Hello from Sunny Massachusetts!
- Thread starter Dave S
- Start date
trainman78
Member
welcome back, and track plan looks good
IronBeltKen
Lazy Daydreamer
Welcome back to the Hobby, and to the forum!
Interesting plan you've got there. It's just a schematic, right? Otherwise those curves look mighty sharp for HO scale - unless you're modeling turn-of-the-century.
Are there any other furniture items in the open (blank) area of your attic? If not, you could put your roundhouse & turntable on a small peninsula to free up space in that corner.
Interesting plan you've got there. It's just a schematic, right? Otherwise those curves look mighty sharp for HO scale - unless you're modeling turn-of-the-century.
Are there any other furniture items in the open (blank) area of your attic? If not, you could put your roundhouse & turntable on a small peninsula to free up space in that corner.
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Dave S
Tree Farmer
I didn't know there was going to be a show but now that I do I'm going to see if I can swing it.
Trussrod
Well-Known Member
Hi Dave S from David Smith in Central Calif,
I know for a fact just how cold it get there as I handled my late Aunt's estate in the late '90's over in Marion and have seen the Ocean frozen thick along the shore line. Insulation is needed for sure, possibly 3 or 4" thick closed cell foam might be good as long as it doesn't make it sweat. Talk with the guys from, 'This Old House' like Tom Silva maybe?
The Attic makes a great place and the only thing I might suggest along the long straight wall across from the work bench is to put in a bit of a curve for some variation in the run. Just a thought.
Hope you enjoy the forum.
Ps: Where I live in the foothills headed up toward Yosemite National Park it also gets very cold. I have to Metal garage doors that used to transmit a lot of cold in the Winter and heat in the summer. I tightly fit in two sheets of 2" closed cell foam and what a difference just that makes. The garage is also finished off with a ceiling and insulated but the bare metal doors sure transmitted the temperature till insulated.
I know for a fact just how cold it get there as I handled my late Aunt's estate in the late '90's over in Marion and have seen the Ocean frozen thick along the shore line. Insulation is needed for sure, possibly 3 or 4" thick closed cell foam might be good as long as it doesn't make it sweat. Talk with the guys from, 'This Old House' like Tom Silva maybe?
The Attic makes a great place and the only thing I might suggest along the long straight wall across from the work bench is to put in a bit of a curve for some variation in the run. Just a thought.
Hope you enjoy the forum.
Ps: Where I live in the foothills headed up toward Yosemite National Park it also gets very cold. I have to Metal garage doors that used to transmit a lot of cold in the Winter and heat in the summer. I tightly fit in two sheets of 2" closed cell foam and what a difference just that makes. The garage is also finished off with a ceiling and insulated but the bare metal doors sure transmitted the temperature till insulated.
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Dave S
Tree Farmer
Always glad to meet another Dave!
I was thinking of just filling the space between the joists with a decently rated fiberglass insulation and covering it with 1/4" sheets of plywood from the bench up to and along the bottom of the trusses.
Instead of going all the way to the floor though I was going to finish boxing in the layout benchwork and fill the front openings with removable 4x8 sheets of 1/2inch plywood so I can continue to use the space underneath for storage. To the backs of the plywood I figured on attaching a sheet of 2 or 3 inch insulation foam. I may also panel the bottom of the benchwork frame so the layout isn't a cold spot.
That's about as far as i've got with those plans though. In the meantime I guess micro fleece and polypro long johns will be my train time friends.
I was thinking of just filling the space between the joists with a decently rated fiberglass insulation and covering it with 1/4" sheets of plywood from the bench up to and along the bottom of the trusses.
Instead of going all the way to the floor though I was going to finish boxing in the layout benchwork and fill the front openings with removable 4x8 sheets of 1/2inch plywood so I can continue to use the space underneath for storage. To the backs of the plywood I figured on attaching a sheet of 2 or 3 inch insulation foam. I may also panel the bottom of the benchwork frame so the layout isn't a cold spot.
That's about as far as i've got with those plans though. In the meantime I guess micro fleece and polypro long johns will be my train time friends.
Burlington Bob
Well-Known Member
Welcome to the forum, Dave! Looks like you'll have plenty of space for your empire! Just a friendly suggestion; insulate now before you get anymore of your layout built. It will be much easier with less RR stuff in the way, not to mention making it much more enjoyable to be there when the weather is less than perfect. What road are you modeling?
Dave S
Tree Farmer
Bob - It's a matter of money mostly. I'm figuring about a grand to do what i'm thinking but yeah I figure i'm not going to be able to do any landscaping until I get the backdrop in at least.
Luckily I have plenty of work to keep me occupied relearning all the joys of detailing my trains and structures. Heh, The Wife doesn't know it yet but down in our basement I have started a new train workbench on top of an old dresser which is right near our always toasty warm wood stove.
As for what road, I've settled on Maine Central as my main line with maybe some B&M mixed in.
Luckily I have plenty of work to keep me occupied relearning all the joys of detailing my trains and structures. Heh, The Wife doesn't know it yet but down in our basement I have started a new train workbench on top of an old dresser which is right near our always toasty warm wood stove.
As for what road, I've settled on Maine Central as my main line with maybe some B&M mixed in.
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I would suggest something a bit different. On the left hand wall of the photo, you have L girder construction that stops in a constant straight line at what appears to be about fifteen inches from the roof/wall joint. How about cantilivering those girders out about 15 more inches and then having the track undulate as it goes down the main. It would leave you some space to have some roadside industries with appropriate switching and you could still reach the back of the layout.
You would have to take up some track, not a lot and insert the cantilevered girders. I have used my own benchwork to do that and it really works nicely.
I see where you have a tree farmer logo there. Are you? I have a select cutting white pine stand along with hardwoods. Not giant, about 110 acres.
You would have to take up some track, not a lot and insert the cantilevered girders. I have used my own benchwork to do that and it really works nicely.
I see where you have a tree farmer logo there. Are you? I have a select cutting white pine stand along with hardwoods. Not giant, about 110 acres.
Dave S
Tree Farmer
That's definitely an idea. I still need to be able to get underneath and store stuff though.
That's nice, where? I have a similar chunk of land about a half hour north of Bangor but it'll be another 10 years before the trees are mature enough to be harvested.
The beauty of the cantiliever is that you can still get under it since there are no legs. It's a lightweight table and would give you more operating surface for those long straight areas. It you think about how much you can put in a 24 inch module as compared to a 15 inch one, you could put a lot of action in to it. If you wanted to simply add the girders without taking up track, just cut what appear to be one by fours and lay them in side by side next to the existing ones and screw them sideways. Just make them longer. Does that make sense?
I am south of North Conway in Chocorua, a hamlet near Tamworth. The tree farm has been in my wife's family for about 200 years.
I also know a guy who has tons of Maine Trains. Maine Central, Bangor @ Aaroostock, Boston and Maine, Guilford... He used to have a shop in Kezar Falls but moved to AZ. He will be selling via internet in the near future. I can get you his email. He had me expanding into the Santa Fe and Bangor Western. We have killer trackage rights.
If you go to the show, I'm going on Saturday. I'm the old guy with the Gray ponytail. It tends to stand out. We could meet up.
I am south of North Conway in Chocorua, a hamlet near Tamworth. The tree farm has been in my wife's family for about 200 years.
I also know a guy who has tons of Maine Trains. Maine Central, Bangor @ Aaroostock, Boston and Maine, Guilford... He used to have a shop in Kezar Falls but moved to AZ. He will be selling via internet in the near future. I can get you his email. He had me expanding into the Santa Fe and Bangor Western. We have killer trackage rights.
If you go to the show, I'm going on Saturday. I'm the old guy with the Gray ponytail. It tends to stand out. We could meet up.
