Joe Fugate: Some questions on Mushroom Style Benchwork.

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
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Dear Joe,

Before I begin, I would like to say that my follwoing questions are quite lenghty and detailed and I wold like to thank you in advance for answering them. I looked at your website before I asked and could not find the answeres to these questions I have to ask. I ask becasue I have the possiblity to aquire a layout space with a fairly high ceiling, (20 feet to be exact, which seems to be the ideal situation for this type of model rairlaod construction and I am considering its possiblities. Without furer audiue, my questions.

I recently read an article by the Late John Armstrong about a trackplan on SP’s Shasta Line utilising something called a “Mushroom Style Plan”
I also heard that your Siskiyou Line Layout is also built to this type of arrangement. Is that correct? From what I was able to gather from the John Armstrong Article, a mushroom plan is where you have two scenes with one on top of one another with an isle on each side. However, the backdrops are placed so that only one scene is viewed from each side. Also the floor is raised so that there are relative equal viewing hights on both levels. Do I have a proper understanding of this concept?

Then since I am at times engineering challenged, I have some questions . The first one is, from what photos I have seen of your layout, you do not have support braces on the front edge of the layout. I am assume that somehow you have cantilvered the top deck into posistion from the rear end of the bottom deck. 1. How did you build that cantalever so that the supports aren’t noticible, 2. Is there a practicle limit on the width such a support structure can hold?

Then I have some questions about the raised floor. Obviously you can transistion between levels two ways, Iether by using a helix, or by spreading the grade of the railroad out so that it makes its own transistion between levels. I think that with the roadbed gradually rising, you can at some point have a situation where you can Walk under the l

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James:

Saw your questions … I’ll think about them and post an answer when I get a chance. May be a day or so before I can get to it (busy weekend).

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James,
You need to look at the January & Feburary1997 Model Railroader. Joe has written a lengthy article about his Mushroom layout. Also, check out his web site as shown above, and you should subscribe to his videos; especailly vol. 2 which goes into detail about building his mushroomed railroad.
Bob Hayes

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OK thanks Joe. I figured I wouldn’t get am answer right away due to the nature and deapth of my questions.

Thanks Bob, I was unaware that there was an article in Model Railraoder on the Siskiyou line layout. While I have various issiues going back to before I was born. I was not a regular subscriber to MR until I moved to lander. (1999) And thus do not have these issues. I will back order them when I get a chance. Thanks to both of you for your responses.

James.

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James:

These are all good resources … there’s some info on my web site here: http://siskiyou.railfan.net/model/layoutDesign/trackPlan.html

And there’s a preview video clip from volume 2 here: http://mymemoirs.net/preview.php
(Scroll down to the second video clip on the page.)

Plus I’ll try to comment on your questions today over lunch.

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James:

To address your questions with some further comments …

1. A mushroom seems to have two decks, with the backdrop on opposite sides, and a raised floor on one side so the two levels appear to be about the same height from the floor. Do I have the concept right?

Yes, it sounds like you get it. With a mushroom, the two decks face opposite directions so you only see one of the two decks at a time. The raised floor is not essential, but it does help the upper deck seem to be a similar relative height from the floor as the lower deck, which makes viewing and operating the layout more natural.

2. How do you support the two levels without using visible braces? Is there a width limit?

Actually, it’s quite simple – easier than a traditional double decked layout where both decks face the same direction, in fact. You simply support the front of the upper deck on the top of the lower deck backdrop, and you anchor the upper deck backdrop to the ceiling. The result is very strong and does not limit the width.

With some planning, it’s also possible to make the cantilevered supports of a traditional double-decked layout very strong – but with a mushroom you actually don’t have to cantilever any supports, since everything can be solidly supported from either the lower deck or the ceiling because of the opposing direction of the two decks.

3. How did you build your raised floor – does it use steps or a ramp? Don’t you worry about people tripping?
My raised floor uses steps because that’s more compact than ramps. There’s always the potential for tripping at steps, so I do what I can to help in case that happens.

For example, at the initial room entrance you step up onto the raised floor, and I have some railing in that area, just in case. In the other areas where there are steps, you can grab onto the layout benchwork if needed to steady yourself.

If I had a bit m

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Thank You Joe.

Your answers have cleared up many uncertain areas in the Ideas I have been considering. Since I first happened across your website, I have found your modeling to be phenominal, and the fact that you openly share your techniques is pretty great too. I feel that hobby history will remember you as one of the truely great modelers of model railroading.

James.