A word on construction
With every layout I keep what worked well before, try new things I have been looking forward to work with and experimenting with something new - this layout is no different. The biggest thing for me this time is as much as possible needs to be recyclable. In the off chance I have to move again I want to be able to recycle as much as possible for the next layout. I'm talking about the pieces that make a scene and not the scene itself - flex track, turnouts, buildings and those Canyon Creek trees type of things.
I have done the modules, TOMA is the current buzzword, and found they don't work as expected. Unless you have the exact same space for it you wind up making compromises and changes to make it work.... which defeats the idea in the first place. Even if you take just a bit of a scene to carry over you often are forced to make it fit. That might not the best thing for that scene or the best use of the new space. It's much more practicable to carry over the essence of the scene to the new layout and reconstruct the scene to the new space.
This time around I will be using Elmer's Glue All for those things that aren't intended to be recycled and Elmer's School glue for those that are. Both look the same, dry clear and are “water soluble”. The difference is once they dry the Glue All is more permanent (more like Modge Podge for those that know that medium) and the school glue can be rehydrated with a little effort. Simply gluing ballast won't pull up already laid in track (but you still want to be careful, especially with track work). The upside to this method is if you make a mistake or want to make changes you can do so at any time and it won't be as costly or destructive.
For the benchwork I'm using 16” x 10” heavy duty shelf brackets from Walmart. I have used these before in other applications and found them very reliable. I had some left over from shelving at the old house (already recycling) and found that they were on sale on line from Walmart for $2 off the regular price. I ordered another dozen. These will be used along the walls under the Humboldt Yard, the cross over to Jefferson and under Jefferson. That's a bulk of the RR and nearly 40' of run. Spacing will be mostly ever other stud but never to exceed 32” of span. These are topped with 20” of 1 x 3 soft pine that will support a thin plywood “subfloor”. 2” XPS foam will top that for the benchwork.
Here you can see the first 3 brackets in at the end of the Humboldt Yard.... I really need to get a hold of an air compress and get that door in!
![[Image: 7mzUrvH.jpghttp:]](https://i.imgur.com/7mzUrvH.jpghttp://)
With every layout I keep what worked well before, try new things I have been looking forward to work with and experimenting with something new - this layout is no different. The biggest thing for me this time is as much as possible needs to be recyclable. In the off chance I have to move again I want to be able to recycle as much as possible for the next layout. I'm talking about the pieces that make a scene and not the scene itself - flex track, turnouts, buildings and those Canyon Creek trees type of things.
I have done the modules, TOMA is the current buzzword, and found they don't work as expected. Unless you have the exact same space for it you wind up making compromises and changes to make it work.... which defeats the idea in the first place. Even if you take just a bit of a scene to carry over you often are forced to make it fit. That might not the best thing for that scene or the best use of the new space. It's much more practicable to carry over the essence of the scene to the new layout and reconstruct the scene to the new space.
This time around I will be using Elmer's Glue All for those things that aren't intended to be recycled and Elmer's School glue for those that are. Both look the same, dry clear and are “water soluble”. The difference is once they dry the Glue All is more permanent (more like Modge Podge for those that know that medium) and the school glue can be rehydrated with a little effort. Simply gluing ballast won't pull up already laid in track (but you still want to be careful, especially with track work). The upside to this method is if you make a mistake or want to make changes you can do so at any time and it won't be as costly or destructive.
For the benchwork I'm using 16” x 10” heavy duty shelf brackets from Walmart. I have used these before in other applications and found them very reliable. I had some left over from shelving at the old house (already recycling) and found that they were on sale on line from Walmart for $2 off the regular price. I ordered another dozen. These will be used along the walls under the Humboldt Yard, the cross over to Jefferson and under Jefferson. That's a bulk of the RR and nearly 40' of run. Spacing will be mostly ever other stud but never to exceed 32” of span. These are topped with 20” of 1 x 3 soft pine that will support a thin plywood “subfloor”. 2” XPS foam will top that for the benchwork.
Here you can see the first 3 brackets in at the end of the Humboldt Yard.... I really need to get a hold of an air compress and get that door in!
Modleing the Jefferson Branch in HO on the Southern Pacific