08-03-2009, 12:28 AM
I removed my pictures from the old forum, as I felt that the management's Draconian application of their new "rules" was contrary to the spirit of sharing which I've come to expect from such forums.
While the second level was part of the original concept, none of it is yet in place. I do have the support brackets, lighting fixtures, and some of the lumber required, and hope to start construction this coming Fall, as I have every coming Fall for the past few years.
The support brackets are constructed of steel angle iron, welded together to form an inverted "L" - 1 1/2"X3/16"X7" for the part that bolts to the wall studs (using lag bolts), and 1"X1/8" angle for the actual support piece. The latter pieces are mostly 30" long, and will support an open-grid framework of 1"X2" pine, topped with 3/8" sheathing plywood. I'll probably use cork roadbed, perhaps with extruded foam sheets for scenic elevation. No track grades planned for this level. The brackets will also support underslung 4' double tube fluorescent fixtures (one bracket near each end of each fixture) to provide lighting for the lower (existing) level of the layout.
At the end of the Chippawa Creek aisle, shown below, the benchwork will be self-supporting, using 1"X4" pine for the front and end members, and the end and rear members screwed to the wall studs. That wooden framework, which has graced the sky in many of my photos, was originally intended to support engineered wooden I-beam trusses. This idea was abandoned due to the difficulty in getting a 21' truss down the basement stairs and into the layout room.
[album]367[/album]
Likewise, the upper staging area, to be situated directly atop this one, will feature similar construction, with a vertical support member located roughly in the vicinity of the steel post shown in the photo below:
[album]372[/album]
Across the aisle, in the airspace above GERN, I hope to build a loco servicing area, with a roundhouse and turntable located in the corner. This will necessitate extending the upper level benchwork into the aisle, perhaps by as much as 1' - not an ideal situation, but the best option that I've come up with.
[album]371[/album]
With upper management severely restricting visiting railfans, facial and upper body injuries should be kept to a minimum - luckily, Mister Nutbar is a fast healer. 
When construction actually starts, I'll be posting progress pictures, at least for the benchwork construction.
Wayne
While the second level was part of the original concept, none of it is yet in place. I do have the support brackets, lighting fixtures, and some of the lumber required, and hope to start construction this coming Fall, as I have every coming Fall for the past few years.
The support brackets are constructed of steel angle iron, welded together to form an inverted "L" - 1 1/2"X3/16"X7" for the part that bolts to the wall studs (using lag bolts), and 1"X1/8" angle for the actual support piece. The latter pieces are mostly 30" long, and will support an open-grid framework of 1"X2" pine, topped with 3/8" sheathing plywood. I'll probably use cork roadbed, perhaps with extruded foam sheets for scenic elevation. No track grades planned for this level. The brackets will also support underslung 4' double tube fluorescent fixtures (one bracket near each end of each fixture) to provide lighting for the lower (existing) level of the layout.
At the end of the Chippawa Creek aisle, shown below, the benchwork will be self-supporting, using 1"X4" pine for the front and end members, and the end and rear members screwed to the wall studs. That wooden framework, which has graced the sky in many of my photos, was originally intended to support engineered wooden I-beam trusses. This idea was abandoned due to the difficulty in getting a 21' truss down the basement stairs and into the layout room.
[album]367[/album]
Likewise, the upper staging area, to be situated directly atop this one, will feature similar construction, with a vertical support member located roughly in the vicinity of the steel post shown in the photo below:
[album]372[/album]
Across the aisle, in the airspace above GERN, I hope to build a loco servicing area, with a roundhouse and turntable located in the corner. This will necessitate extending the upper level benchwork into the aisle, perhaps by as much as 1' - not an ideal situation, but the best option that I've come up with.
[album]371[/album]
With upper management severely restricting visiting railfans, facial and upper body injuries should be kept to a minimum - luckily, Mister Nutbar is a fast healer.
When construction actually starts, I'll be posting progress pictures, at least for the benchwork construction.
Wayne