The Atlantic and Southern Build, Part 1

[ReadingBob]

Miss placing a letter here and there is just part of the hobby - just like spending all that time looking for your tools. Time to go back in the layout room and look for my dremel.

That's why I have three dremels and a half a dozen or so X-Acto's.  It makes it easier to find one when I need it.   

I'm still in awe over this ovalix design.  It's got loads of potential.  I'm sure glad I don't have to wire it. 

[gnatshop]

Gman,
Thanks for stopping by and getting confused. Speaking of Candy, I haven't seen much of her over here.
Tom    

No problem in gettin' me confuzzed! 
I think that Candy is just lurkin' out there tryin' to either 1.) act shy and bashful! or 2.) act like she completely
understands how to navigate the ovalhicks !

[bparrish]

Ya have to wonder what the girl with the silver cup is all about.

Did she get the cup for successfully staging the train wreck?  or......... did she win the prize for being the sole person to walk away?  or .............  did she simply straggle up onto the track after last night's weird dress contest at the local grange hall?

No wait ! ! ! ! !  She's granny Frickert............. on the maternal side of the Ledbetters............

Staggers the imagination.

see ya
Bob

[ACL1504]

Ya have to wonder what the girl with the silver cup is all about.

Did she get the cup for successfully staging the train wreck?  or......... did she win the prize for being the sole person to walk away?  or .............  did she simply straggle up onto the track after last night's weird dress contest at the local grange hall?

No wait ! ! ! ! !  She's granny Frickert............. on the maternal side of the Ledbetters............

Staggers the imagination.

see ya
Bob

Bob,

I don't know the reason why but I think the girl was photoshoped into the train wreck. If you look closely at her right foot, she is not standing on the tie - she is standing above it!

Tom

[gnatshop]

Oh, chit!!! I just timed out and lost my post! 

Don't sweat the small shtuff!  The picture is just Candy with her trophy for bein'
the first one to make a run at the ovalhicks, albeit with p*&& poor results!
The floatin' foot is because this photo was taken around 'beer thirty'!   

Candy - this thread has proven to be your time in the barrel!
Ain't model railroaders wunnerful, sensitive friends? 

Particularly ones like li'l Tommy that lets us'ns have fun on his seruss thread! (BIG APPLAUSE SMILEY!)

[Erieman]

Okay, let's get back to the serious stuff. Tom, you and Greg have been quite busy with the design of the helix. Impressive for sure. I have to keep looking at it to see the traffic patterns. and then there is the electrical. WOW, are you going to need a lot of auto reversers!!! I like what I see so far.

Sorry for the delay in responding. Now that the temperatures are getting up there, I have spent the past three days cleaning, replacing components on two evaporative coolers, swamp coolers too many of you. They do a wonderful job and are very cost effective.

Tom, you certainly have thought it out and now comes the really hard part, the build. I look forward to seeing your ideas come to fruition. This is going to be one impressive corner.

Frank / Erieman

[ACL1504]

Miss placing a letter here and there is just part of the hobby - just like spending all that time looking for your tools. Time to go back in the layout room and look for my dremel.

John,

Missing a letter here or there is just like me missing a tool here and there. Sometimes it doesn't matter if I have 5 or 10 of the same thing, I seem to look for it one time or the other. It can be right in front of me and I don't see it.

My Mother told me one time, "Look slowly, you look but you don't see. See what you are looking for". When I do this, I always find my tools. Thanks MOM!

Tom

[ACL1504]

Okay, let's get back to the serious stuff. Tom, you and Greg have been quite busy with the design of the helix. Impressive for sure. I have to keep looking at it to see the traffic patterns. and then there is the electrical. WOW, are you going to need a lot of auto reversers!!! I like what I see so far.

Sorry for the delay in responding. Now that the temperatures are getting up there, I have spent the past three days cleaning, replacing components on two evaporative coolers, swamp coolers too many of you. They do a wonderful job and are very cost effective.

Tom, you certainly have thought it out and now comes the really hard part, the build. I look forward to seeing your ideas come to fruition. This is going to be one impressive corner.

Frank / Erieman

Frank,

Thanks for stopping by and posting your thoughts, much appreciated. You, Greg and I have all really put much consideration and time into the plans. The help you and Greg have given me has been invaluable and I learned alot. Thank you again!

The wiring will be a challenge but not impossible and thank God for auto reversers. As far as the actual build it will certainly be a challenge as well but again, not impossible. Quite honestly, I have been very diciplined in following the Principle of the Six P's - Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance!

Construction started this morning.

I'll be adding a little more in a few minutes.

[ACL1504]

Prior to building the base for the lower portion of the ovalix, I wanted to have a pattern to use on the other levels.

The first thing I did was to lay the plywood on the floor and fill the bump out area. Sorry I forgot to photo this step.

After doing this I found that my walls were not exactly square. The NW corner of the bump out was about 1/4" off and the SW corner was a little less than 1/2" off. This isn't going to affect the ovalix as it will be centered in the bump out. It does however, affect how flush the plywood fits to the corners.

I purchased several cardboard squares from Sam Flax and placed them over/on top of the plywood while fitting them to the walls.





After totally covering the plywood, I checked the cardboard for alignment and then taped them in place.



Once satisfied with the cardboard in relation to the walls, I began to think in terms of applying Gregs dimentions to the cardboard. For your convenience, I've attached the Benchwork Dimentions below.



Following the dimentions, I marked off the centerlines and drew in the 31 3/4" radius This is the intermost black circle as shown above. The dark line represents the inside edge of the ovalix. This is the black line shown on the cardboard in the photo below.



I hope to have the track centerlines drawn on the cardboard within the week.

[ak-milw]

Hey Tom, seeing that the ovalix is surrounded by three walls are you going to be able to get inside of it incase of trouble?

[ACL1504]

Hey Tom, seeing that the ovalix is surrounded by three walls are you going to be able to get inside of it incase of trouble?

Andy,

Yes, the lower level/Level 1 will be 30" above the floor. I'll be able to get in from the front and clean track or fix any problems if necessary.

Tom

[ACL1504]

I got a lot of work done this afternoon on the ovalix. I drew in the outer circle of the ovalix onto the cardboard.


The width between the two black lines is 4 1/2". This gives me a solid 3" on  center which allows 3/4" wide ovalix supports on each edge. Cutting on the inner black line I removed the belly of the beast as seen below.



I then used a black marker to mark this inner line onto the plywood. Also at each area where the cardboard fits together, I marked the pattern with A-A, B-B and so on in the event the cardboard comes apart. Using the A-A I can tape it back in the correct location. This oval shaped cardboard section will serve as a pattern for cutting multiple bases for the ovalix.



Continued in an hour or so.

[ACL1504]

In the following picture you can see the inner ovalix pattern has been cut out and is folded in the belly of the beast.



The lines were marked on the plywood. I'm now ready to cut the plywood.



Fast forward and you see that I cut the ovalix pattern out and is on the inside of the plywood. You can see I'll have plenty of room on the inside of the ovalix to be able to clean track or make any repairs/adjustments as needed.



I'll next start building the benchwork for the decking of the lower level and ovalix base.

[GPdemayo]

Atta Boy Tom !!!

[ACL1504]

Atta Boy Tom !!!

Gregory,

Without your Cranial Attitude Dysfunctional (CAD) drawings I couldn't have pulled it off. Or should I say "cut it out"!

Thanks brother.

Chomping at the bit Tom