Progress on the Yard Modules

Well, so much for plans. After spending a w-o-n-d-e-r-f-u-l night in the ER with my grandson and his ear infection (funny how these come on sudddenly and badly over the weekend?) I didn't get as far as I would have liked, but I did manage to get two of the three yard frames finished. Here's one:

Apologies for the fuzzy picture; taken with my iPhone in the bad light at this end of the attic...

Might have got mostly finished on the third, except my countersink bit broke (well, the drill bit inside it broke, and OF COURSE that was the one size I didn't have a spare for!), and I've never taken a shine to the "British" version.

Nothing against the "local" variety, but I always found they make a messy hole, and you either need a second drill to do it easily, or spend a lot of time swapping between the bit and the countersink. Or be extremely talented and drill the holes all in one go, which I am not...

So the "new" plan, for the next building session, is to:

1. Finish (build) the third frame
2. Install the foam sub-roadbed. This will be recessed into the frame with about one inch above the framework, to give it a little added bracing for keeping square.
3. Add some additional bracing if needed to keep the frames straight, square, and level.

and if I have enough time:

4. Start planning/building the supporting framework to get the yard area baseboards in place.
5. Lay the through tracks to close the loop

and OF COURSE

6. Run some trains...

I'll also get some better pictures of the component of the frame as it goes together, in order to show off my engineering skills (lol). Might save someone else having to re-invent the method...

I'm getting there...

Maybe I should re-read history and recall how long it took REAL railroads to get to where they were trying to go. Then I wouldn't feel the same way about my slow progress.

I HAVE managed to get the "engineering" sorted for the yard section, and yes, it will be removable. Thankfully the local building store offers up to fifteen free cuts on a piece of wood (or order), so I took my 4'x8' (or whatever the metric equiv. is!) and said "Six inch strips please. Lengthwise..."

So now in the loft there is a pile of:

6 x 5'11 3/8" x 6" strips (six feet long minus the thickness of two strips that go on the ends)
6 x 18" x 6" ends
10 x 17 3/8" x 6" "inner braces"
36 x 2" x 2" x5" corner braces

I'm figuring that a six-foot long section will allow me to move and transport the yard reasonable easily, without making too many joints in the complex parts of the track. I'll wedge/glue a 'top' of foam inside the frame, and leave it sticking an inch over the top of the frame, and flush with the sides. Unless it turns into too much of a PITA. Between all that cutting, and making some progress on the "downstairs" decorating, I didn't get it build this weekend. Oh well, it's all there ready for "next time"...