Bonus Room Shelf Layout

[Gary S]

Okay...to work!

Please take lots of photos so I can steal your ideas!

[faraway]

...the foam isn't conducive to mounting switch machines and such under the layout...

I have seen the foam quite often on US layouts. The base is at least 1" thick, often up to 2". It might be a good solution for my next layout to ban the noise very effective.
How do you do the switch machines? Because you are using that technique so often I expect there is a "US standard" solution?!
I need to mount my engines under the turnout. They are very powerful and need a solid base. As Murphy's law is always applicable free access from underneath the layout for repair and adjustment must be ensured.

ps. Should we move that topic to another sub board? I do not want to hijack the Bonus Room Shelf Layout thread.

[Gary S]

A little hi-jacking ain't bad... it helps keep the the thread at the top of the boardfor the OP

I am a fan of the 2" foam. What I have done and will do is take 1/4" luan (?) plywood and attach it to the bottom of the foam with some water-based contact cement. I'm not just talking about little squares of plywood where the switch machines go, although I guess that would work. I'm talking about the entire bottom of the foam covered with the plywood.

[Fluesheet]

Galen,

The thing that caught my eye was the 6% grade - that could be a challenge, especially with it descending behind your elevated trackage where it may be hard to get to.

I realize I'm late to this thread and you're probably pretty committed to this plan, but two things that might mitigate the grade:
- Move your curved turnout for the industrial spur counterclockwise around the turn so the frog is over the right overpass. By a somewhat crude calculation based on your drawing (my calculations are crude, not the drawing!), this would give about 2.5' more run, and would reduce the grade to a more manageable 4.25%. This would pinch your corner industry a bit, but you could still get to it via a turnout in approximately the same place as the current turnout to the same industry. The rub would be that that turnout would be on a grade, and your industry track, assuming you leveled off shortly after the diverging turnout leg would be about 1.25 = 1.5" below mainline grade. You could regain some of this elevation if the spur to this industry continued upgrade through the curve. Working this industry on a grade would certainly make it challenging, for better or worse.

- The second idea would be to spring your industry spur off the inside mainline track on the right side wall and bring it in front of the industry / station scene. You'd have to spring it off far enough back to get down close to industry grade level - I'm a little unsure how much space you have for that drop to occur. If the distance isn't enough to bring it down close to grade level, it might make an interesting scene to let it run across the front of the layout on a fill above grade, with several surface street overpasses as it continues downgrade to a switchback under or just beyond the lefthand underpass. This would create something of an idustrial canyon between the descending spur and American Tool and Die. The switch back tail could continue back where it does now for more industry, and the waterworks could be served either by that tail, or by the tail from the spur along the back wall (I'm making an assumption that that industry is at a higher elevation.

Matt

[faraway]

... I'm talking about the entire bottom of the foam covered with the plywood.

May be I missed something but the switch machine should be mounted right under the turnout. That is about 2" above the bottom. Do you have a second (possible smaller) piece of 1/4" luan on top of the foam to mount the switch mchine and a larger hole (may be 4" * 4") in the bottom luan for adjustment and service of the switch machine? Making some kind of a sandwich?

[ocalicreek]

Matt - Good thoughts. I'm not in favor of the second option, but I'll play around with the first. Accessibility to the waterworks turnout has been on my mind as I review the plan, as well as the grade.

A cursory check of some other similar grades/switching areas turns up much higher percentages. Many of these are just plans, i.e., not sure how many actually were built, but the Gum Stump & Snowshoe has a 9% grade. Of course it was powered by little Ken Kidder steamers and occasionally a 44 tonner, and only handled 2 or three short cars, but that's about the max for my little tail track.

Another option is to only slightly elevate the mainline (say 1/2" or so) and put in a level crossing at grade. Contrary to popular planning dogma, I have actually seen some sidings elevated above the main. The industries inside the curve would be slightly below grade and the waterworks/unnamed industry outside the curve slightly elevated. It would still give a good feel of depth, just perhaps not as much visual interest. The switcher would have to stay clear of the main and the crossing would need an interlocking tower (...oh darn, another cool structure to build...) but that could be fun.

And now that I think about it, putting all track on the same general level would eliminate the need to run track parallel to the main lines in order to drop down below grade. I could move the switch away from the unnamed industry all the way across to the other curve on the left. This would give me room back there for some deeper background flats. Hmmm... :geek:


Galen

[ocalicreek]

Okay...to work!

Please take lots of photos so I can steal your ideas!

No problem. I managed to get 5 of 9 uprights installed, along with moving the computer cabinet and loveseat. HOWEVER, in the process of unplugging and moving the computer, I think my PC's power supply may be giving up the ghost. I had to wait until this morning to get online here at the office and find out what may be wrong with it...

So if I don't get it fixed soon I'll put the pictures on the work laptop and upload them in my spare time. Managed to get a bit more done on the Silver Streak gons, but that's another thread.

Galen

[Russ Bellinis]

Galen, I think Ted Johnson's module set based on the Gump Stump has a 6% grade up to the rear level. His sidings restrict trains going up to no more than 3 50 foot cars, but his switchers handle it fine.

[Russ Bellinis]

... I'm talking about the entire bottom of the foam covered with the plywood.

May be I missed something but the switch machine should be mounted right under the turnout. That is about 2" above the bottom. Do you have a second (possible smaller) piece of 1/4" luan on top of the foam to mount the switch mchine and a larger hole (may be 4" * 4") in the bottom luan for adjustment and service of the switch machine? Making some kind of a sandwich?

Most modelers over here run either tortoise or similar type switch machines under the table with a long rod going up through the foam and plywood to the switch. By adjusting the fulcrums, the switch machines work fine mouted a few inches below the switch.

[faraway]

... the switch machines work fine mouted a few inches below the switch.

Thank you, that's the key I did nor know.

[ocalicreek]

Three progress photos:

[albumimg]2292[/albumimg]

[albumimg]2293[/albumimg]

[albumimg]2294[/albumimg]

The first two give you an idea, hopefully, of the rearrangement of the room and location of the 'country' layout section. The closest shelf bracket is 24" deep, the two under the timesaver (set in place just for size/scale reference...it's not going to be part of this layout) are 18.5", and the short one on the side wall is 9". The layout will be 24" deep, about as far from the wall as the front of the computer cabinet. Along the side wall the framing will extend to 30", but only about 9 or 10" wide. I used the 24" bracket where the bridge section will attach to carry the main lines across the room.

The third shot is looking beneath the timesaver, to see the clearance between the computer cabinet and the shelving. Whew! It's nice when you've measured correctly! As I worked my way around the wall I was nervous since the brackets appeared to be too low. But the cabinet is only 49" tall, and my brackets were at 50", so I knew it would work...still, it's nice to see it in place and know it works because it's there.

I have a busy couple of days today and tomorrow, so I probably won't get any work done on the other side of the room until Friday or Saturday. I'm already planning and scheming on how to build the framing & backdrop. Now I need to find some thin, flexible material for the backdrop. I'd like to try and cove the corners down to below 6" radius.

Galen

[ocalicreek]

Oh, and as for turnout machines/motors/mounting, I'm not sure what I'll use or how I'll mount them. I like the look of the bullfrog units from FastTracks and they're cheaper than tortoise. We'll see when we get there.

Galen

[ocalicreek]

[albumimg]2295[/albumimg]

Here's the other side. I have worked carefully and tried hard to keep them level. Due to the nature of the shelf bracket, (they are higher on the front than where they meet the upright) I'll have to shim the back edge to level the layout anyway, so any lengthwise leveling will happen at that time.

Yesterday after work I went to Home Depot and bought lumber (thanks to holiday gift cards! ). I brought home 2 sheets of plywood and a pile of 1x4's for layout framing. I decided to start here so that the backdrop will gain a few inches above the base of the layout. Also, once the framing is done I'll hang a fascia to hide the brackets.

The bridge section across the room will be scenicked and include an actual bridge scene of some sorts...pile trestle, swing bridge...something. The framing material I bought yesterday doesn't include these bridge pieces. More on these later.

For now, as you can see, all of the brackets are in place. Not sure when I'll begin building the framing. Hopefully soon. Now to play wooden trains with my son.

Galen

[Gary S]

Galen, that looks really good. Great progress!

As for the shelf brackets being unlevel - sloping a bit up from the wall: I had the same issue with my shelf layout in the garage. I discovered that if you wrap a towel around the bracket, and then pull down quite hard, putting most of your weight on the bracket, you can actually deform the rail on the wall just a tad and the bracket will sit level. Now, don't do this unless the rail is very firmly attached to the wall studs. Also, you'll have to very gradually apply weight, then check level, then reweight, check level, until it is right. If you go too far, you can use a screwdriver in the rail slot to straighten it up and start over. But again, don't rip the sheetrock off the wall!

[ocalicreek]

Gary - sounds like a pretty dangerous proposition! :? I think I'll stick to shims. I've got a bucket of 'em in the garage so that's the route I'll most likely go. The wall in the most recent picture is really not flat so I think I'll have the most challenge to face on that side.

Thanks for posting! How's your building construction?

Galen