New Layout

Welcome to the forum! Your benchwork looks nice, lots of open room to watch the trains roll by! Looking forward to following your progress.

@Keith Crook 020419 posted:

Welcome to the forum! Your benchwork looks nice, lots of open room to watch the trains roll by! Looking forward to following your progress.

Keith,

Thank you!

Yes, it’ll be good to have some elbow room and also some open floor space for my daughter and dog to romp!

Layout update and bench work question

Today, I made the braces for the legs. They turned out well but I wish I’d done that before I pushed the tables up against the wall and anchored them down.

For this build, it’s in a climate controlled room. I opted for 1/2 plywood as it would have been cheaper to by fresh decking than buy what I needed in 3/4 while salvaging the rest from my previous layout. For three of my tables, I used 24 inch bracing for the plywood to lay on. There are two areas that I do intend to run  a perpendicular brace for with a have to kneel on the four foot table.

Should I add them throughout the three tables? My thinking is, I have the materials on hand and rather do it know verses working around wiring later. On the other hand, I’m running model trains, not building a fortress.

Thanks,

Zach

Zach, Welcome to the Forum!  Your benchwork looks great. I'll look forward to seeing your progress!

Thanks Mark!

For bench work construction, I went back and reworked cross member spacing for the three tables that had 24 inch spacing.

I was torn between foam or homasote  as a top barrier but after looking around, I decided for neither! I did use Mr. Muffins idea to use tender twig paint on the top surface, I think it’ll make scenery in between tracks much easier!

The next things are

1. finish my under the layout shelves

2. Determine how I’m going to complete my lift out sections. The lift out sections will feature tracks at different grades. Therefore, I’m starting to think to make separate girder bridges. I always like layouts with a gorge and after reading Jim Barrett’s building a layout book. I think I will like to build on casters in front of the closet doors that can be mobile.

Were you thinking of something like this, Zach?  Still a work in progress, to say the least!

Mark,

Very much so! I like those struts to raise them up.

Zach

Looks fantastic, Mark!

Thank you, Zach and John.  They are linear actuators made for electrically opening doors.  They were a little tricky to get lined up, but are easier than flipping up and down two bridges by hand.  Another forum member used the idea, so I copied from him.  😄

Awesome, Mark! I was wondering if something  like that was possible. I’d image they also stay up in the extended position.

Yes, they go up until the limit switches open the power circuit, and they stop and stay open.  Same with the limit switches in the down position.  Each has it’s own power switch, so I can move one or both.  I can shut off the switch at any position from up to down.

I began my bridges tonight. I decided to roll my own, making girder bridges using 1x3 and half in plywood with t girder construction. Balsa wood will be used to add detailing.

That does the trick!

Towards the end of this quick link:  "Friend's Layouts" Installment#4, Plus a Lionel T-Rail Track Primer Bonus! (warrenvillerailroad.com) you can see how my friend, Nick, handled his duck-under problem.

Seems that there are many ways to do so -all unique and creative

@Mark Boyce posted:

Were you thinking of something like this, Zach?  Still a work in progress, to say the least!

Mark, I think that this is the first time that I have seen an "over all" view of most of your layout. I like it. And now your photos of various sections are falling into place.

Welcome Zach.......your carpentry skills are excellent......light years ahead of mine!

Welcome to the Forum!

Peter

@PRRMP54 posted:

Mark, I think that this is the first time that I have seen an "over all" view of most of your layout. I like it. And now your photos of various sections are falling into place.

Dave, Thank you!!  As you can tell it is so hard to get an overall view of the layout since I am in the doorway and against the wall, and still it doesn’t give the whole layout.  This is about the only angle that will give that much.

@Lionelski posted:

Towards the end of this quick link:  "Friend's Layouts" Installment#4, Plus a Lionel T-Rail Track Primer Bonus! (warrenvillerailroad.com) you can see how my friend, Nick, handled his duck-under problem.

Seems that there are many ways to do so -all unique and creative

That looks like a fantastic way to mitigate a duck under!

@Putnam Division posted:

Welcome Zach.......your carpentry skills are excellent......light years ahead of mine!

Welcome to the Forum!

Peter

Peter,

Thank you for the kind comment! I have never have tackled a build like this and I’m happy to see it coming together. Some of it has been trial and error, without a doubt . I’m hoping the time spent now will give me smooth track laying.

Trial and error is working well for you.  Time here is time well spent for smooth track as we all hope for.

We built two bridges today. They still require some painting. I did these from scratch looking at photos real girder bridges and from layouts I’ve seen here.

The front one is built on a single beam 1x3, t cross led with another 1x3, and 1/2 plywood. I’ll have to cut out some bracing for stability.

The aft one uses two 1x3 beams, stacked with a 1x3 and layered with the 1/2 plywood.

I used balsa wood for the detailing.

Got a plan for the entryway to the room and the layout lift section.

I can really use some opinions though.

I’ll be attempting to a vertical lift out. The Lowes in my area only had 24 inch sliders in stock. I much rather had 30 inch sliders because in this configuration, taller people will still have to hunch a little bit to enter, including my myself. In the up position, shed sliding locks will be used to lock it.

Am I building something overly complicated, when a lift out module will suffice? The walkway spans about 25 inches and the benchwork will be 34 inches deep.

Attached is a mock up for what I have so far and the 2 bridges after being paint.

For the front bridge, I used copper hammer finish spray paint. The back one is painted with a rubberized black and cleared with a green gold effect paint.

Zach, I don't think it is overly complicated.  If you built a lift out section, where would you put it when it is in the open position?  That is why I used the lift up approach for my bridges; they are always in place not blocking the aisle when the walk through is open.  I am going to build a couple of removable scenery sections to give access to track below.  Someone suggested I build them with a hinge, so I don't have to find a place to set them when I lift them out.

Zach, not to muddy the water, but I just saw your post.   My design has been up 2 years and has proved rock solid.  Take a look.  Sorry the pics loaded out of order, but if you study, you'll see it's more of a cantilever/pivot design and has proved to be very strong and open closes to the exact position every time for 2 years now.  No worries if it doesn't work for you, but I'll check in tonight anyway to see if it's helpful to you.   I have video but can't get it to post.  Outside of my expertise.  (age)

@42trainman, I've been trying to figure out a simple design for a lift-out or hinged bridge section for my own new layout that I'm starting soon. Your idea would be the perfect thing. It's simple and reliable. How did you hook up the wires for the tracks, by the way?

Feeders to the 4 tracks come from under the swing bridge, up through a small hole to the bottom side of the track itself.   Then, the wires come through to the small area on the inside of the hinges, then out the side and over to the table where they are tied in.  Here are a few pics to illustrate.   Good luck.

@Mark Boyce posted:

Zach, I don't think it is overly complicated.  If you built a lift out section, where would you put it when it is in the open position?  That is why I used the lift up approach for my bridges; they are always in place not blocking the aisle when the walk through is open.  I am going to build a couple of removable scenery sections to give access to track below.  Someone suggested I build them with a hinge, so I don't have to find a place to set them when I lift them out.

Mark,

If I went with a completely removable section, it would been placed on the floor or on a shelf under the benchwork. I ended up ordering some heavier sliders , 34 inches tall. Those should be in today.

I figured since I’m going through this trouble installing it, I should get some height to alleviate any ducking. If needed, I’ll use screw heads or furniture pegs to ensure proper line up when it’s lowered.

Zach

@42trainman posted:

Zach, not to muddy the water, but I just saw your post.   My design has been up 2 years and has proved rock solid.  Take a look.  Sorry the pics loaded out of order, but if you study, you'll see it's more of a cantilever/pivot design and has proved to be very strong and open closes to the exact position every time for 2 years now.  No worries if it doesn't work for you, but I'll check in tonight anyway to see if it's helpful to you.   I have video but can't get it to post.  Outside of my expertise.  (age)

42Trainman,

Thanks for the post and good information. Your design looks solid and provide a reliable alignment when close.

I was originally thinking a hinged section ,but I’m unsure it would work for me since the tracks on my layout will be on curves and different grades for that section.

I was thinking I could line up two different sections but that may introduce scenery limitations or breakups in scenery latter in the construction process.

I ended up ordering some taller drawer sliders and hope to get that section completed today.

Zach

Zach, The longer slides will make yours a first rate job!  I have shelves underneath, but they are full of stuff I don’t know where else to store.  Setting the lift out on the floor would have been a lot of bending and probably tripping for me.  Your installation will serve well for a long time.

I was torn between foam or homasote  as a top barrier but after looking around, I decided for neither! I did use Mr. Muffins idea to use tender twig paint on the top surface, I think it’ll make scenery in between tracks much easier!

I don't know what tender twig paint is, but it looks like you’ve used grasscloth. Will that give you enough sound deadening of the track noise?

Zach, my design was great for me.   Your design is great and should serve your needs well.  Mark's design is first rate too.  Have fun!

@42trainman there are so many different approaches to solving this problem of getting through part of the layout without having to crawl under.  I’m always impressed with the complex and the simple!!

Here is what I was able to work up. I’m going to some minor tweaks and construct a way for it to lock in the up position. It provides just over 6ft for clearance.

Zach, That looks great!  Simple and effective!

Agreed, looking good.

Thank y’all! Tonight, my wife and I worked on the up locks. I was designing/constructing this on the fly with the wood on hand made my cuts shorter for the lower 1x3s.

I could have ran them longer so the lift out would had its own legs but it seems plenty sturdy as is in the down position.

My initial supply of Ross track is clean. At least going into the weekend, there will be a train rolling out! 🍺

Bravo!!  It looks great!  Is the tilt I see in the first photograph because of the camera angle?

@Mark Boyce posted:

Bravo!!  It looks great!  Is the tilt I see in the first photograph because of the camera angle?

Mark,

Yea, that’s from the angle of the photo.

Zach

@Zach Dalton posted:

Mark,

Yea, that’s from the angle of the photo.

Zach

👍🏻👍🏻