Build Track Elevator -- Part 6: Here I'll mark a piece of 1/2” CDX plywood which will be use partly for the track on top of the elevator and also the approach track to the elevator and other nearby track. I won't cut it into 4 pieces until I get the rest of the framework up. Eventually the approximately 4' X 6' piece of plywood will be cut into 4 sections. The bottom left, shown inside the red cuts will be on top of the elevator and the elevator track would will be on it. Cork will be glued directly to the plywood with the track on it. The two approach track sections on the lower level (blue boundaries) will also be bare plywood with cork and track on them. They will be positioned at the same height as the plywood on the elevator. The rest of the plywood will be covered with 1” foam board and sit at the same height as the rest of the layout's lower level. The elevator plywood and track and the approach track will be set at the same height as the track on the foam board. The black dashed lines above are the exit and approach tracks to the elevator on the upper level. I started using a free version of SketchUp 5-6 years ago to design some projects. When I got back into model railroading I started using it to design potential track plans, the track plan for my test track and now for numerous iterations of the track plan for my main layout. I'll continue to use it as I make final adjustments to the track plan for the layout. I like it since I'm free to do about anything I want with the track plan. This works well since I have a lot of flexibility using ME code 55 flex track and I build my turnouts. Most are #6's but can basically build a turnout to fit any situation. If one is using sectional track there are better options than SketchUp. My drawings get me close to what I want but I leave myself the option to change the track plan as I lay it out on the layout's surface if something doesn't seem to be going in the right direction. I want the trackwork to be as functional as possible. Above I have notes to myself about keeping the turnouts to a minimum distance between the frogs, putting in an easement on the ends of the straight track section at the top and moving where the cuts are made in the plywood for the section that goes on top of the elevator. I have room on the plywood to move where the track oval ends up on the plywood and it ended up pretty close, within an inch or so of the drawing. . . I won't make the cuts in this until I have the rest of the framework up in the area where the elevator is located and the nearby track. It will be easier to align all the surfaces and the elevator if it is in place before making the cuts. To be continued. Index for the whole build here.... https://1fatgmc.com/RailRoad/UP Canyon Division/UP Canyon Division-Index.html Sumner
Track Surface - Part 1: Before continuing with the elevator and the framework in the last section of the framework where the elevator is situated I moved on to cutting and installing the surface for the lower level and probably the upper track. I cut the pieces and attached them directly to the existing framework. This allowed me to square them up with the framework and also square up the framework at the same time. Once the lower level is complete and possibly the upper level I'll unscrew them from the framework and move the bottom layer up 3 inches above the frame work. The reason for this is to be able to put switch machines (servos and my 3D mounts) at any location without a cross member in the way as the main framework will be 3 inches below where the switch machines will mount. There will be movable mounts that will raise the plywood & solid foam board the 3 inches and they can be placed anyplace other than where a switch machine is located. Later if I need to mount a new switch machine and a mount is in the way I can just unscrew it and move it a few inches out of the way. . . . . . . . . To be continued..... Index to this build on my site here.... https://1fatgmc.com/RailRoad/UP Canyon Division/UP Canyon Division-Index.html Sumner
Track Surface Part 2: continued....... . . . . Most of the track radii on the layout are large enough that I could use 1 1/4” track centerlines on both straight and curved sections of track. Also my era is pre-1975 so my cars and most locos will be shorter also helping with the situation of cars not hitting each other on parallel curved sections of track. With that in mind I have ¼ inch markings on the compass above but also have 1/2” markings if I want a 1 1/2” track centerline. I could easily of gone with 1 1/4” in the hidden staging show above but decided on 1 1/2” since I have the room and it will give me a little more 'finger' room if I need to get into the area with my hands. If I wanted to put a rough cut line outside or inside of a track center line at some distance (2” shown above) I cut a piece of plywood the length of the distance I wanted. Then I dragged it along the track centerline with one hand with the marker on the other side and it was easy to quickly make the cut line in that manner (couldn't show the second hand on the plywood above at it was snapping the picture). With most of the trackwork laid out It was time to move onto cutting pieces of foam board away where I didn't need it and adding plywood under it also where there was none now. I'll move onto that on the next page. . . I think I'm going to like the 1” X 2” fascia on the edge of the layout to protect the 1” foam and gives you a place to rest your arm on. There will be another fascia below it for turnout controls and switches to control power in different blocks. To be continued..... A link to the completer build Index Page here.... https://1fatgmc.com/RailRoad/UP Canyon Division/UP Canyon Division-Index.html Sumner
Track Surface Part 3: continued....... . . . . . . Put most of the coal mine complex pieces loosely on the layout. I have the roof done for the buildings that don't have them along with walkways and other detail. The buildings at the top of the picture sit at track level as shown but all the rest of the structures shown have to be raised up above the tracks for train clearance under them. I have the bracing for that designed but haven't printed any of it yet. The coal tower shown above gets a small building on the top and a conveyor chute that goes back to the main building and would be how the coal gets to the tower. All of that is finished along with a walkway between the tower and the main building but need to find time to paint all of the above and glue it together. Also all of the end walls are done for the buildings show. . At this point the layout surface has been built on the top of the framework and temporarily screwed to it to keep both it and the framework square. Next up I'll add 3 inch risers to the framework and move the layout up on top of the risers. The risers can be place about anywhere so I'll place them where they won't interfere with servo switch machines under the track surface. If needed in the future any of the risers can be move if they prove to be in the way. If the layout was directly on the frame work there is a chance that the framework might be where I need to place a switch machine or something else under the layout. To be continued..... Link to the build index page for this on my web site .... https://1fatgmc.com/RailRoad/UP Canyon Division/UP Canyon Division-Index.html Sumner
110 Volt Outlets: Got tired of dragging extension cords all around the layout as I was building the framework and track surface and had some wire left over from building the house years ago so decided to put it to use. Bought some outlet boxes and covers and installed outlets at each of the uprights and the one finished end. Will add more to the last section when it is done. This should come in real handy when using other tools down the road. Sumner
Forgot to mention that I also got to use ….. … the creeper I made. Worked great running the wiring up inside the framework. Started on my hands and knees and then remembered I had the creeper and switched to it, much better. I found out that I can also sit on it where your head goes. That worked great for wiring the outlet boxes where I wasn't under the layout. You can see more about it ( HERE ). Sumner
Great idea and execution on the power outlets! Wow, I think I'd take a nap on that creeper! Good thing it has a shelf for my CPAP (I wouldn't want to disturb other modelers working on the topside of the layout.) Now all it needs is a cup holder.
Risers: I'm using risers to raise the base level of the layout 3 inches above the layout framework. They can be placed any place I need them. Using them creates a 3 inch spacing below the bottom of the lower track surface and the framework. This allows one to place a switch machine any place under the layout without having a framework member in the way. If a riser is in the way unscrew it from the bottom of the layout and the framework and move it out of the way. . . . . . . . . . On the next page the risers will be put to use and will be used to raise the lower level 3 inches above the framework. Index page to this build here .... https://1fatgmc.com/RailRoad/UP Canyon Division/UP Canyon Division-Index.html Sumner
My grandpa had a Radial Arm saw like that. Great for cross cutting (esp dadoes), but I hated ripping on it. Then he got a nice Delta cabinet saw for ripping (apparently he didn't like ripping on the RA saw either). Today the sliding compound miter saws have killed off the RA saws, with a simpler, more portable design that does not try to rip or rabbet/dado.
More saws: I don't have anything that rips better than the radial arm but have a long table attached that helps with that. I can also pin one to the near side if I need it but that is rare. The lumber yard here has been out of 1 X 4's for a couple months. I got some 1 X 8 X 12 feet the other day and ripped them into 1 X 4's in a few minutes. I'll rip short stuff up to 3-4 feet on the table saw and it extends out up to 30 inches if needed. Love it for ripping plywood thought. If it is the first cut on a 4' X 8' piece my wire usually comes out and helps with a cut or two. She does a better job on the outboard side than anyone I've ever had help me . If she isn't around I might make the first plywood cut with the carpenter's saw above. Love it and very easy to see the cut line and make a straight cut with it. At 78 it is starting to get heavy though but the weight also helps in making that straight cut. Used the compound miter saw a lot in building the house and you can take it to where you are working. Still did a lot on the radial arm saw once I had the shop closed in and it available. Used the saw a ton on other outdoor projects but for cross-cutting in the shop the radial wins hands down. Use the Craftsman above for tons of things and it has a lot of power also. It has a broken part on the top but keeps on ticking and have used it a lot on the layout so far. In some of my build pictures (and above) you will see some Sears Nextec 12 volt cordless drills. Love them and wondered if a 12 volt would do the job but they have a lot of power. I've build everything with them the last 15 years or so. Light, easy to get into tight places, drove all the roofing screws on my metal roof and thousands (literally) of other screws on projects at home and with the boats. They will drive a 3 inch grabber screw into wood without a pilot hole if needed and the lithium batteries recharge in about 20-30 minutes and last a long time. I have 5 now as I've picked up a few on eBay and might get a couple more if I find them at a good price. Along with the drills I got a Nextec jig saw that uses the same batteries. Doesn't have the power the big one does but is very compact and I can get into places (again like on the boats) that I can't get into with any other saw. I do have some old fashion hand saws that I have to grab now and again but only if I have to , Sumner
I've had all those but, not much anymore. The corded drills and handheld circular saw were kept. I like the 1/4" cordless drills and saw but new batteries cost more than a complete replacement.
The Nextec drills are 3/8" I might of said 1/4" somewhere though . I don't use them for anything medium to heavy duty in metal but are great for wood projects. Dropped them off the roof and they keep working. Haven't had one go bad so far. I believe the couple I bought off the bay were $30-$40 and appeared to of never been used much. I can get batteries for them off Amazon for $30. Had them for years and so far have only bought 2 batteries but I'll probably have to replace another one or two possible soon? The chargers have been problematic though. I had 4 and I'm down to 2 now that are working. Might start looking for a couple of those. Sumner
It's a shame Craftsman started adding gimmicks while reducing the overall quality of their power tools in recent years. They used to make really good stuff (as evidenced by your collection and use.) Heck, even Delta is just a name stamped on anything they want to import anymore. I have a ~30 year old Delta 10" Unisaw table saw with 50" Unifence on a mobile base that I bought new while they were still made here in the USA. If my kids don't want it, it might just go in the hole with me! I admire your (and apparently your wife's) skill ripping on the RA saw. Like the RA saws themselves, skill to use them safely is fading fast. My wife helps me when ripping long/large pieces (usually plywood) on the table saw, catching (not pulling) the outfeed. The key is to watch the board at the fence, not the blade. Things will go south there first, then the table saw's blade picks up the workpiece and kicks it back at the operator (me.) I have outfeed roller stands for ripping narrow boards (and still use them even when she's helping.) But for most of my work, I start with rough hardwood lumber and cut pieces to rough length (not often more than 4' or so) with a handsaw before they go through the planer/jointer to yield S3S workpieces. Maybe I'll get lazy and buy a circular saw for that one of these days, but it takes so little time to crosscut with a hand saw (if it is sharp and well maintained) and I like the smell, feel & sound of the hand saw cutting the wood (I don't need or even want hearing protection for that!)
Layout Elevated 3 Inches: (From the previous page if you didn't see it: I'm using risers to raise the base level of the layout 3 inches above the layout framework. They can be placed any place I need them. Using them creates a 3 inch spacing below the bottom of the lower track surface and the framework. This allows one to place a switch machine any place under the layout without having a framework member in the way. If a riser is in the way unscrew it from the bottom of the layout and the framework and move it out of the way.)With that in mind let's raise the layout's surface 3 inches. This went really easy and I thought pretty fast at 1-2 hours per section. I failed to take pictures of raising the first section which was the section at the one end of the layout. I removed it from the framework and installed risers where needed. Then laid it on the risers and moved it around until it was in position directly above where it had been. This was pretty easy to do using the two layout sections below it on either side as reference points. Once it was in place I could raise the next two quicker as they were put on the risers and attached to the first piece which was now a fixed guide to position them. Moved down the whole layout in the same manner, like putting a jigsaw puzzle together. The following pictures should fill in any blanks and ask questions if you have any. . . . . . . . . . Next up is the last section of framework that houses the track elevator. The build index page for all of this is here.... https://1fatgmc.com/RailRoad/UP Canyon Division/UP Canyon Division-Index.html Sumner
Elevator Section Part 1: For the layout build before this I was able to build all of the framework and then the track surface and then raise that 3 inches on the risers. This last section of the layout contains the track elevator (that I hope works). I needed to do this section backwards of the other sections because I need the location of the track elevator so the framework would be in the correct location. To do that I needed to put the track surface in position and then layout the elevator tracks and the tracks adjacent to it. I made a change of plans and decided to move the track that runs around the elevator when it is in the up position to the layout edges vs. inside of the elevator where it would be harder to access that track. Tie plates were added to the existing track surface. The two pieces of plywood that would be used for the final section were attached to the existing layout surface using the tie plates. Temporary 1 X 2 legs were added to the end. The tracks on the elevator (yellow), those going to or from it (black) and the run around track (blue) were drawn on the plywood. Also the section that will be cut out and placed on top of the elevator (dashed red) was also marked. The center of the elevator section was marked and a small hole drilled there. A plumb bob string went through the hole and ….. … .. to the plumb bob below. The elevator was move directly under the plumb bob and squared up with the layout's edges. Above I'm marking the cut lines for one of the two upper level exit tracks from the elevator. It has to be cut so that the elevator doesn't hit it in the up position. I laid the plywood parallel with the edge of the layout and then used the lines on the lower level to mark the smaller piece of plywood so I would know where to cut and where the track would go (blue arrows and blue track on large plywood. The blue track line on the large plywood is only there to be able to mark the upper plywood piece. Above are the tracks coming off the run-around-track and the track from the elevator. There will be a double track tunnel entrance just to the left of the left-upper turnout. I was checking to see how close all of this trackwork was going to be compared to the SketchUp track plan. It will move a yard that begins here down a few inches from where I had drawn it. Most of that was because the run-around-track moved the elevator a few inches to the right. I spent a couple minutes making a jig I can use when I have to swing a track radius from a point off the layout. Files to print compass parts ( HERE ). I have a large majority of the pieces printed for the roundhouse and used them to make a full size pattern that I can use in laying out the track to the turntable and roundhouse. More about the round house and links to the print files for it ( HERE ). I did complete the turntable and the info on it and a link to the 3D print files is ( HERE ). I wanted to get a pattern for the turntable and roundhouse so I could see how it fit in this area and if I had clearance for the three tracks that will be on the backside of the roundhouse. To be continued...... Index page for the build here ...... http://1fatgmc.com/RailRoad/UP Canyon Division/page-116.html Sumner
Nice gadget you got there! Beats the 1:1 method (degrees of curvature) for laying out curves when the center of curvature is unavailable/impractical, but then your method might not work so well at 1:1 either. Gotta pick the right horse for the course!
Elevator Section Part 2: Framework for the elevator side of the last section. . . . . . . . . . To be continued...... Index page for the build ( HERE ) Sumner
