Train Storage - Part 2

In the September 9th, 2012 post, I started discussing where to store the railroad cars. This week I implemented a storage shelf under one of my center of the room modules. I got a 1x12 board, 6 feet long and mounted a 1x3 down the center of it. The 1x3 backs/aligns the boxes and also provides L girder support so the board will not sag. Stacked 3 high it holds 135 MicroTrain containers on each side (total 270 cars). They could easily be stacked 4 high for a 360 car capacity. I store my cars by 1) type, 2) road name (reporting marks), 3) road number so I will probably have stacks or 1, 2, and 3 cars only and not use the full capacity.

I also plan to get some 1x6s and repeat the process with single sided storage on the wall hugging modules. (You have to do things like this when you mange to accumulate almost 900 freight cars!)

 

 

Getting Over to Woodbury

The Brooklawn and Westville modules are done first pass scenery. The Woodbury modules have the track laid and initial testing completed but now I needed to connect the two sets of modules and allow a duck under. The duck under is not an ideal solution but in this construction phase I didn't want to get tied up perfecting a lift out.  So with 54 inch clearance, it is doable and when I become even less flexible I can roll under via a chair.

The duck under has framing on both sides and is open in the middle. I added a 1x2 to the top to give it L girder strength (and keep the trains off the floor). I got out my wife's glue gun and constructed a cardboard webbing which I covered with paper shopping bags. A layer of sculptamold, track ballasting, and some basic tree cover gets me ready to move onto scenicing the Woodbury modules.

 

But first I will probably put a temporary connecting end in so I can run some trains for Christmas.

November is a Good Month!

National Model Railroad month and turkey dinners. How great is that? It finishes as the third best month after December (Christmas; I do miss the department store train layouts we saw as kids) and September (my birthday).

There are some open houses that I wish hadn't opened (especially after traveling a good distance to get there). Others  hit home runs. (Unfortunately none were N scale.) I figured I would share some of the inspiration I experienced with you.

Steve Moylan (won some photo awards with Walthers), Deptford NJ:

 

Dave Skinner, KADE RR, Woodbury, NJ:

 

 

John Rahenkamp, Clairmont, Lewiston, & Western, Delanco, NJ (my favorite of the month):