Ogden & Cache Valley, Part II

[Onewolf]

I've been following along, Doug.  It's nice to see all the progress you're making.

A trip down memory lane.  Here's the SBG visiting your previous layout in Florida.

The new layout has very similar design to the previous one. The biggest difference is the new one does not have the upper level 'wings' like we were standing under in your photo.

[Onewolf]

I have not done much in the last several days, but I did install the wall support struts for the benchwork along the wall with windows and I removed the temp legs.



Here is the assortment of wiring I will be using.

12ga solid red/black for the track power bus.  The track will be driven by 4 Digitrax DB150s and one DB210.  These will feed 14 PSX breakers and 2 PSX-AR reversing breakers creating16 power districts.



12ga stranded yellow/orange for the layout lighting LED strip power bus.



22ga solid red/black for track feeders.



18ga stranded red/black for hooking up misc devices like NCE Switch turnout control, and RR-Cirkits occupancy detection modules.



And 12ga multi colored for occupancy zone track buses (like lower/upper return loops). This wire is CCA which is generally pretty crappy wire, but for short lengths with minimal current it works fine.  And having all the different colors is helpful when wiring 7 return loop/staging tracks.

[Onewolf]

I am continuing to work on lower level benchwork. Once I finish the lower level benchwork I will start on the middle level benchwork.  Barring significant interruptions from real work I think it should take another 2 months to finish the benchwork (lower, middle, upper).

So far I have reused 12 benchwork modules that I salvaged from the previous layout. I will reuse more on the middle level, but very few/none on the upper level.

[Onewolf]

I don't recall if I ever posted the Givens/Druthers for the layout. I also show the current loco roster.

Givens

• HO Scale
• DCC control
• Fit in the available basement space

Druthers

• Union Pacific (large investment in UP locos/rolling stock)
• Late 1950s Era - Plausible for large steam engines, Gas Turbine engines, First generation diesel engines
• Single track mainline
• Long mainline run
• 40" radius curves on mainline
• Ample space between 'towns'. I don't like having the front of train in town A while the rear of train is still in town B.
• Passenger train - station, service
• Continuous run possible
• One pass per scene
• 36+" wide aisles
• 32" max benchwork depth for lower level
• 24" max benchwork depth for middle level
• #8 turnouts where large locos must traverse
• #6 turnouts for yards, service spurs

Current Design

• 3 level mushroom
• Lower level is at 40" nominal (lower return loop is 36", city above lower return loop is 43")
• Middle level is at 60" (until the nolix which climbs to 80" for upper level)
• Upper level is at 80" obsolute, center platform is 28" so the upper level is at 52" relative.
• Almost all mainline curves are 40+".  Exceptions: 36" curve on lower level entering helix.  36" on upper level entering upper return loop
• 525 ft mainline between lower and upper return loops
• 1120 ft for full loop
• One train can run continuous without intervention
• Climbs 44" from lower return loop (36") to upper return loop (80")
• Climbs 51" from lower return loop (36") to upper city branch line (87")
• Narrowest aisle is 40", most are 46"-48"
• Deepest benchwork depth is 30"
• Freelance model of Ogden, Oregon Short Line, and Cache Valley Branch

Roster Info

Current Passenger Trains

• Union Pacific
•   (2) Lightweight (BLI E7A/E7A/E8B sound, Athearn Genesis F3A/B sound)
•   Heavyweight (BLI and Lionel Challenger Greyhound) sound
• Santa Fe Lightweight Warbonnet (BLI F7 A/B sound)
• Southern Pacific(2) Daylight - BLI E7A/E7B (sound), E7A/E7B(dummy) sound
• California Zephyr Denver Rio Grande & Western (Rapido PA1/PB1) sound
• California Zephyr Western Pacific (BLI F3A/F3B/F3B(dummy) sound

Current Loco Roster

Steam

• (2) Trix Big Boy (No sound) (getting sound installed very soon)
• Rivarossi Big Boy (No sound)
• (2) Lionel Challenger (sound)
• (2) BLI Challenger (sound)  on order
• (2) Rivarossi FEF 4-8-4 (No sound)
• (2) Athearn FEF3 4-8-4 (sound)
• (5) Proto 2000 2-8-8-2 (3 sound, 2 no sound) 3 will be UP, 2 will be Utah Railway
• (2) BLI 2-6-6-4 (Sound)
• (2) BLI 4-6-4 (Sound)
• Mantua 4-6-2 (No sound) Not sure the use case - Maybe excursion/heritage in 1957?

Diesel

• Sound
• BLI E7A/E7A/E8B sound - UP
• BLI F7 A/B sound - Santa Fe
• BLI E7A/E7B sound - Southern Pacific
• BLI E7A/E7B(dummy) sound - Southern Pacific
• BLI F3A/F3B/F3B(dummy) sound - Western Pacific
• Athearn Genesis F3A/B sound - UP
• Rapido PA1/PB1 sound - DRG&W

Non Sound - UP

Atlas Alco S-2
Atlas Alco S-2
Kato EMD NW2 Phase II
Kato EMD NW2 Phase II
Kato Alco RSC-2
Kato Alco RS-2
Kato Alco RS-2
Proto 2000 GP9
Proto 2000 GP9 II
Proto 2000 Alco FA1
Proto 2000 Alco FB1
Proto 2000 EMD SD7
Proto 2000 EMD SD7
Proto 2000 EMD SD7
Proto 2000 EMD E6A
Proto 2000 EMD E6A
Proto 2000 EMD E6A
Stewart Baldwin VO-1000
Walthers Mainline Alco RS-2

Non Union Pacific

Atlas Classic RSD-4/5 (Utah Railway 301)
Atlas Classic RSD-4/5 (Utah Railway 300)

Gas Turbine

• Athearn Gas Turbine Gen1 54 (sound)
• Athearn Gas Turbine Gen2 Veranda 61 (sound)
• Athearn Gas Turbine Gen2 Veranda 65 (sound)
• Athearn Gas Turbine Gen2 Veranda 71

[Onewolf]

And here are the locomotives that don't fit the era I am modeling (late 50s). They all have DCC decoders (no sound). I will be selling them eventually.  Let me know if anyone sees anything interesting. 

While the Atlas ACL GP7 fits era wise, an ACL locomotive would be awfully lost to end up out it Ogden. I bought it because my (ex) wife liked the Purple color. 

[Onewolf]

I finished the open grid 1x4 lower level benchwork that wraps around the outside of the center platform. I just have 2 more support struts to install. Much of the lower level will have 5/8" plywood and then 1/2" homasote or foamular rigid foam. I used homasote on the previous layout and it has a lot of positive attributes, but it was NOT flat and it required a lot of patching/leveling.  That's why I'm thinking about possible using 1/2 foamular instead.

I think I will start on the upper level benchwork next as I don't have any questions/issues as I have with the middle level benchwork. As a bonus the upper level benchwork is much smaller in size then the middle or lower level so I hope to knock it out quickly.

This is the narrowest aisle at 40" wide. The other aisles are 46"-48" (or wider).





This is where the mainline wraps around the center platform and then will enter the helix for the trip up to the middle level.

[elwoodblues]

That is some serious benchwork and well made to boot along with very colourfull carper tiles.

Looking forward to seeing the upper level built.

[Onewolf]

That is some serious benchwork and well made to boot along with very colourfull carper tiles.

Looking forward to seeing the upper level built.

The colorful carpet tiles are $0.49/sq ft.  It's the least expensive option I could find that is nice for walking on, crawling on, and easy to replace individual tiles when 'accidents' happen. Highly recommended.

[Onewolf]

Here are photos from the previous layout that show how the outside edge of the upper benchwork is supported from the ceiling with a 'wall' that drops from the ceiling.  These walls are built with 1x3s at the top and bottom and 2x2 in between.  There is a lip on the inside bottom formed by the 1x3 that the open grid benchwork rests on. The outside gets covered with lightweight 1/4" Luan plywood and the inside gets covered with 1/8" masonite/hardboard (backdrop).



And then with the Luan plywood installed on the outside. Eventually I painted these outside panels to the room wall color.

[Onewolf]

And then this photo shows the inside with 1/8" masonite painted sky blue with hazy clouds (as a first step for a backdrop).  Again, from the previous layout.

[Rick]

This looks like it will be an amazing layout and the benchwork is top notch.
I'll have to stop in regularly to check on the progress being made.

[ACL1504]

Doug,

If your current layout is anything like the one you had here, it will be fantastic. And, you don't have to remodel the kitchen and sell the house. 

I'm looking forward to your progress. So far, top notch work.

Tom 

[Philip]

Super open house floor plan and layout! I like the exposed ceiling joist and mechanics. Nothing like drywall dust raining down if something fails.

Enjoy the new chapter in your life!

Philip

[Onewolf]

I cut/installed the 3/4" plywood helix base pieces today. When I am ready to start building the helix I will put 16 riser blocks on the helix base. These riser blocks will establish the 4" rise for each revolution of the helix. There will be 4 1/2 revolutions to the top of the helix. I build the helix roadbed with overlapping 7/16 sanded plywood (so 7/8" thick).

I cleaned up and did some organization of the layout room this week.