The Atlantic and Southern Build Thread Continued, Part 2

[ACL1504]

Wonder if I'll be able to get my bubble level before layout construction begins?   

Chip,

You are definitely a level headed guy so I'm quite confident your bubble will be plumb when the time comes.




Tom

[ACL1504]

Tom,
          While building this top level of your layout, do you intend to cover the next lower level from dust, drips etc, or will you simply spend time trying to vacuum the crumbs particulates.  Thanx Thom...

Brother Thom,

NO, I plan to be extremely careful with the third level. So far so good. Except for these last to sections, all the third level bench work will be assembled on the center of the second level and then added to the third level.

Tom

[ACL1504]

Looking good, what you going to lite the lower level with?

Lynn,

Thank you, much appreciated. I'll be going over the lighting process in the coming week. Stay tuned.

Tom

[ACL1504]

Tom,


I think you should also thank the builder of the shed for making the walls so plumb. Just saying.


Frank / Erieman

Frank,

Although I did a decent job on the building, there are some places that are a little off. This of course threw me off on the dry wall as well.

The layout bench work had to be adjusted as I built around the walls to get the bench work level.

There are times I thank myself for having the talent to do it all myself but then also curse myself for not hiring a contractor to do all the work.


I laid all 1,463 of the 8X8X16 cinder blocks and mixed my own mortar. I used conventional framing for the roof, no trusses. I also poured my own slab.

Thank God, I'm to old to do it again.

Tom

[ACL1504]

Hi Tom:

As I've said on many occasion you have a beautiful RR. I always enjoy your photos. Keep em coming.

Karl

Karl,

You are to kind my friend, thank you. I'll have more in the coming days.

Tom

[ACL1504]

Not all tech writers are unclear and ambiguous.


Bob

Bob,

Okay, you got me. However, you and your lovely wife were not included in the group I referred to.

Tom

[ACL1504]

Let me know when you are ready for a stress test on the new section.....

Greg,

NOT ON YOUR LIFE MY FRIEND! IT JUST AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN.

Tom

[ACL1504]

Greg,

All is forgiven since it never happened. You are still a SBG in good standing.

Tom

Whewwwwwwwww.....that's a load off. 



You get one free pass and you already used it.

Tom

[jerryrbeach]

Tom,

Love that Sears saw.  That wheeled stand will be such an asset.  I'll be envying you every time I have to drag my table saw across the garage to make room enough for me to cut longer stock. 

I enjoy seeing your construction methods and how well thought out they are.  Supporting the upper level of a multi-level layout is definitely more challenging than building the bench work for a single level layout. 

[donatode]

Nifty, swifty solution there Tom.

Now, about Funeral for the Deceased Table Saw...........

Jim

Butty Jim,

Thanks very much my friend. The saw was on it's last leg.

Tom

Tom, hate to ask, but where did you hire the three short people to hold up the other three corners while you cut???

[ACL1504]

Tom,

Love that Sears saw.  That wheeled stand will be such an asset.  I'll be envying you every time I have to drag my table saw across the garage to make room enough for me to cut longer stock. 

I enjoy seeing your construction methods and how well thought out they are.  Supporting the upper level of a multi-level layout is definitely more challenging than building the bench work for a single level layout.

Jerry,

I used the saw this afternoon and LOVE it. Very quiet and the blade doesn't drift at all. I moved my old table saw back and forth, in and out for years. I finally just left it under the shed eave and covered it with a heavy tarp. Maybe this was the death nail for the saw but it was getting bad long before I left it out.

What i love about this one is the wheels and it also has a 24" adjustable table top.

Tom

[ACL1504]

Nifty, swifty solution there Tom.

Now, about Funeral for the Deceased Table Saw...........

Jim

Butty Jim,

Thanks very much my friend. The saw was on it's last leg.

Tom

Tom, hate to ask, but where did you hire the three short people to hold up the other three corners while you cut???

Donato,

When the other three legs went I hired three kids from the neighborhood to hold the three corners while I cut wood.

The three kids formed a union, wanted benefits and hazard pay for breathing saw dust. I fired all three and bought the new saw with two wheeled legs and two stationary legs and it loves eating saw dust.


Tom

[ACL1504]

I finished the south end section of the third level, framing only with no decking. I used the four foot level to check the level of the two sections. Yes, the bubble was center mass as we say at the range.



Notice in the next photo there are no holes drilled for the buss wires? Well, I just forgot to do this little yet very important task.



When this happens, this is what you get on the second level.



I want to thank my forum brother Thom, tct855,  for asking how I'm going to protect the second level during third level construction.  Everything was going great until that comment. It never fails and he caused My Murphy to enter the situation.

Don't call me, I'll call you.

Are you sure you don't know Greg? 

More in a few.

[GPdemayo]

I finished the south end section of the third level, framing only with no decking. I used the four foot level to check the level of the two sections. Yes, the bubble was center mass as we say at the range.



Notice in the next photo there are no holes drilled for the buss wires? Well, I just forgot to do this little yet very important task.



When this happens, this is what you get on the second level.



I want to thank my forum brother Thom, tct855,  for asking how I'm going to protect the second level during third level construction.  Everything was going great until that comment. It never fails and he caused My Murphy to enter the situation.

Don't call me, I'll call you.

Are you sure you don't know Greg? 

More in a few.

I object...............

[ACL1504]

I also worked on installing LED lighting for the second level.

I visited Onewolf, Doug Fletcher, and his fantastic Ogden and Cache Valley Railroad. Doug used two strands of LEDs to light his second level. He also has more space between his levels than I have on the A&S. He angled his from under the fascia at a 45 degree angle.

I tried this and it gave me to much of a shadow effect probably due to my mere 18 inches between the second and third level.

One Thursday afternoon, Reading Bob stopped by and we held up one string of LEDs and it looked good but gave shadows. The following Saturday, a real one, the Judge came over and we held up two strings and placed them in the center. This made all the difference in the lighting with no shadows.

I got the  LEDs from the Ebay vendor listed below.

16.4ft DC12V/24V 5M 2835/5050/3014/5630 300/600/1200LEDs Flexible Strip Light


More in a few.