I just scored a set of five PRR TOFC flatcars with trailers on them. The price was right and they are new in their boxes so I'm happy. I now have about 25 TOFC cars with trailers.
Then I stopped to think about how I would actually use all of these flatcars on the layout and I realized that all I could do with the current plan would be to run them around in circles. That will get boring really fast! The net result was that I went back to my layout plan and eliminated several industries so I could design a decent transfer yard.
In no time at all I had what I think is a decent working yard. It will hold 17 flat cars on four tracks with a fifth track available for switching, and it has a run around as well.
I'll have to study it a bit more to make sure that it works, but the important thing is that I now have desinations for all my favourite types of trains.
Cheers!!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Some of you will have read this in the Diner, but I thought I would post it here as well because it relates directly to my layout.
I saw some aged concrete sidewalks on eBay and they initially looked like something worth investing in. However, upon closer examination, I realized that the cracks in the slabs were not realistic.
There were two problems. The first was that most of the cracks started in the middle of the slabs, not at the edge or at an expansion joint. Concrete slabs can certainly have cracks that do not go all the way across the slab, but those cracks will not be wide enough to see in HO. A slab has to completely break into two pieces before the crack can be widened by frost or the ground settling underneath.
The second problem was that most of the cracks crossed directly over the expansion joints from one slab to the next. That's definitely not realistic. The whole idea behind molding perpendicular joints into the concrete is to stop cracks at the joints. Slabs that are next to each other may both have cracks but they won't (usually) line up at the expansion joints.
Call me fussy, but those crack patterns would drive me nuts over time.
I took the liberty of contacting the seller to mention how I thought the cracks should be placed, and he got right back to me! I was fully expecting to get a blast telling me to mind my own business but he was actually very gratefull for my suggestion. Within a few hours he had modified his design so I put my money where my mouth was and bought 2800' on the spot.
The cracks and joints need to be muted a bit, and they need some weathering, but they are going to save me a ton of works.
Hi folks,
I am slowly making progress in the garage layout room. I managed to sell my Radial Arm Saw (gave it away would be more accurate - they don't sell for much these days). Getting it out of the garage opened up a whole lot of space!
The floor definitely has to be properly refinished! I was trying to roll the layout table around and it would hardly budge. I used 4" heavy duty casters but I should have used much larger casters! I may swap them for 8" units at some point. I won't have the floor done until next summer even though the garage is heated because the floor slab extends beyond the garage doors by about 10".
We are still sorting through all the junk on the shelves. We have seven medium sized totes and boxes full of stuff to go to recycling and there is still more to sort through.
I will have to build a stand for my spray booth. I had been using the RAS table. It doesn't have to be anything fancy but I do want it on casters.
Brings back memories, my mentor used to say as long as you reuse one nail, it is a repair, LOL.
ATLANTIC CENTRALSo let me ask you this, where you are, can homeowners do their own work?
Hi Sheldon,
Homeowners can do their own work but they still have to get all the permits and inspections. The DIYers will probably be inspected very thoroughly, but the seasoned, reliable contractors often just get a signature without the work being looked at.
rrebell You should see some of the work appoved by inspectors. Back in the day I got an inspection done in Maryland for an apt building and it it passed, no problem except no one ever bothered to enter the building.
You should see some of the work appoved by inspectors. Back in the day I got an inspection done in Maryland for an apt building and it it passed, no problem except no one ever bothered to enter the building.
Maybe not so much now, but back in the day it happened all the time. We have an interesting situation in our little town. Our county only has three incorporated small towns. The county handles all the building inspections, but technically the three towns have jurisdiction inside their town limits.
So the towns each have a building department, and town residents/contractors have to apply for their building permits there for work in the town. And there is a guy in charge of that department. But the county inspector comes to do the actual inspection.
Our town is very historic (incorporated 1785) with lots of old buildings, most very well maintained and many in very original condition. And tourism/town image is a very big deal.
So the town fathers are very interested in historic preservation and go to great lengths to support private individuals in caring for their properties in that regard.
So the town buiding code official has the last say about what is allowed and what needs a permit, and when exceptions can be made to modern codes for historic reasons. The State also has a historic presevation code that gives local government this option/power.
I do lots of work in the town, and if it is of a repair nature, no one even asks if you you have a permit unless you have to close a street or something.
8 years ago we did a complete restoration of one of the larger homes in town, 17 months, complete restoration, inside and out, and while we did have permits for electrical, plumbing, HVAC and one area of structural changes, we had no resistance from the inspector.
We rebuilt a large porch, replaced missing architectural elements, replaced all the windows with historically correct looking updated ones, replaced all the plumbing and electric, and much more with only minimal inspections of the mechanical systems and that one area of framing, which was to make a 1960's addition better match the 1904 original structure.
None of this work to repair the porch and replace missing features that had been changed over the years required a permit - it was considered a repair. When I asked the town building commisioner if he wanted drawings for the rebuilding of the porch turret roof his answer was "no, just have the inspector glance at it the next time he is there". The inspector is a semi retired historic Architect....
The final inspction was a simple walk thru.
It is understood that while safety and good workmanship is necessary, nit picking an old house about modern codes is just not going to happen in this town.
In fact when we had an issue with the sewer line, the Public Works Dept was right there and very helpful.
Common sense still exists in some places.
Sheldon
hon30critter ATLANTIC CENTRAL If this is what it is coming to, it is a sad day for freedom. Hi Sheldon, Actually, the laws concerning foreign workers are pretty much the same in both Canada and the USA. If you are a foreigner working in the USA without a Green Card and get caught, you will be going home on the next flight. The Free Trade Act was supposed to do away with all of this manure, but of course the bureaucrats got their hands on things and ruined it for everybody. Without wishing to upset the Moderators, I'd say that Canada is still a pretty free place to be. Cheers!! Dave
ATLANTIC CENTRAL If this is what it is coming to, it is a sad day for freedom.
Actually, the laws concerning foreign workers are pretty much the same in both Canada and the USA. If you are a foreigner working in the USA without a Green Card and get caught, you will be going home on the next flight.
The Free Trade Act was supposed to do away with all of this manure, but of course the bureaucrats got their hands on things and ruined it for everybody.
Without wishing to upset the Moderators, I'd say that Canada is still a pretty free place to be.
Just to be clear, my freedom comment applies as much to what is going on here as it does to anywhere else.
Building a new structure or addition has become a rediculous exercise is overkill regulations anyplace where there is any kind of population density in the US.
And in the US building construction regulation is done on a local level, county or city government - not even at the state level. There are 23 counties just in our little state of Maryland. That is 23 different agencies issing building permits. there are 3,143 counties in the US.........
Fortunately interior remodeling is mostly ignored by our local government unless it very extensive - like redoing the whole house.
As I approach retirement we have moved away from large projects are are doing mostly stuff like bathrooms and kitchens.
I also do residential design work, which again has become less and less fun as the regulatory environment gets more complex. An in my opinion, after building stuff for 45 years, and restoring old houses for nearly that long, most of these regulations do not make the houses better, nor do they prevent substandard work.
So let me ask you this, where you are, can homeowners do their own work?
Happy to be retiring soon.
ATLANTIC CENTRALIf this is what it is coming to, it is a sad day for freedom.
Wow, just got caught up on reading this thread.
Dave, sorry for all the difficulty you are encountering.
Being in construction myself, and having a friend who is a professional layout builder, and having been a landlord for 26 years myself before selling all the rentals, I have lots of reactions here.
Some of which I guess I shoud keep to myself.
Being a landlord - I know nothing about Canada, but here in the US it was the best money we ever made. And we rented out houses I would be proud to live in myself.
As politely as possible - I have a hard time imagining living under a government that deep into my business/perosnal life. I think that sort of thing is long out of control here in the US, and it is nothing like you are describing.
I understand the garage is likely the only space you have for the layout - I have never considered garages good environments for layouts unless they are fully converted to "living space". And as residential designer and a builder, not sure I would have picked a split system heat pump, but I do understand why you did. My first choices for heat are always fossil fuels - despite the propaganda, they are the most efficient, especially in cold climates - a propane space heater? And a simple thru the wall A/C unit?
I have never been to Canada, the one time I might have, passport in hand, my wife simply said "no, I don't want go". We were in Niagara Falls, and interestingly once she saw the falls, she was ready to leave. We spent the rest of that long weekend seeing other sites in upstate NY and in PA.
I have helped lots of guys build layouts, I have designed layouts and helped build them. I have gotten paid for some more adavanced layout work, like designing and installing the control system I use on a layout of a friend.
If this is what it is coming to, it is a sad day for freedom.
My new knee is finally starting to feel more stable after the infection and my balance is getting better. Hopefully I will be able to do some work on the layout after Christmas. The first task will be to take a ton of old paint cans, oil cans, half used insectisides and other nasty chemicals to the hazardous waste section at the dump. We already have five large blue recycling bins full of the stuff and there are still a couple of shelves to sort through. It is sobering to see how much hazardous waste we have accumulated over the years.
hon30critterHowever, it does beg the question of whether or not the split system was a waste of money as far as heating goes.
Mike
The split AC/Heat pump system was working much better today! The outside temperature has only gone up by about 2 degrees C but the warmth coming out of the system has increased 10 fold.
The manual does explain that it may be neccessary to use an additional heat source in cold weather. Tonight I am running a very small electric heater on low to see if that makes a significant difference. So far the addition of the little heater has brought the garage up to about 15 degrees C which I find to be very comfortable when I am working. However, it does beg the question of whether or not the split system was a waste of money as far as heating goes. Next I'm going to try just running the small fan alone, but I will not leave it unattended for long periods.
Stay tuned,
hon30critterrrebell Look forward to your lawyers advice.
Hi rrebell,
Basically, the lawyer said that the only way we can get Peter here to work on the layout would be to acquire a Work Permit. That would cost several thousand dollars in legal and advertising fees, and take months. Just for starters, we would have to post advertizements in major newspapers all across Canada in order to prove that there isn't anyone here in Canada who does the type of work that Peter does.
Putting that sort of money into the layout just isn't going to happen. The entire layout is less than 70 sq. ft. In other words, if I were to pay for a work permit, the costs alone would be +- $100.00Cdn./sq. ft. including what I have already spent just for the opinion on whether or not we needed a work permit.
Peter was concerned about whether or not the request for an opinion would interefere with his ability to visit Canada as a tourist in the future. My lawyer has offered to issue a letter explaining what we have done and will not do in the future, i.e., try to sneak Peter into the country so he can do the work on the sly.
My only option personally is to go at the project a bit at a time myself. Hopefully my mobility will continue to improve. That would help a lot!
rrebellLook forward to your lawyers advice.
I finally have a fixed time to speak to the lawyer. It will be over the phone because he is in Quebec, but I will let you know what the outcome is.
Dianne and I are continuing to work on cleaning out the garage. We now have five blue bins full of old chemicals and paints and two blue bins full of incandescent, CFL and halogen bulbs which we will never use. We still have about ten ft. of floor to ceiling shelving that needs to be addressed. I am absolutely amazed by the amount of useless junk I have allowed to accumulate in the garage.
You may recall that I installed a heating/air conditioning system in the garge last September to try to make the place comforable all year round. The split system was finally hooked up last week and guess what - it didn't work!. Or, to be more honest, it didn't seem to work. I called up Senville and they suspected that there must be a leak somewhere in the refrigerant line. They suggested that I call the folks who had installed the system originally. Forunately for me, the tech owner and operator happened to be driving by the house in the next few minutes.
It turned out that I wasn't being nearly patient enough. Split systems take a while before they can put out heat. So just drop your worries, start the heat pump, and wait for things to happen. Mine took about nine minutes before it started to work and about 60 mins. for it to actually heat the entire garage space to about 50 degrees F with an outside temperature of about 25 degrees F.
I'm going to run the system overnight and I will report back tomorrow.
Look forward to your lawyers advice. Hey even if you didn't like what I did for a living it would be no big deal. People are always hating on landlords, but they have no clue to the stress every month that goes on or the risks involved in owning rentals and just about finished with the last of the stress of selling my last property years after the papers were signed due to the structure of the sale (yeah you better be well versed in law as a landlord or hire someone who is).
rrebellCanadian rules, you have to read what the rules are and not what they intend.
Call me a fool, but I'm afraid that I am not comfortable with that approach in this case. I'd comment further but I would probably offend the moderators. Please understand that I am not disparaging what you did for a living, and I fully understand the situation that lead to the removal of the palm trees.
I'm going to be talking to my lawyer later today to see what our options are.
Canadian rules, you have to read what the rules are and not what they intend. US example, we lived in an area with rules on trees, you could not cut down trees of a certain diamiter or larger. There was a palm tree I wanted gone as the kids were young and falling faunds are not good. I just cut it down and city could not say a thing as palm trees at that time were consided a grass by the Federal goverment and Fed tops state and local things in most cases, I cut a blade of grass is all, neibor liked it and did same, got lots more mainly in buisness. As a side note both my parents were Canadian even though i was born in US. They both became US citizens but my mom did not till her 80's with my dad doing it shortly after I was born. Draftboard did not like my long stays in Canada during the Veitnam war but we owned part of a farm up ther for a long time.
rrebellIf he dose a workshop for you and your freinds no permit is required as long as it is not longer than 5 days.
Are those Canadian rules or American rules?
If he dose a workshop for you and your freinds no permit is required as long as it is not longer than 5 days. (spent my life finding loophole in goverment regs as part of my jobs)
tstageWhat would be the price difference if Peter builds the benchwork and does the wiring in TN and you dismantle what you've done and re-purpose it for another project?
Hi Tom,
I hadn't thought of that option, but I think it could easily be more expensive than getting a full work permit so Peter can come here. Shipping alone could be a couple thousand dollars.
As far as being able to use the existing benchwork for other purposes, I think that salvaging anything useful would be rather difficult. The existing benchwork is very substantially built! The main table is only supported at the ends of its 12' length (remember that is is designed to rotate to make the underside easy to access), and it will hold several hundred lbs. without flexing more than about 3/8" in the center. I know. I have put my full 285 lbs. on it with it already holding about a dozen long pieces of 1 x 6 lumber and numerous other tools and heavy bits. Every joint is glued and screwed. I think that the only way it would come apart is with a sawsall. It would just end up as scrap.
I'm going to go at it a bit at a time. The first challenge will be to get the benchwork completely cleared off. Dianne and I were working on that on Sunday. The next challenge will be to get the table completely smooth. There are a couple of high spots where the 2" pink foam didn't get glued down properly, and a couple of low spots too. I'm only talking fractions of an inch but there is no use laying track on a surface that is even slightly irregular.
On a side note, we put a split AC/heat pump system in the layout room/garage last summer. It hasn't been used other than to test it after it was installed. It is not working! The warranty covers parts but not labour.
hon30critter tstage I have not been following this thread but what if... Peter builds the entire 5'-4" x 12' layout in TN Disassembles it (if needed) Transports and drops off the layout in your garage when 1) your garage is completed and 2) the weather is conducive Your friends finish assembling/installing the layout Hi Tom, That would normally be the way that Peter works, but the problem is that I have already built most of the benchwork. All I wanted Peter to do was install the wiring and the track and hook up the control panels. Cheers!! Dave
tstage I have not been following this thread but what if... Peter builds the entire 5'-4" x 12' layout in TN Disassembles it (if needed) Transports and drops off the layout in your garage when 1) your garage is completed and 2) the weather is conducive Your friends finish assembling/installing the layout
That would normally be the way that Peter works, but the problem is that I have already built most of the benchwork. All I wanted Peter to do was install the wiring and the track and hook up the control panels.
Thanks for the explanation, Dave. Is it just benchwork you constructed - i.e. no trackage or scenery? If so...and I'm just throwing this out there...
What would be the price difference if Peter builds the benchwork and does the wiring in TN and you dismantle what you've done and re-purpose it for another project?
Again, just throwing that idea out there - not knowing how extensive your present benchwork is.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
maxmanSo, if you have friends/relatives stay at your place for a week and they happen to help you build something in your garage, they would need work permits?
Hi maxman,
Sorry, but I am not inclined to break the law. Peter would be asked to explain the purpose for his trip to Canada at the border. I am not about to ask him to lie, and I seriously doubt that he, being a devout Jehovah's Witness, would be inclined to lie as well.
If Peter was caught lying, he would be refused entry to Canada and that ban would last for at least three years and possibly longer. He wants to visit Canada as a tourist in the near future and I am not willing to either risk him being labelled as a law breaker or be banned from the country. Call me a fool if you wish, but I will not compromise my ethics nor his just to build a model railway.
tstageI have not been following this thread but what if... Peter builds the entire 5'-4" x 12' layout in TN Disassembles it (if needed) Transports and drops off the layout in your garage when 1) your garage is completed and 2) the weather is conducive Your friends finish assembling/installing the layout
So, if you have friends/relatives stay at your place for a week and they happen to help you build something in your garage, they would need work permits?
It is difficult for me to believe that the RCMP actually patrols neighborhoods checking for illegal model railroad benchwork construction. I would think that Dudley Doright would have more important duties.
Dave,
I have not been following this thread but what if...
All the work would be done in TN so no work permit needed? Guessing there may be a fee transporting the layout into CA but it could be less expensive than the work permit.
FWIW,
hon30critterI hesitate to ask any members from the club to help me. I am no longer an active member so I am not contributing anything to the club. It would seem to me to be selfish to make such a request.
I do recall your rotisserie layout benchwork. Very cool concept.
Water Level RouteAre there any friends from your former club that may be willing to help you?
I hesitate to ask any members from the club to help me. I am no longer an active member so I am not contributing anything to the club. It would seem to me to be selfish to make such a request.
There is another factor and that is the weather. The club members would be coming from Barrie which is about 30 miles north of us, and Barrie suffers severe winter weather on a frequent basis. White out conditions are common. The members who I might ask to help are all well up in their senior years and I choose to not risk exposing them to harsh weather.
You may recall that I built the benchwork so that it could be tilted to allow access to the underside of the layout. I will make good use of that although progress may be slow.
There is one positive that will come from cancelling the contract. With the layout construction contract and refinishing the entire garage included in the cost, the price per square foot of layout would have been more than $250.00 Cdn. That is rather pricey real estate.
Dave, that is frustrating to hear. I can't imagine your feelings on it. I applaud your determination too. Are there any friends from your former club that may be willing to help you?
Bad news! The Canadian Ministry of Employment and Immigration has decided that Peter does need a full work permit in order to come to Canada to work on my layout. The application process for a work permit costs several thousands of dollars and requires that we jump through hoops to satisfy the requirements. I am simply not prepared to put that much money into a small layout! Between the fee that Peter will be paid, the cost of renovating the garage properly, and the work permit application fees, I'm looking at upwards of $25,000 Cdn!
I still intend to finish building the layout, and I at least want to fix the garage floor. Working on the layout by myself is going to be difficult and will take some time, but I'm not giving up!