flyboy2610
Loveably weird
It's time to start prepping the room in the basement for my layout. I talked the wife into having the second basement "bedroom" for her craft room (she likes the idea because it has windows for natural light), and I get the big room for a layout. I will be be building a 5x19' folded dogbone, representing North Platte in the early 50's. There will be a large yard, an engine house, a stockyards (yes, UP did have a stockyard right next to the yard at North Platte then), and a couple of other industries. Much of the town itself will be backdrops or flats.
It will be accessible on all sides except the back, but that's OK because the middle section will be 2 feet deep, so I can reach everywhere I need to get to. This section is going to be rather 'busy' trackwise. But since North Platte is a major UP divison point, that should be expected. I'm still tweaking on the track plan.
The plan is that after the kids grow up and move out, the wife will pretty much get the second floor and the basement will be all mine! Then the Cheyenne route will be be built, with a 2 to 2-1/2% grade representing Sherman Hill coming off the right hand side of the layout and going into one bedroom, then continuing into the second bedroom where Cheyenne will be located. The Sherman Hill section will have most of the hills, streams, etc. Cheyenne will be another busy spot with a coal mine. Long range planning in action. We may even have the bearing wall removed and replaced with a structural beam. (BTW, that is NOT a do-it-yourself job! Call the pro's!) That would open up the basement to one large room.
First thing to do is fill some fine cracks in the concrete block wall of the big room, then primer and paint the walls. We have installed six steel I-beams against that wall, and we do not have active water seepage. But this house is 95 years old, so there are some things like this to be expected.
But I can officially say I have begun. I hope to have benchwork built and at least the main line laid down by May.
Feels good to be at it again!
It will be accessible on all sides except the back, but that's OK because the middle section will be 2 feet deep, so I can reach everywhere I need to get to. This section is going to be rather 'busy' trackwise. But since North Platte is a major UP divison point, that should be expected. I'm still tweaking on the track plan.
The plan is that after the kids grow up and move out, the wife will pretty much get the second floor and the basement will be all mine! Then the Cheyenne route will be be built, with a 2 to 2-1/2% grade representing Sherman Hill coming off the right hand side of the layout and going into one bedroom, then continuing into the second bedroom where Cheyenne will be located. The Sherman Hill section will have most of the hills, streams, etc. Cheyenne will be another busy spot with a coal mine. Long range planning in action. We may even have the bearing wall removed and replaced with a structural beam. (BTW, that is NOT a do-it-yourself job! Call the pro's!) That would open up the basement to one large room.
First thing to do is fill some fine cracks in the concrete block wall of the big room, then primer and paint the walls. We have installed six steel I-beams against that wall, and we do not have active water seepage. But this house is 95 years old, so there are some things like this to be expected.
But I can officially say I have begun. I hope to have benchwork built and at least the main line laid down by May.
Feels good to be at it again!
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