QUOTE: Originally posted by Bill H. Do you plan on means to interconnect the levels? If this is to be "freestanding" a little thought should be given to extending the length of the feet, both in front and behind. Put another way, I would want the 5 vertical support to resemble inverted "T" shapes. IMO
QUOTE: Originally posted by selector I would favour adding fortifying blocks of wood beside each horizontal bench support, but at the rear. In other words, at the back, against the wall, where each arm is fastened to the long board or rail, I would add a small piece of 1 cm ply, maybe 4 cm X 10 cm, screwed into the side of each horizontal arm, and also into the rail back. Not sure if I am being clear, but the diagram doesn't show how well cantilevered they are, and weight may cause overload, especially a reaching arm attached to an off-balance torso.
QUOTE: Originally posted by BigRusty With all of the space you have I would consider using nolixes instead of helixes. That is a long decending grade up or down to the next level. Helixes are a pain to build and I only use one where there is no way to use the nolix. As I recall you are designing a railroad with a central point that extends to connections with other railroads at each end. I would consider adding a fourth level below the present bottom level and I would put a multitrack reverse staging loop on the lower level to represent one of the connecting roads. I would also do the same with the third level to represent the road at the other end of the line. I am not sure about having the upper level the same width as the mid level. Maybe some of you multi tier builders can offer advice on that. I am building a workshop added to the main building and I plan to put the helix over my workbench so that I can have easy access to it. If steel studs are available in Sweden you might get a copy of a recent MRR issue showing how to do that a lot easier than the plan you have shown. That is the method I plan to use. Nothing will ever WARP or SAG.
Tom
QUOTE: Originally posted by Tom Bryant_MR EL, I took a stab at what I think selector is talking about. The red area should actually be an integral part of the arm that supports the RR. Hope this helps.
QUOTE: Originally posted by Tom Bryant_MR Re-reading selector's idea, this is probably more like it. -Tom B
QUOTE: Originally posted by Leon Silverman Your horizontal stringers should be on top of the the brackets instead of below them. Any load on the brackets would tend to make them want to rotate on the vertical supports. By placing the horizontal stringers on top of the brackets, they can resist the rotation tendency and you probably can eliminate the added braces suggested by selector. Secondly, if you place these strings at a slight angle (one or two degrees, e.g.), they can form the template for you nolix.
QUOTE: Originally posted by electrolove QUOTE: Originally posted by Tom Bryant_MR Re-reading selector's idea, this is probably more like it. -Tom B Ok, that will make the benchwork much stronger. Thanks for the drawing.
QUOTE: Originally posted by jeffers_mz I don't like the butt joint between the main verticals and the flat on the floor support members. You can add plates that lap the joint, but an easier attachment would be a lap joint to begin with. Vertical from top to floor, floor member overlaps vertical member, fasteners extend through both pieces. If the floor is concrete, then the floor members will need to be at least 0.27 CCA (pressure treated) lumber, while the vertical members will stop just short of the floor so they don't touch. Use a shim of standard thickness for this spacing, half inch if you have a lot of that around etc. If the area is damp, use 0.40 pressure treated lumber. Two diagonal braces per standard are redundant, use one, save lumber. I recommend another stringer at the rear of the horizontal floor members. The standards and floor level stringers would need to go up first on concrete, minus the platform supports and any stringers with vertical dimensions larger than their horizontal dimensions. The concrete will vary in heigth, and stringers on edge will not allow the standards to float up and down with the floor without adding stress, which over time, will cause problems. There is no diagonal bracing to counteract end to end sway. Walk up to the end of the structure shown, tap the top of the standard, and the whole struture will sway back and forth, end to end. One brace per run might be sufficient, two opposing braces per run would be better. The three two-piece stringers shown are probably redundant. I would place the two lower stringers as one member units flat against the verticals, and only use a front to back stiffener on the top stringer. Preferably, the top stringer and fore and aft stiffener would form a corner/cap over the top of the standard uprights. This will save lumber, save front to back waste space, and accompli***he same structural objectives. The shelf supports and three long horizontal stringers would be applied to the installed standards after they were in final position, using a hose level, transit, laser or chalkline, either level or to grade, as established after the hills and valleys in the concrete floor had been eliminated. I'd probably tack or screw a single stringer in place at the top of the standards so they didn't topple over during assembly of the shelf supports.
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QUOTE: Originally posted by BigRusty "How would you build a nolix instead of the two helixes in this picture, is it possible?" Rather than the loops at the end of each lobe, I would just continue behind a hill or building and then start the nolix down to whatever is the next level. I would hide the staging yards under one of the other lobes. You would use one of the tracks in the staging loop for continuous running and get rid of the visible return loops and/or helixes. Your layout is ideal for this because you actually have three ends of your line and can hold out bound trains there until you are ready to bring them back according to your timetable. You can still have whatever classification yards the prototype had and make up trains for local freight service, or whatever branches to mines or other industry they had to provide a layout designed for full prototypical operation just like the prototype did.