 |
| Moderated by: |
Page:   1 2 3   |
|
Paul W
Registered
| Joined: | 10 Feb 2017 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 63 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Here's a progress pic for March 17. Because I am aiming to keep much of bay #1 free of obstructions, there are a total of six parallel joists spanning the full 3-metres width of that bay, and to avoid a forest of legs supporting these joists, I have built a portal frame to carry four of the joists in the center of the layout, and at the same time made my first design error, failing to consider from the start that it would be sensible to allow the side door to swing 180 degrees to lie flat against the wall, and not just the minimum 90 degrees needed to enter the shed  . So I decided I would raise the framing up 90mm to put the bottoms of the joists completely above the side door. Naturally, I had already cut the legs of the portal frame off to suit the original, lower height  . Work has paused while the glue sets on the 90mm extensions I stuck on the legs 
Had very heavy rain last night, and I got the bejeezuz scared out of me when I saw something large-ish out the corner of my eye heading across the floor near me....it was a frog, taking a wrong turn on his way to the neighbour's pond. Of course, the instant I tried to catch it to put it outside, it dived in among all the timber I have leaning against the walls and do you think I could figure out where it had gone? I was forced to enlist the services of my cat to locate it and oh crikey was he miffed when, having located the green intruder, he was shoved back outside in the rain rather than be allowed to catch it. I don't think he's quite forgiven me yet. The frog was caught unharmed (by me) and transported to the pond so I'm calling it a win even if the cat doesn't think so.
|
|
|
Paul W
Registered
| Joined: | 10 Feb 2017 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 63 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Hi Folks! Progress report for March 18th; box beam stood up and the four joists it supports are screwed in place. Much messing about to get everything leveled because the concrete floor has turned out to be far too uneven to even contemplate measuring off it. The box beam is only 3.5m long and needed an 18mm packer under one leg to get it level - I tried my builder's level lying both ways to make sure that the level was reading correctly because I couldn't believe the floor could be that bad! So much for surveying the concrete boxing with a laser level when the shed was built - I haven't bothered to check the floor for straightness with a stringline, it doesn't actually look that bad and besides, it is what it is, and it's just a shed. Once I had one joist to keep the box beam upright, I was able to use a long aluminium extrusion with my builder's level to set up the remainder of the joists accurately and without any dramas.
Strangely, while at lunchtime I would have said that setting up the joists would be the hardest part, by late afternoon it had turned out to be more difficult to set up the joist across the back (not visible in this photo), which is one not supported by the box beam but instead on a line of poles stood on the floor - yes, that aforementioned very uneven floor, meaning every pole has to be measured off a stringline and cut to fit! It quickly became apparent that finding places to set up stringlines in various directions to suit the remaining framing was going to be a huge headache so I have resolved to tomorrow build portable adjustable stands to support joists while I check heights with the builder's level, permanent legs being cut to fit after I'm happy with the set-up. Today was a constant struggle to hold pieces of timber up while checking heights, and then with my third pair of hands fit supporting brackets without letting anything slip out of place. Hopefully temporary support stands will speed things up.
I must say, it's both pleasing and disconcerting seeing the stack of timber that I had assembled for this project, rapidly disappearing. I am thoroughly tired of tripping over it, but I can see I will need to get more before the week is out if I am to maintain my present rate of construction.
|
|
|
Paul W
Registered
| Joined: | 10 Feb 2017 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 63 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Adjustable supports as mentioned yesterday. Each is made up of a substantial piece of 35mm thick MDF screwed to a base, and a wooden cleat screwed to the face to act as a guide for the adjustable tee portion. You can never have too many F-clamps! Not a lot else got done today because I managed to misplace a large stack of steel brackets that I am using to join everything together <sigh> I pre-cut some timber ready to put up after I find or buy more brackets.
The inspector of Works, named Diesel, gazing longingly at the framing overhead while unaware of the water squirter I have at the ready to encourage him to keep off the layout. His name was inspired by his incredibly loud purr. He will use up his nine lives very rapidly if he gets in the habit of climbing on the layout, especially once I have scenery in place, so best to train him from the get-go. I try to avoid letting my cats into the shed at all but daytime temperatures are hitting 24-25 degrees and it gets even hotter in the shed so I have been forced to leave doors open and use large pedestal fans to keep the temperature inside down to a tolerable level.
|
|
|
Paul W
Registered
| Joined: | 10 Feb 2017 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 63 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
With a significant amount of framing in place, I was able to accurately measure and update some dimensions. I got a pleasant surprise when the distance from the box beam heading to the right, towards the loft in bay 3 (bays are counted from left to right, railroad occupies bays 1 and 2) turned out to be 2.4m when I had drawn it at 2.2m on the track plan.
With the track plan corrected to reflect this extra space, I was able to add a couple of wiggles which allowed a spur to be placed where previously the track was straight and uninteresting. When I thought this part could only be 250mm wide, I was intending to make it a trestle bridge over water but now I'm picturing something resembling the New York Central's West Side High Line, with the tracks carried on a steel viaduct and spurs entering tall buildings above street level.
Also added to the track plan is an extended spur which wanders along at ground level and will include most of the spurs serving industries, team track etc. Being connected to the staging yard at its opposite end, it could serve as an interchange track which would greatly enhance operations. I know I've said that I'm not particularly interested in operating, but heck, if it is easy to make happen, then I'd be a fool to not do it!
There are lots more places where I could easily fit spurs, but I'm avoiding putting in a lot of detail with respect to what rail-served industries will go where because experience has taught me that what looks fine on paper can frequently turn out to not work in practice and you've wasted a whole lot of time on the planning of it, so I want to wait until I can actually see the space and mock up ideas - I have been saving up small cardboard boxes so I can quickly tape them together to represent buildings and adjust things until I achieve the effect I want.
|
|
|
Paul W
Registered
| Joined: | 10 Feb 2017 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 63 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Thanks for those links, Gerold. I have never before seen a cat that is happy to watch the trains go by and not stir things up. There's no way I would even contemplate trying that with Diesel; he is a klutz, he falls off high places because he turns around without paying attention to what he's standing on and simply slips off. He will also swat anything that - well, anything that catches his attention, it doesn't even have to be moving! He is the type of cat that climbs onto a shelf then pushes everything off one at a time, just for s#!t$ and giggles, so I think it's safe to say his presence on a model railroad would be disastrous.
Last edited on 19 Mar 2023 09:44 am by Paul W
|
|
|
corv8
Moderator
| Joined: | 13 Nov 2018 |
| Location: | Vienna, Austria |
| Posts: | 794 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Paul W wrote: Thanks for those links, Gerold. I have never before seen a cat that is happy to watch the trains go by and not stir things up. There's no way I would even contemplate trying that with Diesel; he is a klutz, he falls off high places because he turns around without paying attention to what he's standing on and simply slips off. He will also swat anything that - well, anything that catches his attention, it doesn't even have to be moving! He is the type of cat that climbs onto a shelf then pushes everything off one at a time, just for s#!t$ and giggles, so I think it's safe to say his presence on a model railroad would be disastrous.
I think he has deliberately selected cats with a calm attitude (he usually has four) - they are allowed everywhere in the house, on the layout, on the dinner table, ... they are interested, playful but never do any damage. No idea how this works so fine.
Ferkel is the champion, he understands when they talk with him and will follow simple orders, like to follow the train through the tunnel.
Oh well... I would like to have cats, unfortunately my wife has strong allergic reactions against almost all animals with fur... so its a no go.
____________________
Gerold
|
|
|
Paul W
Registered
| Joined: | 10 Feb 2017 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 63 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Follows instructions? Does what he is told to do? I'm not sure that's actually a cat....more likely to be a dog in a fancy-dress costume!
|
|
|
corv8
Moderator
| Joined: | 13 Nov 2018 |
| Location: | Vienna, Austria |
| Posts: | 794 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Paul W wrote: Follows instructions? Does what he is told to do? I'm not sure that's actually a cat....more likely to be a dog in a fancy-dress costume!
I guess this is as he is considered a member of the family who is allowed to do everything his servants also do; and , he enjoys to be in the center of attraction, to have taken pictures of him and so he achieves his goal.
____________________
Gerold
|
|
|
Paul W
Registered
| Joined: | 10 Feb 2017 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 63 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Progress as of March 20th 2023 - benchwork as seen from standing roughly where the triangle is located on the trackplan, at the height of the walkways. My adjustable supports made the job so much easier 
I put up one bearer that will support the walkways - the transverse timber you can see near the bottom of photo, with yellow tape measure and blue F-clamps towards its left end - just to check the height. For now it presents a significant barrier to my moving around the shed so I have to take it off until I am ready to build the walkways, something that more than likely will happen last.
Maybe I'm imagining it, but rate of construction seems to be increasing as I get more framing built, probably due to having structure close to hand from which I can easily check heights, temporarily brace beams while I screw brackets on etc. I have given up trying to use long pieces of 90x20 decking timber as beams; even the stuff that looks straight still has subtle curves that make life difficult while trying to set it up level. Instead I have laminated two pieces of 45x20 finger-jointed pine to a 90mm-wide strip of 7mm plywood - you can see the green ends of the 45x20 at bottom of photo, to right of center. It is enormously strong and stays very straight, making it far easier to work with than solid pine - well worth the effort of assembling it. To make sure it goes together straight, I am using an engineered-timber I-beam, 4.8m long, as a straight-edge to clamp the finger-jointed timber to while screwing the plywood strips on.
Tomorrow I will be testing the strength of the joists spanning bay 1, by loading them up with a stack of 6mm MDF bought for cutting the trackbed from, and a stack of 12mm plywood intended for the walkways....I have built the framing over most of the open floor area and now I need to work where I have stored materials....lots of materials. As well as the ply and MDF for the layout, I have a lot of timber of all kinds - black walnut, red cedar, yellow cedar, paulownia, white ash, sappele, totara, rimu, taraire - that I have gradually accumulated over the years, with a view toward building some furniture. My elder son is showing considerable talent for woodworking and he is using a bit here and there too. Eventually I will be able to stack it all under the layout walkways with room to spare, but right now it's like those little puzzles where the picture is printed on tiles held inside a frame, and one square is left empty so you have somewhere to slide a tile into in order to shuffle them around. Some of that timber must have been moved a dozen times already, or at least that what it feels like.  Hopefully this won't go on for too much longer
|
|
|
Bob D
Registered
|
Good stuff Paul, you'll be running trains before the summer!!!
When I built my 13x30 layout almost 6 years ago I told myself not to be in a rush doing the scenery. Glad I did because I've changed a number of things on my original trackwork design.
I'm finally starting to put in scenery, I have the "ground" in place and have temporary trees placed on the layout. Once I'm satisfied I'll make their location more permanent.
My layout is only 36" off the floor, but I'm using BPRC and have no wiring on the layout although I may eventually wire in the Atlas turntable I have vice using the handcrank.
____________________
BobD
O-SCALE BPRC
|
|
|
Paul W
Registered
| Joined: | 10 Feb 2017 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 63 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Bob D wrote: Good stuff Paul, you'll be running trains before the summer!!!
When I built my 13x30 layout almost 6 years ago I told myself not to be in a rush doing the scenery. Glad I did because I've changed a number of things on my original trackwork design.
I'm finally starting to put in scenery, I have the "ground" in place and have temporary trees placed on the layout. Once I'm satisfied I'll make their location more permanent.
My layout is only 36" off the floor, but I'm using BPRC and have no wiring on the layout although I may eventually wire in the Atlas turntable I have vice using the handcrank. Thanks, Bob. I certainly hope so - I'm in the Southern hemisphere, so next summer is ten months away! What breed of BPRC are you using? I am determined to use some form of RC because my neck problems make it very difficult to install traditional track power but I haven't done any in-depth analysis yet, so first-hand experience from others would be greatly appreciated. Deltang seems to be the best value for money, but I'm also considering the Bluerail system.
|
|
|
Robert Comerford
Registered
|
Good to see progress there Paul, although I would have hoped for 9mil :>
Deltang was the best bang for the buck for years, I still use them. Micron have stocks of the replacement rx so can still be purchased.
I decided to BPRC my whole fleet a while back and to make use of the few sound decoders I had in locos I chose the Fosworks system.
Just as good to use as the Deltang. I must add I don't like using phones, I prefer a knob and switch. I know a few who like using their phones and have gone the WiFiTrax route.
Although this site used to be the go to for BPRC info I would check out the O Gauge Battery Trains group on facebook for recent experiences. cheers Bob CLast edited on 21 Mar 2023 12:10 am by Robert Comerford
|
|
|
Bob D
Registered
|
Paul W wrote: Bob D wrote: Good stuff Paul, you'll be running trains before the summer!!!
When I built my 13x30 layout almost 6 years ago I told myself not to be in a rush doing the scenery. Glad I did because I've changed a number of things on my original trackwork design.
I'm finally starting to put in scenery, I have the "ground" in place and have temporary trees placed on the layout. Once I'm satisfied I'll make their location more permanent.
My layout is only 36" off the floor, but I'm using BPRC and have no wiring on the layout although I may eventually wire in the Atlas turntable I have vice using the handcrank. Thanks, Bob. I certainly hope so - I'm in the Southern hemisphere, so next summer is ten months away! What breed of BPRC are you using? I am determined to use some form of RC because my neck problems make it very difficult to install traditional track power but I haven't done any in-depth analysis yet, so first-hand experience from others would be greatly appreciated. Deltang seems to be the best value for money, but I'm also considering the Bluerail system.
I use Deltang-based components that I got from Tony Walsham (I just saw that Tony died last month!!! ) and from Micron in the UK, but if you want sound I'd go with the (Bluerail) Blunami Soundtraxx system.
Here's Micron's MR603bMICRON
And Bluerail's blurb about the Bluenami:BLUENAMI
I never ran the smoke units are my engines and the sound started to bother me when I used MTH's DCS and Lionel's TMCC systems, plus didn't care that you had to have a 150 page+ book to figure them out. At the time DCC was just as "cumbersome" to me and when I saw the Deltang-based stuff I jumped at it.
I have 2 or 3 of the original Bluerail receivers, but O-scale engines pushed the current limit on them. I would often get "brown outs" on a few engines where I'd have to shutdown and restart, but moved them around to other engines that ran fine. Their new boards are now rated for O-scale trains.
____________________
BobD
O-SCALE BPRC
|
|
|
Paul W
Registered
| Joined: | 10 Feb 2017 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 63 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Update for March 21st. Spent the morning carefully cutting and fitting cross-beams. Along the way, I have managed to misplace a large stack of steel brackets and I was forced to cut wood blocks to use as mounts for the cross-beams, but no big deal since I have a substantial bench saw and a decent miter-saw so I can turn large lumps of wood into smaller lumps of wood quickly and accurately. When I ran out of straight decking timber for cross-beams, I was able to rip 90x45 framing timber in half through its longer dimension to make two pieces of 90x21, which is almost identical to the decking timber.
With all the cross-beams fitted to this portion of the layout, I was able to get some sheet materials up off the floor. Here we see nine full sheets of 6.4mm MDF and the equivalent of maybe two full sheets of 4.8mm MDF stacked on it, for an estimated total of 120kgs. I forgot to measure the framing before loading it up so I cannot be sure how much it may have sagged. I'm don't expect it to be much - with the cross-beams at 400mm centres preventing the joists from being able to twist as they are loaded up, they are capable of carrying far more than un-braced joists.
|
|
|
Paul W
Registered
| Joined: | 10 Feb 2017 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 63 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Robert Comerford wrote: Good to see progress there Paul, although I would have hoped for 9mil :>
cheers Bob C Thanks, Bob. I do have a few kits for 9mil freight wagons that might see the light of day eventually. I was trying to collect parts for building a NZGR 'K'-class 4-8-4 loco and there are all kinds of stuff supposedly available, but I was continually hamstrung by suppliers being unable to produce parts due to illness, or the need to wait to accumulate enough orders before it was economically viable to do a production run. It is just a fact of life with cottage-industries such as this and not due to any failings on the part of the people involved, but I decided that I couldn't afford to wait any longer. While many O-scalers moan about lack of availability of most things, to my eyes - coming from the even slimmer pickings of 9mil - it's like being a kid in a candy shop.
|
|
|
Paul W
Registered
| Joined: | 10 Feb 2017 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 63 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Bob D wrote
I use Deltang-based components that I got from Tony Walsham (I just saw that Tony died last month!!!) and from Micron in the UK, but if you want sound I'd go with the (Bluerail) Blunami Soundtraxx system.
Here's Micron's MR603bMICRON
And Bluerail's blurb about the Bluenami:BLUENAMI
I never ran the smoke units are my engines and the sound started to bother me when I used MTH's DCS and Lionel's TMCC systems, plus didn't care that you had to have a 150 page+ book to figure them out. At the time DCC was just as "cumbersome" to me and when I saw the Deltang-based stuff I jumped at it.
I have 2 or 3 of the original Bluerail receivers, but O-scale engines pushed the current limit on them. I would often get "brown outs" on a few engines where I'd have to shutdown and restart, but moved them around to other engines that ran fine. Their new boards are now rated for O-scale trains. I have issues with sound systems too; all my experience has shown that the novelty quickly wears off and it becomes merely noise. For me, the benefits don't justify the extra expense.
I sent a message to Bluerail, asking if the same receiver could be used for both direct speed control or to drive a DCC decoder. I got a reply back from Dave Rees of Bluerail this morning; he failed to answer my question, merely stating that if I want to run sound, then Bluerail is the best option, so I will grade him 5/10 for that one, but he also added that an app for Android phones is due for release very soon....I didn't realise that you can only run Bluerail with an iPhone at present anyway.
Having read through all the info on several manufacturers' websites, I am impressed by Micron, for both their extremely clear and informative explanations of what each Tx and Rx can do, but also their generally (slightly) lower prices. I put an order in for a Tx-22X and two different receivers tonight, got a pleasant surprise in the form of an acknowledgement from Andy within seconds, asking if I would prefer tracked & insured shipping.
|
|
|
Reg H
Moderator
| Joined: | 19 Oct 2014 |
| Location: | Shelton, USA |
| Posts: | 1235 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
A man can't have too many clamps.
____________________
Reg
|
|
|
Current time is 12:20 pm | Page: 1 2 3 |
|
|
|
