Deck Height Considerations

A full chapter in a book and several articles on the subject were read and the information absorbed. The most useful suggestions learned were to build it for the primary operators and to test deck heights and scene depths with the use of mock-ups.

As discussed before, this layout has six separate modeled locations that are operated one at a time before moving onto the next.  The layout not being the walk along follow the train type makes it practical to operate the three lower scenes while seated and the three upper while standing. The lack of enough layout floor space to have two large staging yards at a practical height necessitated that they be built at an elevated location. These highest levels only have to be worked before any operating session.

The Mock-up therefore was easy. The average eye heights of the two primary household operators were measured from the floor while sitting on a computer task chair, standing on the floor and standing on a 2' stepladder.

These photos taken early in the construction demonstrate the layout heights.

Considerably more photogenic than primary operator #1, primary operator #2 demonstrates one of the seated level locations. The three seated locations are desk height at 31" - 34". Scene depths are no problem at around 2'. The shallow depth intermediate staging above can be operated either seated or standing. Plenty of leg room under the lower level and when chair is pushed under out of the way, the top of the back of the chair does not exceed the deck height.
This is not a big layout, the longest scenes are 18'. Scooting right or left on a rolling chair to work the lower levels is easy.

Standing level locations are at 54" - 60", Again shallow intermediate staging levels can be operated both standing or seated. Standing location Danbury shown here is 40" deep, but accessible for cleaning the deepest track from a short stepladder. The other two standing locations have a scene depth of only 2'.

Top level staging at 75"-79" is worked from a 2' tall step up aluminum work platform with a secure 1'x3' standing area, this safely replaces the stepladder in the below photo. The work platform slides under the lower level when not in use. Grab handles will be attached to the front edge of the upper staging deck every 16" along the length of this deck to assist operators ascending/descending the work platform. Threaded rods attached to the floor joist above ceiling support the upper deck and the added weight of the operators when using the grabs.

A more recent Photo of the same area shows how this has worked out. The defined edges of the locations/scenes are now apparent with some of the fascia installed.

Benchwork Finale

I have been told by a good friend that the descriptions of my work in past posts have been confusing. I am not a writer and recognize so. I do not have an ability to describe things cogently, this should have been explained in the journal introduction and I apologize for not doing so.

If there is anything in this journal that you are interested in that has not been adequately described to your understanding please feel free to ask for a better description and I will do my best to accommodate you.
- Joe

Wall mounted Benchwork

Below are a few photos of the wall mounted shelf type benchwork. To the right is a bare bracket, progressively moving to the left the 12 gauge bus wire for the DCC,  plywood for the upper modeled level (Danbury), backdrop and lighting have been added.

Further along in the construction this photo demonstrates the lack of supporting legs along the front edge of the layout leaving unobstructed floor access for chairs, vacuuming and operators' legs that was originally desired.

This last photo shows the 5 levels that the wall mounted plywood brackets and benchwork will support and also providing access locations to the helix on this portion of the layout.

From the top level,

1...Staging for Maybrook NY interchange yard, road switcher and caboose shown on this level.
2...Danbury CT. with a short passenger consist. This is a modeled level with lighting.
3...Staging for south of Danbury CT, RDC located there in this photo.
4...State line MA. interchange yard, this too will be a modeled level with lighting. No shelf present yet in this photo where the  two RS-3's are exiting the helix.
5...Bottom level with single road switcher, this is the staging for the B&A RR that interchanges with the NH in State line MA.

Next post will take a brief look at how the heights of the decks were determined.

Type B Bracket Put To Use

The photo below shows one side of the peninsula support brackets (Type B) with the upper level plywood, cork roadbed and track in place. This is one of the six modeled locations on the layout, once completed the scene will represent Berkshire Junction. In this southern facing photo, the double track Maybrook Line is on the left and the single track Berkshire Line heads north on the far right. Alco RS-1 switcher 0665 has just entered Stearns Siding just north of Berkshire Junction.

The support brackets for the storage shelf above provide a solid mounting point for a single row of 4' T8 Florescent lighting fixtures. These fixtures are attached to 1"x2" dimensional lumber pieces that span from one bracket to the next then fixed in place at the notches cut into the ends of each bracket. The 1x2's will also be the mounting surface for a future lighting valance.

The two pieces of 1"x4" dimensional lumber that span the distance between each bracket will help support the next shelf above and provide a surface to glue the foam board "sky" above the scene below.

The 4"x4" vertical posts will be further utilized as a firm mounting surface for the joints in the Masonite backdrop.      

This is a north facing photo of the same scene. The modeled Signal Station 199 structure will be located to the left of the crossover as in the prototype photo featured in the blog header.

Berkshire Brackets Type B

The least amount of legs and individual parts, plus ease of building are again the theme to support the peninsula portion of the layout.

The type B bracket is again cut from one continuous piece of 4'x8' plywood, but this type is attached to and supported by one vertical 4"x4" interior grade post. Each bracket and post will support the required number of 2 foot wide shelves respective to that one side of the peninsula on either side of the centered post.

The 4"x4" posts are secured in place at the top by attaching them to the underside of the joist of the floor level above but are only anchored to the floor by the weight of the layout.

Although the temperature and humidity changes little inside the house throughout the year, I do not want the support posts for the peninsula to serve as additional lally columns therefore possibly having an adverse affect to the floor or structure above.

I used a post level to plum the posts to locations marked on the floor , then firmly attaching them at the top to a corresponding location above the drop ceiling were I had bridged two floor joists with a piece of plywood with a shorter piece of 2x4 fastened to it. Before firmly attaching the post to the 2x4, I brushed on white lithium grease to the mating surfaces.

With the post plum and firmly attached at the top, I drilled two 5/8" holes thru the post and 2x4. A length of 3/8" threaded rod was inserted thru both 5/8" clearance holes with a greased washer and finger tightened nut on both sides of the holes to serve as a plus or minus 1/8" slip joint of sorts. This joint to allow any expansion/contraction movement of the layout or structure to remain independent of each other.  The original fastener used to position the post was then removed

No adverse affects to the above flooring or structure have occurred during several seasonal changes to date.

The 2' wide type A brackets cost about $14 each, the 4' wide ones about $24 each
The type B brackets about $32 each

This system has worked out well for me and is cost effective for the number of levels that they support. Each one of these bracket assemblies were quick, easy to build and are very strong. They provide a solid surface for the roadbed, a place to hang the lighting fixtures and to secure the backdrop and extruded foam board "sky".

Berkshire Brackets, Type A

I read extensively about the various construction techniques utilized by other modelers to support the individual decks of multi-deck layouts to see if I could apply one of these methods to the basic track plan designed for the new layout.

Two methods used dimensional lumber to build L-girder or grid type benchwork with gusseting to reinforce the joint between the horizontal deck support and the vertical legs. I thought that the gussets would intrude on the next lower deck taking up to much air space, eliminating the gussets would put stress on the mechanical joint between the horizontal deck support and the vertical leg therefor weakening the joint in time. Other methods used stamped steel L-brackets or a commercial double slotted support and bracket combination both commonly used for book or closet shelving, but I would need so many pieces. These methods reportedly worked successfully for the layout builders that had used them.

The new layout design has as many as 5 deck heights in some places, I needed to find a different method of support that would be strong, fast and easy to fabricate without an excessive number of individual pieces. Remembering druthers #4 is to have the least number of bench supporting legs, there is one location on the layout that the bench width is 4', to cantilever that distance from one leg  will require a very strong joint between the deck support and leg!

This is the method chosen for the along the wall shelf potion of the layout. Beginning by horizontally mounting 1"x4" dimensional lumber directly onto the wall securing them to the wall studs with screws. This then allows the 2"x4" legs the option of sliding right or left to any location as needed before permanently attaching them to the wall mounted 1"x4" lumber.

This is the deck support system decided on. I eliminated the need for any joints by cutting out the deck support brackets from a continuous piece of 3/4" plywood sheathing, then mounting the plywood with screws to the 2"x4" legs attached to the wall previously. I'll name these "Berkshire Brackets Type A" for the lack of a better name.

The Deck width on the majority of the layout is about 2'. The two brackets in the next photo were both cut from the same 4'x8' sheet of plywood by first ripping the sheet in half, then temporarily screwing the two halves together and cutting them out simultaneously to save time and for dimensional consistency. These two brackets will support 5 individual decks each. From the bottom rectangular cutout for the Boston & Albany staging going up the other 4 supports are for, the modeled State Line interchange yard, staging for destinations South of Danbury CT thru to NYC, the modeled Danbury yard and all the way at top the staging for the Maybrook NY interchange yard.

These brackets will support all the weight I need them to, were fast and easy to fabricate and with the least number of  individual pieces needed to support the number of decks required. The left over cutout pieces were later put to good use as fish plating underneath the joints in the plywood decks and helix pieces.

Next time we'll look at the type B Berkshire Brackets.