Adventures in unemployment such as they are, I have found that I have extra time on my hands. Enter the crate of N-scale model train parts that has been sitting in the shed for 6 years!
The name “Flying Plank” refers to the construction of the train table. It has no legs, instead it sits on sawhorses in the middle of the garage. It is suspended from 4 steel cables run through a series of pulleys on the ceiling that allow me to lift it about 9 feet in the air. So now I have an open workspace, and with a few minutes setup, I have a train layout ready to go! It is challenging to work out how to complete each step on the smallest possible budget, but when I powered up part of the track today and had it running It was worth it!
Note: the ropes shown in some of these pictures have all been replaced with steel cable. the rope stretched too much and made me worry about gravity.
Obviously there is still a lot of work to do, but when complete this will be the culmination of a dream I have had since I was a kid. And like any good 21st century nerd, the finished product will be controlled by a computer, and include Android App throttle control for the engines and as much automation as I can manage.
next steps: finish laying track, build up the landscaping, build the bridge over the center section, then tackle the digital command system.