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| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| MarkF |
Posted - 06/13/2009 : 01:01:11 AM
I have finally decided to start this thread and share with you my experiences building my new PRR Northern Division layout. As some of you may recall, I tore down my old layout about two years ago when I decided it was time to sell my old home and move into a smaller house. (Pictures of the old layout can still be seen on my website) As painful a decision as that was, luck was with me as I found a house with a larger basement! I drove my real estate agent nuts as I was very insistent that the new house have a large, deep, dry basement! This limited my choices to some extent, but the search was well worth it! And oh, by the way, I do love the house that sits atop this basement!
The new basement is 32’ by 24’. A newly built walled off area now conceals the heater/AC unit and hot water heater, and creates a storage room that will also house the staging yard. This still leaves a 32’ by 18’ area dedicated to the layout itself! Best of all, the basement is deep; the finished suspended ceiling will be 6’10” off the floor, a luxury to us taller railroaders!
Although this layout will be larger, it will incorporate the same elements as the old layout; the PRR Northern Division mainline, this time from Selinsgrove Junction to just north of Northumberland Yard, as well as three branch lines; the Wilkes-Barre line, the Shamokin Secondary track and the Selinsgrove Secondary track. It will feature interchanges with the Reading RR in Shamokin, the Lehigh Valley RR in Mount Carmel, Pa., and Wilkes-Barre, Pa., along with the Delaware & Hudson and CNJ, also in Wilkes-Barre. The biggest difference is that in addition to the foot print of the layout being nearly 50% bigger, this layout will also be double decked, so in essence, it will be almost three times the size of the last layout! While I am an operations nut, and the layout is planned for operations, I plan to better utilize that additional space for scenery and structures and avoid crowding the layout with too much track.
The lower level will be dedicated to the mainline run from north on Northumberland Yard to Selinsgrove Jct., as well as the Selinsgrove Secondary track. The second level will be dedicated to the two other branch lines; the Shamokin Secondary and the Wilkes-Barre branch, including Buttonwood Yard. Each branch line will emerge from the helix (located approximately mid-way around the layout) and run in opposing directions. Therefore, no two tracks will share the same scene. And before anyone asks me, no, I do not have a ‘track plan’ other than the one in my head. I’m great at doodling, but when it comes to an actual scale plan, well, it’s in my head! Eventually I will most likely do one, and will definitely sketch areas such as the yard as I go. This is the way I build! Sorry guys, I know I’m breaking some rules here, but it’s worked for me in the past so I’m going with it this time around too!
Visual progress has been slow to this point. I moved into the house in mid-January, but of course I spent a lot of time settling in. Work has been hectic, and on top of that, my son recently got married, but now with all of that out of the way, I hope to make steady progress. Bruce (SteamNut) and Rick (Harsco) have been instrumental in helping with the planning and initial construction. My first priority is to finish the basement by sheet rocking the walls of the basement and installing a suspended ceiling. |
| 15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| MarkF |
Posted - 05/28/2013 : 11:55:05 PM
Al, I sent you a PM. Seeing Dr. Muff's basement in person sure would be a treat! |
| Tabooma County Rwy |
Posted - 05/28/2013 : 10:11:34 AM
Mark,
Tell me the dates you will be out here, and I'll try to keep that week open. I might be able to arrange a visit to Dr. Nick Muff's house, the guy with the Pullman car and the F-7 cab in his basement (and a layout that rivals Cliff Power's MA&G). He is in Sedro Woolley, so not hard to get to from B'Ham. I will be going to the PNR convention June 25-30; but other than that, I'll be around and happy to meet up with you.
Al |
| MarkF |
Posted - 05/26/2013 : 12:49:32 AM
Hey Al! Looks like I'll be passing right by you! We are flying into Seattle and then driving up to the Bellingham area for the week. Not sure what time I will have that week as the whole family will be getting together with all sorts of activities. Perhaps I can escape one day for a few hours. |
| Tabooma County Rwy |
Posted - 05/24/2013 : 01:36:02 AM
Hey Mark, what part of Seattle (or surrounding area) will you be in? I used to live in Kirkland, but moved up to Mount Vernon a couple of years ago, or I'd offer to chauffer you around to a layout or two. I might be able to hook you up with somebody, though, depending on where you will be...
Al Carter |
| MarkF |
Posted - 05/24/2013 : 12:47:40 AM
I've been out of the loop these weeks and will continue to be for a few more weeks. Over the past few weeks, I became a grand father for the second time and I was busy with my daughter's wedding. With that out of the way, I have my younger son's high school graduation in a couple of weeks and my granddaughter's christening. Two weeks later I'll head to Seattle for a week for my niece's wedding, and then another wedding the following weekend! All this has left little time for railroading. But hang in there folks! I'll be back! |
| LVRALPH |
Posted - 05/23/2013 : 04:49:37 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Harsco
As a recent guest to the Northern Division, I can affirm and attest that all Mark's recent work on mundane stuff like valances, fascia, and ceiling tiles have indeed produced a VERY effective result; your eyes can't help but be drawn to the future scenes that will be unfolding. The time he has spent will pay off handsomely later when some scenery is installed, believe me!
 |
| Vagel Keller |
Posted - 05/21/2013 : 5:06:05 PM
Don't worry about the long periods between updates, Mark. I, too, have been chipping away at un-photogenic projects these days ... your progress on valances, etc, is super!
See you in the funny papers (as they used to say),
Vagel |
| Red P |
Posted - 04/12/2013 : 1:04:45 PM
Looks great.
P |
| Twist67 |
Posted - 04/12/2013 : 10:48:30 AM
Hi Mark,
that´s an amazing layout you are working on..I´m also in the progress of finishing all the dusty work to start with some more fun building...Hope to see some progress pictures soon....
Cheers,Chris |
| MarkF |
Posted - 04/10/2013 : 3:11:38 PM
Thanks for the complements Rick. Yes, while progress has indeed been slow and unexciting, there has been progress and I do owe an update to this thread. One will be coming shortly.
As Rick pointed out, I've been trying to finish up all the woodworking. The valence and finished and painted. Most of the fascia is in, and still some subroadbed to finish up. I want to get this all done next soi I can give the room a good clean up and then move foward with track laying.
An update will be forthcoming! |
| Harsco |
Posted - 04/09/2013 : 9:46:08 PM
As a recent guest to the Northern Division, I can affirm and attest that all Mark's recent work on mundane stuff like valances, fascia, and ceiling tiles have indeed produced a VERY effective result; your eyes can't help but be drawn to the future scenes that will be unfolding. The time he has spent will pay off handsomely later when some scenery is installed, believe me! |
| plavallee |
Posted - 04/09/2013 : 01:23:32 AM
How goes the layout Mark? |
| drs_rr |
Posted - 11/26/2012 : 9:59:46 PM
It's all in the name of progress, if you can see it or you can't.
Sounds like it is coming together, I'm sure it will look really good once you get that ceiling and valances done the layout should really pop when you see it.
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| elwoodblues |
Posted - 11/26/2012 : 8:54:38 PM
Mark, if that is a "little progress" I hate to see what "huge progress" is. Sorry to hear about the masonite but I have found out the hard way that all wood needs to be climatized before use. Looking forward to the next progress update.
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| MarkF |
Posted - 11/26/2012 : 7:27:36 PM
I just realized how long it's been since my last update. One would think I was in another 'funk', but that is not the case. Actually, I have gotten a lot done since the last update, just not anything that I would consider 'photo-worthy', or even photographical! See, most of it is black!
First, the ceiling is done! I managed to get the last 22 ceiling tiles needed to complete the ceiling. What a nice difference that makes!
I've also been working on finishing up some of the 'construction' projects around the room and try to get the dirty work done, once and for all. The ceiling was priority number 1. Next is the valence. I still need to finish filling in screw holes and the seams and sanding these areas. Then a coat of flat black paint with finish that up.
At the same time, I've been installing more fascia around the layout, and last big pieces of sub-roadbed. Needless to say, as this gets installed, it is painted black! So as you can see, there isn't much to see, which is the goal when it comes to all this stuff!
This is all just about done, leaving just trackwork and wiring ahead of me now, and at the same time, start developing some of my scenes and placing structures! Then there will be lot's of photos.
Of course now as the holidays approach, my progress typically slows down. Since I work in retail, this is our busy season and I'll be working 50-60 hour weeks, and getting things ready around the house for the holidays. So there won't be much to report between now and after the holidays, but never fear - progress is being made! |
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