Onto the Build ... More Details ... Bedding and Boards!
I'm used to working at client sites, but with Covid-19, my little 8' x 6' home away from home “office-abode” is pretty much where I spend my life, other than the few in-person meetings we're allowed. I've got my home office under a loft bed, so this is a really small layout set on one of the rails of the bed, and about 89” long by 11" wide (now with a new extension at the foot of the bed to protect locos from falling!)
This layout will be mainly something I can get done and pass some pleasant hours experimenting with many things for my layouts back home. I started on it a couple of weeks ago. The kids here are intrigued, so maybe I'll inspire some new model railroaders. I really hope to recreate the above scene.
Initially I was just going to contain the “Bedside & Hinged” to a single 1 x 6 board, but I was worried about the trains being damaged by an errant blanket, so decided to add another 1 x 6 and hinge it. Trains will be stored on the fixed board and switched on both. I am designing a "sector plate switch" (black push button on the panel shown below) that will swing about 35 - 40 degrees across the hinge gap to permit running trains between the boards and then rotate out of the way of the hinged area. So far so good with testing with a Tortoise to move things. More to come on that - It may end up being a Central Valley Bridge with a bit of poetic license over a small stream. I’ve dubbed the yet to be proved out concept a “streamtable”. More in this later on.
The backdrop is 1/8" thick masonite hardboard screwed to the board. It's about a foot high. Two of the kids where I stay are great artists so I’m hoping they'll help with the backdrop. If that fails: Photo Backdrops from my cameras!
Here's the basic shape of things.
When folded up, the hinged portion will protect everything from any kicked blankets, etc. I'll engineer some proper magnetic stops later so nothing gets crushed - right now the backward mounted hinges hold it at about 45 degrees. Speaking of hinges, I spent a bit of time with my router in-setting them flush and counter-sinking the screw holes on the back side. Wishing now I had just deployed continuous hinges. Will get to that eventually, sadly after wasting a lot of time with the router!
I already know that this “fold up” safety guard will be critical. I left an engine and two cars on the hinged portion and bumped it a bit one morning. All three models ended up on their sides. Standard procedure will be to park trains on the fixed part prior to retiring. This may suggest a few minutes of switching every day if two small trains must exchange places on the 24 hour clock.
I can lift the entire contraption off the bed rail if need be to in order to work outside on nice days or something. It's got a pair of 1 x 3 rails underneath to clamp to the 1" wide top rail of the bed and is very firm and sturdy without any additional fasteners.
For now, just to enable running some trains, I put down one track line the full length of the board with a siding. I bought a few lengths of Peco flex track and a couple of ancient used Shinohara #6's to get something happening while I waited for my Central Valley tie strip and switch kit order to arrive. I also found a few lengths of Central Valley tie strip at the store and some Code 70 ME rail, so made about 3' of that to try it out.
Being so space constrained, I built the base and then went looking for a track plan. I'm using "Kurt's" O Scale Fort Smith track plan (https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/20668), with some minor adjustments at the ends to switch trains of one loco plus (likely) 2 cars and a caboose.
To me, it looks a lot like John Allen's Timesaver. I don't know if that was Kurt's intention or not, but I know the original still provides a lot of switching action. I'm adding one additional turnout at the left side front shown above. I have acquired a Digitrax Zephyr DCC to run it all, and recently received my order of Central Valley Tie Strip and Turnout Kits, and the requisite Tortoise switch machines, DPM sections, etc. came from Central Hobbies.
I may just take my first crack at a flat of the Field Station on here. The rest, I won't have room for on the B&H Sub. Perhaps some really condensed perspective on the backdrop! All these pictures of Field. BC were taken by me with my trusty Canon M5, so no copyright worries for MRH.
In the 1950's there were still tracks in front of the station. Today, only a very long yard behind. I think it is five tracks. This is a view from a hill behind the station.
And from the same spot, looking west. I have finally located a detailed plan of the yard and that and some photos of the old turntable and roundhouse will help me model Field properly on a bigger layout I have started on back home. Always doing research! John Cowan’s recent book has some excellent shots of the roundhouse and surroundings from behind the station. I wish I had paid more attention as a young guy on my many trips through this area. I missed capturing a lot of cool images and am now dependent on the work of others, mind you, we didn’t have digital cameras then and images weren’t “free”.
Field is just begging to be a focal point of a layout. I'll put a post up focusing on some of the local architecture at some point. For the time being, here is the Superintendent's house.
Stay tuned, tons more to come. I can't wait to get the track down and start some DPM flats against the back wall.
About this Blog
As much as anything, I am documenting progress in here so I can remember years from now what I did, or so my Grandkids can, or so others building can borrow a technique or two that they might find useful.
I am constantly reviewing old posts, updating where necessary, correcting images, correcting grammar and typos, etc. So things will never be frozen in time here in a linear fashion. I may go back and update something as new information has become available. Think of this blog as a living breathing thing that evolves rather than point in time transactional posts that are preserved as first written. You'll always be able to tell when I've updated something because the post date will have changed and no longer appear to be in sequence even though the posts retain their original order.
The Bedside & Hinged will be known as the B&H Subdivision of the CPR, in homage to John Allan’s G&H that has inspired my entire life in the hobby, much of it in an armchair dreaming, while collecting, and starting but not finishing countless layouts. I’m determined to get this one done, despite my tendencies to procrastinate.
