Starting my first permanent layout!

looking good. Cant wait to see what you have planned.

That's a great looking room! Above your garage? Congrats!

Bob

WOW Tom talk about a train room from heaven! You have an amazing space and what looks like to be a fun layout plan. I can't wait to see it progress. Thanks for posting!

@RSJB18 posted:

That's a great looking room! Above your garage? Congrats!

Bob

Yes, sir. I built a 30x40 detached barn and work on the farm equipment downstairs and my wife suggested I put a second story on for the trains.

@Godale03 posted:

Since I have finally started building my layout, I would post some progress. So far I am just working on the benchwork frame. I am going to be trying to use a blend of tabletop and open grid. We will see how it turns out. Im certainly excited to finally r making progress. I’ve been collecting trains for almost 25 years so it will be nice to have a place to run them where I do t have to clean up the trains when I’m done! Here are a few pictures of what I’ve got so far. I still have some more framing to do as well as add some braces to the existing frames too.

Tom

Fantastic - can't wait to follow along

THAT'S WHAT I CALL A TRAIN ROOM.

What's your minimum diameter going to be?  Unless you're doing a point-to-point design I can't see anything larger than O6x.  With that amount of space I would look at an around-the-wall layout with multiple peninsulas and bump outs.

Jan

Looks great!

The room looks fantastic!  The beginnings of your benchwork look well done too!  Congratulations on the start of your layout!

@Jan posted:

What's your minimum diameter going to be?  Unless you're doing a point-to-point design I can't see anything larger than O6x.  With that amount of space I would look at an around-the-wall layout with multiple peninsulas and bump outs.

Jan

My maximum diameter is 108. It will be an around the room track plan with two peninsulas with a 34” turntable and roundhouse as the centerpiece.

Tom,

All I can say is wow! Things are coming along, from the beautiful room to what you have done so far with the benchwork. With the support you obviously have, this is going to be something special. Please keep us posted on your progress. Congrats!

Dave

That looks great and I love the design where people can walk around it, very smart.

Do you have a preliminary track plan?  Just curious what kind of curves you are accommodating.  I can't see where there's an accommodation for O72 curves to accommodate many of the larger locomotives.  Are you planning on any lift bridges?

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

Do you have a preliminary track plan?  Just curious what kind of curves you are accommodating.  I can't see where there's an accommodation for O72 curves to accommodate many of the larger locomotives.  Are you planning on any lift bridges?

Hey John,

here is the track plan I am working off of.

Tom

Great, that was the missing piece, I was having trouble with how you got around the room.   Looks nice!

Great looking room and plan! Keep us posted!

Peter

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

Great, that was the missing piece, I was having trouble with how you got around the room.   Looks nice!

Thank you!

I just have to figure out how wide to make the opening. I have an atlas double track Pratt truss.

Love the plan, it is going to be fun to watch your build!

@Godale03 posted:

Thank you!

I just have to figure out how wide to make the opening. I have an atlas double track Pratt truss.

I would guess what method you plan on using to remove the bridge. Minni benchwork offers a power lift option, you can use manual or some sort of power like an actuator. I use the actuator type.

I'm a fan of my power liftgate from Mianne.

Those liftgates look nice!!

Tom, I really like your plan.  I used Mike g.'s idea for lift bridges at two different levels.  My upper bridge is the Atlas double track Pratt Truss bridge.  The benchwork opening is 0nly 27", but I just figure I will have some landscape beneath each end and the "river" will be the 27" opening.  It isn't the best by far, but it works. 

@Godale03 posted:

Yes, sir. I built a 30x40 detached barn and work on the farm equipment downstairs and my wife suggested I put a second story on for the trains.

Very nice indeed but one question. Have you found time to work on any of the farm equipment yet?

@romiller49 posted:

Very nice indeed but one question. Have you found time to work on any of the farm equipment yet?

Of course! Maybe…. A little! 😁😉

@Mark Boyce posted:

Tom, I really like your plan.  I used Mike g.'s idea for lift bridges at two different levels.  My upper bridge is the Atlas double track Pratt Truss bridge.  The benchwork opening is 0nly 27", but I just figure I will have some landscape beneath each end and the "river" will be the 27" opening.  It isn't the best by far, but it works.

I love your lift bridge. I also have a double Pratt that I am going to need to lift up and out of the way. Nice work!!

@Godale03 posted:

I love your lift bridge. I also have a double Pratt that I am going to need to lift up and out of the way. Nice work!!

Thank you.  I was hoping it would be an inspiration.  I will make one comment about it.  Some forum members were concerned that the bridge would flex diagonally when going up and down.  Mike cut some plexiglass he had on hand and shipped it across the country to me to make an underneath support.  It is sturdy as can be.  Yes, it was thicker than needed, but he had it on hand and offered it so it worked.

You could probably use 1x4 or maybe even 1/2" plywood. It is something you would have to try as. The framework would be the same.

Mark your bridges turned out great! What did you use for your smaller bridge?

Mike, the smaller bridge is just thin plywood for the deck and an MDF kit for a through girder bridge.  The kit offers very little detail.  It would be nice to upgrade it, but there are too many other projects to work on.

Was able to finish the framework today. I still need to add a few supports but it’s ready to cover with plywood. I’m still wrestling with doing some open framework so I can elevate o e of the lower loops of track. I plan on having an upper level, but I’m not sure how much plaster work I want to do. The only issue I have with open benchwork having to fill all the open spaces with plaster cloth and all the mess that comes with it. I am not an artist. 😁 Im thinking of doing some kind of hybrid approach where my elevated sections are open grid and the rest is covered in plywood. Anyway here are some pictures of the progress.

That really looks great!  I understand your point about not being sure whether to leave open space in the decking for mountains or doing it differently

Looks great I too am building a new layout, and I am going with a mixture of both, most of my main line will be open grid and then my yard and TT will be solid plywood.

@Godale03 posted:

Was able to finish the framework today. I still need to add a few supports but it’s ready to cover with plywood. I’m still wrestling with doing some open framework so I can elevate o e of the lower loops of track. I plan on having an upper level, but I’m not sure how much plaster work I want to do. The only issue I have with open benchwork having to fill all the open spaces with plaster cloth and all the mess that comes with it. I am not an artist. 😁 Im thinking of doing some kind of hybrid approach where my elevated sections are open grid and the rest is covered in plywood. Anyway here are some pictures of the progress.

Rigid insulation 1/2"-1"+ is an option to cover areas for scenery. Cheap and light weight.

One other comment I had- The top of the steps extend past the knee walls. Are you planning on adding open railings? That looks like an accident waiting to happen (especially since you show a bar in your floor plan.... )

I like the track plan. It's going to be a nice layout.

Bob

@RSJB18 posted:

Rigid insulation 1/2"-1"+ is an option to cover areas for scenery. Cheap and light weight.

One other comment I had- The top of the steps extend past the knee walls. Are you planning on adding open railings? That looks like an accident waiting to happen (especially since you show a bar in your floor plan.... )

I like the track plan. It's going to be a nice layout.

Bob

Yes, I plan on adding railings by the stairs. An oversight during construction but will fix… soon.  I wish I had planned that differently so I didn’t have to go back and fix it.

@Mark Boyce posted:

That really looks great!  I understand your point about not being sure whether to leave open space in the decking for mountains or doing it differently

Mark (and everyone), here is the latest version of the design. It’s one of 2-3 designs we are tweaking, but they’re all pretty close to each other. We’re waiting on some measurements to see if we can add a trestle on the top, but the blue track is 6" higher than the gold track for a 2.3% grade. My thought is that the bottom, peninsula and most of the left side lend themselves more to full decking vs open grid. I say that because of the switches and passing siding on the left, the storage yard and station on the peninsula as well as the yard and TT on the bottom. I can see open grid under the purple grades and on the right side. I can see some open grid under the tunnel and mountain on the top, mostly for access from underneath, but even then, Tom will need to add decking for landscaping. My thought on the left side is to cut the decking along the track with a jigsaw and use risers to raise the grade. Another option is full decking with riser sets from Woodland Scenics.

That is some good clarification, Dave!  Thank you for posting a screenshot of the latest plan.  The benchwork framework as in the photographs is like walking into a house that has had the interior walls framed but no wall board attached.  It seems like a maze.  

Wow! That is one epic train room!

Thanks for posting all of the progress. I am looking forward to the updates.