Benchwork construction complete

 With the end of the school year quickly approaching, the club made an effort to complete the majority of the benchwork supports for our model railroad. RIT's Facilities Management Services (FMS) helped us relocate some cabinets that were mounted to one of the concrete walls, and also helped us anchor the peninsula benchwork to the concrete floor. Raising the cabinets allowed us to install benchwork for our new Irondequoit Yard, which will support the customers located in Rochester and Albion. The rest of the trackwork will be supported by risers and subroadbed, as our main line must make a change in elevation as it makes its way around the room. There will also be differences in height on the scenery base, as we accommodate bridges, rivers, waterfalls, and more.

 

As seen from the tower, Connor, David, J.C., and Ryan working in the area around what will be High Falls and the Genesee Brewery scene.

View from the tower, looking out over the peninsula that will carry the main line through Rochester and out towards our connection with the Falls Road.

Ryan, Connor, and J.C. assembling bench work.

Looking back into the room towards the tower across the completed peninsula benchwork.

Completed benchwork for Irondequoit Yard, located at the entrance to our club room and tucked under our newly raised storage cabinets.

We'll be hosting our first Open House as part of the Imagine RIT Festival on May 4, 2013! We can't guarantee trains will be running, but we'll have plenty to show off. Come join us! 

Work continues on the Niagra Falls backdrop

Work continued on finishing the backdrop behind the Niagara Falls scene. We're hoping to get a coat of "sky blue" before the Imagine RIT festival this weekend. Alumni member Otto and club vice president Matt mudded, taped, sanded, and primed the backdrop over the last week. The backdrop is Masonite tempered hardboard panels screwed to a framework of 2x3's. The work was complicated by the complex angles and curves as a result of our club room being located directly underneath Ingle Auditorium. Somehow, we made it work! Please come visit us on Saturday, May 4!

 

Otto applies paper tape over a mudded joint.

Matt applies the first coat of mud over the screw holes.

The next day, a second "finish coat" of mud was applied to the backdrop and wet-sanded smooth.

The first coat of white primer applied (looking west).

The first coat of primer applied (looking east). The panel towards the rear was added late and will be mudded and primed as well.

The completed Niagara Falls backdrop, ready for a coat of sky blue!

Niagara Falls backdrop and more

During the week of April 13, we measured and hung the masonite backdrops in the Niagara Falls area. Installation was tricky, because the rear wall is curved, we wanted coved corners, we had to accommodate the angles of the sloping ceiling, and we had to cross back and forth over the track that leads to staging. Piece of cake! Thanks to Matt, Otto, Ryan, Max, and others.

We test fit one corner and also quickly mocked up where an overhead highway bridge will cross the scene. Even though it is not in its exact position, it helps give an idea of how the scene will be constructed with this raised element.

Here's a rendering of what the Niagara Falls scene will look like. The heavy lines are backdrops, and you can see how we are using them to disguise the return track to staging. (Click for larger image)

Alumni member Otto ('99) stands with some of the test-fit pieces a couple of days before their final installation.

The Niagara Falls deck with all of the backdrop hung.

The Niagara Food Terminal scene will be in the foreground, as the mainline ducks behind the backdrop, but then emerges once again to descend the ramp down to Bailly Jct. and the helix to staging. Easy!

This end will be home to some chemical unloading tracks, and was further complicated by the number of angles that had to be cut. The exit for the main line tracks will be cut out with a Dremel since the exact position is not yet known, and we want to make the smallest hole possible.

We also made a jump start on some of the benchwork that will support our Irondequoit Yard scene near the entrance. The black cabinets will be relocated higher to accommodate the trains.

We'll be hosting our first Open House as part of the Imagine RIT Festival on May 4, 2013! We can't guarantee trains will be running into Niagara Falls, but we'll have plenty to show off. Come join us!

The peninsula takes shape April 6

We held another work session on Saturday, April 6, to build out the center peninsula that will hold our Rochester scenes and return the main line back to staging. We also started preliminary work on the framing that will support the curved backdrop in the Niagara Falls scene. Here's a few photos from that day. Make sure to follow us on Facebook for more updates!

The center peninsula takes shape...

Ryan and J.C. install braces on the peninsula.

We tacked up some pieces of masonite temporarily to show how the fascia will flow smoothly around the perimeter of the benchwork.

Phillip and Otto construct framing to support the curved backdrop in Niagara Falls.

The view from the tower shows the peninsula taking shape.

Where we left off at the end of April 6 work session. Additional cross members will be installed that will support the various levels of track and scenery throughout.

March construction progress

It's been a while since we posted any construction progress... We paused to figure out some additional design issues and then it was the end of the quarter, which meant finals. Then it was Spring Break. Upon our return, we had to go out and purchase additional construction materials (up until this point, we had actually recycled a lot of wood from the old layout). Finally, we got back to making sawdust during a work session on March 30.

 

Connor and Matt make some elevation adjustments to the benchwork deck near the entrance to the helix (called "Bailly Junction").

 

David, Connor, and Phil start reconstructing benchwork for the deck that will support our scene representing Albion, New York on the Falls Road Railroad.

 

Connor, David, and Phil take measurements while Ryan and Matt plot devious plans for world domination (or building more benchwork).

 

Matt uses one of our 1:1 scale "check" drawings to being transferring centerlines to the benchwork that will support our Niagara Falls scene.

 

Phil, David, and Connor prepare to mount the Albion benchwork to the wall.

 

Phil, Matt, and Ryan mount the benchwork that will support our scene of the Genesee Brewery as well as the lead to Irondequoit Yard.

Here's a preview of our full track plan... Missing from this drawing are backdrops, buildings, roads, and so on... But this should give you the basic idea of where we are headed. For those of you who remember our old layout, this is certainly a more ambitious plan that uses more of the room and gives us a lot more operating and modeling potential.

Don't forget to check out our RITMRC Facebook page for more photos and updates!

Are you an RIT student? Want to join the club? We meet Tuesdays at 7:00pm in our Room A-420 (basement level of the Student Union). Come on down!