Progress on helix installation

We're making progress on the helix installation. This morning, Bob Gouirand showed up, and we got the first of two and-a-half revolutions installed. I now have to lay roadbed and track on the portion completed since the second revolution is only 4" higher and would make track work quite difficult if not impossible. More later.

Helix Installation Underway

Helix installation is underway! It wasn't expected to arrive until late in the week, but it showed up Wednesday morning. Ken Heyl and I spent the rest of the morning looking at the parts, reading the directions, scratching our ... heads ... and sounding like a married couple. Then we went to lunch. When we came back, we worked on the curve radii on the roadbed. Finally, Wednesday evening we decided to start Thursday morning with a platform. Bob Gouirand showed up this morning and lent a hand, and we're now underway and once again making progress. Kenny has returned to Ohio, so it will be up to Bob and me to carry on.

Makin' Sawdust

Friend Ken Heyl arrived Monday (11/30) and we started literally making sawdust as we continued the attaching bench work. We got most of the basic bench work done except for the helix, which should arrive by the end of the week. The helix is coming from "Easy Helix" (easyhelix.com) and we're looking forward to it arriving. Today's efforts will be largely devoted to laying in curves and planning mainline runs. There may be still another trip to Home Depot (only 5 minutes away) for odds and ends. We also have to make a decision about the lower level height (poor planning on electrical wall outlet placement). Heyl refers to this photo as "the three clowns" in reference to my circus poster to the left.

Helix On Order

This afternoon, I ordered a helix from Easy-Helix in suburban Milwaukee. It is a company that Jim Hedinger of Model Railroader put me in touch with. It will be interesting to see if we (Heyl, Gouirand, and yours truly) can get it installed. I'll keep you posted. I'd love to include some photos, but am suddenly having trouble with downloading pix from my camera to my computer. Am I the only one out there who thinks Microsoft should be run out of business for ramming Vista down our throats?

A Hybrid Two-Level

I have finally settled on the design, and it will be a hybrid two-level layout. I had mentioned some time ago about realizing that I did not (could not!) want to work under a lower level only 36" - 40" off the floor. But I couldn't bring myself to give up the advantage of a hidden storage yard and extended running a second level would provide. Thus, a compromise. There will be a lower level, just 12" below the upper level. It will provide the hidden storage and the extended running. But, it will not be scenicked, and everything -- switch motors, wiring, etc, -- will be above the roadbed, keeping this old man off the floor. Sue did not want to have to call a neighbor to help me up each time I got down there to work on the railroad.

Things Are Progressing

Things are really moving forward. Thanks to wife Sue (painting),a wonderful neighbor Bob Gouirand, and another great neighbor Don Brien (saw), we've made great progress the last week. The blue sky backdrop is all painted; Don arranged for the loan of a "chop" saw for as long as we need it, and Bob has taken me to Home Depot on two occasions already for lumber, saving a lot of money and providing a lot of grunt labor. Today, Bob and I cut and assembled 13 of the 2' x 8' grid panels that serve as the base for the roadbed. Earlier this week, he and I put in the 2 x 4's around the walls to which we attach the open grid work. I've pretty well settled on a design, so we are only days from starting the roadbed and maybe even early stages of track work.Yeah!

Railroad Activities Update

The last post on this site was over a year ago, and I am embarrassed to say little has been done in that time, until just the last two weeks. I had no idea as to how debilitating chemotherapy would be. But that is all behind me, the energy has returned, and it's full speed ahead. The sky was finished today; the initial bench work starts tomorrow.