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I just got my first basement after having moved away from the nest in the mid '60s. A long wait and I'm going to do justice to this one. Since my woodworking business is in my home - more specifically in the 2000 sq ft basement, I have had to carve out a suitable space for the shop and the layout, plus a work room / spare bedroom w/ plenty of built-in storage. Since I'm not contemplating ever selling this house - I'm making some long-term improvements that will mean that it will be awhile before any track gets laid. In the long run, the wait will be worth it. Although the basement is completely dry - even during torrential rain storms, I have ensured that all the drainage around the home is correctly done, and that all gutters are functioning correctly and diverting roof water away from the foundation. Plumbing within the basement ceiling and on any walls has been double checked for leaks or sweating pipes. Insulated HVAC ducts are used and located within the floor joists and not perpendicular to them. Flush ceiling outlets will be installed, w/ individual dampers in each run to balance the air flow. A whole house surround system is being expanded to include the basement, and both CATV and phone lines are being installed. I am framing a dedicated 24 X 32 foot railroad room, w/ an additional 7 X 8 foot space at one end, w/ an acoustical tile drop ceiling w/ flush mounted lighting, drywalled & insulated walls all around including exterior walls, and will eventually have a wooden subfloor w/ vinyl on top of it for cleanliness and 'easy to stand' on for long periods of time. The walls are 2X4s on 16" centers w/ built in blocking to support cantilevred supports to minimize table/bench work legs. All the wiring will be in the wall w/ numerous elec outlets, and will be on a separate circuit than the lighting, for it's difficult to work on the wiring in the dark. I may install a sub-panel for both the shop and the layout room, although the 200 amp panel is probably adequate, as is. The layout will be DCC from the start, and will be able to be operated by one individual if desired. (it will just be a slow day on the railroad when that happens) The HO track plan will depict a shortline / branch w/ relatively short trains, light motive power, 2+% grades, tight curves in spots slowing down the train's progress, very few tunnels, staging - one hidden/one operated as an interchange/classification yard, single tracked main, and basically point to point - wye at one end/turntable at the other. No mushroom/two level trackplan - I want to fini***his layout and not be plagued w/ a maintainence nightmare. There are several support columns running down the center spine of the house, but they will be concealed in a scenic divide that will go up to the ceiling, and I don't think that they will compromise my somewhat mountainous terrain layout, and if anything are in a logical place on my walk around track plan. The basement is 32 X 65 approx., has the utilities - electrical panel, two HVAC systems, and hot water heater, in a compact area near the staircase which is against a far wall in the corner. The ceiling is 9 feet high, and completely free of obstructions in the layout room, since I have moved wiring up between and thru the floor joists. There aren't any windows in the layout room, and only one door, which will open out, and not into the room. Any cracks or expansion seams along the perimeter of the floor at the wall juncture have been filled w/ a flexible construction adhesive to prevent any radon intrusion, which is often not even considered by most basement dwellers. Any openings in the walls have been filled w/ an ample amount of foam sealant. All basement windows and doors have been caulked and weatherstripped. A moisture barrier hasd been installed between the 2X4s and the drywall. With all these improvements, the temp in the basement doesn't exceed 77 degrees when it's 95 degrees outside, and that is with the AC turned off. in the winter, the coolest it got was 64degrees without any heat turned on. (I've already rationalized to the wife that saves enough annually to pay for several new engines) There is a separate HVAC system for the basement, as well as a dehumidifier for the humid summers here, and a whole-house humidifier for the winters, plus there is a complete security system installed on both levels. I am installing an air-filtration system, as well as a centalized shop vacuum system that gathers dust from all the woodworking tools in my shop down to sub 2 microns. The woodworking shop area is sealed off from the layout room, to minimize any dust or debris from getting in there. Sprinklers are installed in the shop and the spare bedroom/workshop where kit building, etc. will be done. I am installing an explosion- proof spray booth in the workroom w/ a direct vent to the outside, and not near any upstairs windows. There's also a garage / boat door in the basement, which makes it a lot easier to bring large building materials into the basement, rather than down steep stairs and around corners. There is a separate exterior exit/entry for emergency egress. There is also a separate metal working area to keep wood chips separate from metal filings, and so on. Access to both the metal working and wood working areas are as far as possible from the model railroad room. Although not the ultimate basement, it has every feature I need for the way we intend to use it. The only thing lacking is a toilet, although we do live in the woods on the side of a hill. . . BILL
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