DIY Transfer Table and Engine Maintenance/Storage Building

[GDSmith]

I think I've received all the parts that I need for construction except the motorized truck that I'll be using for the transfer table movement. It's an NWSL Stanton Drive with a (scale) 10' wheelbase. I ordered (and received) a Digitrax DH126D decoder that should give me DCC access to the Stanton Drive.

(Sidenote - something else that I want to attempt is the connection of a series of small LEDs to the transfer table's main bar to simulate warning lights when the table is in motion. I want to have them addressed by the F0 function of the decoder.)

(Sidenote 2 - the truck that I ordered for the transfer of electricity from the lower rail to the upper rail states that it is basically for use in things like 'end of train device' (FRED) so I'm not sure it will provide enough juice to power my trains on the upper rail.)

For those who may not have seen it in another forum, here's the "blueprint" I sketched out for the table

Using code 100 'raw track', I hand-laid the lower rails and upper rail for the transfer table as well as eight tracks for the maintenance building.

I'm at a standstill on the transfer table until I receive the Stanton drive so I will probably start framing out the maintenance building. The two center stalls will be 20" deep, the one on either side of them will be 15-18" (TBD), and the two outer stalls on each side will be about 12" deep.

 

[35tac]

Any way you can describe the base materials used would be appreciated and also the method used to attach the rails.
Thanks
Wayne

 

[GDSmith]

Attaching the rails was done by "drilling" (pin vise with #68 bit) a pilot hole in the plywood on each side of the raw rail every 6" and then inserting a rail spike in each hole. It was a very time-consuming task! Now that all of the rail has been laid, I'll probably add more spikes to the areas that will be outside the maintenance building.

The base and bar of the transfer table is 3/4" maple plywood - I bought a 2x2 square and had them cut a 2-1/2 strip off one side that I'm using for the transfer bar. (They were able to make a MUCH better straight cut than I would have done.)

The base of the maintenance building pad is 1/2" pine plywood. I bought a 2x4 board and had them cut 12" to make the 2x3 pad. The remaining 12" piece is what I'll use to build up the sides of the transfer table.

The coloring for both pieces is just some gray paint with black paint streaked through it.

Glenn

 

[goscrewyourselves]

An impressive build.

 

[35tac]

Thanks for the iso. Excellent!
Wayne

 

[syrous]

As wombat said very impressive build.

 

[GDSmith]

I had one of those 'light bulb' moments last night and it made me wonder 'what the heck was I thinking?' when I ordered the Stanton drive AND the electrical pick-up truck. Since the Stanton drive will also have electrical pick-ups (since it is afterall an engine drivetrain!), I can tap into those two leads and run them up to the upper rails. I can replace the other truck with a regular 70ton (I think) truck and it should roll easier against the hand laid rails.

thanks for the compliments folks ... now if NWSL would just deliver the drive - I'm really anxious to see how the transfer table 'travels'

 

[GDSmith]

Five of the seven interior walls for the Maintenance Building ... I ran out of styrene to finish them and start the other two, plus the two exterior walls. And the local hobby shop doesn't carry the 24" lengths :-(

AND I got notification today that NWSL has shipped the Stanton drive !

 

[GDSmith]

So I have the Stanton drive and Digitrax's DH126D decoder wired up and a VERY SLOW speed table to move the drive - running on the regular rails looks pretty cool. I just need to do some leveling work on the two outer trucks so everything touches the rails equally. Right now the Stanton drive is giving a higher profile and one outer truck doesn't touch when the other truck does. More Dremel tool work.

The rest of the styrene has arrived and all of the walls have been built and connected together. Maybe tomorrow, after everything dries, I'll start cutting maintenance bay doors out of the styrene sheets and glue the walls/door frames to the structure.

I also did some wiring from the throw-switches to the maintenance building tracks - per the suggestion from another member (I am liking that idea A LOT ! thanks TrailRider ) (note: regardless how the wire looks at the switches, they are not yet connected -- and I ran out of wire so the eighth track hasn't been wired yet.)

 

[GDSmith]

Some styrene sheets, a razor blade, and some masking tape - and a building starts to take shape. I have LOTS of windows for the side panels but it's not going to be fun cutting the holes out of the styrene.

And my artistic talents are severely lacking so painting and WEATHERING will be interesting

 

[GDSmith]

Completed the wiring below the Maintenance Building - each track is connected to a switch and can now be LIVE at the throw of the switch

Stanton drive wired up to the decoder - and now LEVEL transfer bar (took a few various sized wedges to level the drive and trucks but I found a thick enough styrene stick for the drive and thinner plastic for the trucks to finally satisfy me)

Close-up of just the Stanton drive

Test fitting the Maintenance Building on the maintenance tracks (the gap on the right side of the picture is for a piece of trim in the train room)

Front view - high shot

Front view - ground level ... for proper perspective, the switches for track power would be hanging off the right hand side of the picture, parallel to the tracks.

 

[GDSmith]

Electrical wise, it seems to be working I hooked up a new #12 bus wire to the #22?? (bell wire) that connects the switches and added four DCC loco's to the base. Each one turned on-and-off properly and responded to the throttle.

And my 12x24 styrene roof panels arrived in the mail today.

 

[GDSmith]

Starting to put the pieces together to make sure it all fits - so far, so good

 

[goscrewyourselves]

Glenn,

It looks good to me ... you've done a darn good job in my opinion.

 

[GDSmith]

A little more time - A little more progress ... first and foremost, the BROWN building is gone. It just didn't look right as an industrial building so it's been replaced with 'battleship gray.'

I also got the window kits and letter stencils

In this next picture, the 'little' building to the right has been my model for doing the Maintenance Building train doors. Now that I don't need it for trains, I think I'm going to relocate to this position, raise it 5/8", and make it a parts depot for tractor trailers to back up to and unload.

 

[montanan]

It has really come along nicely. A great project. Waiting to see the finished product on the layout.

 

[Motley]

Wow that turned out looking really good. Nice scratchbuilding man.

But those yellow doors stick out, could you paint them to match the grey?

 

[GDSmith]

But those yellow doors stick out, could you paint them to match the grey?

Actually, I think that's the point of them being YELLOW The model had yellow/black and they would stand-out so you would know they are movable doors. I like my yellow/red better and if I had enough stencil I would add DANGER to the yellow bar in the middle of each one ... just because it's fun

 

[tootnkumin]

A more appropriate warning would probably be "KEEP CLEAR", with if you can in small letters, "Doors Swing Up and Out". Probably get decals to suit, but might have to fix letters individually (lots of work )

 

[Epimetheus]

That is one hansom model. The grey wall do look better than the brown wash. For "Danger" signs, red letter on a yellow background, you might print on white paper in color, or print on yellow paper. If it was cut the width of the yellow bar the paper would seem part of the door.

Those are some delicate windows! i made large windows like that but cheated - printed the mullions in black on clear transparency sheets. Instant frame and glass.