[Millstonemike]

“There are two fatal errors that keep great projects from coming to life: Not finishing, Not starting.”

― Buddha Gautama, Founder of Buddhism

Started the build after lots of preliminary work.

First pic: The entrance to an unfinished back room of my families 92 year-old house. Untouched since we've owned it. I cleaned out 40 years of storage (garbage) and painted the floor and walls.

Lot's of non standard construction. Like the reclaimed flooring for walls. As can be seen, I cut 1' off the wall to the right of the "pallet" door (my creation) and moved it to the left of the door. That gives me 51" from the back (sky blue) wall to door frame, just enough for the layout. To my surprise, the grey wall's existing studs didn't touch the floor. They were suspended from the rafters! Fixed that.
The feed to the outlet - wires and BX armor cut flush. "I wonder if that's live?" I stripped it back and grabbed the armor and the cloth insulation of the white wire. BzzzZzzzzzzz ... yes the white wire is live - fixed that. This stuff is as old as the tinplate that will run here.


Second pic: Pre-cut and drilled lumber and OSB for two of the three tables that will comprise the layout. And then the framing assembled. The concrete floor in the main basement is level. Back here it's more like an ancient Roman road. I used a water level to mark heights around the walls. Legs will happen when I finalize the table height.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

“There are two fatal errors that keep great projects from coming to life: Not finishing, Not starting.”

― Buddha Gautama, Founder of Buddhism

Started the build after lots of preliminary work.

First pic: The entrance to an unfinished back room of my families 92 year-old house. Untouched since we've owned it. I cleaned out 40 years of storage (garbage) and painted the floor and walls.

Lot's of non standard construction. Like the reclaimed flooring for walls. As can be seen, I cut 1' off the wall to the right of the "pallet" door (my creation) and moved it to the left of the door. That gives me 51" from the back (sky blue) wall to door frame, just enough for the layout. To my surprise, the grey wall's existing studs didn't touch the floor. They were suspended from the rafters! Fixed that.
The feed to the outlet - wires and BX armor cut flush. "I wonder if that's live?" I stripped it back and grabbed the armor and the cloth insulation of the white wire. BzzzZzzzzzzz ... yes the white wire is live - fixed that. This stuff is as old as the tinplate that will run here.


Second pic: Pre-cut and drilled lumber and OSB for two of the three tables that will comprise the layout. And then the framing assembled. The concrete floor in the main basement is level. Back here it's more like an ancient Roman road. I used a water level to mark heights around the walls. Legs will happen when I finalize the table height.

View attachment 525702

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looks like you’re off to a good start. Will you be using tubular track?

 

[Millstonemike]

looks like you’re off to a good start. Will you be using tubular track?

Somewhat. I have a bunch of O-27 that will be used for the inside reverse loop with Marx 0-27 (metal switches) and my own version of self-tending electronics. The middle dog bone will use Marx O-34 switches (my self tending gizmo) and likely Gargraves. The outside loop will likely be Gargraves. While I'd like to use O-27 all around, it's an uphill battle to getting them in larger radius curves.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

looks like you’re off to a good start. Will you be using tubular track?

Somewhat. I have a bunch of O-27 that will be used for the inside reverse loop with Marx 0-27 (metal switches) and my own version of self-tending electronics. The middle dog bone will use Marx O-34 switches (my self tending gizmo) and likely Gargraves. The outside loop will likely be Gargraves. While I'd like to use O-27 all around, it's an uphill battle to getting them in larger radius curves.

Oh ok yeah I run all O27 tubular track and my son in law bought me a PRR legacy engine that needed a much bigger turn I got lucky and a local hobby shop had a box of new old 54 inch so I bought the whole box! I have heard rumors that a company was going to start making tubular track again but I’m not sure if it every happened. The Gargraves track looks really nice.

 

[Spence]

Great start. A lot of nice prep work. Your certainly doing it right. :appl:

 

[Agent027]

While I'd like to use O-27 all around, it's an uphill battle to getting them in larger radius curves.

Mike, one day while browsing on Pat's website, I noticed he still has 027 track in stock. He's sold out of 42 inch curves, but his website shows 54 inch curves still being in stock, if that helps.

It is hit and miss with finding tubular track these days, at least brand new track from dealers. They'll have some items, but not others. Most of the tubular track items on Pat's site, start after page 4 of the listings. Most before page 4 are FasTrack items.

http://www.patstrains.com/Find_Fast/?startIndex=81&Manufacturer_ID=3&Product_Type_ID=26

 

[Lee Willis]

The journey of a thousand miles begins with but a single step."

Nice!!

 

[Millstonemike]

Mike, one day while browsing on Pat's website, I noticed he still has 027 track in stock. He's sold out of 42 inch curves, but his website shows 54 inch curves still being in stock, if that helps.

It is hit and miss with finding tubular track these days, at least brand new track from dealers. They'll have some items, but not others. Most of the tubular track items on Pat's site, start after page 4 of the listings. Most before page 4 are FasTrack items.

http://www.patstrains.com/Find_Fast/?startIndex=81&Manufacturer_ID=3&Product_Type_ID=26

That's the issue. In order to fit 54" curves on the nominal 4' width of the platform, I had to mix 54" & 42" with the 54" sections leading into the curves. I understand that's the best way with mixes curved sections, the larger radius leading into the smaller. All 54" wouldn't. At that point, I might as well have all the same style track on a given loop.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

That's the issue. In order to fit 54" curves on the nominal 4' width of the platform, I had to mix 54" & 42" with the 54" sections leading into the curves. I understand that's the best way with mixes curved sections, the larger radius leading into the smaller. All 54" wouldn't. At that point, I might as well have all the same style track on a given loop.[/QUOTE]
Mike do you have your track yet? Manards has 42 and 54 turns in O it’s not O27 but 42 or 54 radius isn’t really O27 anyway. They make it so they always have it in stock.

 

[Millstonemike]

That's the issue. In order to fit 54" curves on the nominal 4' width of the platform, I had to mix 54" & 42" with the 54" sections leading into the curves. I understand that's the best way with mixes curved sections, the larger radius leading into the smaller. All 54" wouldn't. At that point, I might as well have all the same style track on a given loop.

Mike do you have your track yet? Manards has 42 and 54 turns in O it’s not O27 but 42 or 54 radius isn’t really O27 anyway. They make it so they always have it in stock.[/QUOTE]

I'm familiar with Menards track offerings. Nice selection, reasonable prices. But - there's always a but isn't there? - I have Marx 0-34 switches and I plan to mate then with the Gargraves track as they're both track heights are O-27.

 

[Millstonemike]

Rounding the First Turn ...

 

[ERIE610]

A while back??? on one of the threads here on MTF a fella was mentioned who began a business of buying old tubular track and refurbishing it. As I remember he would either refurbish the track he bought for resale or take your track, as core pieces, in on trade for cleaned up track or just refurbish what you already had for a fee & shipping.

AS I REMEMBER. NOT AS GOSPEL.

 

[seayakbill]

A while back??? on one of the threads here on MTF a fella was mentioned who began a business of buying old tubular track and refurbishing it. As I remember he would either refurbish the track he bought for resale or take your track, as core pieces, in on trade for cleaned up track or just refurbish what you already had for a fee & shipping.

AS I REMEMBER. NOT AS GOSPEL.

A guy out in Calif repurposes Lionel tubular track. He goes by the name of Tinman.

Bill

 

[seayakbill]

Looks like a excellant start for your layout.

Bill

 

[gunrunnerjohn]

Looking good, are you going to add that diagonal that you show in your previous track plan?

 

[Millstonemike]

Looking good, are you going to add that diagonal that you show in your previous track plan?

Yes, but a future project. I'm undecided upon a simple "bridge" of dimensional lumber or a full on bridge build. I have a bunch of tinplate restorations in progress so it's a future decision for now.

In the early 90's, I had access to a cabinet grade table saw, etc. in the woodworking model shop of my consulting company. I saw a pallet made of red oak on the loading dock. Recovered the slats, planed & jointed them and made a G scale wooden bridge and 36 trestles for the kiddies. A shame I don't have any pic.'s of that ...

 

[gunrunnerjohn]

I bit the bullet when I got rid of my radial arm saw and bought the DeWalt worksite table saw. It gives me decent woodworking capability.

 

[Millstonemike]

I have basic 10" miter and table saws. The table-saw's fence is not very accurate. That requires a little "finesse" to get reasonable cuts.

In place of a radial arm saw, I use a piece of angle iron clamped to the board as a guide for a hand saw. I use my other hand to hold it in position against the angle iron guide until the cut is deep enough on its own. That approach makes very accurate and fine cuts on boards too wide for the miter.

 

[gunrunnerjohn]

I went with the extra cost DeWalt with dual gear driven fence, that's a key part of any table saw. It's not that hard to spin the blade, but to get clean and straight cuts, you need a stable and accurate fence. They had a $100 cheaper model, but the fence adjustment was, as you say, "not very accurate". The better model exudes quality, worth the extra $100.

I have the 10" miter saw as well, neither of these take up that much room, and they're both portable and I can put them away when they're not in use. The radial arm saw was a permanent fixture, it took a lot of real-estate. It also weighed over 200 pounds, but it was a fine tool. Just didn't have the room for it.

 

[Millstonemike]

I went with the extra cost DeWalt with dual gear driven fence, ...

Looking to acquire a table saw, I was in Lowes many times rolling the Dewalt's fence back and forth. Most all the reviews, both buyers and woodworking mag.'s, rated it a cut above in it's class.

Alas, a lifelong bud moved to a high-rise coop on the NJ side of the George Washing Bridge. Not a hint of storage space in that abode. Thus, I inherited the Ryobi table saw. A two-for-one holiday deal on Dewalt 10" blades up.'ed the game a bit for both my basic saws.