Okay, here's the latest plan after quite some time of reconsidering/reworking. Prep work on the room is done and I'm ready to start benchwork. Any comments before I do that are most welcome.
Pertinent facts:
Room size: Approx. 20x30', grid is 1' squares.
1. Minimum mainline radius - 30"
2. Era - Late 40's
3. Line - PRR
4. Locale - Central Pennsylvania "protolance" river valley... Think if PRR ran a line up the Susquehanna river from Enola northward...
5. Terrain (not shown on plan). The idea is a line running up a river valley a la the NYC's Hudson branch. The front 1' or so of the benchwork is therefore flat and level, sloping from there up to the wall as rolling hills. The central peninsula is a taller hill with access underneath to loadsin-emptiesout, reversing/hiding loop, etc.
6. Benchwork. Around-the-walls with a peninsula. Height will be about 50" (I'm still playing with the exact number, but quite high. I'm 6'1" and plan to build it roughly chest-high to me.
7. Grades: None. I prefer to add verticality with terrain. In the future a logging/mining line (perhaps narrow-gauge) will occupy the higher terrain.
8. Room. Walls are shown in Red. The area where the tracks seem to go "through the walls" is a void space under the stairs - just open studs that are accessible from the staging area. Two entrances: one at lower left goes into hidden staging area. Primary entrance is at lower right. Yes it's a "nod under," but at the benchwork height I plan, I'm okay with that... Rather nod under than hassle with a lift-bridge or similar.
9. Other Known issues. There are some long "reaches" in places, up to 36". Most of these have no track at the "back," but a few do. I've reconciled myself to this, though 36" reach is not undoable for me (long monkey-knuckles-scrape-the-ground arms, as my wife calls 'em)
That's all I can think of... Feel free to ask ?'s...
Pertinent facts:
Room size: Approx. 20x30', grid is 1' squares.
1. Minimum mainline radius - 30"
2. Era - Late 40's
3. Line - PRR
4. Locale - Central Pennsylvania "protolance" river valley... Think if PRR ran a line up the Susquehanna river from Enola northward...
5. Terrain (not shown on plan). The idea is a line running up a river valley a la the NYC's Hudson branch. The front 1' or so of the benchwork is therefore flat and level, sloping from there up to the wall as rolling hills. The central peninsula is a taller hill with access underneath to loadsin-emptiesout, reversing/hiding loop, etc.
6. Benchwork. Around-the-walls with a peninsula. Height will be about 50" (I'm still playing with the exact number, but quite high. I'm 6'1" and plan to build it roughly chest-high to me.
7. Grades: None. I prefer to add verticality with terrain. In the future a logging/mining line (perhaps narrow-gauge) will occupy the higher terrain.
8. Room. Walls are shown in Red. The area where the tracks seem to go "through the walls" is a void space under the stairs - just open studs that are accessible from the staging area. Two entrances: one at lower left goes into hidden staging area. Primary entrance is at lower right. Yes it's a "nod under," but at the benchwork height I plan, I'm okay with that... Rather nod under than hassle with a lift-bridge or similar.
9. Other Known issues. There are some long "reaches" in places, up to 36". Most of these have no track at the "back," but a few do. I've reconciled myself to this, though 36" reach is not undoable for me (long monkey-knuckles-scrape-the-ground arms, as my wife calls 'em)
That's all I can think of... Feel free to ask ?'s...