Earth works are complete

Well January has passed and it has been very hot up here in sunny Queensland so I have been using my time avoiding the heat (and waiting for rain) by working on the benchwork and roadbed. 

It has been 3 years (Jan 2010) since I first cut the timber to commence construction on this 30 years in the dreaming project. Framing above the work bench showed up my lack of planning, for when I went to match the current benchwork I found that there was no commercial size timber available and I had to rip my own. 

The shot below shows the 11 x 28 and 19 x 28 glued and screwed together and bolted to the pelmet of my work bench.

The level sits on the temp bench work to check the heights

Here is the finished shot with frames in place and ready to screw the ply

Fixing the plywood was like normal although I had to be more accurate as I only had 11mm to attach the ply to in some places. This area of the layout is staging and represents heading to Newcastle or Sydney. I attached a small backdrop just to neat'in things up.

I still wanted to maintain a large curve in the staging area (min as on the layout) and this proved to eat in to the storage area so I just added a little more on the end as can be seen in the bottom right hand corner of the photo below. 

Ply on and staging trackwork in the planning

The trackwork in the staging area is anything that I had trackwork wize that would make a few holding roads. The shot below (sorry for those with a crook neck) is the entry to staging. I have to clean my work bench!!!!

 Benchwork finished and trackwork taking shape

I had previously constructed the layout from right to left and after the last running (testing) session the need was expressed to me for more staging or a place to hold your train.

This prompted me to start over the workbench and give some thought as to what would be down this side of the room.

Trackwork and benchwork together can be a receipt for diaster, yes the air conditioner is still there but I am working around it 

 Yes and there you have it benchwork almost finished

 Job done, all the dozers and scrapers are gone.

The roadbed on the left is the branch snaking through the hills around to the mainline junction station on the right.

 The dozers and scrapers are gone from this end of the layout too and the perway gangs have commenced their work in the staging.

 I need to settle on a station layout that represents a prototypical design. I have found that in the 3 years of planning and construction, the "branch" has changed somewhat and really has nothing to do with Nimmitabel (as some of you have already guessed) but has still needed to follow prototypicial design.

My need to construct a branchline has and is what I have done. Trains will be "made up" from loading that has arrived from Sydney, Newcastle (staging) and then make there way on to the branch and likewise loading will return from the branch and then be marshalled into trains for destinations in the big smoke.

Well enough of my ramblings, this was only going to be a few photos for show and tell. Until next time!!