Stick built structure?

If this is a wood frame construction (stick built) have you given thought to the cantilever bench support?  Difficult to drywall below the supports, but easy enough above.  It would save you some construction time.

Den

Nice update on your link.

Nice update on your link. Great construction photos, I'm so happy for you. Nice that you have some wood working area near by and with the big garage pulling your suv outside for a bit will allow a large assembly area for woodworking projects as well. Great design.

The building exterior is

The building exterior is concrete block/stucco but the train room and model workshop walls will have 1" foam insulation (R5) and then 2x4 (R13) insulated stud walls inside the concrete block exterior walls.  The interior walls/ceiling will be 100% drywall. The ceiling will have R38 insulation.  I wanted very good insulation because we live in Central Florida and the train room/workshop will be air conditioned.

I plan to use shelf brackets mounted to wall studs to support the benchwork around the outside of the room.  The central platform (mushroom) is where the benchwork gets interesting. 

Ever so slowly the detached

Ever so slowly the detached garage/workshop is taking shape.  They set the trusses and started installing the roof sub-deck today.  Hopefully it's complete and ready to start building the layout by late January.

The train room (32.5 ft x 28.5 ft)

 

Fantastic, WooHoo. I am very

Fantastic, WooHoo.

I am very happy for you. Now the real challenge will be for you to keep sharing your events through photos and words so the rest of us can enjoy them along with you. Best of luck with everything.

Electrical Thoughts

I really like your building. It is coming along nicely. 

I was looking through your drawing at your web site and I saw the one concerning electrical.  It shows a light circuit and an outlet circuit around the outside.  Have you considered a few more electrical circuits that are controlled by light switches.  A couple of ideas are: a dedicated layout light circuit to power layout lighting, another circuit for layout accessories, and another for a distributed DCC system. All of these circuits would be on a light switch so you can ensure everything is powered down as you head out the door.  I thought I would mention it now because it is easier to install something like this at this stage of the game.

Art 

That's a good idea.....

I will explore what circuits I might want to have convenient switch control for in the train room and discuss with the electrician when it's time for the rough in.

Roofing

Can I just make one small request?  Please have your roofing contractor purchase their material from ABC Supply so that it boosts the sales my employer, American Construction Metals.  While I'm in California your materials would be made at our Apollo Beach, FL location.  

I like how your garage is almost as big as the house!  I'm sure you'll enjoy having an amazing space for your layout.  

Enjoy!

Dan R.

Agree on the eletrical

In my train building, although a modest 20x30, I had the electrician wire each set of the wall outlets on separate switched circuits.  That way, when I walk out out, I can kill everything.

Hmm

You need a space for a laptop desk or computer control station.  Power wise that one should not have light switch controlled power.

If you are going to do op sessions, you want the computer right there, rather than have to run back to the house.  That would also be by your programming track to program engines.

Saw an op layout where the dispatcher was in a small room with a board and phones from the layout.  Where does the dispatcher sit on this layout?  Or possibly a room with an overhead view of the layout?

The 10x14 "model workshop" room....

with the entrance into the train layout room is where I plan to have a computer and a DCC controller/programming station. It's where all structure/model building, paint booth, and motive power/rolling stick maintenance will occur. And it will gave a refrigerator, TV, internet, stereo, etc etc.

Roofing supplies....

All of our roofing supplies have already been purchased.  Earlier this year we had a hail storm and enough damage that USAA 'totalled' the roof on our house so we negotiated a discount by having the same company do the roofs on both the house and the garage.  50 squares for the house and 38 squares for the garage.  Ouch.

Quick/Dirty 3D walk thru of the layout design....

I made this video about a month ago to give a 'feel' for the overall layout design....  It's ugly but it gives a basic idea of the layout design.

That's awesome, you have

That's awesome, you have really spoilt yourself there, well done.

"3D walk thru of the layout

  That's an awfully large space  for a double deck layout. Unless you have a large dedicated crew or want to make it your full time job I'd suggest simplifying the track plan to start. I built a 32 by 36 foot train building years ago and have partitioned off a little over  one third of it's area for a layout and it still seems like a lot to build when I go out and work on it. As one ages a simpler more open design often becomes more attractive..DaveB

Looks like you have a nice

Looks like you have a nice space and well thought out design. Should be lots of long runs and enjoyable modeling. A lot of the areas look like they will be uncomplicated and your layout looks capable of hauling some decent sized trains. Thanks for sharing.

It's not a double deck design....

It's actually a triple deck. 

I think I can have all the benchwork complete and mainline and staging track complete within 6 months from starting work on it.  Here's a link to an image showing the benchwork design: benchwork

My previous layout was much smaller and simpler and it showed me that I needed a much larger space and a multi-deck design to accomplish my goals.

...

That's the same size as my last club, and what they would give if the short dimension was just 4...8..10 feet more!!!

I think you have a nice railroad planned, it should go well.  It reminds me of a local layout in Tucson by the very talented Paul Chandler.

Great space!

Thanks for sharing all the construction photos.  I expecially enjoyed reading the captions.  I have never watched a similar project move thru all the steps leading up to turn-key.  Your explanations were very helpful to me.

I look forward to continuing updates.

Looking good

That is going to be a sensational layout if all the planning is as good as the building and computer plans. Be sure to put an alarm system in the building, it could be a tempting target. A question, how far is the longest reach you will have to make to get to that derailment that will never happen there spot?  Some spots look like a long reach, but it's hard to tell in the video .Looks like you have provided enough space between decks to allow access. I like how you have a great scenery to track ratio. Makes for a more realistic layout.

Keep us posted on your progress and enjoyed the photos of the building from the ground up. Looking forward to seeing your layout in some publications in the future. MRH first.

Train room is starting to

Train room is starting to take shape.

Wow!

Must be exciting times

Great!

Really enjoyed the virtual walk through! Can't wait to see the layout take shape in real life!

I noticed on the virtual tour that your track plan seemed to have a lot less track packed in to the given space than most of our plans do. I presume that's because you have some great scenery plans up your sleeve, or were you just showing the mainline, with other track yet to be filled in?

Thanks for all the great

Thanks for all the great comments/questions.

My previous layout had too much track and not enough room for scenery/structures so I am trying to not have that problem with the new layout. I plan to add additional service spurs/sidings as the layout design gets closer to 'complete' and I identify specific industries/locations serviced by the RR.  There is a 74 foot run where it climbs from the middle level to the upper level that will have no sidings/structures and it will be entirely focused on a mountain canyon climb with tunnels/trestles/etc.