YouTube - Benchwork

The below is the video form of the benchwork for the tabletops that was finished a few weeks back. Remember any legs I intend to add will come off the straight beaming studs, so to avoid crookedness.

Benchwork Part 5

As of 7:02 PM on January 23, 2012, the two tables are completely benched to my ability. All eight stud elements have been successfully attached to the boards. It was a slightly frustrating but overall good mini-project. Now I look to finishing them off with legs and the 1" thick foam boards from Lowe's.

Decisions, Decisions... Part 2

The next rock and a hard place are so: Wood versus Extruded Foam as a mounting surface.

As you know, one table has been completely built with the as-advertised plytanium plywood top and another is underway (on hold since it is usually too late for me to drill without a complaint next door).

I am such a cheap modeler at times and do run on a budget. My latest hobby trips haven't had me run more than 40 bucks compared to times that I have expended about 60-80. Extruded foam boards at 4'x8' at the Home Depot run about 15 dollars. Maybe it isn't that expensive, but it does take a bit off when you multiply the quantity.

South Florida is a flat space for the most part. Except for your bridge, the land is flat. THOUGH, there are reliefs in elevation. For instance, the CSX Miami Sub's roadbed is significantly on top of the immediate ground and more often than not features double drainage ditches next to either side, especially at Manatee and Parker.

So maybe the idea of budgeting more for Foam board isn't bad after all. I want my layout to be as realistic as possible, and I feel if I want to capture this change in elevation, I need the foam.

Famed modelers like Lance Mindheim have taken to using foam board. But one challenge is Home Depot doesn't have it where I live. Maybe I can buy it from Lowe's.

But that can also be made up with cork layers. But then again, that only raises the track. I want to see ditches like this (Manatee clip at about 07:00):

We'll wait and see what happens. I am already intending to buy legs for my two tables, and even so there is a custom LEGO order to take care of so money isn't as loose as it seems. But probably I will choose to go for the foam board itself, but time will tell and all is subject to change.

Sanding

Sanding is an important treatment process for wood, and since my surface of choice is indeed wood (no rivers and pretty flat terrain), it needs to be sanded. Home Depot has a 29.77 USD 4x8'x.75" board (worth an "As Seen on CSX" Banner? lol) that is already sanded, saving the hassle of sandpaper, BUT the edges will still need it.

Hence I suggest this to all modelers majoring in wood, if you haven't already, when in the pre-benchwork phase, SAND your lumber if bought unsanded, but if bought sanded, still, give it a quick run. There's room for error. But the main part you WOULD need to sand, as I said, is the edges. You do not want blisters in your fingers!

Today I am going to be sanding the split-in-two 4'x8' I bought this past Monday on the edges. Then, after that, they are going to be carried to the room.

Industry Update for Fort Lauderdale-Pompano

BrickAmerica and Allsteel/Gypsum were dead last week (7/4-7/8)... But it looks like Q453 is to the rescue with 6 coil cars for Allsteel/Gypsum, the only recipient of such in south Florida!
















Meanwhile Home Depot had a couple of 60 footers in sight.

The above industries I mentioned are all worked by O717 and it is critical to know of activity. I am really only including Allsteel out of the three but the other may see placement in an extended layout.

Tip on Layout Building

Lance Mindheim seemed to have done it and I am planning to do. When you want to build a layout it is highly recommended that the tables be pretty high up. While smaller children won't have access to it, which can be a good thing anyway, adults and teens like myself alike can maintain a better posture. A 4' high means you do not have to bend your neck or back to reach it, which can reduce the likelihood of scoliosis. It also can provide additional storage space and can allow more to be stored whereas you can still troubleshoot faults in wiring or what not.

MSL Episode 1: CSX Atlas TRAINMAN GP39-2

The Layout Plan

Due to being informed of limitations in the room of choice, I revamped the plan to suit a smaller footprint. More storage than was anticipated is needed and the windows in the back need access - so I redesigned the layout. It is still from Fort Lauderdale to Deerfield and the switching will be a little modified.

Unlike the other layout S Dania would need to be accessed through a removable helix and the storage track north of DFB station is eliminated, plus I opted out of including Home Depot. However with the support of Google Maps, CSX has gained / regained three customers in Pompano Beach, FL. Boise Cascade is a frequent customer now and was shown to house two boxcars and two centerbeams in the 3/21/11 O/L; Fast Dry Courts had four tank cars; and Amerigas had seven (!) LPG tanks plus three waiting on the main track. The latter two "came from the dead" while Boise is new. Grace Construction is intact and included. I had a tossup between the Water Treatment Plant off of Powerline/Prospect and the Amerigas since I wanted one that was realistically located. Sun Sentinel and Publix are included as planned. Also, I added Allsteel and Gypsum, off of Sunrise Blvd, which was not in the original plan, a frequent recipient of coil cars. TRANSFLO, who receives dry bulk, granular, and ethanol loads, and the scrap metal team track, F05, and the spur track were not forgotten as well, in accordance to the old plan.

The pictures Mike M. graciously sent me before were a great help and support in deciding this plan, and I thank him.

So here is the rundown of customers by product:

• TRANSFLO: Cement, Plastics, Gravel, Ethanol, Corn Oil
• Team Track: Mainly Scrap Metal
• AllSteel: Coils of Metal *and lumber too! (Google Earth)
• Water Treatment Plant [Option A]: Chlorine and Soda Ash
• Amerigas [Option B]: LPG Gas
• Grace Construction: Um.... Oil?
• Fast-Dry Courts: Um... Chlorine? Bleach? 
• Boise: Lumber and Construction Products
• Publix: Plastic Pellets
• Sun-Sentinel: Newsprint

Updated Layout Specs

Note that this layout's design is subject to any change at any time.

Phase One
TRANSFLO

This should be done by fall of 2011 but the table should be installed by summer 2011.

It will have the ethanol house tracks and team track. I can't wait to buy the materials for the flyover!

F05 should come out interesting as well. Look for the industrial buildings to be rendered as a backdrop.

Instead of Homasote which is hard to get I feel Plywood is a viable material as there are no noticable rivers that will interfere with this design. The new river is not to be rendered yet until I maybe find more space.

Atlas Trinity Well Cars

I have to admit I am impressed with this new item Atlas MRR Co. is producing. Even though the announcement is a month old, it's news to me. The well cars add a variety to my prospective recreations of Q172, Q174, et al for the coming SFRM Deerfield Swap meet shows.

http://www.atlasrr.com/Images/HOFreightCars/ho53wellcar/20001266_BeautyShot.jpg

Layout Progress Finally Coming Soon

Now that the stage is set I can practically work on my layout now. Watch for some homasote based benchwork progress in the coming months.

New Plan

The plan, effective 12/2010. This is the final plan! I will stick with realism.
 

O717 is the main switcher down these parts. Since Tri-Rail is not the focus, I opted against connecting the mainline because of the flyover which is impossible to model. O718, a nocturnal switcher, works Transflo.

I have several industries in the running.

• Transflo is CSX's ethanol, cement, plastics, and bulk transfer.
• The Team Track handles scrap gons and other commodities as needed. 
• The stub track is a storage track next to the Fuel area. The Fuel area is where the FTL switcher is tied down, as well as gets fueled.

We skip over to Pompano Beach, FL. The Mac Lead and Amerigas cannot be rendered in such a space.

• Grace handles chemicals and the "occasional boxcar" like my friend and fellow HO modeler Mike M. says is set out at neighboring Keeman Brick.

• Home Depot handles boxcars and centerbeam flats of lumber. It is not determined if for the sake of realism, I'll model the new Boise Cascade instead (Centerbeams and boxcars)

Deerfield Beach is a switching mecca and an overall fun place to check up on operations.

• CP Parker is only half of itself in the rendering because there isn't enough resource to afford making a 2-crossover. Besides, I am only designing it as a run-around point.
• Publix does not get food from CSX, unfortunately. ;) But it gets plastics for the containers of their food products.
• Sun-Sentinel is an active recipient of newsprint in 50'-60' high-cube newsprint boxcars. The density is almost enough so that additional cars need to be stored on the storage track across Hillsboro Blvd. Unfortunately, the Tri-Rail Station will be neglected in the model rendition.
• Rankin is a single crossover as is the real thing this time. O717 and occasionally O720 runs around.

Staging may be leveled below Pompano if circumstances permit.