Large Scale Central

Expanding South Willow Hill

Indoor and Micro
#1

What better to do with a week off? How about opening up more walls in the basement to expand the indoor a bit.

First order of business - find a temporary home for all of this…

That wasn’t too hard. Finding a new permanent home will be a bit more difficult. The space ready for demo…

Behind the plastic is a crawl space I haven’t seen inside in over 10 years. I’m going to replace the plastic with a sliding vinyl window that will be removable for access to the crawl space…

Need to make a run to Lowes tomorrow for the window and some framing materials, then off comes the paneling so we can see what there is to work with.

#2

Cool! Sounds ambitious!

#3

next step - excavate a new basement?

#4

So, you intend to push that wall back? How far?

Greg

#5

No telling what you may fall into.(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-yell.gif)

#6

Get knee pads, those knees are 10 years older too.

#7

Tim said:

next step - excavate a new basement?

There is quite a bit of hidden dead space behind the paneling. This area a few feet the other direction was reclaimed two years ago. Just below bench height is a concrete shelf; but there is plenty of room for a couple of tracks…

#8

Greg Elmassian said:

So, you intend to push that wall back? How far?

Greg

Above bench height it goes back as far as where the plastic is. Going to open up that last 4 feet and maybe under the stairs too. Just want to extend the track to allow switching the tracks in the above pic without the little local switcher.

#9

Looking forward to seeing your progress, Jon… Good Luck… (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

#10

Demolition complete. The framing behind that paneling reminded me of my dad’s carpentry - just enough to make it look right. It took no effort at all to remove it. This is the same area with no paneling…

Future bench level is indicated by the blue tape. My initial plan was to close the opening to the crawlspace with a vinyl sliding window, but I’m bubbling around ideas for a shadow box above track level to use some of that space. Maybe a diorama to display my short 1:29 New Haven train. Closer look of the crawlspace…

It wasn’t to bad in there. A half hour with a shop vac and it was inhabitable :smiley: Looking left behind the wall, that plywood structure is the inside of the tunnel named BOX. The current End of Track…

Looking to the right, I might be able to sneak some track and short cars under the stairs…

Decisions, decisions.

#11

Yup, nice progress Jon… (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

#12

Hell Jon, just relocate/extend 'Box" since you talked about the limitations on track there(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

#13

Keep going to the base …loving it !

#14

walled off a window? this is one strangely designed basement.

#15

I’m really diggin’ the bead board. I think I may expose it all and paint it dark grey…

#16

We want to know if that is porn or train porn …

#17

Terra Cotta tiles.

#18

Jon Radder said:

Terra Cotta tiles.

Nice try …they look like dvd ,s …(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

#19

You manage to find any trace of that squirrel while all that’s apart?

#20

This will become a tunnel and end up here ?

Why are there legs … is there that much height difference ?