Alright so for this post I would like to give a quick overview of how I have gotten the layout to go full circle again.
After all of the uncertainty that has arisen over the past couple of months with moving, I decided to bring the rest of the layout back to life. In my previous setup, the connectors that ran from one end of the modeled layout around the room to the other were supported by angled shelf brackets that were secured to the wall studs. This time around, I cannot do this as we may or may not be moving. So now I had to come up with new methods.
I had some constraints. First, I hate floor supports. They and my toes do not get along. Plus, the connectors will not see much weight. So I wanted to avoid those as much as possible. Second, I wanted to follow the rules of simplicity. As few curved sections as possible, easy alignments, simple entrance/exits, that sort of thing. Third, I had budget constraints. Consume as little funds as possible.
This greatly limited my options but part of the fun I have with this hobby is learning new things. So I turned to my trusty friend the internet and set out to find new possibilities and solutions. After a few days of searching, several options presented themselves and I worked with them as best as possible.
To keep curved sections to a minimum, I built extensions to the exiting layout. They are the standard 1x4 with ½” plywood fare I have been using. I have removed the floor supports and added bracing to keep them level with the rest of the layout. Track on top, and boom, done.
Next I took care of the long straight runs. This got me a lot done without much invested. The book shelf is a simple big box store setup. It is a bit tall but it was all that was available. I built some adjustable landing brackets and screwed them into the sides. The boards are ½” plywood strips I had left over from the previous setup. This whole thing took a night, including cutting work. Very simple, even if it isn’t subtle.
After that I came to a challenge: a lightweight corner section that doesn’t require a whole lot of support. Enter these neat modules I read about here. They cover how to build them so I will not elaborate much. I only have two thoughts. 1) the hot glue does a great job of holding and 2) do not use the 1/8” MDF board that I did. Find some thin, cheap plywood and it will have a lot less saw dust and weight (I also used some Liquid Nail). All things aside they are really a clever solution that does work.
Lastly, there is the biggest obstacle. The lift bridge. I really wanted to have a simpler way to get into and out of the room. Before, I had a whole section of wood to manually lift out of the way after disconnecting and removing track. Now I have this beauty. More on it and its construction at a later time.
And there you have it. How I built the layout back up to running capacity. The past several weeks have seen many a train go over it after a little tweaking but it will do the job well. Which of course means I am far too busy to blog because I am playing with my trains!
Random pic of the day!
This was actually taken today, 5/7 at Englewood Yard. I have seen the Penn Central engine before. but this is the best perspective I have been able to get. Very fortunate to have caught it.
