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BurleyJim
Fireman
USA
4824 Posts |
 Posted - 04/29/2017 : 09:08:19 AM
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James, the part-time Renaissance man.  Looking good!
Jim |
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jbvb
Fireman
USA
6083 Posts |
Posted - 05/02/2017 : 5:52:41 PM
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Jim, I wouldn't go that far, but I do aim to be a generalist.
With the drawbridge stalled, I went back to the Downtown Newburyport peninsula. Sunday afternoon was checking my CAD drawing against reality (surprise, surprise they're different) and making sure I could build it in a practical envelope. Monday I built the support frames and with Mieke's help got the L girders attached and into position. My hardware store offered me Spax construction screws as substitutes for Robertson square drive. But their modified Phillips heads still make Phillips bits cam out.[:-headache]
Because the peninsula is too big to leave the room in one piece, I've designed the track and scenery as three modules supported by the L girders. I will saw the profile board edges from plywood and frame the middle of each as open grid with plywood subroadbed and hardboard streets. I hope I have the details worked out before the next spell of rainy weather. |
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deemery
Fireman
USA
7961 Posts |
Posted - 05/03/2017 : 08:08:22 AM
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All the contractors working on my house have moved to Spax/Torx star drive screws. I still have a bunch of Robertson square drive screws I smuggled from Canada :-)
The next spell of Rainy Weather is the big storm coming Friday.
dave |
Modeling 1890s (because the voices in my head told me to) |
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jbvb
Fireman
USA
6083 Posts |
Posted - 05/06/2017 : 10:58:11 PM
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Dave, as it turned out the rain didn't really start Friday until we'd inspected and tinkered with 600 yards of track up at Seashore. So the layout work waited till evening:
Mieke, my son Frank and I cut a sheet of 1/4" birch plywood into strips Thursday afternoon, while his birthday pork roast was in the oven. Friday night and today, I partly assembled the first of three modules that will sit on the L girders. This one will support the Pond St. Freight House track and State and Pleasant Streets. The inland portion of the City RR will be to the left, and the Market Square/Waterfront module will be closest to the camera.
Since I took this photo, I've been transferring data from the plan and marking cut lines on the plywood profile boards. I'm expecting to have to take each of them apart again to cut the sides down, but I'll make a quick trial of my saber saw and a fine blade first. If the vibration is manageable, I'll glue the ends in place. I'll also try adding the 1/2" plywood subroadbed for stiffness.
The Spax screws turn out to be usable with a Robertson square driver. They aren't quite as cam-out resistant as regular Robertson screws, but I can put much more torque on them with my hands than my drill-driver can manage. Next time I'm in the hardware store, I should see if they have a square drive hex bit. I would probably have to make my own square shank bit for my brace... |
Edited by - jbvb on 05/06/2017 11:18:05 PM |
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wvrr
Fireman
6494 Posts |
Posted - 05/09/2017 : 1:13:27 PM
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James, I didn't realize you had room for a peninsula up there! Nice job!
Chuck |
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Orionvp17
Fireman
USA
6893 Posts |
Posted - 05/09/2017 : 3:19:49 PM
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Love it when a Plan comes together!
Nice progress, James! That green glow in the western sky is envy! Please keep the photos coming!
Pete
in Michigan |
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jbvb
Fireman
USA
6083 Posts |
Posted - 05/09/2017 : 6:20:54 PM
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Chuck, my plan shows peninsulas in each end of the attic, but their trackage is stub-end; no room for a turnback curve. The north (rural) end is downtown Newburyport, under construction. The southern peninsula will begin with a wye leading to a branch to oil terminals, with gestures toward real-world fuel unloading piers in Beverly, Salem and Chelsea/East Boston.
Here you go, Pete:
Being retired, I can afford to do this old-school (as in how I learned at the Tech Model RR Club): the roadbed is 1/4" pine lattice stock, nailed and glued to 1/2" plywood subroadbed. It's ready for puttying to fill the cracks, then sanding, then ties. The module frame itself needs one more crossmember in the triangle closest to the camera, then I will lay out the elevations on the profile board sides and cut them down as necessary.
Then I'll start on the City RR/South End module to its left. I was a North End kid, but I have some South End friends who'll help me get it right.
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Edited by - jbvb on 05/09/2017 6:27:32 PM |
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Orionvp17
Fireman
USA
6893 Posts |
Posted - 05/09/2017 : 6:36:15 PM
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Like.
Pete
in Michigan |
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miekec
New Hire
49 Posts |
Posted - 05/09/2017 : 9:45:52 PM
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| Nice progress, good to see those strips in use. Let me know if/when you need 2 extra hands. |
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Frank Palmer
Fireman
USA
5490 Posts |
Posted - 05/10/2017 : 1:50:16 PM
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| Humm, lots more real estate. |
Frank |
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Grubes
Crew Chief
USA
606 Posts |
Posted - 05/14/2017 : 9:58:56 PM
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Always great to be able to expand. I look forward to watching development of the new area.
Dave
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jbvb
Fireman
USA
6083 Posts |
Posted - 05/14/2017 : 10:52:07 PM
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Thanks, Pete, Mieke, Frank and Dave. The fun parts of Friday and Saturday involved 1:1 trolleys and trackwork (the less fun was driving a lot and dealing with my former tenants and the mess they left). Today it rained all day, so I stayed dry working on the layout:
The basic carpentry for the first module was complete, so I spent the morning with four different levels and pencil, laying out the profile I need on the 1/4" plywood side pieces.
Without roads, scenery or structures, it was an easy 1-person job to lug the 2' x 8' module to my wood shop. I used a saber saw to cut the profile, then cleaned the cuts up with a plane. Because I was in sawdust country, I got out the orbital sander to smooth out the pine lattice stock roadbed.
I brushed the sawdust off, brought it back upstairs and screwed it into place. I hope it won't go back down the stairs till I'm gone. Next came laying ties. I'll sand them tomorrow after the glue dries, then contour the ballast slope, stain the ties and ballast it all. If I'm diligent, rail might start to appear before next weekend. |
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MarkF
Engineer
USA
13728 Posts |
Posted - 05/15/2017 : 4:08:44 PM
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| Wow, great progress James! Looking good. |
Mark |
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Orionvp17
Fireman
USA
6893 Posts |
Posted - 05/15/2017 : 5:19:32 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by MarkF
Wow, great progress James! Looking good.
What Mark said!
Congratulations!
Pete
in Michigan |
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Frank Palmer
Fireman
USA
5490 Posts |
Posted - 05/15/2017 : 7:29:38 PM
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| No fair, you have a huge workshop. |
Frank |
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Topic |
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B&M Eastern Route progress