On all fours.
starting to look like something.
Managed to get all the boxes completed this weekend and get the layout standing. Still more to do before I can move on, but at least it is finally up! Preparing accurate CAD drawings in advance really paid off, all the pieces fit together very well without a lot of effort, I simply cut all the parts carefully to the drawings and assembled it all. It was quite surprising how well it went, typically I would design and build at the same time, and always end up with difficulties along they way. Doing all the design carefully before cutting any wood made the process of construction much easier, leaving me time to focus on the quality of the work.
The sections fit together well although I definitely need the alignment clamps to keep the surface flat.
The surface of the water is 2″ below ground level, about 14 1/2′. This is a complete guess based on some prototype images. If it is too low, then its low tide, too high, then its high tide. That should solve that issue.
When I had the sections cut for the plywood top cut I also had the track plan drawn onto the sections to help with lining up all the trackwork. The lines on this section are a bit faint, but still work well to get the track in the right location relative to the rest of the terminal.
Our dog Bryn giving the benchwork a test. He barked, which I am going to interpret as good review.
On to Next Section
-Tim
About the Author:
I'm your host, Tim Warris, a product developer in Port Dover, Ontario. Since March of 2007 I have been documenting the construction of the former CNJ Bronx Terminal in HO scale. For my day job, I design track building tools for Fast Tracks, a small company I own and operate. Fast Tracks makes it fast and easy to hand lay your own trackwork. Stop by our website to learn more!
Posted by: Tim | 03-23-2008 | 10:03 PM
Posted in: Benchwork Construction | Latest Posts
Looks great Tim. Looks like it is all making sense. Wonderful work.
Looking good, can’t wait to see building up and tracks down, and the cars rolling around and around…
Kurt
Tim,
Although this is an american layout, I would suggest that in 2 years you get in touch with the organizers of Great British Train Show (Brampton) & see if there is space for it- it represents something that I have rarely seen in a US model, a “finescale” switching model. There appears to be far more in common with a P4 model than a typical Canadian/American model of vast expanses.
-besides, I’d love to see it, and are unlikely to, seeing how I live on the west coast!
James Powell
Your carpentry skills are second only to your trackwork skills. Will you be spiking the rail directly the plywood deck or will you be using a roadbed?
The trackwork will be glued directly to the layout surface.