Second Level

Over the last couple of weeks, I have been over thousands of trackplans in my mind. It is obvious that what I want to do will require a second level. To do this, I've added benchwork on the right side wall. I need to get down to the first level and have been thinking about a nolix.

A nolix is trackwork that climbs as it goes around the wall. It functions as a helix, but does so over a long distance. I can slope the benchwork of part of the right wall upper section at 2-3% and continue the slope across the pit to arrive at the lower level. Question is, what can I pull at 3%?

My very first version of a layout had an incline. I had tested it with a little 0-6-0 steamer and it would run up and down with a car or two, no problem. One day, I tried 10 cars, and it wouldn't even make it half way. The next day I tore the whole thing apart and said the next layout would have no elevation. It didn't. Now, I'm back with this grade being an important part of this whole building.

Friday, I soldered some track together and hooked up the booster and ran a train up. It would carry around 10 cars up with no problem. Two in a consist could haul 25. Good enough for me.

Benchwork

Haven't stopped much in the last 2 weeks so things look a good bit different. The ceiling is now painted. I want everything to be black except the skyboard and scenery for a shadowbox appearance.

Have the benchwork on the peninsula and most of the walls. The benchwork is around 48" high and 24" wide except where Linwood's Spencer Yard will be. I left it 30" wide to fit in as many class tracks as I can and still have room for the mains behind it and the forwarding yard to the front.

Rear corner, Yadkin River

Winston Salem Southbound's I-85 crossing

Right side benchwork

Right side from the front.

Ceiling and Lighting

That's about it for the last few days. Robin helped me put up the sheetrock for the ceiling. That took us 2 nights. Another 2 nights to mud and sand the joints.

I started putting up the light bars around the center peninsula. I wanted to keep the heat and amperage to a minimum. Did some experimenting with a variation of Joe Fugate's single bulb idea, but used compact fluorescents instead of incandescent bulbs. I can use a 13W CFL to get 60W of light. I tried them every 24" end seemed to have a good bit of light.

I came up with a framework that would also work as something to attach the upper fascia to. It just takes a while to mount individual octagon boxes, and wire the lights in series.

More Inside Work

Temps are at above 100 most days. Still hasn't really rained since May. The outside temp is still 96 at 9 pm, but the 2 AC units are getting the inside temp down to the low 70s.

Still working on the backdrops and lower wall paneling.The Entrance thru the pit is mostly done. Still a little bit of trim work to do.

This is from the right front corner looking towards the back of the room.

From the right rear looking back toward the front.

Working On The Inside

Have added a side exit door, insulated the walls and ceiling and am putting the background boards in place. I am using the pre-primed masonite boards and leaving the white side out. The primed side will not hold brushed or rolled on paint, but spray paint will adhere just fine.

I want to stay away from brush marks plus the spray will allow me to touchup as needed. Am using Rust-o-leum's Traditions Aqua.

I talked to some HVAC folks and they calculated I should be okay with (2) 8000 BTU window AC units.

Raising The Roof

Well, we have an enclosed building. With the help of a couple of friends and relatives, the whole tin roof was put on in 2 days. Never mind that both days were almost to the 100 degree mark. How can I ever repay them?

Reconsidering The Plan

I had to do some traveling yesterday (to pick up the metal for the roof. (Roof construction begins Sat). I started running trains in my mind. Start points, terminating points. It just didn't work well for me... the overall from Greensboro to Salisbury seemed short, that would be okay if everything was local I guess. Thought I needed to cover more area, at least in principle. The overall track size doesn't change, just the names of the places.

I never could find the right place for staging. Kept trying to stick it in the lower left corner, but that made it a short trip to Linwood, then long trip all the way back around. Plus this eliminates the walk thru I was going to have to put to cut thru the center peninsula.

There has to be a solution that covers it all!!