BUILDING THE BASE

Shifting benchwork construction from the mountain grade to the other major remaining area, I built the base benchwork for the Eugene Arrival/Departure Yard.  The A/D Yard serves as the lower level staging.  Engine facilities for both steam and diesel will be contained within the reverse loop.  An industrial branch will sweep around the outside of the twelve yard tracks.  In front of the yard tracks will be a switch lead, a caboose track, the Oregon Electric (SP&S or BN) Interchange and a modest track for a PFE ice ramp and rack. 

I began by laying out the remaining full size track plan on the floor.  I then filled in fresh newsprint and re-plotted the yard throat.  The original full-sized plan had been destroyed by me walking on it and our dog deciding it might make a comfortable “nest.”  I laid out built-up turnouts for most of the yard throat and now have a short  list of “immediate” turnout needs. 

Benchwork construction is a combination of L-girder and stringer, open grid, and a couple of wall braces.  I prefer L-girder for most areas as the stringers can be adjusted to account for switch machine locations.  Open grid is useful for a reduced support structure thickness.  I need a roll-under passageway to the operator hole for the engine facility in the middle of the A/D Yard area.  Finally, I had a couple of spots where a single stringer supported by a wall bracket neatly filled a gap that was not easily spanned with an L-girder. 

Herewith some pictures of the completed base benchwork:

Base benchwork for the Eugene Arrival/Departure Yard.  Track plan is shown on the floor.  Plywood for this area has been lifted onto the benchwork in the back corner.

Benchwork connecting to the existing Eugene Yard in the pass-through.

Benchwork extending to our Exercise Room wall.  A hole has been broken through the wall for the limited trackage rights into this space.  The blocking I had installed during house construction for this hole is perfectly placed in height. 

Benchwork framing the operator hole.   A wall bracket support for the middle stringer can be seen against the back wall.  A larger opening in the stringer framing can be seen to the left of the operator hole.  This is where the turntable will go.

Another perspective on the operator hole.  Benchwork legs on either side of the passage way to the hole are 2x4s.  These legs will have handrails installed to aid the roll-through passageway use.