What's New on the PRR Panhandle 2.0?

[Rufus T. Firefly]

At the pace that George is going on this layout, he's going to catch up and pass me later this year........I've only been working on mine for ~18 years and I've still only got about 60% of the scenery installed,

[G3750]

Great work, George.
I hope it all goes as well as this part has.

Thanks Roger. Unfortunately we have a snag with the sky part of the backdrop above the steel mill. It is being corrected, but that will take awhile. My friend is in town to help me accelerate the efforts on the bench work.

George

[G3750]

At the pace that George is going on this layout, he's going to catch up and pass me later this year........I've only been working on mine for ~18 years and I've still only got about 60% of the scenery installed,

I don't think you have anything to worry about, Rufus. But Chris will have built his 15th layout by then.



George

[G3750]

Updated 8/15/2018:

• My wife did a little smoothing of seams and touch-up painting on the backdrop. It looks fabulous!!!
• My friend Price is in town and assisted with benchwork.
• Tables 7 & 17 were assembled and installed.
• The ribbing for Table 19A was assembled.

This is the underside of Table 7. The diagonal braces will support a pop-out access hatch (yet to be cut).

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Here is Table 7 in place.

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Here's a different angle on Table 7.

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Here is Table 17 attached to Table 7.

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Here is the ribbing for Table 19A on the floor close to where it will be installed (in the corner).

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George

[rogruth]

The mill is already impressive just as a backdrop.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

At the pace that George is going on this layout, he's going to catch up and pass me later this year........I've only been working on mine for ~18 years and I've still only got about 60% of the scenery installed,

I don't think you have anything to worry about, Rufus. But Chris will have built his 15th layout by then.

I have gotten another square foot or so of scenery done this week -- screaming fast for me!

[G3750]

The mill is already impressive just as a backdrop.

Thank you! That is my photograph of the Weirton Steel blast furnaces, circa 2010.

George

[healey36]

But Chris will have built his 15th layout by then.

Dude, you have not been counting...he does three or four per year, or at least it seems like it. Prodigious...

Backdrops look great, BTW...

[robert.]

At the pace that George is going on this layout, he's going to catch up and pass me later this year........I've only been working on mine for ~18 years and I've still only got about 60% of the scenery installed,

I don't think you have anything to worry about, Rufus. But Chris will have built his 15th layout by then.



George

It's 4 layouts one kid. 4 layouts one kid. After this layout. well you know. he needs to

[G3750]

Updated 8/16/2018:

Man, we were cranking it today.

First, I got my grandfather's 220V Sears Craftsman table saw operational and ripped a sheet of plywood for a table. The saw must be 75 years old - still cuts great!

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Here's the ripped plywood sheet attached to its ribbings to form Table 19A.

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Next, we attached the poplar support to the long wall.

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After putting legs on Table 19A, it was attached to the wall.

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Next, Table 19B was attached to the wall.

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Here's a closer look at 19B. We are just setting up to determine the correct height of the bridge where it will join the Ohio abutments. Table 23 will support the abutment as well as the first pocket pier.

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My friend Price Bradshaw, who has been invaluable to the build, is testing the height adjustments and fit of the bridge to the abutment.

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Here's a shot of Table 23 before installation of its legs.

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Finally, here is a shot of Table 23 installed on the layout.

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George

[MurphOnMillerAve]

There are few things quite like the rewarding feeling in the adventure and problem-solving journey of creating a layout.

I asked my Applied Psychology professor, back in my undergraduate days in the 60's, why men are so involved in such pursuits as creating paintings, and music, architecture, engineering, automotive design, poetry, etc. His answer was swift: Because they cannot give birth.

It seems like you are "birthing" something full of happiness right there in that room of yours. The expression on your face, George, told me that.

[rogruth]

Murph,
I like that!

George,
My guess is that you expect this layout to last for some time,
I base that on the use of meticulous measuring and fitting you are doing.
My layout is an open 6 shape and not attached to the wall. I had the framework
up in three days. Roadbed took about a week and track another week.
I would run trains around for about a year then I started scenery. That took
@ eight years.I learned a lot. Messed up a lot. But I also had a lot of FUN.

[G3750]

There are few things quite like the rewarding feeling in the adventure and problem-solving journey of creating a layout.

I asked my Applied Psychology professor, back in my undergraduate days in the 60's, why men are so involved in such pursuits as creating paintings, and music, architecture, engineering, automotive design, poetry, etc. His answer was swift: Because they cannot give birth.

It seems like you are "birthing" something full of happiness right there in that room of yours. The expression on your face, George, told me that.

Thanks Frank! I am very happy about this layout. It's been a dream for a long time.

George

[G3750]

Murph,
I like that!

George,
My guess is that you expect this layout to last for some time,
I base that on the use of meticulous measuring and fitting you are doing.
My layout is an open 6 shape and not attached to the wall. I had the framework
up in three days. Roadbed took about a week and track another week.
I would run trains around for about a year then I started scenery. That took
@ eight years.I learned a lot. Messed up a lot. But I also had a lot of FUN.

Roger,

I do expect and hope this layout lasts for the rest of my life. And that is the impetus for the care going into its construction.

But I also learned from previous experience. Panhandle 1.0 was a great idea compressed into too little space. To boot, it was not very well executed. Because of fears about reliability, I ran it very sparingly. In its lifetime, I only managed 2 open house sessions for friends.

It's important that Panhandle 2.0 be able to run reliably on a moment's notice and not require massive or intricate set up. I think the effort spent up front will result in that.

I expect running this model railroad to be a lot of fun as well.

George

[G3750]

Updated 8/17/2018:

Got in about 4 hours of work on the layout today. Table 15 (left side of photo) was completed and installed.

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We also installed the wall supports - they completely span the long wall of the basement now. The framework for Table 16 was completed and is sitting on top of Table 15.

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Frankly, I'm beat. Thursday was a 14 hour day; Wednesday was 12.

George