GO!
Ya know, I'm kind' waitin' for Sheldon to get started, too....
Mike.
My You Tube
I have a 6 year head start - what that means is that in a few months, Sheldon will have more layout operational than I will.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
mbinsewi GO! Ya know, I'm kind' waitin' for Sheldon to get started, too.... Mike.
Sheldon is very anxious to get started, the detailed track plan is coming along.
I do have a few personal and business matters to conclude that will free up a lot of time, and other resources. Hopefully that all comes together soon.
My wife just had shoulder replacement surgery today, that is one personal thing taking a turn for the better.
I am very pleased with the details of the track plan so far. Only a few small compromises have been necessary to this point. And amazingly, some stuff is working out better than the preliminary planning.
Looks like I may also have room for a totally separate waterfront ISL about 10' long and 2' deep - glad I did not sell off all the Walthers waterfront structures and car float.......
Oh, that's right, I have only sold off about 6 things in 50 years, once it is bought.....
The basement really looks great Randy, your contractor seems to be a really good guy.
Sheldon
mbinsewiYa know, I'm kind' waitin' for Sheldon to get started, too.
Nobody is waiting for me.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
SeeYou190 mbinsewi Ya know, I'm kind' waitin' for Sheldon to get started, too. Nobody is waiting for me. -Kevin
mbinsewi Ya know, I'm kind' waitin' for Sheldon to get started, too.
If I did not have so much going on here, I would come to Florida and finish that remodel for you.....
ATLANTIC CENTRALIf I did not have so much going on here, I would come to Florida and finish that remodel for you.....
No need, I have all the time in the world now.
The window contractor came in today. Three sound reduction insulated windows are going to be $4,000.00, so that is moving along.
The 20 yard dumpster is being delivered in four weeks, so I have one month to finish my layout segment project before it goes to the dumpster.
The plumber moving the closet flange 10 inches and fitting the tub will be right after. So once the windows and plumbing are done, it is pretty much just framing, flooring, and drywall to finish the two bedrooms.
Then I need to make my wife's closet a reality.
Then... Trainroom!
It is officially DONE and paid for. Time to get started!
I did a little video walking around the room mention what will go where. And I have some more pictures of the finished product.
Edit: Well the embedd a video didn;t seem to work, here's a link
https://youtu.be/9WOTclEA3-M
Not that the video tells you much, since it all looks mostly the same. But you can compare with the individual shots and see where it is.
Randy,
Nicest video of drywall that I have ever seen!!
Sorry, couldn't resist. I look forward to seeing your progress.
I have a minor question: What are the small square things that run along the bottom of some of the walls? Are they hot water heat exchangers? I'm sure you have explained them already but please save me from having to read through the whole thread again.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Yeah, the phone camera isn't wide angle enough to actually see much unless I stand way back. So it is what it is. Next one will have vertical supports screwed to the wall.
Yes, the whole house has hot water baseboard heat. 3 zones, if you look at pics that show the furnace you can see the three pumps. The basement one actually runs through the garage as well.
We've had a very mild winter so far, but even so, the heat has been shut off in the basement since early Novemeber and it's never been cold down there. On the one wall there was a wire sticking out - that's where the thermostat has to go back on the wall when I get around to it.
rrinkerYes, the whole house has hot water baseboard heat.
Thanks Randy.
rrinker It is officially DONE and paid for.
What was the damage($)?
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
riogrande5761 rrinker It is officially DONE and paid for. What was the damage($)?
Rich
Alton Junction
Suite yourself! I don't have exact figures but I don't mind sharing - my wife estimates about $5k or less to finish our basement. Guessing between $1500 and $2000 for contractor to do wiring and plumbing. The rest in materals (50 4x8 sheets of drywall, 700 sq ft of drop ceiling, 16 2x2 flat panel LED lights ~$550), 700 sq ft of vinyl plank floor tile (~$700 from Lowes), about 9 five gal buckets of mud, drywall screws, house wire 12 and 14 awg, baseboard, paint, tile, sink, toilet and shower fixtures for the bathroom). We used lots of coupons at Lowes to save money too; my wife is a master at getting stuff for less. The basement shower is the best one in the house btw! My wife did a great job on the shower wall and floor tile and bathroom floor tile.
From others in northern Virginia we have a rough idea what the cost would be to finish a basement. Probably in the $20 - 25 K range these days. My sister in South Riding had her basement finished - open room, bedroom and full bathroom - I recall it was $19k and that was about 15 years ago and her basment was smaller. Costs have probably gone up too. Some depends on where you live, some on are and size of basement etc.
Up here in the Chicago area, it will cost about $10,000 just for a basement bathroom. Figure $25,000 all in for a complete finished basement including the bathroom.
I'm guessing similar here in northern Virginia as well. So maybe we will never know the "big secret" but can guestimate, unless he wants to brag about how good a deal he got.
riogrande is in the right range.
There already was a bathroom, so they didn't have to add any plumbing. I had a few extras, not related, like putting a cap on my chimney to keep out the squrrels, and also had two additional circuits run up to my office room, one for my computers and one for the workbench. And the main panel grounding was pretty dodgy so I had a proper ground rod installed.
Plus after having help with the primer coat on the walls, after all the "we can do this in a weekend", I got no help with the finish coat so I just had them do it.
So with all new lights, drop ceiling, insulated exterior walls, my new wall down the middle, special things like the switched outlets, it came right in the middle of that range. Little extras that I have some more pictures to show that were included are a nice door over the electrical panel (adding that sub panel was part of this too) and also the space under the stairs that was closed off, they put a nice door there so I can use that as storage.
Not sure how much less it would have been if I didn;t do the extra wall down the middle. But looking at how it all came out, I don;t think a future owner would necessarily want to tear it down - just add a door across the open and end it would make a nifty theater room. Would easily fit an 80+ inch TV on the far wall, front and center speakers, mid surrounds on the walls, and rear surrounds at the back. Stick in some tiered theater seats.... nope, I'm putting trains in there.
rrinker Plus after having help with the primer coat on the walls, after all the "we can do this in a weekend", I got no help with the finish coat so I just had them do it.
richhotrain rrinker Plus after having help with the primer coat on the walls, after all the "we can do this in a weekend", I got no help with the finish coat so I just had them do it. LOL. I predicted that a little while back. Rich
LOL. I predicted that a little while back.
My wife is the opposite. She grew up very poor in the north of England so she always tries to find ways to save on costs. God bless her, but sometimes she over does it. When she saw the cost for a contractor estmate to install the drywall, which we were thinking of having a contractor do, she said NOPE, we're doing it ourselves. She helped score and cut and hang all 50 sheets! She also probably did about half the painting too.
I would have gotten 3 sheet hung and that would have been it, I would be on my own. She also said she could tape and mud - yeah, I'll have the pros do that. It's not that she's lazy, not in the least, it's just she was raised on a farm and her idea of fixing or finishing something is farmer style - it works, but it ain't pretty. She bought a long closet rod she wants to put up to hang a curtain to block off the laundry area. Sheesh.
riogrande5761My wife did a great job on the shower wall and floor tile and bathroom floor tile.
I agree! Looks great!
Last set of pics, then I will start a new thread on layout construction.
Here's the added room, left is for the yard, right is for the town:
Here's looking the other way. A moveable section will go in front of the furnace. To the left will be some industries:
Looking over towards the stairs. Switches to control the lights and outlets, and along that wall will be the cement plant. I'm standing about in the middle of the helix.
Door on the left goes to the garage, door to the right is the bathroom. Here you can see the nifty little door they put in over the electrical panel.
Looking at the front door. On the left there will be a branch line, narrow benchwork, just a foot wide along the left to clear the door.
Looking in from the door. The branch will be along the right from this point of view.
Looking to the other side of the basement. Branch along the right, and to the left of the short wall will be the helix, with the branch looping around outside of it.
From about the same place, you can see the little door for the storage under the stairs:
And the most important part, the thinking room:
Randy, That looks like quite a great space, and it sounds like you have plans for every bit of it.
Congratulations.
I hope you keep a good build log for us to share in your achievements.
Sorry if this has been asked before...
Randy, are you going to continue the vinyl plank flooring throughout the newly finished area, or stick with the painted(?) concrete?
Mark P.
Website: http://www.thecbandqinwyoming.comVideos: https://www.youtube.com/user/mabrunton
Just going to be in the entry area. The rest is epoxy painted. Under the layout will be storage, the walking areas I am planning to get carpet tiles so you don't have to stand on bare cement.