[vsmith]

Well here I go yet again, with another thread to document the planning and construction of my layout inside my new garage.


Heres a link to the original, now archived post:


http://archive.mylargescale.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=50168


I will attempt to repost all the original text and pictures sans replies, so there is a continuity to the progress.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


 


12/12/07


Its ALIVE!!

This will be the new home of the building log of my indoor layout, the Borracho Springs RR, a small mining themed line based on several historical lines like the Gilpin Tramway, the Coronada RR, later AKA the Arizona Copper Co RR, with influences from a couple model RRs, like John Allens G&D, Bob Hegges Crooked Mountain Lines, Malcomn Furlows work, and Joe Crea's Pitkin Tramway.

The Plan:
http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/vsmith/GarageStudyTRY%20AGAINx2.pdf

The location is indoors again, like the previous incarnations, in my newly rebuilt garage which unlike the old one, is insulated and plywood sheathed on the interior walls. Almost all the benchwork is already completed for a previous plan which after setting up, I was unhappy with. The back wall of the garage is 19'4", the left side is about 9', and the right side is 10'6"

So away we go...

12/12/07 In addition to reworking the plywood I have a lot of prep work to do, including adding something (masonite?) over the plywood walls to paint the backdrop on, wiring busses, and adding flourescent lights under the overhead shelf. Then it will be adding plywood platforms for the upper track deck.

Scenery will be blue foam, with either cast foam or hydrocal details, we'll see which are easier to do. but that wont be till after all the track and wiring is installed and operation is in good shape. I've already reworked the expanded benchwork on the left side of the layout, that was the trickey one, still need to rework the right side plywood a little, maybe today or next weekend. Pics when the benchwork is finished..


12/23/07 A little progress. Got the benchwork expanded:

Left side benchwork, expanded to accomodate the R1 turnaround

Right side benchwork, widened about 12" for the R1 turnaround on this side and for the track on the fiddle yard.

Fiddle yard widened to accomodate 3 tracks.



12/26/07 Yesterday I began test fitting the track and building the plywwod subtrack for the elevated sections, starting on the left side and clearing off the benchwork as I move thru each section, already finding some reach issues that will be an issue when the time comes for scenery (not operations), as the layout is a tad higher than the last incarnation (42" vs 36"), mostly I just need to keep a short step ladder handy.


PS the door is finished and installed/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/laugh.gif

 

[vsmith]

Since theirs NO apparently easy way to add pictures in this new forum format, we'll do this the HARD way, I thought this was supposed to be an improvement?


Track test laying, how about that, the CADD program was right, IT FITS!


Right hand side, Borracho yard, and the lower section of Long Grade

Upper part of Long Grade

The curve at Agony Point

Lower Agony Point at Heckawee, upper level mining sidings

the yard at Heckawee

Looking down Long Grade

Siding at the fiddle yard

 Now comes a part I've dreaded, cleaning the track /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/crazy.gif, I've got 3 years of dirty gritty conductive grease to remove, so I can put shiny new conductive grease on the joints, somehow that seams a little contradictory doesnt it /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/blink.gif

 

[sailbode]

Hi VSmith,
Looks like you're making good progress. I'm curious about the raised sections. Looks like quite a steep grade? Any grade would look steep to me as I never considered anything but a flat layout. Now you've given me something to think about. Good luck with the project. I'll be following along as you post progress.
D

 

[vsmith]

Don, the grades is about 4%, the worst is at Agony Point since its curved as well, but I like real life tight twisty railroads so why not model them as well, and I like my trains usually short anyway. I'm looking forward to seeing how I have to "work" the trains up "the grade" once I get my trains going. I suspect I may end up having to "clean house" so to speak and sell off some of the weaker engines, or just rebuild them into heavier units.

 

[Torby]

Is that Marvin in your signature?

 

[vsmith]

Someone once said I had Marvin's sunny positive outlook on life.../DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/tongue.gif

 

[ThinkerT]

Well, Vic, have you reached the point yet where you get to staring at one part or another of the layout and start muttering to yourself...'if I could just get past this, then I could send spur into this whole new part of the garage. That would give me the space I need to incliude this or this...'

Thats part of how I ended up adding onto my layout - I just didn't have enough room at the one end to include everything I was after, and taking down part of that wall was the only way to gain more space. Of course, you try something like that, SWMBO might be inclined to scalp you...

 

[vsmith]

T

Actually no, I'm surprisingly quite content with it as it lays out. Gonna be a heckovalot of work as it is, lots of kitbash and scratchbuilt structures to do, lots of scenery. One trap I found out back in my college days and I fell into with the last layout incarnations is that sometimes you can overthink a project to the point where nothing is satifactory because you always find another revision or tweek and one ends up never finishing the project. There comes a time in every project when you take of the designers hat and put on the construction hat, and right now, it's hard hat time. The layout is just the platform, its everything else that makes the railroad.

 

[vsmith]

Test run #1 today on the mainline, using the Scientific guinnie pig as their no track power yet, mostly to test track transitions going up and down the grades. I've been using small wood shims to build up bases under the track at the transitions so there is a continuous solid base under all the track, so far got the left side transitions done, leaving only the transition at the right hand side left to do. Found a couple high and low spots during testing, thats what that stupid Scientific is great for, if IT will run on it, almost everything else will. Only a few rather funny derailments. It was funny to watch it run, since several track sections are still missing joiners, yet it trundled right along. /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/laugh.gif

 

[GURU388]

Looking real good Vic. Don't forget to invite me over when it is running....

 

[ThinkerT]

It should be getting close to the time to tighten up some of those track connections and put some of your other loco's through the torture test...pulling cars this time. (It was doing this on my layout that helped prompt the expansion and track plan revision - I was less than thrilled with some of the results).

 

[Guest]

Vic,


The layout looks great.  I'm jealous....mine's still on the basement floor.  I'd love to have it up on a table.  Keep inspiring me (us) to greater layouts!


Ed

 

[rkapuaala]

I'm really jealous, mines still in my head /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/sad.gif

 

[vsmith]

OK been testing ELECTRIC trains, over part of the track, I actually just hooked up a powerpack to the track and surprise, its conducts current all the way around, even with all the crap in the joints. Agony Point is well named, its steep, and slippery, just like its prototypes on the Darj and the Uintah RRs, need to add a little more weight to my Bug Maulers, transitions seem to be working well. Discovered that Buddy L and Bachmann couplers dont....at least on curves, the knuckles dont overlap enough and on a curve they simply slip apart. Hmmm. So thats one more thing to fix, convert them all to B'manns

 

[ThinkerT]

So...did the big haulers make it to the top towing two cars...or three? (not counting the tender).

 

[vsmith]

If I go up Long Grade, its OK... but up Agony Point its contentious. I knew going in it was going to fun working that grade, but I planned on short trains, short cars etc, and double heading. I plan to tweek my engines a bit here and there. I'm not worried about my geared babies, but once I get all my track wired up I plan to do some serious evaluations with all the engines, I may scrap outright (sell) some engines and modify others, I may even decide to modify my Bug Maulers with BBT drives, we'll see. Several of my smaller engines were never intended for the big layout and will instead be used for the portable layout. As it is I have far too much stuff for my layout right now, I really need to get serious about the direction I want to take my collection in.

 

[todd55whit]

VSmith,


                  Lookin good. What size curve are you using?  It's hard to tell from the picture.

 

[carpenter matt]

Vic, I noticed you mentioned using B-mann knuckle couplers? Did you give up on the link -n-pin standard idea?  Also the BBT drives from what I 've read are free wheeling meaning might be hard to park on grades.

 

[vsmith]

Todd, R1, a necessity in my case, and yes, I know I'm nuts /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/w00t.gif


Matt, only the mainline stuff, the big cars and big engines will be knuckle couplered, all the rest will be link and pin. Primarily my Bug Maulers, my full size freight and passenger cars. Not the stuff I would normally operate on the layout as its too big for most operations. Just an occasional D&RG thru train or the occasional excursion train using track sharing rightages.

 

[vsmith]

First big fault found/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/blush.gif


Had to eliminate the reverse S curve at the base of Agony Point, was causing derailments, added a 6" straight on each side. Need to rework some of the upper level supports where track will now go. The 6" straights on the other reverse S curves help a great deal, I now have to see how it effects the only remaining reverse S, at the bybass track at the base of Long Grade, I have to see if I can add a 6" straight there as well and shift the bypass track back a little.


This is why you always test and test and test again before you fix down any track or start any scenery,