Working on my layout.

The shelving nook is great!  Am I looking at this correctly; Is that a landing partway up the stairs, then the stairs turn to the left to get to the attic floor?  I know, it is a hard place to get a good photograph to show it all, but it will make a great place for shelving!

Yep you are correct.  I took measurements where the studs are for the shelve supports to be attached. There used to be a 45 degree step there but we took it out.  I think the shelves will be about 6” deep. Wont know till the sheetrock is hung and finished.  Slow process. Painting the whole room sky blue and the stairwell white.  I am going to use the shelves for all my hess trucks and texaco planes. 

Those 45 degree steps are insanity!!!   I'm glad you took it out early on!!

Yeah i have fell off them more times than i want to admit while trying to be careful

Well diabetes is a witch.  I got an infection in my leg and some fluid of the bersa. Had to have surgery over thanksgiving and having to do injections every 24 hours till sometime in january. It was really bad. The ID doctor said it was very close to getting in the bone. It started on the saturday before turkey day and by turkey day it was my whole leg.  Crazy.  

My sheetrock guy is moving along for only being able to work 2 days a week. Here is the progress 

I’m glad you are progressing from the infection.  I know how bad diabetes can be from watching my father-in-law suffer with it over the years.  Infection is bad news!

The drywall work looks great!  It really makes a difference since you started posting.  I’m looking forward to seeing the room ready for your new layout!

Sorry to hear about your infection, I hope it gets better soon! I like the progress of the dry wall I was there not to long ago. It sure makes a big difference! Really makes it start to look like a room. Next thing it will start to look like a train room!

Southern4501 posted:

Quick question.  Is 15 amp service enough for the layout?  Most if not all of my engines are modern except for my dads.  Also led lighting is what i am shooting for. 

For your layout, sure. If you're adding the lighting load too, probably. Using LEDs will help a lot on that.

Two new additions to the building dept. 

More additions. Everyone is getting me buildings and add ons for the layout.  

My ideas have changed some  so we are only doing christmas movies. Main movie scene will be for the polar express.

Looks like its going to be a merry Christmas!

mike g. posted:

Looks like its going to be a merry Christmas!

It really has been.  My wife surprised me with the polar express train as well as a M1 garand (circa 1953).  I am spoiled. 

Also for anyone thinking about insulation in the attic, i can say this. Foam is the way to go.  My attic is always about 2 degrees different.  Well worth the money. 

Well they finished the drywall today. They will be back out tomorrow to start on the painting. I am still down due to my leg otherwise I would paint the room myself. Then finish trimming it out and finish the stairs and carpet. I will post pictures when it gets a coat of paint or two. Scaffolding is in the way or I would attempt to snap some pictures of the finished prep.

Southern4501 posted:

mike g. posted:

Looks like its going to be a merry Christmas!

It really has been.  My wife surprised me with the polar express train as well as a M1 garand (circa 1953).  I am spoiled. 

M1 Garand  N I C E.......I have a circa 1944 still with the original wood stock my dad bought over 35+ years ago. It shoots like a dream then PING.......

Layout room is looking good.....

Paint update    First coat of paint   More skimming and sanding to do  

Isn’t it amazing what a coat of paint will do for a room?  It looks great!

It sure does Mark.  I am glad my leg has healed enough to climb the stairs.  I need to get accurate measurements so I can ask for help with the track plans.  

Southern4501 posted:

It sure does Mark.  I am glad my leg has healed enough to climb the stairs.  I need to get accurate measurements so I can ask for help with the track plans.  

That sounds great!

I have a dedicated 15 amp circuit for my 22x12 layout and I have never had any problems.  It runs to a switch in order to turn on the layout.  My lighting is on a different breaker.  I would suggest to keep them separate.  I like the security of knowing there is no power to any  part of my layout unless I turn that switch on.   

WOW things are really looking nice there! A little trim, some floor covering and boom your going to be putting bench work up in no time! Nice work!

New update.  

Base trim is finished. Stairs are tightened down and kick boards in. One light is hung. Attic door is installed. Still needs one more coat of paint for some touch ups. The lights i am using are flat panel 4k lumen led. They are very thin but come with crappy instructions. 1ftw by 4ftL. They come with a flush mount kit. They use 40w each and are dimmable. I wish i had setup a seperate circuit to dim them when you want to run trains in the dark. Just need a little more paint and lights finished and carpet put down. 

It is looking great!!!

DL&W Pete posted:

Southern4501 posted:

mike g. posted:

Looks like its going to be a merry Christmas!

It really has been.  My wife surprised me with the polar express train as well as a M1 garand (circa 1953).  I am spoiled. 

M1 Garand  N I C E.......I have a circa 1944 still with the original wood stock my dad bought over 35+ years ago. It shoots like a dream then PING.......

Layout room is looking good.....

I picked up a Ruger pc9 for Christmas, I hope some day to own a garand. There is just something about owning a piece of WWII history, congrats!

Yes it is. I have been dreaming of owning one for awhile. Just like i have been dreaming of getting a AFT train in O. I have one in HO but its not the same.  

Looking good! You will be putting up bench work in no time!

Gilly@N&W posted:

Oh how familiar that looks! I wish I had done the spray foam instead of the pink stuff. Looks like you have more headroom than me.

BTW I pulled a dedicated 20A circuit for the attic. More than enough for a 14x39 layout.

To span the stairwell, I used G Gauge Deck Girder Bridges from Garden Metal Products. The track is 5 rail GarGraves.

I'm one of the carpenters in our modular train club. It was natural for me to build a series of modules to go around the room. If you have the aptitude, you can buy a good power miter saw, Kreg Tool, lumber, and hardware for less than you'll spend for the factory built stuff. And in the end, you still have the tools!

Go with the biggest curves that will fit! On the far end of my layout I have 0120/0128/0138

BTW, decent lighting in the attic for photography is a bear. Good luck with that!

Hey Gilly. Here is the lighting I am using. Each panel is 4k lumens. There are three panels.  Two for the biggest area and one where the closet was going.  

Those are really nice looking lighting units.  I have to get a lot more light in my dark paneled family room where the new layout is going.

Mark Boyce posted:

Those are really nice looking lighting units.  I have to get a lot more light in my dark paneled family room where the new layout is going.

I got them at lowes. They are for drop down ceilings but also have flush mount kits. They come in1x4, 2x4, and 2x2.  

Thank you.  I’ll take a look at them!

Jan posted:

i think I set your room up in SCARM.  The notch on the left is where the closet would be.  The track crosses over the stairs with plenty of headroom as the layout is at least 3 ft above the attic floor.  The track hugs the stairwell wall on a shelf about 12 inches wide.  If you make the attic door open into the attic then it shouldn't be a problem.  Just put a lift out section.

The track is O81 and O72 so you could run anything you want.  I used Atlas track but you could use any other system.  A turntable will take up a space that's 6 ft by 3 ft. so I don't think it would work in the corner.

I attacked the SCARM file.  Just right click on it and click Save as... to put it on your computer.

Jan

Jan, I have the measurements now that they have finished the room except for carpet. I was looking at going out that left wall at the bottom before the stairs for a reversing loop as well. Also placing staging on the bottom while still keeping the two loops running through. I have the outside measurements as well for those areas.

Here are the updated pictures with measurements to give an idea of the space i have available to get a better understanding from my first crude drawing lol. In the corner of picture 2 and 3 I want to try to build a mountain that resembles both mount crumpet ( the grinch movie) and the polar express movie. with a single helix layer climbing from the main table up around it and then onto a bridge back out into the main room for a island big enough to make a north pole area. So you see how much space i have. I like running trains but also would like some sidings as well. I am really thinking of going with two layers as well. I do need a dedicated run for my dads 223Eas well.  It will be all winter scenes.

I took a pass at drawing the plan from your photos but I think I need some more info to complete it. The dimensions with ?? need filling in! I've included a PDF if you download you can zoom in on the dimensions. 

Sothern, you sure got a nice room, and with a clean canvas almost anything is possible! I cant wait to see you start building! I know there is going to be a lot of planning so I can wait! How exciting!

That’s a great space

atanz posted:

I took a pass at drawing the plan from your photos but I think I need some more info to complete it. The dimensions with ?? need filling in! I've included a PDF if you download you can zoom in on the dimensions. 

I went in and added the measurements that you had question marks on.  When i did the first measurements on the door i only went to the outside of the trim. now the measurements are to the inside for both left and right. That is one heck of a drawing. My contractor did not even do it this well. I would take a guess at the wall thickness to be around 4 - 4.5 inches thick (stud and .5inch sheet rock on each side of it).

Thanks, Wayne

I see that layout mainline shape looking something like this:

No sense invading access pathways or severely blocking the top of the stairs.

What are you thinking Southern?

The table height will low in the main area. 8" below lowest knee wall top of just below the window sill. It could decline into the window/low wall area and be at a higher level on the rest. 

Southern4501 posted:

Update.  Sheetrock has started.  I am really thinking more light sockets are in order.  

Hope it's not too late, but some suggestions...  Not only add more sockets, but be sure you have power available on multiple circuits (breakers).  Also, put the lights on a separate circuit from the trains - if you trip a breaker, you still have lights.

I second MALLARDS suggestion. I put all my lights on one breaker, and put 12 outlets in my 12' x 24' train room. All the outlets are wired to a single light switch so when I leave the train room I throw the switch and everything in the room goes dead! I don't have to worry if I left something on!

I also ran wire for track lighting for dimming so I can run train at night!