Bonita Grand Central


N

norgale

Member
As I said in my introduction I have my layout outside in a 6 x 12 metal shed. I live in a RV fifth wheel so there is no room for the trains inside. There's hardly room for me now that I think about it. Anyway I've been working on it off and on for the last year or so and here are a few pics of where it stands now. I keep doing little things here and there but even with an air conditioner in the shed it's still pretty warm in the summer so it's uncomfortable spending too much time with the layout.
There are three ovals with one leading into another. The outside track has wide enought curves for a Y6b and triple axle diesels. The second track is good for the triple axle's and double axles but part of that oval gets used by two trains on one track just to make it interesting. Then there is the inside tracks with a yard and where a town and some industries will be. It's all DC for now until I can figure a way to get into a park model home with a nice florida room attached for the trains and my other hobbies. That's down the road a bit though. For now it's the shed and that's better than nothing I think. 100_8725.jpg100_8728.jpg100_8726.jpg
 
At least you have some place for a layout. Florida can be a hard place to have room for a layout with no basements being the norm. I lived in Florida back in the early 70's and barely had room for a small N scale layout living in an apartment. It sure was nice to move back home to Montana into a house with a basement.
 
We have basements here too but they are called 'swimming pools'. Most homes don't even have a garage but a car port instead. It's tough if you can't afford a big home but there it is. In my circumstances right now the shed was the only answer. It'll work ok and better in the winter for now but inside a house is the best. Like your videos Montanan especially the cab ride. Very nice setup and the scenery looks great. Pete
 
I knew a few people who we lucky enough to have a decent sized piece of property in Florida and built a building for their layout, but they also had the bucks to do it. I moved back to Montana in the mid 70's and built on a piece of land I had owned for a number of years and a basement was the first priority.

Thanks for the comment on the video.
 
I completely understand and appreciate the "lack of room" situation. I would "kill" (figuratively speaking of course) for a basement or even a decent sized shed for a layout.

Also agree with lasm on your Arch Bridge, it looks brilliant. What did you use for the uprights?
 
Here's a better picture of the cable bridge. I scratch built it from lumber I had in the shed. The 'cable' is nylon construction string. The arches are laminated strips with a hollow at the top for the strings. A cap piece is glued over the top to hide them. Pete
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This bridge is also from scratch. The cross ties and rails are bass wood and the main girders are some kind of wood I had that I cut on my table saw. Might be oak.

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Mate, that cable bridge is a Tour de force of modelmaking. Didn't have a job making tennis rackets did you? Or wire spoked wheels?
 
I have no idea how I made that bridge. I just sat down one night and started tinkering. Actually that's the second cable bridge that I made. I'll post a picture of the first one in a minute. It started out to be like the straight bridge in the second picture but then I had a few ideas and kinda got carried away. It's realy very simple when you study it for awhile. Just looks complicated. Pete
 
This is the first bridge I buit. It's from scratch but resembles a lot of real bridges here and there. It's too long for the present BGC but was part of my layout a couple years ago where i had more room. It's pretty dirty right now but it cleans up ok. You can see how the cables go and the other bridge just has more cable on it.
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Appreciate the kudos guys. Glad you like the bridges. I like to buy kits whenever I can but the last few years have not been kind to me financially so I have had to build a lot of things that I would normally buy. However in doing so I found that it isn't all that difficult to build these things once you've done it a time or two. The bridges are scratch built but I have several structures that I made from pictures in old Model Railroad magazines. I found that as long as I had a plan with some dimensions there wasn't anything I couldn't build for my railroad. After building a few structures from plans I found it an easy step to building from scratch to my own designs. The main thing is to give it a try. Each project will get better and better as you go along. I get a lot of satisfaction from building my own stuff and in the process I save a ton of bucks that can be used for rolling stock or electronics. If you can build a model railroad you can build anything else you need too. Pete
 
What interested me in particular is that you say you built the arches from laminated strips with a hollow or groove for the strings and covered that with another flat strip. Did you take any pics of the process? Would have made a great "How To"
 
Pete,

"...I found that as long as I had a plan with some dimensions there wasn't anything I couldn't build for my railroad..."
Click to expand...
That is pretty much how I am too and I do get much more satisfaction from the building when I have built it myself, even if it isn't as accurate or detailed as the "commercially available" product.

Laminating to create a void for your "wires" is so obvious that it is very badly over looked I think. To see something that has been built from scratch using lamination is very interesting and, I might say, impressive - particularly when you see the end result.
 
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