Ogden & Cache Valley RR

[ReadingBob]

I'll simply repeat my earlier post - Wow!     This is something else.  Top notch work/craftsmanship plus you're moving along at speed I can't even begin to comprehend.   

[jimmillho]

I'll simply repeat my earlier post - Wow!     This is something else.  Top notch work/craftsmanship plus you're moving along at speed I can't even begin to comprehend.   

I would have to echo Bob's Words.  Great Job.

Jim

[PRR Modeler]

Incredible job.

[Onewolf]

I cut and placed the first piece of 3/4" plywood that will cover about half of the upper return loop.



After cutting and placing the second piece of 3/4" plywood.





A view of the space under the plywood for the upper level return loop track.  I will be adding additional support risers under the plywood on the left side.



I finally finished installing the 2ft carpet tiles in the center platform.



The center platform floor is about 16ft x 10ft (on one end) x 8ft (on the other end). And the helix/upper return loop Blob projects into the space by about 3 ft.

[S&S RR]

Very nice work!  This is going to be a great layout.  I'm enjoying watching it come together - great build thread.

[PRR Modeler]

You're doing an incredible job. I look forward to seeing your progress.

[Janbouli]

Haha, nice artistic carpets, love the colors, what a layout this will turn into.

[Onewolf]

Haha, nice artistic carpets, love the colors, what a layout this will turn into.

The color is called 'cheap'. 

[ak-milw]

I sure wish I was your plywood salesman, it looks fantastic so far

[Onewolf]

Starting to work on the wall panels that will complete the "room within a room" and the final upper level backdrops will mount to.



I have decided that I need to move the near end of the diagonal wall panel in about 2 1/2" to provide a smoother backdrop corner. This means I need to make additional cuts on both pieces of plywood.

[cuse]

Great work in all regards!


You could quit now and it would still be a shoo-in for the benchwork all-time greats award!! Can't wait to see the continued progress.


John

[Onewolf]

Great work in all regards!
You could quit now and it would still be a shoo-in for the benchwork all-time greats award!! Can't wait to see the continued progress.
John

Well as far as the amount of benchwork....  I had a very long 'Druthers' list and a very short 'Givens' list over the ten years I spent off and on designing the 'new' layout.  Since the layout was going to be located in a non-existent detached garage/workshop I had very little constraint on the size/shape of the layout. Over time I discovered that a three level mushroom design met my long list of  'Druthers' criteria and I eventually came up with a detailed enough design that I was able to design a detached garage/workshop to house the layout (and model workshop, woodshop, etc).

As far as construction of the layout my plan has been (and still is) to complete the structural benchwork/infrastructure as much as possible before doing anything other than basic track laying (like for instance terrain/scenery).  Because of the scale of the project I try to batch mode process as much as possible in order to find as much efficiency as possible.  The good news I'm almost complete with the benchwork/infrastructure projects. The remaining projects are:

• Building/installing platform and backdrops for the upper return loop
  Building the subroadbed/roadbed and laying the track for the Cache Valley Branch
  Building/installing the platform and backdrops above the lower return loop (City of Ogden)
  Enclosing the Helix

My goal is to have all that done by the end of April. At that point I plan to focus on:

• Installing the occupancy zone detection/display components
  Installing all the service tracks and spurs
  

The main classification yard and locomotive service terminal will be the final track project.  Hopefully I can get that done by the end of this year.  It's big chunk of $$$ for about 50 turnouts, turnout controllers, Tortoises, etc so I have to find a spot in the 'fiscal' budget for all those components.     Initially I can by with manual turnout control in the yard (Peco turnouts), but eventually I'm going to want to control them with Tortoises and toggle switches, etc.

[PRR Modeler]

Awesome work so far, I look forward to seeing your progress.

[Onewolf]

The view of the new wall panels above the upper return loop as you enter the layout room.



The new wall panels above the upper return loop. The 5mm door skin panels are noticeably more pink than the (faded) panels that have been installed for over a year. I will be painting all these panels the light beige room color eventually.



You can see all the risers supporting the plywood base (and wall panels) above the upper return loop.



The exposed half of the upper return loopand staging tracks.



I plan to install 3/4" foam on top of the 3/4" plywood.



It's ready for the 1/8" masonite backdrop panels to be installed.



The Atlas rerailers mark the 'foul point' clearance locations in the staging tracks. As long as locomotives/trains don't pass the rerailer they will not foul the turnout ladder/mainline.



After installing the 1/8" masonite backdrop panels with coved corners.





The backdrop is ready for the screws and seams to be spackled/faired/sanded/repeat.

[Janbouli]

You must love this song , whoever sings it.