Erie Lackawanna
Railfan.net 'erielack' E-Mail List Photo Archive

DSC_7208_resize.jpg   Original: 1053 by 700 pixels - Current: 1053 by 700 - 100%
                          Try your mouse wheel too!

Previous Image - DSC_7207_resize.jpg DSC_7209_resize.jpg - Next Image

From: "Tupaczewski, Paul R \(Paul\)" paultup AT alcatel-lucent DOT com
Date: Tue, 2 Dec 2008 14:26:52 -0600
Subject: Layout progress
"DSC_7208_resize.jpg" - image/jpeg, 1053x700 (24bit)

Hi folks,

In-between a lot of family activities over this past Thanksgiving Day
weekend, I finally bit the bullet and started layout construction on my
1975-era EL Boonton Line. Attached is what I got accomplished over a
token few hours. What you're seeing here is the "anchor point" of the
layout - specifically, Port Morris, NJ. In reality, it's only the east
end of Port Morris - the west end is where those five studs leaning
against the wall are. The two leaning studs on the perpendicular wall in
the distance represent the boundary between Port Morris and Lake
Hopatcong. The piece of plywood on top is only temporary - I wanted to
get a feel for what trains would look like here, so I had to indulge
myself. :) Formally, I will be putting up Masonite spline subroadbed
on risers here, with homasote for roadbed on top - so the track base
will be a good 2" higher than the plywood piece shown here. Nice
eye-level running here, but for those vertically-challenged, this is the
highest part of the layout. The run east out of Port Morris is downgrade
pretty much all the way to Little Falls, NJ. The track will drop in
elevation by ~18" over that distance (roughly speaking, that's over a
track length of 134 feet, so it's an average 1.1% grade). It will then
climb back up to Great Notch (25-1/2 feet away, climbing 7" for a grade
of 2.2% - a little steeper than the prototype, but more exciting for
operation!). Lastly, it will descend to Croxton Yard with a pretty steep
grade of 1.8%. But that's looking WAY into the future! :)

If you're interested in the benchwork, read on, otherwise press "DELETE"
:)

I decided to hang the layout off the block wall in our unfinished
basement. To save valuable inches (really!), instead of formally
studding out the walls and putting up drywall, I instead am using
concrete anchors to put 5/4"x3" spruce studs on the wall, laying flat to
conserve space. I painted the block a sky blue color ("Wild Blue Yonder"
to be specific) to brighten up the room, then drilled holes in the
concrete for Tapcon anchors. Two of them are all that is needed to
anchor the studs very securely. I've cantilevered the joists off the
sides of the stud, bracing them more with a longitudinally-running 1x2
L-girder, and adding occasional 45-degree supports. The outside edge of
the joists also have a 1x2 L-girder to give dimensional stability to the
structure - it creates a stiff "box" type of frame that prevents lateral
sway of the joists.

Why so minimal on the supports? My workbench is being mounted under the
tracks here (that's what the horizontal 2x3 attached to the studs is
for, to support the back of the bench), and I needed a clear space here
for the tool pegboard as well. Since the joints are both glued and
screwed, it is EXTREMELY stable. I put a 50-pound weight on top and the
structure didn't budge. I was once told by someone that "people tend to
overbuild their benchwork," and now I believe it!

Next step - put up the rest of the studs and finish up the Port Morris
benchwork before moving west to put up the staging yard. Yahoo! :)


Future progress photos will follow.... comments and suggestions welcome!

- Paul


DSC_7208_resize.jpg

Image EXIF Data:
Image Creation Date   2008:12:01 23:48:48
Image Capture Date   2008:12:01 22:50:18
Image Digitized Date   2008:12:01 22:50:18
Make   NIKON CORPORATION
Model   NIKON D70s
Exposure Time   1/60 Sec.
Aperture   f3.5
Focal Length   18mm
35mm Focal Length   27mm
Metering Mode   Center Weighted Average
Exposure Bias   0 EV
Exposure Program   Program Normal
Light Source/White Balance   Automatic
White Balance   Auto White Balance
White Balance   AUTO
White Balance Adjustment   0
Flash   Flash Fired; Return Light Not Detected; Auto Mode;
X Resolution   300 Pixels/Inch
Y Resolution   300 Pixels/Inch
YCbCr Positioning   Center of Array
Sub-Second Creation Time   70
Sub-Second Capture Time   203
Sub-Second Digitized Time   70
Exif Image Width   1053 pixels
Exif Image Height   700 pixels
Exposure Mode   Auto Exposure
EXIF Version   0221
FlashPix Version   0100
Sensing Method   Single Chip Color Area Sensor
Compressed Bits Per Pixel   4
Max Aperture Value   f3.4
ColorSpace   sRGB
Component Configuration   YCbCr
Digital Zoom Ratio   1x
Scene Capture Type   Standard
Gain Control   None
Contrast   Soft
Saturation   Normal
Sharpness   Normal
Subject Distance Range   Unknown
Nikon Version Number   0210
ISO Equivalent   400 (0)
File Format   FINE
Sharpening   AUTO
Focus   AF-S
Flash Mode   NORMAL
Flash Metering mode   Built-in,TTL
Software Version   ACD Systems Digital Imaging
Image Adjustment   AUTO
Lens   18-70mm f3.5-f4.5
Focus Position   Center
Flash Type   SPEEDLIGHT
Noise Reduction   OFF


Click Here or on the corner X to close this window.


    All photos are the property of the original photographer unless otherwise noted and are to be used for personal viewing purposes only.

    The use of these photos on any website or other distribution media is strictly forbidden without the express consent of the image copyright holder.

    Linking directly to this page is permitted as long as "Railfan.net Erie Lackawanna Email List Photo Archive" is creditted on the linking page.