Congrats!

A nice milestone, worthy of a golden finishing nail ceremony perhaps?

Thanks Ken

I'm not sure the golden spike/nail moment is here just yet but it's close. Most likely when I get the tracks for the mine laid or when they actually make it to closet staging. As soon as I figure out where they come through the wall then that last bit of benchwork should be relatively easy to construct.

Well... not so fast

Upon initial assembly of the "must have" mine, it is going to take more space than I realized and my last " must have" bridge is not going to fit where I want. Time for a bit of trackplan and benchwork revision but I think it will be a good thing in the end because I envision even more dramatic scenery than I thought before. A little work but worth it. To that end, I just bought the first new handsaw I've had in years. I don't want to use a power saw to alter benchwork with track and scenery nearby.

Gotta do what ya gotta do

So the Pola kit version of the  Jack Work Mine has been going together well and its a wonderful structure. I've wanted this thing since I was a kid and I haven't been disappointed especially since my net cost for it was on the order of six bucks. I've done some light weathering as I go and there's still work to be done before  a good coat of dullcote is in order. The main roof is assembled in place but not fastened as I'm debating installing narrow gauge track.

The problem, as mentioned above, is that it's way bigger than I realized and I can't get the bridge I have plans for in front of it so if I want that bridge, and I do, it has to go somewhere else. Somewhere else turns out to be just to the right of the new benchwork area where I had planned a single spur small industry but it was never decided on. I'm going to have to lower a previously built area. No biggie, I love the challenge and since I can visualize what I want and need to do fairly easily, I'm not shy about hacking away. My benchwork isn't going to win any fine furniture awards anyway. I've already removed a turnout that needed to have the points spring fixed anyway and I've got to cut in a turnout for the mine just to the left of the tree.

I'll get the turnouts in and some new plywood sub roadbed for the spur installed and then start lowering the area in front.

I'm crazy, brave, stupid or all of the above

Well, the crazy part is a given and I've been known to be pretty brave. I certainly don't think I'm stupid but who knows with the picture below. I now have risers, subroadbed  and track attached to joist either precariously supported or hanging in midair. Just to the right is a two part epoxy resin pond that I don't want to crack or otherwise mess up. I did get the one turnout I needed to cut into existing trackage installed and repaired the point spring on the other. Then I decided it was now or never and set about to lower the benchwork. More to come...

Love It!

Not only the kit, but the steps in revising the plan and benchwork. 

A more stable environment

Well, so far so good. The joist are cut back and a new header board is installed. The hand saw is hell on the carpal recovery but oh well, time for an Aleve. Still to go is the lower framework but that should go relatively easy as it can be cut outside with the power "chop saw". I'm more and more glad this worked out as it did. There will be some additional area for the mine now that I don't have to try and shoehorn the bridge in front and below it and the bridge and gorge scene is going to be quite dramatic especially for a "shelf" layout. The whole track arrangement for the mine is better too. I sacrificed one small industry and spur but I have plenty of switching to do elsewhere on the pike.

Hand saws

Looks like good progress although I don’t quite have a picture of what the final plan is.

Not sure what kind of handsaw you have, but a Japanese pull saw might be easier on the carpal tunnel than a more traditional pistol grip push saw.

Luckily the hand sawing is

Luckily the hand sawing is over. As soon as it warms up a bit here I will be outside cutting the remaining pieces with the chop saw. I basically just took a two foot wide section of benchwork that is 39 inches long and split it length wise. The back half remains at the same level and the front half  will be dropped 12 &1/2 inches to accommodate the height of an ME Tall Steel Viaduct which I may build box stock or add to and embellish in some way. I will decide that later. The bridge track is the lower of two tracks and will head straight into closet staging. The upper track required a couple of turnouts to accommodate three tracks for the mine. Two of those tracks may or may not continue into the closet depending on space considerations for forming a runaround. I keep thinking i will fire up SCARM and get around to posting the much updated final trackplan but I have so many projects going along with starting to gear up for spring around the house and lot that it's hard to find the time. I guess I could quit yapping on here so much!

Pretty much done

A few little odds and ends left to go but the revision is pretty much done now. It's going to make this section of "McClanahan Gorge" quite a dramatic scene. I think Bill would approve. Next will be cutting subroadbed and risers and putting down roadbed and track for the mine before the track finally dives into the closet staging (yet to be built)  or as it's known for story and operational purposes "Fugate". The bridge itself is still in it's shrink wrapped box too so I guess a long plank will be in order for now but I'll probably build it soon as I can't wait to get started on the scenery! Thanks for following along!

Parting shot

I'm going to wrap up this part of my blog with one final shot to try and give some overall context to what the original intent was and then the modification decided on. The benchwork holding the mine probably never had to be lowered like it is but I had thought there would be room to run my lower track on a bridge in front of it. Once the mine kit was built enough to realize my miscalculation, it was a done deal. Better planning on my part would have avoided the issue but I think in the long run it worked out for the best. I sacrificed a single spur and small industry to get what, in my estimation and creative vision, is going to be a spectacular scene. The area under the mine will allow me to have that much longer hidden staging if I want and will be a great place for a storage cabinet. That idea is obvious when looking at the picture. It will also provide a nice place for a small panel indicating occupancy and what not for the staging in the closet which is immediately to the left  of the picture. I don't know if there are any new guys or beginners out there reading this blog but if there are I can tell you to never be afraid to change something even if it means hacking up existing scenery and/or benchwork. Model Railroading can be a very forgiving thing in many respects. It doesn't forgive when locos and rolling stock hit the floor but that's another story. Once again, i appreciate those of you who take the time to read my blog and follow along.