Hey Dee

What's going on? That's some serious packing on Stonehammer and from the looks of it you ain't just moving across town. Anyway, I'm glad you are saving it......no dumpster for Stonehammer........

Major life change for the

Major life change for the better. More than across town; over 3600 miles.

Hi Dee: Keeping Stonehammer

Hi Dee:

Keeping Stonehammer will make it easy to build another railroad.

You've done great work on that little yard with its few industries, depot and turntable so all you'll need to add is a wye jct./mainline connection a bit distant and there's your new railroad.

All the best in the new location.

If you want to email me off line, regarding the move feel free.

Take care,

Barry 

Thanks for the kind wishes

Thanks for the kind wishes and words, Barry,

I do look forward to expanding Stonehammmer. Might have a little more real estate for it in late Autumn if all goes well; if not, for sure in 2021. In the meantime I have some motive power and rolling stock projects to complete. When I figure out what space I have, I will certainly look forward to you input on designing a new add on module for it.

I got a new email address so I'll contact you through MRH in order for you to be able to contact me.

Travel safe my friend

Hi D, Looking forward to new Stonehammer adventures when you get resettled....DaveB

If all goes well

Thanks DaveB,

If all goes well a wye might be in store for the additional module I have in mind for Stonehammer.

Before Stonehammer was taken apart.

 It was evacuated.

Stonehammer is still in

Stonehammer is still in storage. I put casters on it to make it easier to move when the time comes.

This will be its new room in the autumn.

Yannis came up with this track plan making the layout a temporary point to point one until a larger room is available.
 

I haven't come up with a name for the other destination, which will be a small fishing port.

I'm entertaining the idea of something looking like this with the tide out, but it would be a challenge to create such depth on a module.

I found some tables to put

I found some tables to put the modules on, as this will be an interim room for the layout.

I will not be drilling holes through them like I did on the other tables that used to support the modules. Instead, I'm going to create some sort of spacers with holes drilled into them for the wires especially the bus wire.

". . .with the tide out"

That's a tide. I hope you will further consider modeling the tide out. 

Hi Dee: Looks like a good

Hi Dee:

Looks like a good base for your modules and later a work table. I've been looking for something like that and wonder what the size is WxL  and where you purchased it?

BTW, I could attempt to come up with a wye plan in the corner instead of a second turntable at the intertchange yard if interested? Just let me know what the dimensions are for the bottom module and your tightest curve radius and I'll see what I can put together.

Take care, 

Barry

bkivey, indeed that is a

bkivey, indeed that is a tide. Modelling the wet textures of the mud, sand, and rocks would be fun and challenging.

Best wishes for tbis big change!

Many challenges and opportunities are ahead.

Hi Barry,I got the tables at

Hi Barry,

I got the tables at Costco. They are not as sturdy as the previous ones when set in their highest position; previous ones were less wobbly, which are no longer available, but should work if I have the modules tight up against the walls.

The table top is 4 feet X 2. Has adjustable height 24" to 34".

I'd love to see your wye plan for the corner. My smallest branch line loco needs at least 34 inch radius. The bottom module is 2 feet x 9 feet.

Where is that waterfront?

The only one I'm familiar with like that is alont the Bay of Fundy (The Maine end nearly matches this). 

I remember  a fishing town in Canada with a 40 foot tide... had a fishing boat tied to the pier... Really Tied to the pier. It was 30 feet above the mud!  I'd expect that's beyond your intentions.

Best of luck  with your move.

Peter,It's a pic I just

Peter,

It's a pic I just pulled; I think it is somewhere on the Nova Scotia side. I'd draw the line at 25 feet; a little compression-like doing so to speak, which is about 3.5 inches. I'll probably have to use two 2 inch pink foam boards for that module and drop the module accordingly with lower legs.

I might even start on that module before assembling Stonehammer, as things might get messy.

Dee

If anyone can pull off a great scene of a low tide it is you. I still have one of your photos emblazoned in my mind of track along a small beach with the high tide represented by the seaweed lines along the sand. It looked so much like the SP line near Santa Barbara that it blew me away.....seriously.

just found it

Thank you Rick. That was a

Thank you Rick. That was a fun inexpensive experiment. I sold that diorama a few months ago. Who knows; maybe someone someday might post it on a forum to show their motive power or rolling stock. I kind of miss it.

The editors liked it too, so much so they overlooked my description of what it depicted, and made the error of saying it was a place in California, when it actually was modeled after a Canadian eastern coastal scene. Oh well, ces't la vie.

 Hi Dee: I haven't had the

Hi Dee:

I haven't had the opportunity to draw up a wye for the other end of your railroad but looking at 34-36" radius for the curves (equal lateral wye) atleast one leg would need to stick out beyond the boundaries of your space. I figure the cure approaching the bridge/bay from Stonehammer woud need to curve quicker than shown on the drawing to get enough depth for the mainline to step into the aisle a second and provide enough room for one leg of the wye to extend up towards the inside corner. The second leg of the wye likely wouldn't need to be as sharp as the first to connect from the inside one down to the mainline again. 

With these parameters in view it might be hopeless...however there are four advantages to the use of a wye: One it eliminates a second,siding/run around track; two the main which would need to extend into the aisle could be made as a drop down and used only in operations; three a wye could provide more interesting scenic possibilities for a nice mainline jct for the branch and a stub to hold coaches or a doddlebug/RDC; and finally a wye module could easily be incorporated into a new, longer railroad with it being one end and Stonehammer the other with a bunch of your great scenery in between.

I haven't been able to draw up a plan for this idea because our scanner/printer is faulty and we expect to receive a new one this coming week. In the mean time if time I can I'll sketch up some ideas.

Your thoughts?

Take care,

Barry

Hi Barry, When you say

Hi Barry,

When you say "beyond the boundaries" do you meant the dimensions of the bedroom?

I would appreciate you sketching up some ideas, as Stonehammer will eventually find a home outside of a bedroom; hopefully in 2021.

The casters made it much

The casters made it much easier to move

Out of storage

and into its new room

Now just prepping to redo the wiring, i.e., bus wire and block wires. It should be easier to do it before I take the modules apart.

Looking into suitcase connectors instead of soldering.

Hi Dee: Good to hear from

Hi Dee:

Good to hear from you.

We finally, got a new printer so I can start sketching some ideas and scanning them for your viewing.

Regarding space I figure that in order to use a wye with 34"+ radius curves the mainline will need to come down from the benchwork about a foot more but only in about one place. The far turnout plus tailroom (track to hold longest locomotive/RDC, etc.) will also be about 3' + from the corner to the aisle so it likely would have to operated by a manual/automatic device or a spring switch. 

The main coming into the wye from the right will also likely require re-positioning of the bridge and maybe the bay/water scene. 

We'll be in touch.

Take care,

Barry

Hello dear Barry,I'm eager

Hello dear Barry,

I'm eager to see your ideas.

In the meantime, I'm tidying up the room Stonehammer will be in. Also leery about using suitcase connectors for wiring my feeds to the bus wire and feeds to the block wires, as it is new to me.

Good Morning Dee:Maybe you

Good Morning Dee:

Maybe you can send me the dimensions of all the bench work, modules, particularly, the bottom, shorter one and the connecting one to Stonehammer? I thought you had posted this previously but can't find it and the plan dimensions of the room are a bit too fuzzy for me to read.

I sketched out a wye over the second turntable but need dimensions to insure correct radius of curves. I figure your mainline radius to be 36" curves? Also, what's the longest piece of equipment you would need to turn on the wye to help figure the max. length of the tail? Longest steam locomotive, gas electric, RDC? 

Thanks, 

Barry 

Dee, attached are a couple of

Dee, attached are a couple of photos of a new, fold up, lite weight wye I have been working on. The radius of my wye legs are 26" which is way, too, sharp for your use but it gives you an idea for what I' am proposing for yours.

Take care,

Barry