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(subject to change).... Love that!
I think it's good to have a plan, but you always have to be ready to toss it in the dust bin when you find a better option. I have found in my own experience that first thoughts are nearly always pretty close to the final product.
Posts: 1,013
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Joined: Mar 2015
Thanks, I had a day off today and worked on getting the enginehouse dio into the layout.
I cut the hole into the layout, trying to make the hole as close to the diorama's size. I did discouver there was a sructural crossmember running under so I have to cut that down about 1/4-1/2" so it will clear the track and lighting wiring that I pre-wired into the engine house. Not as easy when you are using a jig saw and trying to avoid your previous wiring.
A good snug fit. The long-narrowish pieces of plywood are the to build the shelf/splices to mount the diorama to the layout. I have marked the track locations on the layout sides for tracklaying. I'm leaning to handlaying the transsions from the turntable to the enginehouse.
Looking at the rear, I'm thinking that the upper level is a bit close. I'm probably going to cut that back as soon as I figure where I'm going to place a small sawmill up there.
Posts: 1,013
Threads: 65
Joined: Mar 2015
A bit more prgress over the weekend.
I found that the turntable track was about 1/16" higher than the outside level so I'm going to use some 1/16" basswood to shim the track to match. The enginehouse tracks will need the shim at the turntable but then will have to drop to the original deck height to match with the engine house's tracks. I glued this piece of basswood down, them sanded a bevel into it with some 80 grit sandpaper.
Then it was just figuring out the placement of the ties to line up both the turntable and enginehouse tracks. Then three sets of ties are ballasted but I'm adding more outdoor tracks so I'll add those ties and that lay rail on everything.
Here's where I'm adding the other outside tracks. I'm just using 1 1/4" wide strips on basswood as the slightly raised roadbed to match the turntable height. I'm pretty sure this is what I want, I just haven'r glued anything in just yet.
I also added a short piece for an inspection car storage. I'm thinking of adding a garage to this track.
I also cut the upper level back a few inches so I'll have a bit less of a dramatic slope behind the enginehouse.
Posts: 1,317
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Joined: Jun 2022
It's always amazing how much space you need to locate a large building and make it look right. Sometimes in a forced perspective situation you can ram a building right up to a retaining wall, but that's an exception. I like the idea of a car shed!
