Decking the engine terminals

As we look at the first shot, we see the main and branch line bridges ( the branch line has the train on it) coming over the Susquehanna River and entering Northumberland. We started here with our 3/4 inch plywood decking and then turned right as the line flows westward. In the second shot you see us looking from the bridges to the west where the main will go to the left of the column.

The third shot shows how the yard and main will flow around to the west and then curve north(right) in the distance. The yard will actually make a big loop as it turns around the room.

The last shot looks back from the new substructure area
to show where the diesel and steam engine serving and roundhouse will be.

This decking used almost 6 sheets of plywood so the engine and coach storage will be an area of about 190 square feet.

Those handsome legs are steel tubing that I made based on instruction from a friend of mine named Pat Mitchell. They were welded and then painted. I am about out of them so will have to switch to 2x4's for the future legs as we still have a way to go.
Interestingly enough, I have filled one lobe of the room now and have just one more lobe to go. The 2000 square foot room is beginning to look more full. My problem is that in the next stage, I will cut off easy access across the room and so will have to do a lot more walking about aisles to get to the different work areas.

Extending the yard - part 4

We have been working on extensive civil engineering projects as we extend the substructure for the future yard out over the top of the existing 8 track storage area. You can see in the first and second shot looking both up along the side and back that the cross members are now in place. The cross members have been preddrilled with 3/4 inch holes to carry the wiring for the tracks which will go above.

As you look at the third shot, you can see the way I have had to curve the bench work to bring the yard from the right up and over the lower storage area. The fourth shot shows also how they have aligned as the yard moves along. In the fifth shot you are looking down along what will be the diesel service area and see how the aisle turns left to flow along side the yard.

On the left wall, the branch line continues on its way up to the ceiling. It is the trackage you see in the far distance higher on the back wall. If you look carefully, you can see the white structure up under the lights and that is the 6 track holding loop hanging from the ceiling which is its destination.

Next I have to add the permanent legs to ensure every thing stays level and stable when I add the 3/4 inch plywood decking.

Extending the yard substructure - Part 3

In order to give you the best understanding of our challenge, I took these photos looking back on the curved section. The first shot looks down the new aisle that we are creating. You can see the pine framing member on the temporary support at the lower left. This has to be tapered into the curved plywood in the center of the photo. You can just make out the gold clamp holding it up.

The second shot shows how we will be above the lower yard - it will become the hidden yard. You can see the framing on both sides of the yard.

The third photo shows this area from the other side, where you can see the bend in the 16 foot 1X4 that forms the outer member of the structure. I will be using the steel rod to hold this up as it crosses over the tracks in the foreground as it is very oblique and thus a long span.

The saga continues!

Additional development of yard benchwork - Part 2

As we progress, you can see that I have added internal bracing for the yard in the area of the curved face that forms the aisle. I set the bent plywood face runner, measured a cross member and installed it wih screws and glue. It was still suspended from the wood across the framing. You can see the progress in the first two photos. I then glued another laminate of the bendable plywood to the one in place for strength and used a bunch of clamps to hold it until it set. After that I clamped some temporary legs in place. You can see this in the third photo. You can also more clearly see the start of the aisle as it necks down at the peak of the curve.

In the fourth and fifth photo, I have moved further around the corner and am laying in a piece of pine to see how to frame the next length of substructure. I have clamped a Y shaped riser to the end of the benchwork of the lower yard so I can rest a 1X4 that I then suspended from that cross member. I am trying to determine where I have to kerf it so I can bend it to meet the plywood piece coming in from the right.

My next major activity will be to make some L type cross members from two pieces of pine to reduce the depth of the framing member while keeping it strong as I have to have some overhead room over those lower yard tracks.

This is starting to get really complicated as I have to figure out how to support this yard structure over the lower tracks. I think we may have to use some steel rod as well as wood.

Extending the yard substructure

Well, this is a confusing series of photos that show how I am moving to extend the benchwork to provide for the yard. I have to make a curved bend in the benchwork to bear to the right as we look down the last photo. You can see the left perimeter of the benchwork as it bends the most radically. The right perimeter is the length of pine that bends slowly after it passes the grey column.

In the picture with the horizontal clamps in the center, you can see that I am using a bendable plywood to define the interior of the frame. It will also set the aisle width to the left of the clamps. I have suspended the future benchwork from a board that crosses from the existing framework of the branch line to the right perimeter of the future benchwork.

The two top pictures show the suspension of the future benchwork and you can also see how we are going over the top of the hidden yard that was completed earlier.
I am having a problem as I have to maintain a minimum width of the yard at 39 inches so I can fit in all the tracks and still have room for the interior aisle. It appears that I will have a pinch point at the peak of the curve with the aisle going down to 24 inches from its previous minimum of 36 inches.

Going underground

Well, I have not posted for a while as I have not had too much surface progress. I have been underground wiring up the turnouts in Herndon. The photo shows a Circuitron switch motor with a wiring clip attached to it. The other photo shows the clips laying out on top of the turnouts in the hidden yard. They have to be installed next. I have prewired 8 lengths of code 19 wire to the clip. It provides motor power to the switch motor, and wiring for two sets of switches internal to the motor. They power the turnout and any lights we might want. So, in the under the track work, I have hooked up the turnout motor to the power supply, and the switch to a wire going to the frog. The other three wires are hanging there for a future connection.

First train up the main line

Well, today was a big day on the Northern Central. I built the frame of the first control panel on the main line and then mounted it to the side of the substructure at the town of Herndon. This panel will essentially be for the tower operator who will control the moves through Herdon, including the crossovers. Picture one shows it clamped to the frame of the table as I drilled the holes and placed screws from the rear. The torpedo level ensured we were level and square. The I mounted a terminal strip as seen in the second shot and began to hook up the block power wires to the strip. As I hooked up each block, I ran a diesel powered test train up and down to be sure it was wired correctly. You can see this in the third shot. After it was all done, I put together an I1sa powered freight train and ran the first freight over the main from one end of the completed track to the other. It really looked good snaking out of the storage yard in the distance as seen in the last shot.

I was seated at eye level to the train as it rumbled up the main right by me. I felt like I was along a the main line - oh, the wonders of O scale. This makes all the effort worth it.

Tomorrow we host about 24 men coming down from Baltimore and DC so I hope it rus as well as it did today!