Making Room

[Fluesheet]

Hi Folks,

Sometime in the distant past I may have mentioned that I was removing part of a concrete block basement bearing wall in order to allow the future layout to turn back from one room into another. I've attached a link to a photo gallery below.

I cut the wall on one side with an SDS hammer (think power chisel or mini-jackhammer) on a Wednesday, a friend and I put the shoring up to support the joists that were sitting on the part of the wall that was being removed Thursday, my son spent Friday chiseling out the vertical mortar joints (and I cut the other side of the wall that evening. Saturday was the big day - the wall came down and steel went up with the help of my son, father, brother, uncle and a friend, with my wife supplying vittles. All total, about 12 hours work - 6 of that being wall removal and steel installation. I was astounded at how well it went - and so far, no cracks in the walls upstairs.

The exposed end of the concrete was just capped off this weekend. Minus paint, the task is complete!

Enjoy.

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Matt Goodman
Columbus, OH

[Gary S]

My internet is sluggish tonight, and it was taking forever to open your link... I didn't look at the pics yet. But from your discription, it sounds like some awesome work y'all did. Very cool. Can't wait to see the photos tomorrow (at work :| ).

[nachoman]

wow, that really opens up the room!

[Fluesheet]

wow, that really opens up the room!

That was probably the biggest surprise to me. I took out about 5.5 of wall, but the effect seems like much more than that.

Of course soon enough it'll have railroad clogging it back up.

[nachoman]

That was probably the biggest surprise to me. I took out about 5.5 of wall, but the effect seems like much more than that.

Ain't that the truth. Sometimes all it takes is is moving a single piece of furniture to open a room up.

[Gary S]

Matt, I finally got to see the photos. Y'all did a great job, very professional.

[Fluesheet]

Matt, I finally got to see the photos. Y'all did a great job, very professional.

Thanks Gary. Certainly not the size of your project, but it was almost an end unto itself - what started out as work to support the layout became a project that was worth the work by itself.

My original plans had been to bore tunnels through the wall to accommodate turnback loops around that wall. My brother, fresh off a similar project suggested removing the wall. My brother and father have had heavy home renovation experience and my father is also an architect by profession. He was the one that spec'd the steel and generally made sure that the proposed work wouldn't result in the house ending up in the basement. A good crew to have access to.

[Gary S]

It is cool that you had the expertise of your father and brother to lend a hand and make sure things were right. I'm sure it was fun to work with them too. And as you mention, not only did you make things better for your layout, but just removing the wall and doing the supports and such was a reward unto itself.

Any possibility of you posting a floor plan drawing so we can see exactly what you are doing with the new space?

[Fluesheet]

Any possibility of you posting a floor plan drawing so we can see exactly what you are doing with the new space?

Sure! For reference, most of the photos in the gallery were taken from the upper left corner - actually about 7 feet beyond the edge of the drawing. The wall that was removed is in the center of the lower loop (the plan has not yet been updated to show the work) and the three vertical dotted lines on it were the three spots I was considering making the cut - I ended up using the right most one.

The plan is the lower of two levels and is very close to the final footprint of the benchwork and general track plan, though details are still being brainstormed - where industries will be, roundhouse location, how to transition from lower to upper level, access to the south return loop (top of image), etc.

The general plan is based (very loosely) on a John Armstrong design; a loop - loop disguised as a point to point (in this case, there is also a junction midway between the loops that represents the mainline to the upper level). The lower loop does a good job of disguising it's return mission - I'm still working on the upper...