displays. 

Clarke

I just want to add, on the price issue. If you've spent 5 years, eight years, ten years on your layout do you have any idea of what it actually has cost you? (And your free labor doesn't count.) We've done layouts (and not small ones) for clients who've told us that, aside from the fact that we brought their dreams to fruition, we actually did it for less than they spent on the home layout they had built  themselves that our layout was replacing.

I'll keep things separate (and try to keep Clarke doing the same.) Anyhow, on the basic layout above (way above!) we're at the point of fitting the first track level to the base. It won't stay there for long because Roy is about to mix the paint to get a first coat on the T-111 base. After that we'll proceed to install supports and lay on the rug-covered tops so John can start laying track.

We experimented with attaching the rugging (one step above indoor-outdoor carpet but with some texture) to the plywood and then cutting the platform tops to shape with the rug on it. This allows for creating complex shapes without having to redraw the track plan onto the rug, then cut the rug while worrying about having to patch in odd shapes thereby changing the visible rug texture. The experiment was a success. I'll show you as we go along. Meanwhile let me show you where we are as of today 2-29-16.

Landsteiner posted:

"I'm really, really interested in what Ratpak's First phone call will be?"

 

Celebratory pizza or calzones?

 

Love the photos and delighted you folks are sharing.

pizza and calzones would be the third call

rat

ratpak posted:

Landsteiner posted:

"I'm really, really interested in what Ratpak's First phone call will be?"

 

Celebratory pizza or calzones?

 

Love the photos and delighted you folks are sharing.

pizza and calzones would be the third call

 

rat

Wow, haven't had a calzone in years. Stop it, your'e making me hungry.

Yesterday, Bob and Ray (carpenters, not comics) finished building the spreaders for the Straightforward Basic Layout and put them in place.

This is extremely interesting!  I want to keep up on this to see how it goes together!

This is very interesting. Thanks for posting, I will be watching.

Hello out there. I can't make heads or tails of how to post so what has happened is that I've just added photos (I seem to be able to do that!) without explanations. Bear with me as I try to play catch-up. Clarke, in conference with the client, designed this Basic Layout: frame faced with painted T-111/rug covered track platforms/track (as per clients needs)/wiring/controls. We went from the design phase to Fletcher Conlon (Clarke's assistant) working out the details on the computer and printing out the plans from which Bob & Ray (our carpentry/comedy team) built the base. When the base was assembled (and note the T-111 facing) an inner framework of spreaders was built and inserted to support the trackboards which are framed and made into 'little platforms' which will be bolted onto the base. (There will be several levels of track so you'll see them growing from the base track board platform). Do note in the photo of the track platform there are 'portholes'. These are to run the wiring through. Since Clarke spent some 40 years designing scenery and lighting for shows and operas many of which had to travel, Dunham Studios layouts are built and wired in segments for easy travel and assembly. (And ironically disassembly as a number of our clients have moved at least once and we've had to disassemble their layouts and reassemble them at their new location. But that's another story.)Anyhow, the photos you see (somewhere) above illustrate the thread we're following on the Straightforward Basic Layout. Do bear with me. A computer whiz, I'm not. Computer semi-literate is closer to it.

Barb

Barb,

We can bear with you learning how to use the forum.  We just had to learn a new way to add photos when the forum was given a new look by Hoopla the software company OGR contracts to host the forum.  We are just appreciative of you taking the time to post.  As one who has moved several times, I can appreciate building a layout in modules that can be moved, and I have already picked up new ideas of how to do it.  Thank you!

As different levels need to be added, Fletcher works out the plans on his computer, prints them out and goes over them with the staff, in this case carpenter Ray Wood.

What you might notice and wonder about on the plans above is the track indicated beyond the layout itself.This is track running on brackets to the turntable and yard section. You'll see and hear more about that later as it is developed.

Fascinating. I've often wondered if there were people out there wealthy enough (and/or time-constrained enough) to hire out for the building of a layout.  I enjoy the building part of the hobby because, frankly, I don't "work with my hands" for a living and I love the diversion of doing carpentry and electrical work.  My workmanship still sucks, but it sucks less today than it did on my first layout.  If I ever hit the lottery, I'm converting to scale, moving to a place with a bigger basement, and hiring someone like this. 

redjimmy1955 posted:

Hey Clarke!  kudos to you as an owner having a shop with WINDOWS and letting natural light!   makes a workers' environment much nicer!  And as RatPack said...after I WIN the lottery I will be making my second phone call to you.  

Jimmy, who is your first phone call?

rat

More out of curiosity = what are the dimensions of the layout?

This thread is interesting, I have enjoyed the process and look forward to the end result.

Mike

keep it coming!!!!

Our "Basic" Layout is progressing. Yesterday the guys got the first level of track platform established in its proper place. You can see Fletcher (our Graphics guru and plan creator) and Bob, half of our Bob & Ray carpentry team, nudging the platforms millimeter by millimeter into place towards Roy(mold-maker/sculptor/painter), Ray (carpenter), John (track/electronics/controls) & Clarke. After which, Fletcher shows John the track plan. More will follow..

What are the dimensions of this layout and what size curves are you using?