We Are Ready ..... Next Step, Lumber Sourcing

Bharani aka Mr Carpenter and Jason, his sidekick dropped in this afternoon. I showed them my layout and we examined every inch of my train room to get a feel of the place and where each module will be.

Bharani taking notes while Jason looked on. In the middle,
my layout plan on ironing board and facing the right direction.

Jason measuring the wall next to Algoa

We later discussed each note from my Ideas Book and finalised the benchwork details. Okay, my to-do list is almost completed. Bharani will study my layout and determine the best way do make the benchwork, type of lumber to use as well as costing.

In the meantime, I am working on the bill of materials and calculating the helices we need to build. I built a stacked helix calculator to assist me and Bharani build the two helices.

My Model Railroad Helix Calculator.

Punch in parameters in beige boxes and results displayed in white boxes. A handy Excel tool to speed up the calculations. It computes the rise and run of each level, total length of tracks needed, height of the stack to build, etc. Click here to download a copy.

I am going to take a day off next month to source for the lumber in Ikea and nearby hardware stores. Bharani told me they have pine lumber which are sturdier and stronger than local ones. Plus they do not warp easily. Well, got to check them out.

Jimmy Low