This is a night of firsts for me. Posting an early picture of my layout is new, and spline roadbed is something I thought I hadn’t a hope in aitch eee double hockey sticks of ever seeing in my basement. Yet, here it is!
It has been a stressfull two weeks, though, and my wife is barely speaking to me. Luckily, we had a good Mother’s Day.
awasome looks like it going to be kool layout you’ll haft to post pictures every step of way
what R.R. you plan to model and what era?
Looks good, Crandell. Can’t wait for the next installment of pics. [:)]
Tom
Crandal,
Very nice work, you didn’t tell us you were secretly a carpenter. Quite a lot accomplished in a short time. It seems like last week you were contemplating spline, and there it is.
Bob K.
Good looking benchwork. Is that an access pit in the center, or control area?
…ummmm…yes.[:I]
I am only 54 (next month), and was always built close to the ground, so the stoop to get to the middle is doable for the foreseeable future. I have put a lot of mental and emotional horsepower into this layout, so when the time comes that I can no longer stoop, I’ll bloody well crawl.
I wanted the largest curves possible in the 9 X 13’8" space, and wanted to tow Walthers heavyweights behind a Niagara doing Limited speeds. The only way I can do that is if the trains zip around me in a dizzying reversing spiral. There are two industrial spurs (so far, I may add another at the lowest level in the town), a table and house for the steamers, and the belated yard. I also included the one big item I missed last go-round, passing sidings.
My most recent loco, a PRR J1, needs large curves, too, and I have a Lionel Challenger that did very well on my former 22"ers, but put on a brave face all the while. Now, my big steam will look good.
Thanks, everyone, for your kind remarks. I feel good about this, but the next challenge is getting turnouts to fit the curves. I will have to bash some nice Shinohara curved #7-and-a-halfs, and tweek some handlaid straight #8’s from Fast Tracks. It will be a test for me, believe me.
-Crandell
It is all freelanced. I like steamers from NYC and PRR, but I also have a UP Challenger, a no-name 0-6-0, and a White Pass Mikado. My first loco was a Toronto, Hamilton & Buffalo Hudson. So, I just do my best to make it all work and to look good. The timeframe is late 40’s to early 50’s.
Crandall,
You’re making some real headway there. It looks good, but remember to keep your priorities straight and keep the little lady happy. That thing doesn’t look like it would make to comfortable of a bed!
Great for trains, bad for back!
Wow Crandell, been wondering were you have been. Pretty freakin impressive. That, is all of bench work. Those are some hellish grades! That will definatly keep the engineer busy. That is going to make one nice setting though. When you get the scenery in place, that will be like sitting in a stadium. Very pleasing to the senses. Keep us posted for sure!
[(-D][(-D]
John, thanks for your kind words. The grades never exceed 2.8%, but I agree that they are steep, none the less.
I kept checking the grade as I went along, measuring the height from the floor to the top of the spline at one riser and then moving to another riser about 6-8 feet distant and taking another height measurement. I did this because I didn’t want to have to impose a 3.2% catch-up grade on the locos in order to get to the heighest level on the layout.
My mine grade on the last layout was closer to 3.5%, so I have worked hard to keep this one closer to prototypical grade.
-Crandell
Looks like you’ve done some nice work there, Crandell. Keep us updated…
Nice work, good progress. What more could a guy ask for?
Really nice job. Keep up the good work and have fun. Thanks for the pictures!
Hal
It looks really great.
I have a question for you. While spline construction is great for your track, there is no base. What is typically used as a base for scenery or buildings?
I believe that one would use wooden platforms, and plaster around them, or simply make flat areas with the plaster. For example, my yard will be contained entirely on a sheet of 5/8" plywood, and the splines meet the edge of the “yard” at an appropriate height.
I haven’t gotten that far yet, but my impression is that small platforms here and there are the way to go. They will serve as stronger anchors for the plaster and the rest of the strutures and scenery.
Crandell:
Great job on the benchwork and thanks for sharing with us !!!
One question, I can’t help noticing the lights as I am looking to add lighting to my room. Looks like it is hanging from a drop ceiling. Same application as what I am considering. Can you tell me the type of lighting that you used, fixtures, bulds, etc.
Thanks in advance,
Paul
I’d love to see more pictures when you get to that point.
Thanks
[:)]
Paul, the fixtures are available at Home Depot (I can’t recall the manufacture). The bulbs are halogen 50W GU-10’s (two prongs, push in and twist), if I recall. The tracks and fixtures are from the same company, and the track is 8’ long. I found that 5 per track was lots. The track was about CDN$50 and each fixture about $11.
Crandell:
Thanks very much. I’ll head down to the big orange box and check it out…
paul