Benchwork

After several months of tackling other household projects and some basement finishing, I’ve finally been able to start construction of the layout!

One of the first things I did was to start preliminary design of a suspended loop for the upper level to ascend into staging. Why a loop vs a helix? The upper benchwork height will be 61” at the “northern” end and I cannot place overhead staging higher than 72”due to ductwork. If I partially hide a track on the upper level I can build staging in a separate room without overhead obstacles and the upper level drops to 57”, maximizing scenic space. This may potentially add extra run to the layout and potentially be able to model a little bit more of the KY&N north of Grantsville. I started by establishing the center point and then protracting the circle so the loop would provide a track radius of 36”. Later, I used a plumb bob to mark reference points on the floor joints above.

Drawing outer limits of the lower level helix and upper level loop.

I reused old sections of 3/4” plywood cut into curved panels and fastened them to the floor joists so that the all thread suspending the upper level loop has a firm structure to be bolted to.

Plywood support for suspending the upper benchwork and loop.

Finally, I started building the first level benchwork as well as lower staging access and staging yard.

Lower level benchwork in progress.

Access to staging narrow shelf construction.

Entrance to lower level staging.

Lower level staging benchwork progress.

Setting the Benchmark! (Or at least the height)

Pending the sale of our old house, I am getting close to starting benchwork construction. First, new electrical in basement needs finished, then new lighting. I’ve made some more changes to my track plan and now have two different plans to go with depending on the benchwork height considerations.

I have been experimenting with heights for several days now with a temporary set up in the basement. I may have settled on something that might work. The bottom level would have the main classification yard and staging, with the middle and upper levels having the rest of the mainline run. In the attached pictures, the heights are set at 28”, 45” and 62”, with about 14” between levels using 1x4 framework.

If I use 1x3 lumber, I can buy a couple inches and drop the top deck down 1-2 inches as well as adding to the space between levels. I stand 5’-11” and 62” at the top (30” deep) is quite comfortable if most of the track work is kept within 24” from the face. I may still make more adjustments, but I think I’m really close to settling on the standard benchwork heights (variations of elevation around the layout, of course).

My reach at the 62 inch height

Reaching into the lower level