Meadow's Lumber: HO 1930's Geared Steam Layout Refurbish & Expansion

[M.C. Fujiwara]

Alrighty: Phase II benchwork is on the way!

Client decided for a slightly narrower silhouette (keeping the main interchange town even with the mountain town on the far side) so we lost a 1' and a nice angle on the main town, down to something like this:



The trackwork is all being reshuffled right now, but the benchwork will be a "go".
Most likely will build benchwork and then finalize trackplan as we work our way around into Interchange Town.
Also waiting for specific structures to show up so we can work a trackplan that fits them in.

Will work out ok in the end, but would have been nice to have the slight curve out to include the psychic-space of the intruding interchange.
Farmers like them rows neat!

So started building the benchwork, with lots of 1"x2"s on top of 1"x3"s to create L-girders for table-tops:



And 1"x2"s on sides of 1"x3"s to create legs:



And stacks of legs curing while cured "L-girders" get assembled into box-tops:



Woodglue and wood are the greatest bond for MRR benchwork, the screws only holding planks in place.
Past benchwork I've used 1/4" bolts for legs and braces, but this benchwork will never be moved (might be bumped a bit, and will carry a bit of weight if client decides to step in with cement and sand, so needs to be ridgid) and when all 4 tables are bolted together... not going nowhere.

Decided on 18"-wide tables to allow for some "fudge factor"--stringer joists create the actual footprint--and still hoping at some point that client will realize an extra foot "out" would make a better layout 

So here's one of two main 6'-long tables:



The clamped horizontal braces are there acting as temp shelves to ensure square legs when diagonal braced--later will build and insert slim shelves of 1"x2"s capped with 1/4" oak ply that will add space and stability.

And will all diagonal braces in place:



Spacers of leftover 1"x3" (about 2" wide) were used for the diagonal 1"x2" braces.
Everything glued and screwed.

1"x3" cross joists will allow for cookie-cutter elevation of the 1/4" ply for the logging section (or perhaps it'll all be pink foam like the mining side).
The two 6' sections will be offset by 6" or so to fit in the long peninsula footprint, with a hearty section of 3/4" birch at the end to anchor the 30" drop-down swing bridge that will allow for continuous running.

Thanks for looking.

[Chris333]

Go yardgoat go 

[LIRR]

outstanding work, the enginehouse is a beauty

[mcjaco]

Go yardgoat go 

+1

[M.C. Fujiwara]

Go yardgoat go 

I think I can, I think I can...

outstanding work, the enginehouse is a beauty

Cheers: I'll pass the kudos on to the dude in Oklahoma who crafts the stuctures together.
(I just do the benchwork, tracklaying, wiring, scenery... and try to get the trains running).

Day after American Thanksgiving, got some shelves done:



And installed on the 3 of 4 tables made:



Shelves are glued & screwed into place.
Tomorrow will pick up some adjustable feet, install, and then I'll be able to measure out the exact distance for the connecting table (the "vertical" as opposed to the 4' and 12' "horizontal" in the plan).

Client has a bin with an appropriate message:



So nice to use the table- and chop-saw client has on location insted of clamping guides to temp table and using circular saw 

Zoom zoom!

BTW, years ago I brought back some japanese construction worker pants ("Tobi Trousers"), and they've finally come in handy.
Not to be confused with MC Hammer pants, these are heavy-duty denims cut so that a slim section zipped up around the ankles and tucks into the boot (or the Chuck Taylor, in my case), and then the pants themselves balloon around the top of the boot:





Personally, I look nowhere near as hot as the first figure nor as badass as the dudes in the second, but DANG if those pants not only kept the avalaches of sawdust out of my shoes and socks (and easy to brush off) but the baggieness helped keep me cool while doing heavy cutting, lifting, gluing and screwing in a warm garage, then keep me warm walking out into the winter chill.

[you can buy your own at Toraichi: https://www.pinterest.com/toraichishop/pins/]

So three cheers for kick-a$$ pants.

Thanks for looking.

[M.C. Fujiwara]

My daughter says I look dasai (lame / uncool) in my Tobi Trousers.
I told her she wouldn't know "cool" if it bit her on the oshiri.

But dang if those pants aren't awesome for the benchwork: with all the chop- & table-sawing I did, all the dust stayed outta me shoes and socks and disappeared with a shake of the billowing pant bottom.
So no complaining from the missus about dust and dirt when I walk in the door.
(Or later when she looks in the dirty clothes hamper and screams about sawdust touching her clothes  )
So there.

Those pants there: That's cool.

Installed the adj. feet on the legs, only to find that the LAST one started splitting the 1"x3", so I re-inforced with a scrap of 2"x2":



Then set one 4' table in place and realized that I had measured from the edge of the layout (brown) instead of the counter (grey) which was the same height as the table, making it 1.5" too long:



Anything past the light switches is too long.

So that table become the "vertical" support next to the long 12' tables and I built the last table at 45 1/2" long to fit the space (need to leave room for the 1/4" fascia and more human error).

That's right: I don't plan everything out to a "T" before I build.
So it goes.

And it goes ok.

Got all the tables done and hoping friend will take a look after he gets back from Thanksgiving vacation (a day or two ago) and ok's the footprint.





[Back-left table is the new one, and is glue drying]

To me it's a little narrow, aisle-wise in the middle (where the folding table and stepladder is), but it's his space, and it'll be him and a grandkid or two.
If two are using the big yard (new long tables) then one can be inside and another outside.

Otherwise maybe I can get him to move the truck over one more foot to open up another 6" inside.

Next steps:
Joists, ply (at specific heights), pink foam, then track!
Also gotta get started designing the drop-down connnecting bridge.

Thanks for looking!

[M.C. Fujiwara]

Things are moseying along.

Fortunately, the backdrop is a thick vinylish material and pulled off without ripping:



Unfortunately, I totally forgot to build support for the backdrop before securing all the tables together (needed to keep it out off the walls), so there was a little bit of contortionesque aerobic exercise to build that behind everything:



[But what is most of model railroading but solving problems you create yourself  ]

The good news is that the measurements came out spot on, so joists, ply and a layer of foam came up exactly to track height:



The upper track to the logging scene takes another 2" sheet and some 1/2" layers, though I'll probably just raise the ply with risers.

So backdrop reset and reglued into place:



Now joists installed and all ready to secure the ply for both the base level and, with risers, for the elevated logging scene on the far side of layout:



Hope to get all that done this weekend / Monday so I can caulk down the foam and let that be curing over the Christmas week.

Thanks for looking, and Happy Holidays.

[Baronjutter]

That is some DAMN nice looking benchwork!!  Makes mine feel messy and inefficient!

Japanese farmer pants are suddenly popular here, apparently they are wonderful in the garden.

[M.C. Fujiwara]

After the crazyness of the holidays I've been back at it, but not much photo-worthy progress to report.
So here's the last couple weeks:

Finished bottom benchwork:



Was originally thinking about doing cookie-cutter on left side up to logging area, but client has lots of ply, pink foam and old WS risers (as well as a penchant to use heavy sand /. so that makes it easy, in 2" vertical increments.

Woodglued cleats along the edge (inside and out) in addition to the stringers to provide placement for the future 1/4" MDF fascia:




Need two 2" layers--mainly so I can dig down a bit for the logging landing at the bend--so the big town and yard along the peninsula needs only supports for the top 2" layer:





And to make sure everything stays solid and even while curing:



Some benefits of having small spacers / risers under the main layer of foam is that the caulk cures faster (few days instead of week or two), and you use less foam (save for mountains).

All the weights make sure nothing moves or tilts while curing, insuring a nice flat surface for tracklaying later.

Basic shape for monster "We're #1" foam finger to cheer on my Golden State Warriors?



Maybe later, but first to 1) fit in car and 2) provide long continuous piece to build "cookie cutter" foam riser:



Needed to get from 2" up to 4", so placing the wobbly WS risers under the firm foam worked great (thanks Dave Foxx for fab idea!)

Here's the grade cross-section with weights as it cures:



And the same technique to bring the rear track up to the logging level:



The track is the main curving from the "done" layout up (down left) to the main town & interchange yard.
It'll curve on a low trestle over an inlet / stream with a large river bay at front, and then go into tunnel which will be under the logging scene on the opposite side of the aisle.

Which is the big flat space on the far left, or would be if I didn't run out of foam and caulk (at the same time, amazing enough):



The low area front right is the log pond and where the lumber mill will go.
Between pond and logging at far left will be big mountain scenic separator.

After this weekend (I'll be at the Bay Area LD/OPS SIG Meet) the foam should be cured enough to start laying out track shapes and turnout positions, especially for the logging area (need to know where to build up the mountain / viewblock more) and for the big" yard/town/interchange.

Usually I like to plan first and lay track according to that, but I'm having fun working back-and-forth with benchwork, track, scene and track to figure out what actually looks & works best for the space.

Just happy it's 70F and not -10F!

[Jeff AKA St0rm]

Looking good.

[R.Groff]

Great work.I think the generosity of helping the gentleman refurbish and expand his layout for his grandchildren is amazing .
Rick Groff

[M.C. Fujiwara]

Thanks for the kind words.

The Home Depot that had plenty of 2" pink foam all of a sudden had stacks of 1" 
Which realistically doesn't add up (by a 1/16th or two) but single wide flat surface is better than many chunks of leftover 2" foam, so there it is:



The foam on top of the weights is not to add heft but to represent the mountain that will act as viewblock between logging scene (left) and town (right).
I could have caulked in the layers of pink foam for the mountain, but I wanted the logging scene track surface to be true and flat, thus the 1/4" MDF under the tractor weights to ensure smoothness.

Also started installing the 2"x2" cleats with woodglue for the fascia:



Cleats are 3 1/2" tall, and will get a 1/2" cap of foam to hide them even with the top surface.
(The squares of pink foam next to the cleats are the future chopped and topped sections)

As the Peco C83 flex and some turnouts have come in, started playing around with track layouts:





This will be the larger interchange town, and client already has a bunch o' buildings he wants to use, so we'll incorporate those while maintaining a decent through passenger depot (roundy round will be over lift-up) and freight / display yard.

The big lumber mill will be down 1" on a log pond.
Theoretically, the loggers up high could just roll logs down into the pond, but we'll use geared steam to haul them down one way, then another to get to the sawblade 

[M.C. Fujiwara]

What's more exciting than watching paint dry?
How about caulk cure pink foam?

While I build up levels of foam on the far logging area, I start to flesh out the town / yard with the track and turnouts that have come in:



A drop-down bridge will connect the two sides when continuous running is needed.

Then more layers of foam, and more 2"x2" cleats along the edge for the future fascia:



You can see the WS risers the client had on hand that went under the pink foam to support the transition.

The WS risers have a lot of space and wobble on them, but used as a Dave Foxx under-cover rising-action maneuver they work alrighty.

As for the 2"x2" cleats: they're just woodglued and clamped in place until I come back the next day, then slice off a section of the cut-out foam and caulked on top [see far left].

Also started building up the logging camp area on the opposite side:



Just a few tracks for the logging camp and out to the log loader.

And more build up:



And more:



Scenic divider between logging and woodmill:



Realize it will be rubbed down to 2/3rds it's height, but the trees will help create the separation of scene.

Started in on shaping the creek scene:





Finally figured out I could T-pin a bag to the foam in front so I could dump the foam chunks and curls in there and not in the vacuum (which is running the whole time I'm carving and forming).

According to the sweat: as good as a gym!



The scene comes towards you as a stream flowing under the trestle out into a wide river bay where barges and boats stop for fare.
Coal dump to barge on wood trestle coming in from front right a few inches up, main curves over low trestle, with WPA concrete ford for autos in front.

[Chris333]

All that wedding cake training paid off 

[Jeff AKA St0rm]

Hey M.C it's been a month and a half any updates?