Locolawyer's New Layout under Construction, with photos!

Congrats on your new layout! I look forward to seeing the progress as you go along!

-Greg

Erol,

Good to hear from you and congrats on your new layout. Please keep us posted as things progress.

Dave

The hardest part is to take down and rebuild. It looks like you overcame that mountain! Good luck and I too look forward to seeing more pics of your new layout!

Your layout plan sounds remarkably similar to my 12'-by-8' layout completed on Mianne benchwork in 2004 and still in operation. Three independent loops of Atlas O track: O-72, O-54 and O-36 with passing sidings on outer and middle loops. So, I can run three trains at a time. My benchwork has the middle-front section lowered by ten inches from the main table. The gap is spanned by two side-by-side truss bridges.

MELGAR

A wonderful move in a positive direction. My current layout is similar to your plan ( 3 loops, etc.). I skimped  too much on the sidings and miss switching, etc. My two cents is don't ignore that part of your planning, etc.

Good luck. Enjoy the rebuild.

Great start ,I am looking forward to the updates.

Brad

Looks good so far!

My only question regarding the method described is wondering if the weight may be too much to wheel the whole thing as one assembly once it's got plywood, homasote, track,etc. on top(any accessories or scenery?).  It's a little hard to tell from the pic, but I assume the carpet shown is not something with a high pile, so probably very little rolling resistance?

Maybe I misunderstood the description?

Keep us posted.  Looks like it will be a good upgrade!

-Dave

Best of luck!

Erol, good to see you found a window to start building a new layout. Keep us posted with pics of the p[rogress when you get a chance...........Paul 2

Looking forward to seeing your progress.  Good to hear from you again.

LocoLawyer -

By doubling the size I can almost guarantee you will double your fun.   

Best of luck going forward.  

Erol,

Looks good.   I like the face you can move it.   Enjoy the process of building the new layout.  Look forward to seeing your progress.   

Nice Erol, I'll bet it feels good to get started.   Having space for the big dogs to stretch their legs will be nice.

On suggestion, for the outside loop, consider O84 curves, bigger is better for larger locomotives.  I started out thinking O72 for my outer loop, but I've moved up-scale to O96, O84, and O72 on the inside.

Congratulations on starting a new layout. It is great that you are taking pictures as you go along. It will always be something to look back on over the years. Good luck with it Erol.

Woohooo!!!

Hi Erol,

Looking great so far , keep us posted on your progress 

Alex

Erol, I'm glad you got started on this new layout!  I agree it is good to get started.  I just started a new layout on Mianne benchwork this past winter.  While I wish I had made more progress by now, I am slowly plugging away.  I will look forward to seeing what you come up with as well!

Friends,

Thanks to all for their inspiring and motivating words, and to all that responded with "likes." I hope to put the 1/2 inch plywood and homsote on top of the substructure next weekend. I will keep everyone updated as much as possible.

Dave,

The weight issue of the plywood etc. previously did cross my mind. That is why I am going with 1/2 inch plywood instead of 3/4 inch. While it may not solve the weight problem, it will reduce it.  I am now thinking it will take two people to move it for the few times that I will need to do that.

Chris,

I have not seen you in a long time. Hope you are doing well.

GRJ,

I appreciate you recommending that I go with curves wider than 072, but I like loops with a 10" straight in the middle of the curves on each end of the loop to break up the curve. The only locomotive that I can conceive of buying that requires a minimum of 072 would be a Pennsy green 5 stripe GG1.  

Erol

Erol, great start on your layout!  I'm looking forward to watching your progress.

How'd you like putting together the Mianne benchwork?

Erol, consider birch multi-ply for the wood, it's a joy to work with, and it will remain much flatter than standard plywood.  Having built with plain plywood and this one with multi-ply, I had no idea what I was missing!  I would strongly recommend anyone building to consider multi-ply, the cost differential isn't that significant from plain plywood, but the quality difference is night and day!

I like the way you kept under the layout open so you can access it, it will make a great place to store stuff!  I tried to keep as much as I could accessible to do the same thing.

Another recommendation is to have a long level and make sure it's dead level before you start.  I didn't do the leveling carefully enough before the wood went on, and as a result we spent a couple of days making leveling blocks and leveling the layout.  I only had a 4 foot level when I set up the benchwork, when we worked with an 8 foot level, it was amazing how far off the leveling was! 

Since you're on carpet, I also recommend you consider some pads to spread the load on the carpet.  You may have seen Tom's leveling blocks in my build thread, but they really made a difference, and the layout is dead level now for the entire 12 x 23 area.  The bottom has plastic from a desk chair carpet protector attached, these can be made in various thicknesses if the floor varies in height a lot.  Once these were in place, there was no moving the legs on the carpet, they're there!  Also, you can still access the leveling leg to adjust it if necessary.

John,

Note that Erol wants to use wheels/casters so it will move! 

The leveling feet you used would seem to serve to guarantee that would not be the case! 

You probably listed the characteristics in your thread, but isn't the birch you used also significantly heavier than plywood? 

-Dave

Yes, the leveling feet would kinda' preclude movement, that was the idea! OTOH, I can't imagine the layout staying level if you're rolling it around.

Birch multi-ply doesn't weight significantly any more than plain plywood of the same dimension and thickness.  The difference is for a few bucks a sheet, you have a MUCH better platform for your layout.

Your bench work looks great. I can tell you are going to have a great layout soon. I do have 2 questions.

1. What is the height of your tabletop going to be when you get the plywood installed?

2. How do you plan on reaching the middle of the layout from the outside edge?

Congratulations on the start of a beautiful layout.

Erol ... COOL!!!  Layout underway!!

I second - strongly - what GRJ said about ply:

"Erol, consider birch multi-ply for the wood, it's a joy to work with, and it will remain much flatter than standard plywood.  Having built with plain plywood and this one with multi-ply, I had no idea what I was missing!  I would strongly recommend anyone building to consider multi-ply, the cost differential isn't that significant from plain plywood, but the quality difference is night and day!"

I started my new layout (on Mianne benchwork - of course!    a year or so ago using standard 3/4" ply.  I shifted quickly to the birch multi-ply and it truly is exceptionally better.

Good luck with the new layout.  See you York in October - as usual!  

Best.

One think I wish I would have done before the top when on, but I'll be doing it the hard way.  I'm taking a sander under the layout and slightly rounding all the edges on the Mianne I-Beams that my head can hit!  Those things are razor sharp, and I've taken several divots out of my head already!  It would have been VERY easy to do before I put the benchwork together, it'll take a lot more work now, but it'll be worth it in the long run.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

One think I wish I would have done before the top when on, but I'll be doing it the hard way.  I'm taking a sander under the layout and slightly rounding all the edges on the Mianne I-Beams that my head can hit!  Those things are razor sharp, and I've taken several divots out of my head already!  It would have been VERY easy to do before I put the benchwork together, it'll take a lot more work now, but it'll be worth it in the long run.

Guessing with the beautiful bench work you don't want to make it look crappy with foam pipe insulation on the cross beams to protect the noggin?   I could see not wanting that on the exterior beams that might show, but I'd certainly consider ones that have no "view" from the outside perimeter of the layout.

I forget who posted that idea in a thread here (pretty sure I saw the idea here) recently, but it looked easy and not too expensive at a couple bucks per 6 foot length.

-Dave

I could certainly live with that Dave.  In my case the wood would be protected from my exceptionally hard head!!  

gunrunnerjohn posted:

One think I wish I would have done before the top when on, but I'll be doing it the hard way.  I'm taking a sander under the layout and slightly rounding all the edges on the Mianne I-Beams that my head can hit!  Those things are razor sharp, and I've taken several divots out of my head already!  It would have been VERY easy to do before I put the benchwork together, it'll take a lot more work now, but it'll be worth it in the long run.

Do as I did. Go buy the pipe insulation with a slit in it and put it over the edge. I hit mine several times. Wife once! Insulation purchased and installed. Now no more blood and the banging doesn't hurt. LOL

Looks great! Can’t wait to see it done.

I just figured that if I'm under there, sanding them would be just as easy and I wouldn't have to buy all the pipe insulation.  However, I did actually add that to my lift-gate bottom as I'm under that a lot.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

... I'm taking a sander under the layout and slightly rounding all the edges on the Mianne I-Beams that my head can hit!  Those things are razor sharp, and I've taken several divots out of my head already!

In addition to divots, they're also very good at removing chunks of hair, which I can't afford to lose!  

The only I-beams I consistently miss are on the perimeter, where I go in and come out from under the layout. All the rest seem to be quite good at removing hair and creating divots when their time comes. 

I figure to save Erol's head with that recommendation.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

I figure to save Erol's head with that recommendation.

Be careful you might get sued if he doesnt save it.

Erol

Looks great   Congrats on the start  Are we having a party there when your done

bluelinec4 posted:

gunrunnerjohn posted:

I figure to save Erol's head with that recommendation.

Be careful you might get sued if he doesnt save it.

I didn't think of that Ben, maybe I better delete my post.

Congrats on starting the new layout Erol. Very nice collection on the shelves as well.

Bob

John, RT et al. -- at the risk of asking a self-answering question, while I do a lot of woodworking, I'm not sure what you mean by birch multi-ply.  What I've seen and used is called 'baltic birch' or 'white birch' plywood (baltic is better than white and more expensive), which is indeed made up of multiple, thin layers -- typically 9 ply  for 15/32" plywood - as opposed to 3 to 5 thicker plys for more 'traditional' (usually pine) A-C or B-C plywood.  Maybe its just a naming convention that's different for us folks out here on the left coast?

- Rich

It's just Baltic birch to you, the 1/2" stuff I'm using has 11 layers, that makes for a very good and flat surface.  I bought mine at a plywood specialty yard for $25/ea for 5x5 sheets.  It's finished on both sides, one being the "perfect" side and the other having allowable "football" patches that cover what used to be knots I suspect.

John -- thanks.  that was my hunch, but I just wanted to make sure I hadn't missed some new, wonder material...!  Baltic birch is really good to work with - I've used it for casework for various projects.  The pre-finished stuff is also very handy for making drawers - some edge banding or a round-over bit and some poly finish on the sanded edge and you are good to go.