K-10 mining bench is stand 5' x 8' Ditches as Buffer's stopping engines from hitting the floor?

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
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Bench is up and is a modular design so it can be taken a part. It is based on 2 X 4’s with 16" centers so it is strong, here is a drawing of it.

This is what going on the bench.

This PIC is up side down from how it hooks to the current bench. On the hidden holding track, with pic up side down it will be on the left side only, right side will be open so I can get to the holding yard.

Out side of the board has a 1/2 plywood base 8" wide on the right (remember up side down)

left side is 18" wide to hold the main line and hidden holding yard. That will be covered with 1.75" foam.

It will make apx 2.5 turns around the hill to the ming company and I will need a 2.5% grade to clear the pass over. Little steaper than I would like but need to work with what I got.

Now here is the nut shell of this posting. Lower section gets closer to the out side of the bench than I would like. Had one engine make the leap of death (Bachmann GS-4) so I sure don’t need any of the BLI’s to make the dive. So I factor in a 4" safty maragine.

60" - 8" = 52" = 26 radius for A turn (first turn on the top of the PIC)

52" - 6" = 46" = 23 radius for B

46" - 6" = 40" = 20 radius for C

A larger radius turn will make the grade easyer to pull so I was wonder if an ditch on the bottom line in the foam that 1.5" to 2" wide would catch a derailing engine? If I get a extra 2" doing it that way it would help open up the turns 1" per radius.

I am not in a hurry to use Plexa Glass as a safty gard either.

I did not mark where the tresels will be but there are a few.

&

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you state the centers on the framework is 16" but by your drawing it looks to come out at 12" spaceings. for example on the one side I take it as being 4 foot long. and the overall distance is 8 foot long . Right? Is the center lines down the middle 2-- 2x4’s (that would be afull strong) and would take up alot of room if needed for wires or under the table switch machines.I don’t see the reason for them, spaining only 5 foot wide.If you are thinging of takeing it apart (in the furture) to get thru a doorwayI hope you don’t have to turn around and go down a hallway.Just a few things I saw. nice desizn on top.

slow trainin Ed

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Ed you are right about the drawing, it shows 12" centers. When Ken from K-10 (LHS and name sake of the new mining company) looked at the drawing he said it was over kill with it being 2" X 4’s. Then factor in the hidden storage and need to get to a derailed car the 12" centers where out.

Reason I went modulair is if I want to re do the layout. 3’ x 4’ and 2’ x 4 foot will fit about anywhere in my garage. With my currnert U shapped 19’ X 13’ x 8’ 4 and 5 foot wide section bench when it is time to change it nothing can be used over with out taking it all a part and starting with the bare lumber again.

Reason it is only 5’ wide is I want to be able to reach all the track with out leaning on the bench.

Anyone have a answer to the question?

Cuda Ken