Bonus Room Shelf Layout

[Gary S]

I'm not exactly sure about how your removable piece is situated, but for the rest of the shelving, a screw up through the bracket into the wood should suffice. I see no reason to attach any of the benchwork to the wall. My shelf brackets are on 32" centers, shelves are 24" deep. I don't see any issues with support on mine. The corners of the rooms do alot for support too - the brackets coming together at a 90 degree angle near the front of the shelf make for a solid foundation.

I'm not exactly sure whether I am thinking about the same thing you are... photos?

[doctorwayne]

Like Gary, I've been following this thread faithfully, but am not really qualified to comment on track plans, either. I didn't use one when building my own layout, although the jury is still out on the practicality of what I ended-up with.

Like you, I framed my layout with open grid, and although mine is mounted on very heavy-duty supports (mostly for storage of non-train-related stuff), I also fastened the gridwork to the walls, simply driving screws through the rear 1"x4" and into a wall stud wherever necessary. Even in a rental, there should be no reason to prevent this - after all, are you not allowed to hang pictures, draperies, etc.? In the event you move, the layout will be taken out and you can patch the holes and re-paint the room.
For the removeable bridge, which, if I recall correctly, is about 10' long, I'd frame it the same as the rest of the layout, and perhaps add a hinged support leg at the mid-point.
For supporting and aligning the ends, a piece of 1"x2" fastened to the underside of the 1"x4" of the fixed portions of the layout, and projecting out should do the trick. Also attach strips of the same material, aligned vertically, to "trap" the ends of the removeable section so that it can't shift sideways.

An alternative method would be to make only part of this 10' section as a lift-out, with the two ends attached to the layout - say 3' on either end, with a 4' lift-out in the centre. The fixed sections would require a support leg on their outer ends, of course. Alignment and support of the lift-out section would be the same as outlined for the longer section.
For powering the lift-out, regardless of its length, use a 3- or 5-prong plug (the extra contact ensures that the polarity will always be correct), with the male component at the end of a free-hanging wire on the lift-out and the corresponding female receptacle mounted on the 1"x4" face of the fixed portion of the layout. Since the layout is around-the-room with the lift-out in place, only a single plug-in is required.

Wayne

[ocalicreek]

Thanks Gary & Wayne. I am away from the layout at the moment so pictures to clarify will have to wait, but here's, I hope, a better description/clarification. The bridge section that crosses the room is only a little more than 5 feet long. I think the way I'd like to mount it would be to make it completely removable rather than hinged. I am hoping to be able to drop it in place without having to worry with wires & plugs. That is, I'd like to use some sort of built-in integrated contact plates so all I have to do is lift it off.

I'm thinking I may build the bridge section so that the end plate is recessed 3/4" and the top will rest on a 3/4" board mounted on the layout. If I cut the piece wide enough it would keep the bridge section from shifting from side to side as well. The bridge section will be built structurally similar to a prototype girder bridge. There would be side plates with ribs connecting the two sides between them and a top plate screwed to the sides and ribs. It would not resemble a girder bridge in any way, but would have a fascia like the layout and even some scenery.

The one across the middle of the room will actually have a river scene on one end. I will cut down a contour into the side plates and make the ribs from 1x2's rather than 1x4's. Until the actual HO scale bridge is built, I'll either cut the ply subroadbed narrow OR drop the ply down to the 'river' level and use a block of foam to support the track in order to get trains running sooner.

Speaking of running trains, I'm getting closer. Got the ply subroadbed/table top on the 7' section yesterday!


Galen

[ocalicreek]

Hello All, time for an update.

Purchased a few Blue point turnout mechanisms today. I ordered a pack of five (plus the one remaining #4 turnout to complete the track arrangement at Pinto - nobody seems to have L hand turnouts in stock...at least in Atlas Custom LIne code 83 with brown ties...) then visited another LHS that's going out of business. They had three bp's in stock PLUS the hardware pack with brackets & clevises....clevisi?...in stock at 45% off so I picked up those too. What the heck. I'm going to need them anyway down the line. I only need 4 to complete 'phase I', laying track from staging via the double crossover rear straight track uphill to Pinto. I decided to do this as one phase of construction complete with wiring, turnout machines & knobs.

Ah, knobs. I have a plan to solve a dilemma, one I've been chewing on for some time now. I never have liked the fact that these turnout linkages have been push-pull, so I've come up with a way to change that. More on that later...

The turntable and enginehouse would be either phase II or phase III, depending on whether I go toward Andrews or Watson after phase I is complete. That's why I may not make it into the summer structure challenge. That and the progress I'm making on the Shifter again. But that's another thread...for now I'm just excited about the blue points. They really are neat.

I should have more to share in a week or so, once I resume construction on the layout framework. Picked up some 1x4's to make the bridge sections at my local Home Depot earlier in the week.

Galen

[Fluesheet]

<snip>
But that's another thread...for now I'm just excited about the blue points. They really are neat.
<snip>
Galen

Hi Galen!

Yes, those BluePoints are neat - I bought some to compare to the one Fast Tracks Bullfrog I had assembled; they both have some strong points.

I like the knob idea, but am curious about your "fix" for you dislike of the same. I'm picturing small "armstrongs" that are linked to the push-pull rod? Whatever it is, I'm curious!

Matt

[ocalicreek]

I like the knob idea, but am curious about your "fix" for you dislike of the same. I'm picturing small "armstrongs" that are linked to the push-pull rod? Whatever it is, I'm curious!

Matt - you'll have to wait, I'm afraid. I don't want to spill the beans just yet, as I've never seen anyone do this before. I want to make sure that it works the way I hope it will before I share it, to avoid too much potential embarassment. :oops:

PLUS, I'm working on the Shifter detailing project so the layout is on hold at least until next weekend after the clinic meeting.

One site I found comparing the two illustrated the large difference between the throw distances of the bullfrogs and the blue points. The bps have a considerably shorter throw distance. Okay...that's enough for now...

Galen

[ocalicreek]

...and that means I have made progress on the layout. I won't add this photo to the album, but I'll attach it here even though it's blurry just because I don't feel like going downstairs and taking another. Lazy? Nah, just tired. It's been a long week and I've got a long weekend ahead with only a few hours off tomorrow morning so I figured I'd better get something accomplished on this layout while the rain isn't falling. Notice I didn't say the sun was shining...

Alright, here 'tis.

   

Where all the tools are piled is the future site of Andrews. Closest to the camera and curving away into the distance behind Andrews is the grade up to Pinto. Much of the curve will be in a tunnel. Leaning against the garage door is the underside of the second half of Andrews (where the ply is attached) and in the vancant space will be Pinto, elevated about 2". The grade is completely on the first half (on the workbench) and is about 3-1/2%. That should be more than fine for the short little trains that'll be shoved up the hill.

I stopped here tonight because I don't want to mess up the grade portion (it's only resting in place while Andrews baseboard is screwed down) with a goofy mistake I'd surely catch after a good night's sleep. But tomorrow we're off to Home Depot to get a screen door so the grade will have to wait...but not for long...

Galen

[Gary S]

Glad to see some progress, Galen.

[ocalicreek]

Thanks, Gary! I'm sure glad too. I'll be happier when trains run, but it feels good to take another step in that direction.

Galen

[Gary S]

Is it pretty easy moving the benchwork from the garage to the Bonus room?

[ocalicreek]

It's not that hard, but it is around a tight hallway, through the kitchen, and up the stairs. Plus we have one toddler gate between that tight hall and the kitchen to keep the little one out of the pantry and laundry room, and another toddler gate at the base of the stairs.

A real milestone will be when the layout doesn't have to be taken off the shelves for any reason. For now it's useful to be able to take the segments down while the major surgery is taking place.

I'll need to put each side of the room in place in order to build the bridge segments between them, but I plan on laying track up to Pinto on the one side and laying the staging tracks on the other. These are the furthest in from the front edge. Then when the bridge sections are in I can lay track on the bridge segment along the middle wall beneath the window and operate from staging to Pinto and back.

Galen

[Gary S]

It's not that hard

Sounds pretty dadburn hard! Glad to see your optimism! And I bet you will be glad when you don't have to move it anymore!

Keep up the good work!

[ocalicreek]

Just a minor status update:

The construction has not progressed beyond what you can see in the picture a few posts above. But I did manage to get to a LHS and pick up some tubing for the blue point turnout machines. Summer is here, I think, and the lawn & garden projects are calling. Plus I've had a miserable flu bug for the past week+. But all that aside, I'm getting back to the layout soon enough.

I picked out a through truss bridge from my scrap box for the line to Pinto. Not sure if I want to use it (plastic Tyco in need of tlc) or scratch a wooden one. The style is what I like, though. It will lend a vertical elment to a shallow creek scene.

Glad to have this forum to browse when I can.

Galen

[ocalicreek]

[albumimg]2764[/albumimg]

Here's your first look at the first track layed on the bonus room shelf layout. This is the staging 'yard' (both tracks) and 'sneakback' mainline out of staging. Three pieces of ocde 83 flex + a #6 left turnout = 10' of trackage.

The first train is my Bachmann Spectrum 4-6-0, a DG&H reefer, an N&W two-bay hopper (with coal) and Maggie, the drover's caboose. This is by no means a standard consist, but these cars would be included in one. When the sidings are at full length capacity should be an engine like this one, 5-6 40' cars and a caboose.

I have installed a blue point turnout control beneath the layout (picture to come) but need to do some ciphering before I can install the throw rod & control. Again, this is something special I'm cooking up...more to come as it progresses.

I have been running the short train in and out of staging occasionally since I got track down the other night. Last night my wife and I carried this section of the layout upstairs and I leveled it with shims.

NEXT - I have the other side of the room layout section on the sawhorses in the garage. I still need to bolt the sections together and finish the subroadbed before I can cut roadbed and lay track. Once that side is completed (just the line up to Pinto) I'll turn my attention to the wall-side 'bridge' section in between. I've also been working on a way of securing the track at the ends of each section. Pictures to follow on that too.

Galen

[Gary S]

Good to see you back at it, Galen. I don't envy you having to carry the sections up the stairs.

Keep up the good work! More track and more trains!