Julian and Andrew (The Proto:87 Posse) were by again this week. Almost the first thing on the agenda was to test-fit the sections in place in the basement.  Sadly, all hands were busy holding sections of layout, and so I have no photos to share; below is the space sans layout.  I'm delighted to report that the two main sections fit into the space with about an eighth of an inch to spare.  How's that for precision engineering?

My wife, kids and I just spent 8 months building our own house. From design to construction, we have done almost all of the work ourselves.

The second floor is the layout room, and also; my office and my wife's library. It's one open F shaped space with no separate rooms. The roof trusses were tediously designed to make it so.

As I mentioned in my thread asking about [British] Colonial steam locos, I'm daydreaming about future projects.  I have the remains of an HO scale Life-Like 0-4-0T that I picked up at a train show, and they need a home.  The frame is damaged, the body is missing pieces, and the main rods are gone, but the motor runs and there is enough frame there to do something useful.

Hi all

Due to a major flood here (Bundaberg, QLD) I moved to another house and I have had to redesign my layout.

Not a lot has change accept the width of the room is slightly narrower.

Following are two designs I have drawn up using SCARM.

I would like your opinion/choice if you had to choose one of these designs to build.

Cheers all

Catching up on blog entries...

This is the layout room. It ended up being slightly smaller than was originally planed because of truss design issues. Despite some trackplan challenges presented by the design change, it will still be a great space! More on the track plan problems later.

Here is a schematic of the prototype BNML from Morris Manitoba to Noyes Minnesota.

Click for a bigger version in a new tab.

(updated schematic for correctness at Noyes)

The BNSF Manitoba Limited (BNML) is a BNSF Line from Emerson Manitoba to Winnipeg. As far as I know, it is the only BNSF owned line located fully within Canada.

Brief History:

I’m using Proto:87 Stores Near HO Scale Spikes. These spikes are much smaller than even the Micro Engineering micro spikes with a head that is not so obtrusive. They are just short enough to not extend beyond the bottom of a full thickness tie, which makes it easy to spike the rails at the bench. And even though my track is actually glued down with barge cement, the spikes give a little extra hold and a big extra detail.