' A HEALTHY DEBATE"

[TrainsRMe1]

Hello MRRDERS,                                                                                                         I was having a friendly debate with my wife about the benchwork building phase with my layout, first of all, my layout is going to be a around the room multilevel with a single peninsula, a nolix run, progress is going good,  now here's where the debate comes in,  since I think it's a great idea to work in phases, I want to build my peninsula as I go along, my wife (who supports me 100% & will paint my backdrops) thinks that I should build the around the room bench work first THEN build the peninsula, note, I plan to have my benchwork done before I lay any track.  My room is 12 x 20, and the layout is Nscale, again, this is a friendly debate, that's it LOL,                                                                                  Thanks ALL, take Care and have a great day!!

[kasskaboose]

First!  I'd do the benchwork first and then the peninsula provided you can reach everything. 

Some Qs:

1.  How are you building the benchwork?  In other words, will you have space to paint the backdrop before you finish the benchwork?

2. Have you thought of heights for the different levels?  I don't have that setup but plenty can chime in with suggestions.  Jealous of them!

[doctorwayne]

I built my layout as an around-the-room type, and also with a peninsula that would provide the grade to get to a partial second level. 
The room is an odd shape, so the peninsula and grade were built at the same time as the around-the-room part.  The track for the lower level passes through the base of the peninsula in a tunnel.
I added the partial upper level a few years ago, and while it's operational, there's a lot still to be done.

Here's a sketch of the layout room...

The portion in grey is the area over which the second level was added, but I've not yet got around to making a drawing of the trackplan, as the layout was built without one.
It probably won't be of much use for your layout, but here's a LINK to a Layout (room) tour, with lots of pictures.

Wayne

[dknelson]

Well first of all, there is something to be said for doing what your wife suggests even if you're convinced she's dead wrong.  Keep in mind that the entire fact she is even interested enough to have an opinion is a great rarity that you should be grateful for. 

Indeed the fact that she isn't flatly prohibiting the layout is an advantage you have that many modelers would envy.  It has strained/ended/shortened many marriages.

But it may well be that she also has a valid point here.  Once you actually have benchwork in a room, including around the walls, you start to rethink things because what looked like tons of room now looks smaller.  You might get some different and new ideas about that peninsula once the rest of the beast has taken up habitation.  One of them being -- access to the area where peninsula meets layout.  Very easy to violate the suggested 24"of reaching distance at that place.

But I return to point #1.  It costs little to agree and the benefits are many.

Dave Nelson

[BigDaddy]

TrainsRMe1

a nolix run

What is that?

If your wife is willing to paint the backdrop, your might as well work around the room and then the peninsula.  If you want all the benchwork done, you are going to have to build it anyway. 

It is satisfying to see a train run, even if it's only a  short distance.

[selector]

If you know how to construct the benchwork of any type for a functional layout, it really doesn't matter.  However, your wife might appreciate having the major section complete so that she can better visualize what the backdrop should look like at various places.  If the peninsula is going to have a divider with backrop painted, she can add that at any time.  But she will want to paint according to a 'flow' based on what you say is going where...a mountain here, a forest there, a gorge over there, etc.  Her painting will be seamless, whereas your construction below the scenery will have butts and meets, and seams, everywhere. 

Personally, I start with a large flat complex like a yard, which has to work really well, and work outwards from that module.  If it's an around-the-room, go both ways, and check frequently that your module outer frames will match where you close off the loop.  Your peninsula can be attached at height wherever you need it to be.

[rrinker]

 Well, my previous layout, I did all around the room first and was goint to add the peninsula. I even had the lead coming out of my yard that would go to the peninsula, which was goign to be just oen industry - a cement plant. The real thing I was copying had the same arrangement, a long lead fromt he yard to the cement plant, and then various tracks within the plant to switch, for bagged, bulk, coal in, etc. Only I never quite got to the peninsula. I ended up moving, and taking it all down. ANd then getting rid of it as I am reusing none of the old layout in my new one.

 I doubnt I will ever finish all the benchwork first, then lay track. Last time I did that was building a 4x8 in my bedroom as a kid, because it's hard to start building on a 4x8 tabletop layout if the tabletop isn't all done first. Right now, I have most of the supports and backdrop up in one section of my new basement train room, and as soon as I get a flat surface there, I will start to lay track, almost certainly. If I get track just for the main lien down in th area I have almost ready for it, it will be the longest stretch of main line on any layout I ever built previously. Even if both ends suddenly end with a deep drop to a concrete canyon floor blow.

 Next phase will probably be to add the second deck to this area. Then on to the moveable section that has to go across the furnace and water heater - double decked as well. Then around plain walls again until I cut a hole in the wall on both levels to go into the laundry area where the stacked staging loops will be. After that, back to the other end to build the helix to connect the levels.

                                                 --Randy

 

[Mark B]

Happy wife-

Happy Life.

[mbinsewi]

BigDaddy

What is that?

,

He says multi level, so it seems he wants to do that without a helix.

Mike.

[TrainsRMe1]

Hi Henry                                                                                                                  A nolix plan is a layout that runs around the room in a continuous grade without using the helix,

[TrainsRMe1]

Im using open grid benchwork, since my layout is a space of 12x20 the area will fill up some,I plan to have a 34in aisles around the peninsula, as far as different heights, I will build open grid sections at different heights, also I plan to use Woodlane Scenics risers and inclines,

[doctorwayne]

While much of my layout is on various grades, the peninsula was included only to accommodate my "nolix", a 45' long climb at 2.8%, with lots of curves included.  The tunnel near the base of the peninsula is also at 2.8%, and also with curves, but it's only 17' long.  That track serves to allow the portion of the layout below the partial upper level to be lower than any of the single level of the rest of the layout...better separation between the two levels.

TrainsRMe1

TrainsRMe1 wrote the following post 21 minutes ago: Im using open grid benchwork, since my layout is a space of 12x20 the area will fill up some,I plan to have a 34in aisles around the peninsula, as far as different heights, I will build open grid sections at different heights, also I plan to use Woodlane Scenics risers and inclines,

I also used open grid for most of the lower and single level portions of the layout, but mostly all of the track and scenery (landforms) is on risers.  The grade to the upper level is all on risers, as are most of the landforms, while the upper level is 5/8" plywood atop grid benchwork supported on custom-welded wall brackets.

There are lots of options to build what you want, and some may be seen in the link which I offered earlier.

Wayne

[snjroy]

dknelson

Well first of all, there is something to be said for doing what your wife suggests even if you're convinced she's dead wrong.  Keep in mind that the entire fact she is even interested enough to have an opinion is a great rarity that you should be grateful for. (...) Dave Nelson

 

Words of wisdom!  I wish my spouse had an interest in my project. She does not disapprove, but she rarely enters the trainroom without a proactive "come take a look" invitation.

Simon

[doctorwayne]

snjroy

dknelson

Well first of all, there is something to be said for doing what your wife suggests even if you're convinced she's dead wrong.  Keep in mind that the entire fact she is even interested enough to have an opinion is a great rarity that you should be grateful for. (...) Dave Nelson

Words of wisdom!  I wish my spouse had an interest in my project. She does not disapprove, but she rarely enters the trainroom without a proactive "come take a look" invitation.

Simon

 

Mine has an "It needs to go!" attitude, and she seemed pleased to hear my "If it goes, so do I!" response.  Best to sleep with at least one eye open, I think.

 

Wayne

[CGW103]

Do it your wifes way. If you dont and it goes south you will NEVER hear the end of it. My wife has painted backdrops for my layout. My son wants to paint some as well.