Construction Update - End of October

Well, I guess I'm guilty of squirrel syndrome. I've been distracted many times over the last month. All have kept me from moving as swiftly on construction as I had hoped. But, I have made progress none the less.

I'm starting with peninsula construction first. As the peninsulas will house the lower staging yards, its the logical place to start. In building the peninsulas, I have to engineer them to support the levels above. And, as important, the peninsulas need to be stable and not move. This is further complicated by the fact that I do not want to have any attachment to the ceiling. Of course, if i cannot get the rigidity I'm looking for, I can attach to the ceiling as a last resort.

Benchwork has been started. I began by building the frames for the staging level. As the steel comes in 20' sticks, I welded the frames together in the driveway and then passed them up thru the window. I did this by myself, so I didn't take any pictures. The frames were placed on the floor in preparation for the cross members.

As you can see the frames are roughed in place and ready for the cross members to be added.


Here are the stacks of cross members and the legs. The legs were constructed with elevator bolts as feet to provide adjustability. They will sit on 3/4" plywood squares. The squares have a 1/16" deep hole drilled with a 1" Forstner bit. This allows the foot to snap into place. I can also later glue the wood blocks to the floor if I need additional stability.













The cross members will be placed and welded. This will provide rigidity and the base for the plywood for staging.






I  began welding the cross members. This was a bit tedious. All are on 18" centers. I'm planning to use 1/2" plywood for staging and 18" should be an appropriate separation to prevent sagging.

To the left is progress on the cross members. The right is another perspective.

You'll also see the fiberglass blankets that gather up any hot sparks from the welding. So far, they are working very well.

Next up was to raise the first 20' and attach it to the wall. With 4 pairs of legs, it was raise a section, then raise the other side. It took a while to get the frame raised to 28". It was a tedious task but I decided that since I was working during the day, I would attack this myself. Once I got it relatively level (the top of the cross members at 28"), it was time to attach to the wall as the initial anchor. I used three 2 1/2" lag screws with washers. I wanted to make sure it would be solidly attached to the wall. I think I accomplished. that.

Next final adjustments to the height and ensure all has been leveled on the horizontal planes. I was then ready to attach the legs.The legs were then checked for square with a level and then welded onto the frame. At this point, the first section of the benchwork is complete. Finally!

Now on to the rest of the peninsula. I installed the next section of the peninsula. That is also strait and will join with the angled section which will connect the helix. It was a task getting it in place. Partially complicated by the fact that I was two legs short. Whoops! Time to make more legs. Not a quick process as that means I need to break down the welder and haul it downstairs. The welder isn't that much of a problem, but the Argon tank is heavy!



Notice the temporary 2x4 leg holding up the end of the peninsula!








I also need to fabricate the next sections of the peninsula, so that what's next on the agenda.

Construction in progress

Well I have to say, construction hasn't been moving along as quickly as I'd hoped.

Progress to date:
  East Staging Helix: The helix to east staging is built (lamination complete). Next is to install the threaded rods.
  Harbor/Coast Staging Helix: The helix lamination is complete.
  Main to Upper Level Helix: The helix lamination is complete.

Construction of the helices has taken more time than I'd expected. Not to mention being distracted by hosting ops sessions for the PSR Convention and traveling to Desert Ops South. I did have a great time at Desert Ops.

I have also spent time doing some needed work on the Exeter Branch and I installed a working rotary beacon in the Santa Fe CF7. Very cool. Please see the video below. I'll use this in my GP60 Demonstrator set as well as all Santa Fe locos. Likely UP too, but it's not a Western Cullen pattern, but is better than a flashing strobe.

I have also received the steel to be used for the benchwork. My welding skills are adequate at best, but will allow me to get construction going.

Coming up next week will be benchwork and installing the threaded rods in the helices.

Construction has begun

So it's finally time to start working on the railroad. I'm starting with the helices first.

I purchased 5mm plywood that I will use for construction. The plan is to cut 1/6 of a circle pieces and laminate 2 pieces to form the helix with each piece being offset by 50% of the other layer. This will allow me to have a roadbed thickness of less than 1/2" and it's my opinion that it will be stronger having 2 pieces laminated as opposed to 1 piece of greater thickness. This also allows me to eliminate spice plates I would use if building this in a more traditional fashion. I realize I could use biscuit joints, but I feel this will be more effective. 

I had originally planned to use Masonite. But after trips to my local HD and Lowes, I opted to use plywood. It's three ply layers and I'm hoping it will serve the purpose better and it's less weight than Masonite. 

First was to make the template from an old sheet of Masonite. The helix will be 6" wide with an inner radius of 37.5" and outer of 40". I was able to get 13 pieces of the 1/6 of the circumference from a 4'x8' sheet.

I still have more to cut, but this is enough to start the helices. As I mentioned, I will need 3. One will be a double track helix to the 2 east staging yards. The other two will be stacked. One as a double track helix going down to Harbor and Valley staging and the other connecting the main to the upper level. I decided to build all three the same. That will allow me to use the same threaded rods for both helices on the stacked one. I think/hope it will work.

Today, construction began on the helix bases. Good thing I have pavers left over!

More layers tomorrow! And I have more pieces to cut. Also note: I luckily realized that I'll be much better off building the laminated helices in the room rather than in the garage. Good thing, as I'm not sure I'd be able to get it into the room! The diameter is just over 7'.

Benchwork starts next week!

Thoughts on initial construction

It's almost time to start the benchwork. I've put a lot of thought and planning into this. As with any project, I'm sure things will be adjusted during construction. Here's what I'm planning.

Basic benchwork:

• 1" square steel tubing for the frame of the benchwork. 
• The peninsulas will be built first and attached to one wall. Strength and stability are my top priority. All pieces will be welded together. I will reinforce as necessary. 
• One of my guiding principles is that I don't want any floor to ceiling connections. The railroad is designed for open space above the backdrop. 
• A key challenge in designing the peninsulas is the fact that they must support 3 levels. 1) Lower Staging, 2) Main level, 3) Upper level on the small peninsula and a small staging yard on the large (Taylor Yard) peninsula.
• I'm planning on a square steel pad on the bottom of each let about 2"x2". And then attach to the floor with caulk. Worst case if I'm not able to establish the rigidity that I'm looking for, I'll attach the legs to the floor. 
• I will build the helices in conjunction with the lower staging level.

I will need to build the railroad from the bottom up. In doing so, I need to determine the best way to support the levels above. For that, the main frame of the peninsula will be ladder like construction. Once the lower staging benchwork frame is complete, I will attach legs that support both the lower level and connect to support the main level. The legs will be inset somewhere between 9" and 12". I used the same inset on the Exeter Branch and I've never had issues with operators kicking the legs.

Supporting the upper staging level above the Taylor Yard peninsula will be vertical posts on the centerline. Since the staging is only 12" wide, I don't see an issue. 

For the smaller peninsula I'm still working on my approach. I want to keep the posts between the main and upper levels as invisible as possible. Again, not wanting to have something connecting up to the ceiling. 

Peninsula construction is really the foundation. The benchwork that is attached to the walls will be pretty simple in comparison. 

For the sub-roadbed my plan is to have wood risers from the steel benchwork and plywood for the track. I'm going to use Homabed under the main track and sidings. And, potentially masonite spline on the upper level. 

Helix construction will be made from masonite. Likely 3/16". I will cut sections that are 1/3 of a circle. Next will be to laminate 2 pieces together using wood glue. The pieces will be offset by 1/2. As laminated material will be stronger, this will allow me to keep sections thin. I'll use all thread rods to maintain the separation. My calculations have the grade around 1.45%

I continue to refine my benchwork design as I prepare to start construction.

The room is almost ready!

It's been a journey, but the room is finally nearly complete. I needed to wait for nearly a year from initial construction for the building to settle and to take care of the one year 'punch list' items. The ceiling settled and some cracks needed to be repaired. That is done,

The flooring is complete (mostly). I decided to go with laminate as I was concerned with wear on the carpet. Especially the stairs. So, I've done 100% laminate.

As you can see in the photo, I've laid out the railroad footprint in blue tape. It's not easy to get a good perspective from the picture.

I expect construction to start after Labor Day weekend. No need to labor on Labor Day :)

New SP sign

Progress update - little progress. Actually, the contractors are here fixing some issues with cracks in the drywall. That should all be wrapped up this week and I can prep for construction.

In the mean time, I've been acquiring more schwag. Received this yesterday. It's very cool!

It's a big sign. 42" in diameter. Now...where to put it?

Just add water

Yesterday, the UPS driver dropped off a package. well 9 packages of Peco code 83 flex track, turnouts, rail joiners, and some Atlas 83 rerailers. I placed one VERY large order for track. About 15% of the order is for friends who wanted to have their track added to my order.

I'd like recognize and thank Chris Coscia at the DCC Shop www.dccshop.com in Coeur d'Alene, ID for helping me out with the large order at a great price. Chris has been a great help and I highly recommend him.

Here is what UPS dropped off

And here is the result after unpackaging. I call it 'Layout in a Box'. Now I need to just add water. Right???

I'm planning to use Atlas 83 flex for all my staging and have already acquired it. I'll use the Peco turnouts for staging. And, each staging track will have Atlas rerailers on each end.

More on staging as I build it. Construction starts next month!

More G & D

I've had a few questions on email. So, I thought I'd give a few more Givens and Druthers.

• Radius: I've settled on a 40" radius for all the mainline trackage. The two helixes that go down to staging are double tracked, Those are designed to be 40" and 38" respectively.

• Track power: I'm a firm believer in feeders for each and every piece of track. Yep, if it's 1/2" long, I'll put feeders on it. That's the same method I used for the Exeter Branch and I'm happy with the results. Even thought it is more work. 
• I'm also planning 12 gauge track bus wiring throughout. I prefer to use automotive wire as it's multi-strand and the case is easier to strip. I'll share pictures of the bus to feeder connections when I get to wiring. Suffice it to say, I'll use the same method as the Exeter Branch
• I'm a big fan of multiple power districts managed using PSXs. It will be a bit more challenging, but I'm planning on 3 boosters (including the command station) with multiple PSXs per district. 

• Rolling Stock: All of my rolling stock goes thru a quality control process. I used the NMRA weight standard (although I think it's a bit heavy). All trucks reamed to ensure axles are free rolling. And the couplers are all replaces with Kadee #5 or #148. I'd like to go with the #58s but I have a substantial investmetnt in #5s already. As we all know, RTR most often means ready to repair. I go thru all equipment. 

That's it for today, time to go to dinner with the wife!

Givens and Druthers

As many are familiar with, creating a list of Givens and Druthers is a popular way to set goals and limits for a design. I started to create a list, but that didn't get much momentum. Although not documented, below is the basic list. I will identify further criteria in subsequent postings.

• No duck-unders. That is a big one for me. As we get older, duck-unders become more problematic. That was a key item for the Exeter Branch and holds true for the LA Division. If you look at the design, you will see a narrow section along the stairwell. This allows operators to come up the stairs into the layout. 

• Wide aisles: I've said that model railroaders get larger over time, not smaller. The last thing I want is folks climbing over each other in the aisles. As a general rule, aisles will be 4'6" wide and 5' at Taylor Yard. No pinch point less than 24".

• Benchwork depth: the maximum depth will be 30". Given that the track will not extend to the backdrop making the maximum reach 27" or so. That has worked effectively to date on the Exeter Branch.

• Maximum operators = 8, nine if I count a dispatcher, but that's down the road. I'd like to keep the pool of operators manageable. The dispatcher will be implemented later. Not every job will run each session.

• 25+ car trains: I really want to run longer trains. So, I've planned trains to be based on a length of 25 60' cars.

• 2 cars per axle: I want to run trains with multi-unit head end power. So I'm implementing a key learning from the La Mesa club and making loco capacity for mainline trains 2 cars per axle. A typical SD45 will be rated for 12 cars. Thus if the train is 25 cars it will require three six axle locos. This will be implemented as a guideline.

• Timeframe: I gave this a lot of thought. I have a variety of equipment I want to run and that posed a big challenge. I struggled with early 70s, mid 70s, late 70s and early 80s. Early stack trains are a must. And I have other equipment I really want to run. So, I settled in the 1979-1982 window. I'm trying to narrow that further. I had to drop the ICTF (Intermodal Container Transfer Facility) as that didn't come into being until 1986. I'll push both ends of the window.

• DCC: I know NCE vs Digitrax is like Ford vs Chevy. My choice is NCE. I use it on my existing railroad (wired) and that command station also becomes a backup. My plan is to be 100% wireless. 

• Track: All track will be code 83. While I realize that lighter rail should be used off the mains, I'm planning to use flex track and manufactured turnouts. I considered Fast Tracks, but with over 400 turnouts, if I want to finish laying track in this decade, I don't have the time to build that many turnouts. 

• Lighting: One of my pet peeves is not having enough light to read car numbers. I do carry a small flashlight in my operator's apron for low lighting situations. On the Exeter Branch there is ample lighting making it easy to read the car numbers. I expect the same for the Los Angeles Division. The room has very bright LED fixtures and I'll have LED lighting under the upper level.  

• Electrical: I'll address this when I blog on wiring.

• Benchwork: I'll address when I blog on benchwork construction.

• Above all the railroad must run and operate well. The existing railroad which is almost 100% Atlas 83 track runs very reliably. That was a key focus which is a combination of trackwork, electrical, and equipment. So, that's the bar that I need to measure up to and exceed.

I'm sure there are criteria that I've left off. I'll add those into the commentary of subsequent posts. 

If you have questions or comments, please don't hesitate to post them.

SP Los Angeles Division Plan

Prior to building the new space for the railroad, I spent quite a bit of time doing research. I acquired a number of SPINS books as well as finding Sanborn maps, Thomas Bros maps, spending time on Google Earth, site visits, books, Google searches, etc. There is a lot out there.

Next, was to design the footprint of the railroad. Many forms were kicked around. I had a list of Givens and Druthers that influenced the design (I'll share that later). With each version of the benchwork footprint, I would locate key places: Taylor Yard, Van Nuys, the Alameda Corridor, etc. Again, the Givens and Druthers were important. Also, I designed the Exeter Branch in a similar manner and it work very well ...in my opinion.

So, below is what I have put together. I've received feedback on the design from a number of friends and am always open to more.

SP Exeter Branch

I thought it a good idea to share the existing SP Exeter Branch track plan. My hope is to back date the railroad from the current 1980 to the early 1960s once the new railroad is complete. Yes, that means 2 railroads. After all, isn't two better than one?

Some History

It's time to start building my dream railroad...well at least something close.

I've been a model railroader most of my life. It started with my first Lionel train set in the 60s and matured over the years. Model railroading took a hiatus in my 20s-30s only to be rekindled in my 40s. It never went away during that time, only put on the back burner.

I was introduce to operations in 2001 and the bug bit me hard. I've operated on various railroads around the country. I've learned so much during that time. Especially was techniques I liked, and those I didn't.

In 2009, I built my first operational layout, the SP Exeter Branch. I based the concept on SPINS diagrams from the San Joaquin Valley and created an railroad that keeps 5 operators very busy during a session. The focus was to make a very intensive switching railroad. I've accomplished that.

To date, I've hosted 129 sessions with not just my local crew, but with guest operators from all over. The railroad has been a great success and I run about 6 sessions per quarter with a crew pool of 20+ operators.

While I've enjoyed the Exeter Branch, I had to make compromises. All model railroads do so. I wanted to have more. More mainline running, longer trains, and use more than 4 axle equipment. Thus I embarked on the SP Los Angeles Division.

In 2014, I had a purpose built room constructed for the new railroad. I've spend a lot of time researching and designing the new railroad. And now I'm about to embark on construction.

I plan to blog about the railroad. From design to construction, to operating.

I hope you will find it interesting.

I welcome your comments.

Let the journey begin!

Rick