05-18-2009, 01:15 PM
TrainNut, Wayne, Russ - Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!
I may take another cue from Sellios and just create a nice long double track main, twisted and folded as much as possible in order to gain a decent run, then scenic the heck out of it. Perhaps not as detailed as his, but then again he himself is rethinking the overabundanty cluttered look. This will allow me to run a variety of equipment. A branchline can be added on as room permits around and through the main. Perhaps not operationally pure, but that's not high on my G&D list.
OR created scenicked sections linked by removable bridge tracks (shelves with guard rails) that can be stored above & below the scenicked bits, a la Iain Rice. His thinking is that creating a signature scene now is really working toward a larger layout someday. And if someday never comes, then you've not been waiting for that golden basement space without building anything.
Here's a suggested use of the space. On the left is the mainline layout with broad-ish curves (26" rad?). The shaded area on the N wall is staging, which, if high enough, clears the freezer lid. With good turnout spacing a staging track of 8-9 feet would be possible. That would hold my 4-8-4 and 70' passenger cars nicely.
On the right the shaded block is the (expanded) timesaver. The layout as it is now is 14" by 5'. Those dimensions would not change, but this arrangement leaves 6' more available as a fiddle track/staging area (sector plate?) or an additional scene.
This is doable for the car, and more than adequate for all the kids bikes, etc. But squeezing them both in at the same time leaves little room for operating the layout unless the under-benchwork space is well utilized.
Wayne, I'm still chewing on the double decker idea. I know they'd not be connected and so the spacing between can be perhaps greater than most that are, but I've never really liked the look of double decker lines. It's been said that you pay mor attention to your own train and lose sight of the other deck. Well, on the double deckers I've been priveleged to operate, that just isn't the case with me. Maybe I'm just too easily distracted but I was looking all over. And perhaps after some time I'd get used to it. Hmmmm...
Galen
Quote:An alternative might be to do as George Selios did with the Franklin & South Manchester and and put a ceiling over the the layout and suspend a curtain from the ceiling that would fasten to the bench work to seal out dust. The curtain could be pushed back or removed for operation and then installed to protect the layout when your operating session was over.
I may take another cue from Sellios and just create a nice long double track main, twisted and folded as much as possible in order to gain a decent run, then scenic the heck out of it. Perhaps not as detailed as his, but then again he himself is rethinking the overabundanty cluttered look. This will allow me to run a variety of equipment. A branchline can be added on as room permits around and through the main. Perhaps not operationally pure, but that's not high on my G&D list.
OR created scenicked sections linked by removable bridge tracks (shelves with guard rails) that can be stored above & below the scenicked bits, a la Iain Rice. His thinking is that creating a signature scene now is really working toward a larger layout someday. And if someday never comes, then you've not been waiting for that golden basement space without building anything.
Here's a suggested use of the space. On the left is the mainline layout with broad-ish curves (26" rad?). The shaded area on the N wall is staging, which, if high enough, clears the freezer lid. With good turnout spacing a staging track of 8-9 feet would be possible. That would hold my 4-8-4 and 70' passenger cars nicely.
On the right the shaded block is the (expanded) timesaver. The layout as it is now is 14" by 5'. Those dimensions would not change, but this arrangement leaves 6' more available as a fiddle track/staging area (sector plate?) or an additional scene.
This is doable for the car, and more than adequate for all the kids bikes, etc. But squeezing them both in at the same time leaves little room for operating the layout unless the under-benchwork space is well utilized.
Quote:If, however, you have to cater to the car, you might as well lose that 2'x2' "bump" beside the freezer: even as a short leg of an upside down "L", access to it will be limited if the car is inside. I'd then build a wall around the perimeter of the remaining shaded area, placing the access door at least 6' from the north wall. Because of the overhead garage door, you'll need to drop the ceiling to accommodate the doortrack on the west side, although, beyond the inner end of that, you could revert to a full-height ceiling. The 6' width of the room thus created will allow a complete loop on either end of the room, with the connecting tracks squished closer together to allow aisle space. I'd still go with a two-level layout, (each level independent of the other) then design one (probably the upper one) for continuous running, the lower one as your branchline. If the upper deck is near eye-level, the lower one can be situated so that it's comfortable to operate from a rolling office chair.
Wayne, I'm still chewing on the double decker idea. I know they'd not be connected and so the spacing between can be perhaps greater than most that are, but I've never really liked the look of double decker lines. It's been said that you pay mor attention to your own train and lose sight of the other deck. Well, on the double deckers I've been priveleged to operate, that just isn't the case with me. Maybe I'm just too easily distracted but I was looking all over. And perhaps after some time I'd get used to it. Hmmmm...
Galen
I may not be a rivet counter, but I sure do like rivets!