The house is about 40 x 40 feet … and the layout takes up most of the basement. That’s a bit deceiving, as the house isn’t exactly square; the area with the yard and my shop sticks out a bit in front… but it’s a good general reference. Look at some of the older posts on the blog (back at the very beginning) and there are some photos of the basement with no trains in it that will help you see. The tables are around 42 inches off the floor, a measurement that was originally designed to clear the top of the lawn mower and a disused sink … except that then the floor proved not to be level, so the layout ended up with some obscene grades into and out of the curve just north of Midway, so in the levelling process, that corner is actually higher. It puts a lot of the railroad at chest height for someone like me, which is good for watching trains “in situ” but not so good for working on tall scenery … much higher than 30" above the deck, and we’re into the ceiling, which is further complicated by all the air ducts, water pipes, etc… which it simply wasn’t economically feasible to conceal (we did make inquiries…)
Minimum curvature is about five and a half foot radius. There’s a #4 switch on the pier, but everything else is at least #6. The layout is heated in the winter, air conditioned in the summer, and accessible without going through the house in the event of a “public” open house… though most visitors are friends and welcome both places!
I’m supposed to be on the layout tour for the National Narrow Gauge convention this year, but that may have gone away when I fell behind on scenery construction … one way or another, I suspect we’ll be having interested parties in to see, stay tuned, watch this space, etc!
I’m about exhausted after this week, but hope to be back at it soon … maybe if I plug away at this, by September it’ll look like a railroad…
Chuck, more on the benchwork … it’s made primarily of 2x4’s with the idea that it has to be able to hold up the trains, AND the very large CEO. If you look at the older blog posts from the one in the link, you’ll see it under construction, which beats my trying to explain most of it here.
And Richard … from you that means quite a lot; your railroad is mine’s inspiration in many ways…
And … wait till you guys hear the operations plan!
Matthew (OV)
