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Building a layout at an older age and considerations
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Krump's list is right on, except that a basement may still be the best place for a layout, especially if one has acess to it from a ground level, such as what's called a 'daylight basement'. Within reason, basement stairs are good exercise for those with arthritis. (I know) Just make sure that they aren't too steep and that sturdy handrails meet appropriate building codes. Consider carpeting the stairs as well, for you could always slide down them on your butt ! A bathroom located in the basement is also a great idea, as anyone over 50 knows that the 'urge to go' becomes more frequent with even less warning ! <br /> <br />Consider mounting as much of the benchwork on a cantileavered type of framework that elimates many of the benchwork legs closest to the aisles. Horizontal blocking, either mounted within the actual wall framing (if you haven't drywalled yet), or attached to the outside of the walls and into the studs (with screws/NOTwith nails), and the benchwork attached to those horizontal members, will facilitate removal later on without doing much damage at all to the drywall'd surface. Special, easy to use masonary fasteners, such as 'Tapcon screws', are available that make it practical to attach wood furring strips or 2X4s against a poured concrete or cement block wall. <br /> <br />A walk-around track plan no more than 30" from the wall to the fascia edge makes alterations and maintainence easier, especially if only scenery is located close to the wall. Avoid a lot of hidden trackwork that is usually hard to reach when things go wrong, and forget hidden staging yards - they look good on paper, but can be hard to live with day-to-day. Keep fragile stuff away from the front edge of the layout that would be all to easy to damage when reaching across the finished layout. <br /> <br />When prepping a space for a new layout (if in a garage or a basement) consider only furring the outside walls and attaching your backdrop directly to the furring strips. That way when and if you should decide to move to another house, that area could be easily converted to living space for alternate uses, besides a model RR room. (of couse, the same holds true if you attach the backdrop to conventional 2X4 framing) Painting backdrops directly on existing drywall may pose a problem later if one wants to paint the walls for use in a non-model RR room, for the underlying texture painting, bright colors, etc. may be hard to paint over. <br /> <br />As for wiring, a neat installation will pay dividends later on, with clearly labeled wires (use permanent ink markers on some sort of durable tape/labels) and also prepare a wiring diagram (w/ accompaning photos for clarity); that will make trouble-shooting much easier after the 'how and the why' have faded from memory - and they will ! Avoid any sharp obstructions under the benchwork, and ensure that the wood framework doesn't have splinters, etc., Also, install some sort of a ceiling - such as a suspended ceiling (which allows access to pipes, wiring, etc. in case of a problem later on). Install more than adequate lighting before any benchwork is more than just roughed-in. It's almost impossible to do the ceiling and lighting after the layout is scenicked. A door that seals off the model RR room will eliminate a lot of dust and some critters, incl. grandkids, unless they're invited into the room. A dehumidifier may be needed in many basements, and that will prevent much of the seasonal expansion and contraction of the benchwork and trackwork, plus help prevent the formation of mold which is unhealty to you, the layout, and to any wood framing members. <br /> <br />I'd also consider carpeting the floor, especially the aisles; extended periods of standing on concrete is hard on one's legs, and often cold. Use a solid & reasonably light colored carpet without a pattern or deep piles; locating errant Kadee coupler springs will be a lot easier than if you have to wade thru varigated-colored 'shag' carpet. <br /> <br />Inexpensive plastic containers mounted on equally inexpensive rolling carts (try Harbor Freight for both) come in handy for storing parts, equipment, and tools. Easy to read labels should be used on all such containers, and that should eliminate a lot of moving of heavy cartons and searching thru boxes that are stored under the benchwork. <br /> <br />And have a telephone nearby in case of any emergency, for you may often be working or operating alone down in the basement. Obviously there are many other considerations, but I thought I'd share some of those that I am incorporating into my 'final' (lol) layout in a basement. btw. I'm 60 yrs old, and my much younger spouse is becoming very interested in model RRs now, so I don't plan on worrying what will become of my RR when I'm no longer around. She's just insisting that I have DCC iinstalled in all my engines ! <br />BILL
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