Thankfully I should have only one double track joint that will ever need to come undone-everything else will be contained, for which I am very grateful.
Great idea to keep in mind the possibility of moving in the future. My layout will need to be cut in two. As of right now everything is attached, but depending on the placement of the cut I should only have to disconnect three joints. Right now I am only working on scenicking one leg of the 'L' shape in case we move in the near future.
Today is the last of 5 days I've had off from work, and school isn't back in until next monday, which is why so much has happened in such little time. Saying that, a photo update is in order. I have all but one section of the track base cut out, along with the majority of the risers that will set the elevation/create grades, etc. It is becoming harder and harder to figure out where I'm going to squeeze staging tracks. Getting down to staging isn't such a problem, but what to do when I get there is proving a puzzle. I'm sure I'll figure it out with time, but for now an enigma unsolved. I've also come to the conclusion that I am not going to attach the helix to anything. The thing isn't going anywhere, it isn't load bearing... so i see no reason to screw it or glue it or anything else it. Because I'm taking this route, it will also detach from the layout, and will be yet another stand alone, move alone element when it comes time to move. At this time, that makes 5 different things that will be moved: legs, spine, lower level, helix, upper level. So as solid and as large that the thing looks, still portable (in a once a year kind of way) Starting to figure out the upper deck, which is going to be quite a feat of engineering/screwing stuff together, if I can get everything to work out as planned. As is the way with this whole project-far fetched, seemingly difficult if not impossible, I plow on regardless
Now I will certianly follow this build. Chessie was the first trains I remember growing up. I would sit in the back yard watching them cruise by. Shaun
Chris the plan and the build is really interesting! been following along and am really impressed. keep us posted especially with photos. i am learning much from this and the photos really help my learning curve. thanks so much for sharing! respectfully Gary L Lake Dillensnyder
Thanks everyone for the kind words and compliments It is all really appreciated, and very very encouraging. Things have slowed to a bit of a crawl given my current encounter with stomach flu. However, before my present from Satan, I had snagged a rather good deal on some sectional track on the ebay, which I intended to form the majority of my staging. I hadn't planned on using sectional at any point, but finding packs at 1/2 to 1/3 the price of msrp swayed me. So from there the plan became to use sectional curves with flex on the long straights and to connect to the points. Somehow I managed to get some work done, despite still wishing for death. As things stand, all the switches are down, and the curves on one end are all glued down. I was reading in another thread the disadvantages of having a yard on a curve-one being the inability to couple cars together. This is something I had failed to consider in my design, so I promptly got to testing (the radii in my staging are the same as in my main yard). I'm happy to report that I won't have a problem with this Not using equipment over 60' helps things! As you may or may not have noticed, the turnouts in staging are all recycled from the old layout-something I'm quite pleased about, given that they're expensive, and for some reason, completely non-existent these days. Does anybody have any idea when atlas is going to get its act together??? And so for now that is how things stand. Today is my last day of Christmas Vacation, tomorrow spring semester begins and I figure to return to work this week should I finally regain full health, so progress may be a touch slower still over the coming week. As it stands, I'm sure most of my time will be spent figuring out how I'm going to connect the staging to the rest of the layout, as my original plan is now being complicated by my building limitations and reality. Fun times. TTFN
Video 1 Video update including a walk-around with lots of annoying talking. [video=youtube_share;uGSJAlOPQtE]http://youtu.be/uGSJAlOPQtE[/video] Sorry if things are shaky/hard to watch. I'm still filming with my phone, and youtube suggested that I let them 'edit' the video to try and take the shakiness out. I thought I'd give it a go and see what happens, so we'll see if that has helped, or just made a mess of everything. Cheers!
Second Video Update. Not sure if things have gotten any better from a viewing standpoint, but I think this is worthwhile, following up from earlier. [video=youtube_share;MYRQkR7KuEo]http://youtu.be/MYRQkR7KuEo[/video]
I'm happy to report that further progress has been made (albeit tiny fiddly progress) and my big issue of connecting staging to the mainline has been resolved! (Big deal for me) I had been toying with the idea of lowering the base of the helix to the level of the staging tracks, and splitting the helix track when it got up to the main level-in effect turning one helix into two helices (had to look that spelling up!) stacked on top of each other. And while this could have worked, it would have required a redesign on the main level to connect the mainline to the new helix-to-staging. A disadvantage of this idea was that this would lower the helix by three inches, and thus lower my top deck by three inches (something only I at 6'2" would likely complain about), and thus lessen the distance between the top of the lower track and the bottom of the top deck benchwork-in effect taking a 10-12" tall viewing window and making it a 7-9" window-somewhat unacceptable. And so I took another look at my original idea (which you can see in the plans on page 1) and decided to rework it. Thankfully all that required was re-elevating my 'confunction junction' along with double checking all my clearances and grade, and voila! It works! Well, it will work. Am currently about 1/2 of the way through construction that entails connecting staging to the main deck. And now, pictures: This is 'confunction junction'. The board on the left is the riverside mainline (outside loop) which will cross over the board next to it (which is heading downgrade to 'staging right') right at the top of the picture, with just enough clearance for a 60' Hi Cube. The board to the right of that is the mountain side mainline (inside loop) and the loose board to the right of that represents where the line-downgrade from top of photo to bottom-to staging left will go. Confusing i know, once everything is in place a video will explain everything. This shows the other side of downgrade to staging right. The track curving off to the left is the line coming from staging left. As for building progress, getting lots of roadbed glued together (as evidenced by the roadbed in ^ ) and getting a lot more risers glued into place. I reckon I have about 85% of risers in place for the main level and 50% of risers in for the transition tracks. Soon I will be ready to lay cork on the transition lines and before too long might actually get some track down, along with the main roadbed secured to the risers. Exciting stuff! Cheers!
Chris, this is all looking very nice. Nice work on the benchwork. I look forward in seeing a layout in Chessie, we don't see much of it anymore. When I was a kid it was still around and I always loved the scheme.
Thank you Houston: We have cork! This is the line to staging right, and it is fully graded and all the cork is laid. If I can get around to acquiring some additional flex I just might get this tracked up to the main level in the next 10 days. I don't have to work till three tomorrow, so I'm hoping to get the rest of the line to staging left graded. I have about half of the roadbed joined, and the liquid nails are curing to the cork that's on that roadbed. Who knows, I might even get more done tonight
New Yard Design While waiting for some liquid nails to set up I set about redesigning the yard for the upper level. I would really appreciate some feedback here. A point of note, all switches will be friction throws with frog power routing switches in the control panel. I know this makes throwing a switch a two part operation, and I am completely okay with that Again, this fits in a 4x8 space Something else that is very important: This is not a set in stone final layout design! This is meant as a moderately accurate representation of the final plan. The plan won't be final until the liquid nails dry that are holding the track to the cork
Is this intended to be a functional yard, where you make up trains, or just staging? If the former, I can foresee some potential trouble trying to couple/uncouple on curves. There are some other issues I envision, but the project is a bit too far along for further comment, I'm afraid. Good luck with this one!
The purpose of this yard is half for storage, half for constructing trains. From a staging standpoint, I want to be able to run different trains without having to take cars off and put cars on the layout-my biggest peeve of my previous layout. From an operational standpoint, I envision coal drags entering the yard containing different grades of coal, which are then switched about to make new coal trains. Along with this there will be a few manifest freights coming in, cutting out some cars for locals, which will then disappear to bottom staging along with all other trains. I had heard that one before about coupling on a curve. I tested this issue on my already laid staging tracks with the longest cars/engines that I would be using and did not encounter any problems on radii down to 15". Maybe I just got lucky -_- Oh, and for uncoupling, i use a rix stick, again, have not encountered any issues, but I think I will resume testing on my staging tracks. As for other issues you envision, I am committed to doing this layout right, and will willingly go back and make changes for the benefit of the long term functionality, so please, voice away! Constructive criticism is always welcome/wanted!
P.S. New video [video=youtube;4PiTXImwlV0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PiTXImwlV0[/video] So far, no derailments. Soon, longer trains, Six Axle motive power, possibly a temporary half loop around the helix to connect the two ends for continuous running testing.
Well, as I said, you're way too far along for my observations to be useful. But since you ask, I'll start by saying I've never been a fan of "island" layouts, except for compact (HCD-size) or portables. There are much more space-efficient design options; a very similar layout could have been built as a two-leg, along-the-wall (not necessarily attached to the walls) that would have been far easier to build and offer significantly more viewable real estate. I also wonder at the decision to make such a tall helix; I don't see the need for that much separation between levels, and as it is you're tying up a lot of mainline mileage that's totally hidden (not to mention building a "brick outhouse" in terms of the benchwork required to support it). Further, there are some images showing track elevated above the lower level staging area, unless I'm not understanding what I'm seeing; I see some real access issues arising from this. But as I said, this is all academic; if the current design is satisfying, more power to you.
Thank you for your observatoins I'm not much fan of the island idea either-my problem is that I could move as often as once a year (student living=always finding a new apartment) and so I needed something that would fit any room. Were I in more permanent residence, eg a house, then around the walls w/ peninsula etc would have been the way I'd have gone. The tall helix: the top of the helix represents the highest point of the upper level trackage, which will the descend another 2 inches. Furthermore, by the time it's all said and done, I anticipate between 4 and 6" of benchwork below the highest track point. That and at this point I'm just sort of winging it, changes may occur. It helps that the helix isn't secured to anything. The joys of gravity As for staging, in the process of testing it to death to ensure bullet proof trackwork. It's designed to hold whole trains, not to make trains. Perhaps storage would be a better word than staging. Thanks again!
It might fit in any room, but will it fit through any doors? Have you tried moving that beastie? How much does it weigh? A free-standing, along-the-walls layout could be built in (relatively) lightweight, easy-to-dismantle and -carry sections. Just sayin'.
It would never be moved in it's current form-but it will come apart into five different pieces (Legs, spine (supports the two levels which are both freestanding), lower level, helix, and upper level) and they will all fit through a 28" doorway (30" accounting for jams/crappy apartment construction etc) Don't worry, when it comes time to move I will document it in great detail lol.
