November 11, 2011

Over the past few months I've made a bit of progress, just had no time to devote to updating the website. I put up 4 fluorescent ceiling fixtures, attached the helix and helix legs to the main benchwork, added a sheet of backdrop, and started on some spline roadbed (which I LOVE!!!) All this work has lead me to a situation I had feared. In trying to extend the upper level main line from the hole in the wall (staging) around the penisula with the helix, I now see that this arrangement will not work.
What looks good on paper doesn't always turn out good in real life!

I have a few options, none of which are too favorable to me.
1. Continue with what I'm doing and try to make it work. That means I'll have to drop my minimum radius from 20" down to 18" or even 17" which adds a tough scenery fix to make it look plausible. This could very well become even more time wasted.
2. Have the track curve around like on the last layout and NOT have it follow around the helix. This puts it in a tunnel and hidden for quite a bit of distance. I could have some of it visible, but then the operator has to jump an isle just to follow his train. Not very appealing.
3. Tear out most of what I have built and put the helix and penisula back to how it was pre-flood. I know that setup works and I really enjoyed having it that way. The negative is it takes out all the added switching area on the lower level this plan provided, not to mention the time I've put in to building this portion of the layout already.

As I think about it all, I wonder to myself, did I really have the best benchwork setup that this room provided me with the pre-flood layout? It's starting to seem that way...

lights and backdrop

Spline roadbed. Wish I would have done spline on the first one! Love how easy it is to work with!

Overall shot of the area.

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