1. traingeekboy

    traingeekboy TrainBoard Member

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    Tonight I told my wife, "Lets go down stairs so you can take pictures of my hole" I had to explain better, and quickly, what I meant because her hand was coming back for a backhand across my face.

    Starting last saturday I have been renovating my small basement. It is like a 10x16 with a 7x7 leg off one side. Following are some images of my little cave of railroad fun-ness. [​IMG]
    This is the 7x7 area I am standing in. I can only stand if I fit my head between the rafters. I am getting pretty good at doing this without braining myself. (famous last words)
    [​IMG]
    Looking the opposite direction while standing in the 7x7 alcove. Please take notice of the freshly painted cement floor.
    [​IMG]
    This beam seprates the two room spaces. the coolest thing about "the Hole" is that the beam that supports the rafters is actually a piece of small weight rail.
    [​IMG]
    Yet another view...
    [​IMG]
    there is a sort of shelf area off of the 7x7 area where I can store things.

    [ January 10, 2006, 11:33 PM: Message edited by: traingeekboy ]
     
  2. Helitac

    Helitac TrainBoard Member

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    That's great geeky, a place to start a layout!
    How much more "environmental abatement"
    before benchwork starts?
     
  3. BALOU LINE

    BALOU LINE TrainBoard Member

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    I would say the two things you need are a roll around chair and a hard hat. A few clamp lamps would be handy too. Looks like a nice LEVEL floor and that is always a plus to getting good benchwork. Hopefully you can recess lighting between the floor joists to keep as much headroom as possible.
     
  4. traingeekboy

    traingeekboy TrainBoard Member

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    Heli, I am pretty set to go. I brought the door panel layout down last night and put it on saw horses. Track work is up next on the to do list.

    john, I have been thinking a roller chair would be good. the floor is level so my layout sits well on it. Lighting is a bunch of clamp lamps for now. I sort of like it because I can keep moving them till I get exactly the lighting I need.

    I gotta tell you guys some of the stuff you find in these old basements is sort of funny.
     
  5. Israel

    Israel E-Mail Bounces

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    You can't say something like this and leave us hanging. What goodies have you found.

    Nice looking train room you have going there.
    Would never work for me though, I'd be braining myself ever time I turned around.
     
  6. traingeekboy

    traingeekboy TrainBoard Member

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    You can't say something like this and leave us hanging. What goodies have you found.

    Nice looking train room you have going there.
    Would never work for me though, I'd be braining myself ever time I turned around. [/QB]</font>[/QUOTE]Israel, that part about famous last words, I totally brained myself last night after posting. LOL

    Err... I found stuff. Lets just say someone hid something perhaps 30 years ago. Perhaps trying to succesfully hide it from the police. It was rather bug eaten looking. It was wrapped in tinfoil. Need I say more?

    I have found whole packs of family pictures hidden inside walls too. I looked at them and put them back after repairing the wall.

    Oh yeah, the live shotgun shell wedged inside a wall was pretty crazy too.
     
  7. Second Moss

    Second Moss TrainBoard Member

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    Geeky has anyone ever said you have a striking resemblance to Tom Sivani?
     
  8. traingeekboy

    traingeekboy TrainBoard Member

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    I think I look like everyone. Now that I havelong hair and a beard and mustache I get alot of arlo guthrie comments. With short hair , I'd get Dr who comments. Just to name a couple.

    So uh... who is Tom Savini?
     
  9. traingeekboy

    traingeekboy TrainBoard Member

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    I just google Tom savini up. Well that's kind of a compliment,he's made some great monster movies.

    Personally I think I look more like this kid.
    [​IMG]

    See the family resemblance?
    [​IMG]
     
  10. okane

    okane TrainBoard Supporter

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    Geeky

    Good to put a face to the name. I am only 5"7" so I might be able to clear the rafters.

    Looks good go for it, nothing better than getting the roster running.
     
  11. traingeekboy

    traingeekboy TrainBoard Member

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    Owen you may have to take your shoes off or risk a sharp tap on the head.
     
  12. MasonJar

    MasonJar TrainBoard Member

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    Don't forget to install some "Bang Head Here" signs on the joists or ductwork... ;)

    My basement is about the same. Found some old skis, but that is about all so far. Nice and dry in the winter (but cold), humid in the summer (but cool). Make sure you have a dehumidifier and/or other strategy in place.

    Andrew

    PS - can't see half your pics - just a red X
     
  13. traingeekboy

    traingeekboy TrainBoard Member

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    Mason,
    Colorado's front range is rather dry most of the time so I suspect I will be ok. A bigger concern is the spiders and bugs. Dunno how a centipede will run on DCC.

    I'm just excited to have a permanent place for the layout. I really should have taken before pictures. It really was a scary little hole in the ground.
     
  14. Family Lines System

    Family Lines System TrainBoard Member

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  15. traingeekboy

    traingeekboy TrainBoard Member

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    Oooooooo nice!
     
  16. mtaylor

    mtaylor Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    My basement is decent sized, but is also a brain killer. I have hit my head some many times I have lost count. I also found allot of wierd garbage and old skies.....and some other things left by the local wildlife....read mice. [​IMG]
     
  17. Gats

    Gats TrainBoard Member

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    Must common in your neck of the woods, Matt. Bob Rivard's basement empire over in St Anthony suffers the same limitation - height! [​IMG] [​IMG]
     
  18. MP333

    MP333 TrainBoard Supporter

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    Geek,

    Looks like a real good start on a train room. I wish we had basements in Arizona. No such thing as the ground is too hard!

    Get all your infrastructure done FIRST. Power, Lighting, Flooring, built-in cabinets, etc.

    Then Benchwork and the real FUN begins! I'm looking forward to your trackplan.

    All I ever found in this 50+ year old house was an empty Thunderbird bottle. But I did find (and reburied) 800+ year old pottery shards in the back yard.
     
  19. traingeekboy

    traingeekboy TrainBoard Member

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    Matt, I wanted to avoid using it for that reason. If only I had been 5ft 8 inches tall I'd be set. My wife can stand with no problems down there. I keep avoiding the brainings.

    Steve, I am not sure if I need to do any more infrastructure than I have. Cleaning has done wonders.

    Lighting: clamp lamps w/ 100 watt bulbs seem to be working well.

    Power: two outlets is all I have so I guess I'll be using some power strips.

    Flooring is paint. Anything more and the cieling just gets lower.

    Cabinets: Funny you mention that. My father brought over some of the odd stuff I inherited from my grandfather. He used metal card file cabinets to store electronics parts. I now have these for my train storage.

    Overall the layout room is looking pretty good. I did some more work on it today. The layout will never be attached to anything it's just a door panel on sawhorses. It's easy to move it around yet not wobbly.

    I admire the fact that you did not keep the pottery shards as souvineers and instead reburied them, perhaps another 800 years from now someone will want to look at those.
     
  20. BALOU LINE

    BALOU LINE TrainBoard Member

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    This is something that always boggled my mind. Just about everyone in the Phx. valley has an in-ground swimming pool, but the ground is to hard to dig a basement. Go figure.
    Thunderbird.. now that brings back memories, not all good [​IMG] LMAO

    Geeky, are you going to try to brighten the walls with some cheap paint? It does wonders. I'm trying to convince my landlord to let me paint over the dark grey he used.
     

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