Staging Benchwork Complete! - Elevation Check - Dispatcher's Door

Work is progressing on the benchwork, albeit slower than desired.  Major milestone reached is the lower (staging) benchwork is COMPLETE!!!!  Very excited about that.  Nice to see what it will look like, at least with respect to the amount of space it needs and the elevation.  Super excited that there is ROOM TO WALK ABOUT!  The phase 2 expansion was an exercise in how much ops I could cram into the available space. Now there actually is enough room to leave generous aisles for human beings - what a concept!  I suppose I could have packed more in, but frankly, that means more maintenance, more cost in building, and really, it's a good balance for me.  I don't want to be a slave to my hobby!




So now that the benchwork defines the horizontal space, I started playing with the vertical spacing between the main deck and the upper.  Sure, it all works OK in the CAD file, but what does it really look like in reality.

On Phase 2, I had the main at 47" and the upper at 66".  66" is way, WAY too much.  But I really have never liked lower decks in the "30's" as I feel it looses it's realism and perspective.  Even the low 40's is too low for my liking.  Ideally I like 50"... but this is too high to really allow a deck above, to-wit the Phase 2 66" fiasco.  SO.... settled in on 46" for the main deck and putting the upper at 60".  60" is still a bit high for many folks.  That said, this upper deck is mostly about passing through - there will not be any ops here, save for a siding and an interlocking to select going down to the lower deck or up to the Phase 2 66" area, otherwise known as Black Water Falls (strategically located under my daughter's toilet).  I think it'll work.  Mocking it up, it looks OK.  That said, I am concerned the upper deck invades too much of the space underneath.  Always a trade-off, huh?  I'm going to leave it there for a few days and let it marinate.  Comments/input is welcome!




Finally, just a matter of documentation, but got the dispatcher's door stained and varnished.  Looks kinda nice.  With the staging benchwork in, the access through the "hall" has been cut off.  Oh well; that's the way it's going to be run, so might as well get used to it.




That's all for now.  

Comments

  1. Dave...May 6, 2018 at 7:55 PM

    Detlef, I had lost the link to your blog - glad to have it again. Progress is looking good. Can't wait for ops! Wider aisles will be appreciated!
    Dave...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Great Northwestern RailwayMay 6, 2018 at 8:13 PM

      You and me both. Ready to see some wheels turning - either on the GNW or the CR&P (https://craprail.wordpress.com/)!

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Configuring Push-buttons for Turnout Control in LCC (with BONUS section on Adapting JMRI for Feedback)

Image
So ALL the efforts, costs, brain damage and such to get LCC integrated into the layout is paying off in this one new step.  Let me explain. With LCC, each node is essentially its very own stand-alone microprocessor, capable of processing commands INDEPENDENTLY of a central PC or other server.  It just is connected to at the CAN bus, either looking for commands to respond (consumer) to or to issue them (producer).  SO... this addresses one of the goals of integrating LCC into my layout.  Sometimes I like to come down into the layout room and just run trains.  I don't have others with me, and for me, its a great way to unwind.  When I do that, I don't want to have to futz with turning on a PC and getting it going.  Ya, I know, some say it is not that big of a deal.  But if I am only going to be there for 5 or 15 minutes, seems like a hassle to mess with that.  I just want to through the power switch on, have the layout come to life, and run some trains.  Other times, I enjoy ho
Read more

Let’s Configure a Node – The Beauty of LCC (With a bonus section on connecting LCC to PanelPro)

Image
Recall one of the drivers for trying out LCC was to avoid writing detailed code.   Yes, I ~can~ write code.   But it is not my interest or hobby.   As such, anything that can help me translate what is in my head to implementation on a chip somewhere with as little brain damage as possible is quite welcome in my book.   Additionally I did not want the brains of the layout to live in a PC.   There are days when I just want to come down to the basement, flip on the power switch, and run trains.   And… if I am going to go through the trouble of having signals, I want them to come up and operating properly immediately.   Yea, I know I can set up a PC to boot up, execute the right programs and get running on its own.   Sorta.   It’s just one more piece of equipment and step I just don’t care to deal with.        Anyway…. So a big part of my hesitation of leaping into LCC was the angst associated with programming one of these nodes.   I do not have any model rail friends nearb
Read more

LCC and Wiring Continues

Image
Slower than desired, but better to do it right now than try to fiddle it in later.... In my last staging yard, I never did install feeders.  Instead I just counted on the continuity of the turnouts to carry power to each of the 16 staging tracks.  Bad idea.  ~Most~ stayed powered up over the 10 or so years it operated.  ~Some~ randomly dropped out... necessitating fishing and soldering wires onto tracks with 7" spacing between decks.  Not uber-fun at all. SO... with GNW Phase 3, I promised myself ALL track would have feeders every 6' (one feeder per 2 sticks of flex), plus additional feeders in any other complex areas such as yard throats.  This would also allow me to have every other stick of flex not have to be soldered at the track jointers, allowing for expansion and contraction of the benchwork.  BUT... this comes at a cost.  Instead of 16 single ended tracks, I elected to have a 9-track staging yard, each track capable of holding 3 trains.  (WHY I ever went to 9 tr
Read more