Re: And So it Begins

Both sites are interesting, but why do you think they qualify as "lightweight" benchwork?

L-girders made from 1x2 and 1x3 lumber are lighter than a lot of other methods, but especially for N scale you could try I- beam girders: cut rabbets in 1x2 or in 1 1/2 wide strips of good quality 3/4 plywood (marine), and use 1/4 chipboard or lauan as the girder web.

I've been looking for web links on this but can't retrieve them at the moment. They're out there, though.

Actually, the 1/8" ply will be more than enough for a good rigid benchwork. Go look at airplane construction techniques, especially with honeycomb or foam construction, for ideas on how to make lightweight stuff. I've made 2.5'x6' modules that were easily picked up with 1x6 lumber and

-- Bob May Losing weight is easy! If you ever want to lose weight, eat and drink less. Works every time it is tried!

Dear Brandon, If you hate BNSF then don't build any of it. Tell everybody you interchange with the Spokane, Portland, and Seattle, or something. If they object that it no longer exists tell them you are modeling a time 5 years in the future when it is spun off like the W&LE. Heck, string overhead wire and run it with electrics, and add passenger trains if you like. Keep it 5 years in the future as long as you have to. After all it is your plywood prairie. Realism isn't slavish copying but making something look as though it could exist. It works in the movies. Cordially yours, Gerard P.

Well, hating BNSF is a harsh word... but here's why: I was staying at a hotel down in vancouver, Washington and around 11:00 pm there was a TON of rustling upstairs, numerous people walking around etc. Very very annoying. We finally called down to the front desk and asked them to call and have them quiet down... did for about 2-3 minutes, so we called again. It never really did quiet down much. So we get up the next morning and find out that it was the BNSF crew room for when they have their breaks etc, to go hang out in... and we also found out our clock had been set forward about 65 minutes so it seemed later than it was.

so that's why I dislike BNSF harshly.

I like the realism portion of the hobby, that's what gets me going, I'm one of those perfectionists to my ability, and if my ability won't let it be perfect, time to find something or somebody that could help me perfect it heh

Thanks for the suggestions, keep 'em coming

Brandon

Seems like you should hate the hotel for setting them up in that room, or you in your room. Unless it is a railroad owned hotel.... There is a motel in Oakley Kansas that caters to the railroad. The owner purposely keeps a separate wing for the RR people as he knows they have to keep strange hours compared to normal people.

Well, I guess they were LOUD ones :) but it was actually about 10:00. Perhaps they are exaggerating... time does 2 things... 1. makes you look older, 2. makes the stories grow and grow

for example, my basketball coaches points per game when he was in high school goes up each year...

Brandon

Ah yes, "clearing out the crap", the first step in any model railroad. Good luck and stay strong.

But build fast or it all comes back :-).

Someone once called an unfinished model railroad "the worlds longest storage shelf" :-).

boy, ain't that the truth! my friend and I have been working on his layout for about 2 years now, and worked on the previous one for about 3 years or so, it was the most cluttered thing EVER

Brandon