You're a brave man…

…James!

Those GP38s are dangerously positioned to become Thomas' playmates on the floor. D'oh!

Like the looks of the Ikea based benchwork

James:

I like the looks of the Ikea benchwork base.  It seems that even the 2x3 (as opposed to 2X2) legs I buy warp.

I would think the Ikea Ivar legs would not.

A question, if I may:  Are your magazine racks homebuilt or commercial?

Looking forward to following your progress.

Magazine Storage

The magazine racks are made by Safeco. I picked them up from Amazon when they were on sale, but the price seems to have gone back up. The Ivar shelves were modified to fit to the magazine racks, so that it (hopefully) all looks built-in.

There's a clear understanding that the Geeps are "daddy's trains", and we don't touch unless we ask first. However, I've got future plans to better secure them from curious hands.

James

Multiple Sections

It appears that the benchwork consists of three sections.  Will these be joined for a continuous operation, or will these be separate areas?

Linked-Up Vignettes

Joined for continuous operation. The section gaps are in front of the electrical panel and at the entrance to the mechanical/laundry room.

Full plan is available here.

James

Well, that breaks the "design

?

Not sure I'm following you Jim. The track plan has already been designed and the benchwork is being built to match.

James

Lookin’ good!

Looks like good progress James.  I’m following with interest - your last layout was excellent and I’m guessing this one will be too.

Nice...

I look forward to watching it develop. Gonna be a great layout. 

Randy

Looks Like a Plan

Thanks, James.  I'll have to read through the other thread to learn better what you're planning.  Looks like you're off to a good start.

Do ya think you might want a runaround track (siding) near Main?

I enjoy looking at the great concepts and layout plans that can be obtained using an around the walls or "shelf" type layout... so much variety. And what most of us have to work with spacewise and incentive / time wise to work on.

One question.....would a runaround track or siding be welcome on the "top" of your trackplan, that is, in the vicinity of the Main Street crossing, in front of the Hills Grain & Feed, and Ballpark area?  Otherwise, to serve the stuff on that section of the layout, you'll need to make long shove from the runaround between East 1st and 3rd Sts…. since if you want to runaround your train, the long spur at the Grain & Feed will have to be empty or pulled out to get around.  I don't know if IAIS uses "shoving platforms" like some roads do, or perhaps you plan to send the trains out there with a unit on each end, which is also prototypical. 

Looks like you could "squeeze" one more track parallel to the main track in that area, maybe by extending your sub roadbed out another 3 or so inches over the edge of the benchwork.  I realize that you'd want to keep all that nice industrial clutter of silos and tanks in, and also the nice scenery fronting the whole edge there......so adding a track would need some more real estate, albeit just 2-4 inches.

Just a thought.  I realize you won't be using cabooses, but on the prototype, the crews hate hanging on the sides of cars for a long distance, especially thru those overpasses and across that bridge. I haven't read anything about the ops plan for that side of the layout...maybe the IAIS has it all figured out by the way they do it now!

Anyway, love the IAIS scheme and you've got a great layout planned that will keep a few operators busy as hoggers and condrs/brakeman.  Looking forward to follow the progress.  A good way to start out the New Year, eh?

Pat Flynn
Leland, NC
Facebook page for my SP-WP-SN Layout:   Three in the Heat

Ahah- I found your FULL blog on the layout. Now bookmarked

And I'll have to start reading it from the start a bit later on today.

Accurate to Prototype

The track plan is accurate to the prototype Hills Line. Adding track willy-nilly is a sure path to failure.

James

Accurate to prototype...

Amen!  Harumph!  Here here!  Somebody fetch him an ale, I like the cut of his jib!  

Randy  

Looks good! What height are

Looks good! What height are those Ivar units?

You Can Find This on ikea.com

Ron:

https://www.ikea.com/au/en/catalog/products/70192840/

At Ikea.com, you can select Australia.  This is 49 inches (124 cm) high and shows at $17 Australian dollars, I think.

The map shows there is an IKEA in Melbourne.  I've been looking at the same system to use in Kansas City, USA.

Haven't bought it yet as I have to clean up my area first.  Also, must give all credit to James McNab, as without this thread, I would never have thought of it.  I used 48 inch 2x3 on my trial section, but one of the additional 2x3 I bought warped before I could even use it.  I think this system will work better.

Let’s Say 52

As Chuck mentioned, the legs are 49 inches high. With the L-Girder and planned foam roadbed my final rail height will be 52 inches... give or take.

James 

I’d already looked at IKEA site.

I’d already had a look at the IKEA website, and am well aware of the local stores. One of them is relatively close to home. $17 is for the 30cm (12”) units. The 50cm deep units are $25. Then add in $5 for the stabiliser straps. But still, saves having to measure, cut, throw out because you measured wrong, remeasure and recut. But maybe that’s just me. I’ve actually already built some becnshwork, which didn’t turn out too bad, but I might consider redoing the legs using Ivar down the track. I might even get around to documenting the build here on the forum. But I’ll be following your build.

Iowa River to Lift out

James,

I am curious about the Iowa River leading to the lift out in the corner. Do you have a sketch or can you explain how that'll work?  I am under the impression that it will "disappear into a backdrop. How do you plan to have that go? I have a similar design problem and looking for insights from others on it. Thanks to you, and several others like Closet Branch, Lance Mindheim and Ton Johnson I have greatly cut back what I had planned and the spaghetti bowl I had created. 

Iowa River Answers

Let me try to verbally sketch this out.

The truss bridge over the Iowa River does not actually punch through the backdrop. Rather the backdrop slightly curves to meet the edge of the bridge and abutment. You can see the planned setup below...

The entire rationale for the curved backdrop was to block the electrical panel from "normal viewing" on the layout, and also allow for photography of trains on the bridge without having to airbrush in a backdrop after the fact. Think of the backdrop in this area as more of a proscenium arch.

To support the lift-out on the river side, I'll install a small riser and cleat in line with the bridge. The liftout will then rest on it and a similar setup on the Hills benchwork section.

Make sense?
James