Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
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QUOTE: Originally posted by rrinker particularly at the sample design (Appendix A in the newest version, Chapter 9 in older versions - they didn't even bother to edit the text to fix the picture references in the new one
QUOTE: Originally posted by rrinker And leave the rest pretty much as-is? Hmm, you might, rabbit (err, mouse) (be on to something, that is). Time for more doodling. --Randy
Chip
Building the Rock Ridge Railroad with the slowest construction crew west of the Pecos.
QUOTE: Originally posted by rrinker Nothing is detailed, I really just roughed in some of the track basedon suggestions to see how it fits. Might I finally be on the right track, as it were?
Tom
QUOTE: Originally posted by dgwinup Randy, I'm chiming in for the first time. I've watched your progress on this thread and think you are going in the right direction. First comment: ereimer is right on his #1 comment. It looks like you have about an 18" aisle on the stairway side and over 4' on the opposite side. Moving 8 to 10" to the right (towards the long wall) will give you much better access from both sides. I'm not sure about his #2 problem. I don't see a long walk around the switching area in the center. If you follow a train up the right side (long wall), you would probably stay near the upper blob, either to perform switcing duties, or just run around the loop and head back down the right wall. In either case, you don't have to go all the way around the switching area in the center (unless you are going to the yard under the fuse box).
QUOTE: Second comment: You made a MAJOR change in the yard at the bottom from your original plan - moving the roundhouse to the opposite end of the yard. Then you balked at putting in a wye off the upper blob to service the central switching area because it was UN-prototypical! If you arbitrarily change one thing, why balk at a distinct improvement?
QUOTE: Third comment: Access to the central switching is a single track coming off a siding coming off the blob, with a switchback! Wow! Talk about difficult access! In addition, the stub end of the switchback is very short - it looks to be about 18 to 24" TOPS. That means that you will only be able to move a few cars at a time into the central switching. Putting a wye off the blob would go a long way in eliminating that bottleneck. Of course, you may also be able to extend that stub end by curving it to follow alongside the mainline as the mainline exits the blob.
QUOTE: Fourth comment: I think you mentioned that the prototype had a wye at the end of your central switching area. Why not add one there? You would have to come off the end of the switching area at a bit of an angle to use some of the space in the only wide area you have left. A bit contrived perhaps, but it solves another problem that the real railroad would have faced: properly spotting a car with specific loading instructions. A wye at this location also eliminates the need for one at the top of the switching area. Also, since it's at the stairway door, you could use modeler's license and build it like the Keddie wye - on bridgework over a canyon, with the canyon extending all the way to the floor! Talk about first impressions!
QUOTE: Fifth comment: Wow, I am so impressed with the progrees you are making. Not to mention a little jealous! You have listened to every comment posted and applied a lot of changes and you have provided great feedback to the group. Randy, I like your style! Okay, I've put my 2 cents in. Looking forward to your next installment. Darrell, not being as quiet as I should...for now
QUOTE: Originally posted by rrinker I think I would LOVE a 58" height. About shoulder level on me. I could come down 12" for underneath staging and STILL have plenty of room for the storage. I would entertain a duckunder at that height, it would be more of a nod-under. But, a stepladder would be needed for my father in law, 58" would be around nose high for him, he'd never see any trains on the second track back from the edge. BTW, if you don;t already have it in your 'contract', get the storage containerized - in those plastic bins and tubs like the Rubbermaid kind. They get labelled, and stacked 2 high (they interlock to some degree). Easy to pull out what's needed, easy to FIND things, and there's no loose junk floating around to trip over or otherwise get in the way. Need access to an area of the layout? Just slide a few containers away, do what you need to do, and then slide them back in. --Randy
QUOTE: Originally posted by Overdurff P.S. Don't wooden shoes add to height of the vertically challenged, and have you ever seen the short stilts that dry wall crews use to tape and skim coat ceilings?
QUOTE: Originally posted by Overdurff I know this is a little late; however, my observation is Randy we have watched everyones needs be addressed by compromising yours. A question how is your father-in-law related to "She Who Must Be Obeyed"? The reason I query is that I know there is the "Right to Ement Domain" in the state of Pennsylvania. Which leads logically to playing the TRUMP card, Dad needs to speak to SWMBO and get you both some "air rights" to the promised territory. I will not dwell on the risks involved for the two males involved here. Just an Observation. Part "B" : for relatively small cost a closed circuit camera and a now cheap "TV" one could monitor lower level further reducing the vertical seperation needed for your staging. The long run crys out for under deck staging! Just 2 cents worth. Will P.S. Don't wooden shoes add to height of the vertically challenged, and have you ever seen the short stilts that dry wall crews use to tape and skim coat ceilings?
QUOTE: Originally posted by electrolove Ok, a little hard when I can't see the room. Maybe you can post a photo of the room, if you think it will help? Just a suggestion.
QUOTE: Originally posted by rrinker QUOTE: Originally posted by electrolove Ok, a little hard when I can't see the room. Maybe you can post a photo of the room, if you think it will help? Just a suggestion. There are some pictures of the basement before we moved in on my web site. One shows the area now occupied by the 8x12, the other shows down the long wall. --Randy