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I hope to finish off the railing and call this one done this week, perhaps even tonight. The Ore Car is nearly done (just some final weathering remaining).
So I went a little crazy last night and decided to start another card structure. This one will get its own thread once I get home with the pictures, Wed night or Thursday morning. It's gonna be fun, and I hope it will be the first of many such structures. We'll see. Only spent maybe a couple hours on it yesterday and already all four walls are up and the floor bracing is in place.
Galen
I may not be a rivet counter, but I sure do like rivets!
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Oh boy. Another structure thread  . Looking forward to this one too.
Loren
I got my first train when I was three,
put a hundred thousand miles on my knees.
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Quote:And thanks for the pictures. I look forward to using some of the tips you shown here
No problem, glad to help.
Exciting times preclude the addition of any further photos at this time, due to moving plans, packing, house hunting, etc. Although at this point I can say that the house hunting is over! We get the keys on Friday and move in Monday...at least that's the plan at present!
And yes, there is a layout space. I get half a garage, a space 19' down one long wall and 10' across the other, although I doubt I can have the full 10' the entire length of the area. Our car is small but not that small. Yes, there will be a layout planning thread. No, I can't say when. Yes, I have begun sketching...but I'm also working on a couple ideas for RobertinOntario.
Alrighty...thanks for putting up with the off-topic announcement. It's just too exciting to keep to oneself.
Galen
I may not be a rivet counter, but I sure do like rivets!
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Congratulations Galen! Is your old house sold or rented, or are you now stuck with 2 payments? I bet you can't wait to get the family moved so that you can dispense with the commute!
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Old house is almost sold...we close by the 27th of this month. We are renting the 'new' house until short sale financing goes through, a very convenient situation!
Now it is time to finish packing the train room!
Galen
I may not be a rivet counter, but I sure do like rivets!
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"And yes, there is a layout space. I get half a garage, a space 19' down one long wall and 10' across the other, although I doubt I can have the full 10' the entire length of the area. Our car is small but not that small."
Congrats, Galen, expect lots of idea's and photos in the future. BTW, I don't understand the car in the garage thing.
Joe 
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[albumimg]BTW, I don't understand the car in the garage thing.[/albumimg]
You must be living in California. Although, I guess this phenomenon isn't limited to CA...but it's the first place I really saw it in action, using your garage for pretty much anything other than your car, and usually only for storing STUFF. Lots of STUFF.
I have really only seen one CA garage devoted solely to trains and really done well. This was for an On3 layout - actually, there were TWO On3 layouts in a garage setting where the garage was clean, well lit, floor painted or sealed somehow. It was wierd and a little frightening, to be honest, and appealing all at the same time.
I'm NOT looking forward to having too much stuff in a smaller space than what I've got now, except that I know it'll only be temporary. This house has WAY more storage than our present place, so I can already list several items or groups of items that will not be in the garage and will find a new home in a closet or pantry or laundry room, etc. This gives me hope that someday I too can frighten and appeal to other modelers trapped in their own personal garage hell of STUFF.
Galen
I may not be a rivet counter, but I sure do like rivets!
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ocalicreek Wrote:[albumimg]BTW, I don't understand the car in the garage thing.[/albumimg]
You must be living in California. Although, I guess this phenomenon isn't limited to CA...but it's the first place I really saw it in action, using your garage for pretty much anything other than your car, and usually only for storing STUFF. Lots of STUFF.
I have really only seen one CA garage devoted solely to trains and really done well. This was for an On3 layout - actually, there were TWO On3 layouts in a garage setting where the garage was clean, well lit, floor painted or sealed somehow. It was wierd and a little frightening, to be honest, and appealing all at the same time.
I'm NOT looking forward to having too much stuff in a smaller space than what I've got now, except that I know it'll only be temporary. This house has WAY more storage than our present place, so I can already list several items or groups of items that will not be in the garage and will find a new home in a closet or pantry or laundry room, etc. This gives me hope that someday I too can frighten and appeal to other modelers trapped in their own personal garage hell of STUFF.
Galen Around here it is said "a clean well organized garage is a sign of a sick mind". In that case I'm doing good. 
Joe
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Well, I actually put the car in the garage for the first time this afternoon. Actually, I asked my wife to drive it in so I could tell her just exactly where to park it. I know, I should have told her to leave it where it was, that I was just going to claim the whole thing for railway right-of-way, but I desire peace in the home.
Let's just say it was not encouraging. I can comfortably have about 6' from the wall out into the room toward the car before I reach the door smacking zone. (Even worse, the "I'll just set these groceries here (on the layout) while I answer the phone" zone!  hock: )
Still, that's pretty good. Already I'm eating away at the space with my own STUFF, such as a tool chest, workbench, etc. The home does not come with any sort of garden shed, so the lawnmower, etc. has to live in there as well until other arrangements can be made. Unless a golden plan just clicks into place, I will be going for the less-is-more option. If I can nail down a plan that includes the current and under-construction dioramas I've been working on...you know, until the day I have space for a layout on which to place them...that'll be good.
Okay...don't want to blab on about this here. I'm thinking I need to start another thread and soon.
Galen
I may not be a rivet counter, but I sure do like rivets!
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When I was house-hunting, I looked for a large bedroom that could be disposed of for purposes other than sleeping. Barring that, a LARGE garage that could be suitably adapted. I chose the second option. I refurbished the entire garage, including walling over the garage door, and now the car sleeps outside....  I installed light valances and have only to re-finish the floor...but that'll wait until the "messy" part of construction is done with...
BTW...I'll be bending you guys' ears for a suitable track plan for the peninsula, which I hope to start working on come Fall...
Look forward to seeing how your layout progresses....
Gus (LC&P).
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Galen,
Have you considered making a long narrow shelf (2'-3' wide) on wheels for the area in front of the car. Use a single track for joining the section to the permanent part along the wall. You could then join it like we did with our modules in the club when you want to use it, and just back the car out far enough to leave operating room. When you are not operating, unhook, and roll it parallel to the layout in what would normally be the aisle. Pick up locking swivel casters from the home improvement/hardware store. If you build the layout 8 inches to a foot higher than the work bench, you could roll it over the top of the work bench to set it up. Of course that would force you to put things away every time you finished using the work bench, which from the look of the work bench in my garage that I haven't seen since shortly after installing it, would be a good thing for me to do!
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Gus - Refurbishing the garage is on my list of things to do before any layout construction begins. Currently there are 3 outlets (two pairs a and a single) spaced around the garage, one on each wall. I'd really like a few more and the security of knowing I won't blow anything or start a fire, so I may call in an electrician for this down the road. The walls are already drywalled, but unpainted. They will stay this way until the electrical work is done.
I plan on mounting the bulk of the layout on the wall with strong legs cut to fit for the blobs or peninsulas. This avoids the sloping floor problem. I will also include space beneath for the nice metal shelving units I've got. I thought about just building on them, but decided against it. I'm going to have to frame the layout benchwork anyway, so adding legs and wall brackets is simple.
Russ - I had not considered what sounds like a great idea otherwise, because I have been looking at plans and sketching ideas for an L, J, C, E, F, G or even an O shaped layout. If my planning goes that direction I'll certainly keep it in mind. I have seen garages bridged in some pretty creative ways.
I do think I may have come across an excellent candidate plan for the layout, fitting the space nicely and, with a couple minor changes, fitting a desirable operating scheme. I'll be starting a layout planning thread soon. Right now work, finishing the sale of our old house and unpacking into the new one seems to be sapping all the time away. Speaking of which...
Galen
I may not be a rivet counter, but I sure do like rivets!
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Galen,
If you plan to use power tools in the garage, hiring an electrician is a great idea. The typical garage has one light fixture and a couple of plugs. Your lighting will be on a 15 amp circuit and the plugs on a 20 amp. I put in 100 amp service to the house and a 50 amp sub panel to the garage. Then we bought a spa for the back yards and I had to boost the main panel up to 200 amp service. I still have the 50 amp sub panel in the garage.
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Russ,
Exactly what I was thinking, as far as the reasoning for boosting the garage output. I blew the breaker a couple times in our last place. There were several outlets along one side (all on the OTHER side of the garage from my workbench, toolbench, etc.) and it just wouldn't handle much at once. Especially during the winter when I had to run a portable heater...and lights...and a dremel...and...and...and...
Don't worry folks, I'll get this topic back to the little shed eventually!  It may be the end of next week before I can get the modeling supplies up from the cabin to our new place. Fortunately for me, I did get the sketching box up here...
Galen
I may not be a rivet counter, but I sure do like rivets!
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