Folks: A layout is FINALLY under construction in the Abernathy garage in NE Columbia! While not the Caruthersville Branch that I'd envisioned, it will be a loose representation of SL-SF and ATSF operations in the KC area. As far as the Santa Fe goes...grandpa gave my son a whole slough of Santa Fe locomotives and equipment! Benchwork construction began on 7.25.2008. The outside loop track plan is attached - this plan is mainly a guide for me to construct the benchwork. Karl Brand has helped provide some thoughts on how to fuse joint SL-SF and AT&SF operations. My thoughts thus far: truncated KC Union Station on one peninsula either West Bottom industries or 19th St. Yard on the other side 29th Street interlocking at the bend of the "U" either Rosedale or more industries Olathe depot on the big "curve" at the upper end of the peninsula My son decided he wanted a continuous run loop option but he wants to use the end loops as a "fiddle" track where he can build trains and then run them into and out of KC. Where does the ATSF come into play? In my mind (and many thanks to Karl Brand for helping with some of the brainstorming), the Santa Fe has trackage rights through Olathe, to where they'll peel off and connect back to the Holliday-to-Emporia line. I'm less concerned with prototypical fidelity at this point than I am getting something up and running. The kid is enthused! Therefore, I think it's imperative to get 'em rolling.
Chris, congratulations - a journey starts (with the first step). The neatest thing is the time you'll get to spend with your son. Doug
This is very true, Doug! While he doesn't dig building benchwork, we do have the 4' section of single-line track upon which he can run a Santa Fe NW-2 back and forth. I should also note that my daughter thoroughly enjoys adding scenic details, ballast and line poles! She helped considerably with the said 4' section - we even took it to her playschool last spring for an enrichment activity and let the kiddos run a 2-8-0 up and down the track. And, Mom will get her long-desired storage space under the layout. We're constructing 48" high and placing the legs strategically: this allows for storing bicycles under one turnback look, the mower under the other, and shelving under the remainder. So, it is truly a family project! I reckon that the track plan that I mentioned previously should be attached. The track is a bit hard to discern from the 1-foot grids but it can be followed around. I have a lot to still fill in.
Plans are starting to gel. While I've not sketched in specific track arrangements, we are looking at the following: (1) Thanks to Karl's maps of the Merriam-Lenexa-Olathe area, we'll model the SL-SF/AT&SF interchange at Olathe along with a few industries in between. This will go on the "upper peninsula" in the track diagram. (2) The curve section on the right will be the area around the UP Highline / Tower 4 on the KCT. I need to find more pictures or visit the area, but a dummy highline bridge might help mask the fact that this section will be built partially on shelving. (3) The top half of the lower peninsula will be an amalgam of a few things: (a) track leading to the KC Stockyards; I still have to determine how to make this work. (b) Frisco 12th Street Freight Depot, with the 12th Street Viaduct making a nice, modelgenic scene divider. (c) some West Bottoms Switching. (4) We're sticking with KC Union Station on the bottom half of the lower peninsula. Need to tweak the ladder, but the lowest track will run around to the McGee St. yard (if I have my geography correct). We'll have 4 station tracks and one REA track w/docks on each side. I had considered compressing the 19th Street yard in the section opposite KCUS, but my son likes the old buildings in the West Bottoms vicinity, so we'll have a track that leads to a non-scenicked "fiddle area" on the curve of that peninsula. Still working on the logistics. Finally, in the boxes of stuff received from my father-in-law, I came across a low-quality Santa Fe 0-4-0T switcher. Just as I was wondering what to do with it, I stumbled across a photo of KCT #3 - an 0-4-0T switcher. Looks like a fun kitbashing and possibly repowering project!
Folks: Sitting at home with a sick little one so I thought I'd give a quick layout update. Hopefully I can get the track plan itself set up soon... Benchwork A bit over 1/3 completed. Progress has slowed a bit since school's in session (earlier bedtime means less time for sawing and making a racket in the garage). I may have to do some retrofitting on the current portions (see "Staging" below). Operational Concepts This is still tumbling around in my mind, but I see the following key areas: (1) KC Union Station - Arrivals/Departures on the west end, with very compressed coach yard. (2) West Bottoms - Includes Frisco's 12th Street yard and freight depot, along with two other freight houses, limited industry and transfer run traffic to/from staging. (3) Olathe - Run a "turn" from 12th Street to Olathe, including switching local industries. (4) Miscellany - In my world, the old KCCS line from Olathe to Belton and Highline connection might just have to stay intact, so that I can run a small mixed or branch passenger train or doodlebug. As CEO, I am also decreeing that the ATSF has trackage rights for its KC-Tulsa traffic. Staging I have given this more thought, and I think I'm going to arrange so that one track from the turnback "blobs" drops under the benchwork with a traverser staging/fiddle yard under KCUS. I think a traverser will allow for more trackage without taking up valuable space for ladders at each end. I did publicly commit to DCC (!) at dinner with my family and inlaws the other night, so it's on the "wish list!" Along those lines, I need to figure out how to wire a traverser. I would assume feeder lines to each track connecting to the main bus, with enough slack to allow the traverser to move accordingly? Best Regards,
Chris, It sounds great but I am from Missouri so you will have to Show Me the layout. Post some pics when you can. Ship It on the Friscooooooooooo! Rick
Rick - Thanks to the additional maps of Olathe that Karl's father provided, I need to tweak the track plan a bit more, but hopefully I can have a track plan in the next week or so. Likewise, I think I can shoot a few photos of the benchwork this weekend. It's a quasi-open grid setup with 2x2 legs (Local "zoning" required that as much space below decks be made available for storage!). Right now it looks very chaotic but I'm looking for sturdiness over aesthetics at this point.
Folks - Here is the latest iteration of the layout. With the previously posted benchwork outline well underway, I decided to at least finish up the track plan I started in August. We have 6 distinct locales, going from upper left and moving generally clockwise: (1) Still undetermined "whistle stop" or siding south of Olathe. (2) Olathe, KS including the AT&SF interchange. (3) KCT Tower 4 (4) West Bottoms Area/12th St. Freight House (5) West Bottoms Area/9th St.: businesses including Abernathy Furniture (6) KC Union Station The yellow shaded areas are where I plan on leaving an area unsceniced and accessible via duckunder access. This should provide some rudimentary staging if we wish. My son thought the colored pencils would add a little zest to the plan, a la Model Railroader! The dashed line in Olathe represents where I might add the cement plant that was located at MP 21+28 poles. If I include it, I'll only have room to the west of the mainline, whereas the prototype was located on the east side. Once I move Christmas decorating boxes out of the way, I hope to add some snapshots of the benchwork. I've completed my quasi-open grid abomination all the way to the semi-permanent shelving to the right of Olathe, whereupon I'll build the benchwork shelves with storage above and below.
Howdy, gang. Did anyone else in Mid-America take advantage of 60-plus degree weather in December? For me, after doing the prerequisite yardwork early, I opened up both garage doors and got to work on the layout in my shirt sleeves! I manage to "turn the corner" on benchwork. Literally! I started the framing for the "shelf" section where Olathe will transition to KC 12th St and Union Station. Rick McLellan, you'd asked for the "show-me element" a while back. Accordingly, I've added some pictures of the initial Olathe Benchwork. Please keep in mind it's all very embryonic right now, down to the pre-cut 1x4s for the boxes that will make up KC proper. The actual scenery is where the AT&SF main through Olathe will be; this is just a vignette my daughter and I built last year for her playschool. Note that the AT&SF/BNSF units are my sons, and I plan on moving the SW1500 sometime! The benchwork will win no beauty contests - maybe a modern art contest, though. It has supported my weight leaning against it and several errant shoves so I'm pleased with the sturdiness. While I'm right-handed, I'm very grateful that I carefully observed my southpaw carpenter father in action over the years; consequently I've developed a bit of ambidextrousity(sp?) that has come in very handy depending on my angle of drilling! Perhaps the more meteorologically inclined can explain the phenomenon that cause the pavement and my garage floor to "sweat" the entire day. It was rather like building benchwork in a shallow creek by 2:00pm! I ask because the obvious humidity issues concern me and make me wonder whether I should be sealing the wood, or if my track gangs will just have to deal with kinks in the rail.
Howdy Chris, There is nothing like the feeling you get when you build benchwork....ah I still remember the feeling. How deep is your benchwork from isle to the wall? The weather is amazing, indeed; we had to turn the AC on last night, but I am not going to work in the yard! LOL. Best, mike
Mike - Thanks for asking; at the point in the aisle-to-wall distance is a vast 36 inches. Too much for my taste but it's a long story. I'm trying to design all of the scenes so there is no more than 30" of reach in - hopefully a stepstool and a grabber will suffice. The yellow-shaded portion at the wall side of the Olathe turnback blob in the track plan will be left open behind a backdrop for access. Or so I'm planning today... Lest I sound too ambitious my yardwork had become vitally necessary. An August thunderstorm did a number on part of a redbud in our back yard. If I'd thought to borrow my father-in-law's chainsaw I could've made much quicker work of it!
Howdy, I just thought you might have long arms...lol. We have some whopper reaches on the Texas Western. You need a ladder, grabber and long arms to reach across one of the yards to the icing track. Have fun on the layout, it sounds exciting. Best, mike
Chris- "Perhaps the more meteorologically inclined can explain the phenomenon that cause the pavement and my garage floor to "sweat" the entire day." The air was warm and humid and the pavement cooler - the water vapor condensed onto the concrete. It was 70+ down our way in the SEK. I worked inside on our club layout that day. -Kevin Blair Chanute, KS
Chris, Glad to see the photos of the benchwork. Congrats, you are light-years ahead of a lot of people I know. I am not a cabinet builder and my benchwork reflects it so I try to be better at applying and finishing my fascia. As long as it is structurally sound, beauty means little. My goal is to have a solid foundation for the trains to run on. Heck my 1 x 4 box method with cantilever bracing can support my 200+ frame so it should be enough for just about any train and/or scenery I can pile on top of it. Keep going, don't stop! Can't wait to see even more. Ship IT on the Frisco! Rick PS For those who might care, I will be finishing the curved walls in the KC area this weekend so I can add carpet next week. I have to be in a special mood to work with Bondo.
Today's Update: With the temps in the mid-70s, it was a great time to work on benchwork. The "box" for Section "G" in the benchwork diagram at the very beginning of this thread is done and just needs legs. I might try to get "I" this evening. A trip to the barber shop this AM and 3 hours of inspecting pine wood derby cars this afternoon has delayed things. With a little luck I'll finish "I" and get started on "J" this weekend. I'm waiting to rebuild the shelving on "F" til I can get things tidied up. It's a bit of a hog waller right. Pictures to come when all of the lumber and Christmas decs aren't obscuring everything. Best Regards,
KC Terminal-Themed Layout (3.9.2009 Update) Howdy Folks - If I'd had the gumption to better deal with DST and get moving I could have worked on the benchwork outside in nice, humid 60 degree weather. Instead, by the time 6:00 rolled around, it was blustery and in the low-50s. Nuts to Missouri weather! I've nearly finished "Box H" which will be part of the KCUS/12th Street section. I've attached what are some better (I hope) photos of Box "G" and "H" and a close-up of the carriage bolts I used to hold the sections together. I'm trying to leave a large enough open space for pop-up staging. In other words, once I duck under, I can access the staging tracks that will represent 19th Street yard and interchange traffic. Box I construction will hopefully start this week. The shelving over Box "F" came down last night; replacement shelving higher up will also go in. I am in a bit of a conundrum: after seeing Rick's pictures, I would like a valance to better frame the layout. However, since I'm making each box to be "moveable," I'm not sure how to make the valance and backdrops detachable without completely destroying the scenery. I'll need to research this more but great ideas are welcome. Best Regards,
Chris, Nice progress. Every little bit of effort counts and cumulates to the final objective. If you are wanting to have a freestanding layout with a valence, that is probably doable. My thought is to build a strong backdrop and attach the valence to the top of the backdrop. My idea of a valence is one that is very light weight so you wouldn't need a massive backdrop structure to support it. What were you wanting to use for lighting? Incandenscent or flourescent? Incandescent will be lighter since the flourescents need that heavy ballast. When I was with the MO-KAN Railjoiners (years ago), I remember several module owners simply clamping a 2x2 "L" bracket to the back of their module and then using clamp on floodlamps to illuminate their module. Not beautiful, but effective and inexpensive. Just some thoughts. Ship IT on the Frisco! Rick
Some good-looking benchwork guys. My first foray into benchwork was completed this past weekend. http://www.frisco.org/vb/showthread.php?t=2687 My woodworking hobby as provided me with lots of handy tools, but I think the best for benchwork, other than a table saw, (especially for strong joints) is my Kreg pocket hole jig. A pocket hole joint with glue is very strong, and very fast. I am still in the planning phase for my own layout. I will be modeling the Cape Girardeau area and to the southwest from Cape since I grew up there and my greatgrandfather was a locomotive fireman on the various small lines (Houck Empire, lol) and ultimately the Frisco based in Chaffee, Mo.
Re: Detachable backdrop w/o damaging scenery When you attach the backdrop, do so with screws to the benchwork from the back side, but first apply clear plastic wrap to cover the backdrop and then build your scenery up against it. You probably will want to have some idea of the outline of the topography that will touch the back drop so you can pre-paint it before covering it to build the scenery against it. You will then be able to remove the backdrop and not have the scenery stick to it. Remove the plastic and reattach.
Thanks very much for the input, Rick and Keith. I dug out some of the old Model Railroad Planning issues I have on hand and searched through articles on modular layouts, particularly what our cousins in the UK are doing. Rick, you make an excellent point on lighting. For one, I'm not putting in any until my dad can do the necessary wiring, but I'd like to get it done before scenery! I'd assumed flourescent but...that's why I'm infinitely grateful for feedback on forums such as these! Best Regards,
