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Hello strangers! I've been sidetracked for awhile - pun intended - with all kinds of neat stuff happening. Things are going well in the Blue Ridge foothills. My new Horribly Oversized layout is being designed as we speak . It was a bit overwhelming to cast aside the many years of planning for a SP branch in the Santa Cruz mountains, and then it was the Adirondack Divison of the NYC - Since moving to north Georgia, and being within earshot of the Georgia Northeastern - former L&N "Hook & Eye Line" - also known as the Atlanta division "Old Line", I discovered southeastern US railroading, and I've been smitten by the possibilities, and that not that much model railroading (relatively speaking) is really being done representing this locale. It was the trip to Tom Watkin's home layout, as well as my rediscovery of the beautiful surroundings of the north Georgia and southwestern North Carolina mountains, that made the decision to switch locales and eras. Thanks Tom - lol -now I have to start all over with new rolling stock, motive power, books, literature and research ! It will be now set in the very early '50s . . (I just rejoined the NMRA as well) In a nutshell, my layout is to be almost 900 sq ft - a dedicated room is a-building now, and is being wired with DCC in mind from the get-go (thanks Tom - again you "got me" LOL ), and the framing is being done w/ supports built-in for cantelievering the benchwork with hardly any legs at all - thanks Teffy & Tom for the inspiration ! - the framing is being done to allow curved backdrops in all the corners, and the transition to the ceilings may also have curved drywall into the ceiling - not sure yet. BTW - if one is considering using 2X2s rather than 2X4s for the benchwork supports, consider buying 2X4s and ripping them into 2X2s as the typical box store 2X2s are usually badly warped, and actually more expensive than ripping 2X4s into 2X2s. Also, avoid the not quite 8' long studs as they seem to be of inferior quality wood since many contarctors will buy them to avoid the cutting into studs for a typical 8' ceiling height room. Similar problem with those that are cut for 9' ceilings. Usually the ten and twelve footers are straighter, have less knots, and other defects, as well as may be dryer lumber as well. Allow the wood to be acclimated to your model railroad room humidity and temperature for a couple of weeks if possible, so that any twists and turns will be revealed before you cut it (and can't return it). Also, if you have a twist show up later, but before you've cut it to length. cut it into shorter, but still usable sections, as that will often relieve the stresses within the board causing it to twist and warp. Avoid stacking the lumber directly on a concrete floor, and place it on "stickers" allowing air to freely circulate around it. And if you have any wood in direct contact with a concrete floor, and it is untreated ( or not pressure-treated) wood, consider some form of barrier such as a piece of vinyl or pressure treated scrap between the untreated wood and the moisture laden concrete floor. The ends of a board of lumber act like wicks for moisture and all the nasty molds and critters that thrive in such places, and it's not a bad idea to seal the ends in close proximity with the floor with paint. The mainline radii will be approx 30" where possible, and it will not be a spaghetti bowl - just a tortorous route thru the Blue Ridge mountains with a max ruling gradient of 2.5% or so. It will be a freelanced bridge route of the L&N across the northern part of Georgia with some North Carolina trackage along the border of the two states, and it will connect the L&N (with traffic from Chattanoga and points west and midwest) with the Seaboard in the northeastern part of Georgia (for traffic from Florida and the mid Atlantic region). The Seaboard will have limited trackage rights including seasonal resort passenger trains to the area not far from Tom's house. (and to think that Tom moved to Young Harris for peace and quiet, and probably to escape the Florida tourist congestion!). Line side industries will be marble, agricultural, limited 'unobtanium ore' mining, forestry products, & furniture factories. Bridge traffic will be mostly automobiles, auto parts, perishables, and sulfuric acid from the Copperhill area of Tenn. There will be at least one really short 'short line' connecting some mining and timber industry to the bridge route. Purists will cringe when they witness Baldwin Sharks done up in L&N freight colors slugging it out in the mountains - and thanks to Teffy again - the hell w/ the rivet counters. (it's my RR, and I like Baldwins and already have an entire roster except for enough B units. . .) Terffy's "the hell w/ rivet counters" placque will be displayed just outside the model RR room door. There will still be an interchange with the Southern in Murphy, NC, but it will be a fair bit more lively since Tom is the CEO of that branch now. Concept behind this plan is to offer considerable competition to the Southern (sorry Tom) and it's exciting, but nightmarish passage thru Saluda and its 5+% grades. There were several attempts in the very early 1900's to find an alternate route thru Rabun Gap in northeastern GA (near the NC and SC border), but all attempts failed to make it a reality - that is until I came along. . .LOL Thru the magic of selective compression. . . I was stalled for a long time as to what to do now that I had the space for a proper layout, and until I developed an operating theme, it was as clear as Georgia red clay mud as to how to proceed. Now I can't wait to start laying track ! ____________________________________________________________________ I've also been busy launching a resin casting venture with a buddy of mine - initially we're concentrating on model car parts - in 1/25 thru 1/8 scale - and mostly concerned with vintage race cars: land speed race cars, dirt track cars, drag cars, plus hot rods &' lead sleds', and some muscle car subjects. We'll first be offering engine, suspension, and chassis/frame parts, plus wheels and tires. We're working on masters for some major conversions as well. But, my buddy has been bitten by the model RRing bug, and we're taking a hard look at G Scale, O, and HO for some possible subjects to do. The name of the venture is Speedway Resins (email address is: speedwayresins@yahoo.com if you have any subjects you'd like us to consider doing) The name isn't very 'railroady' I know, but the Seaboard wasn't an 'airline' either, and the Rock Island was the "Route of the Rockets". . . Can't believe that we are on the 160th page in the Coffee Shop already - and that's been without my sometimes too lengthy posts ! Missed your company, but as you all know, it's all too easy to get on these forums and spend half the day on there, and when the wife comes home and inquires as to what got accomplished during the day, and there is silence, all hell breaks out. She went as far as to get me a new Daytimer, so I think she means business. . .And as the Fosters' commercial states when a sweet young thing bashes an empty Fosters beer can against her forehead : "She's a keeper", and so is my bride of 23 years ! Thanks Lupo for all the neat pics and links - got to get across the big pond again someday soon. And thanks for all the enjoyable chatter from everyone else, as I've been peekin' in on occasion. BILL
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