I am posting my last hand drawn benchwork plan. From here on in I will be doing all future planning in 3rd Planit.
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp299/Feldman718/Layout-3.jpg
THis plan allows greater access to the layout by eliminating tight aisles on the lower right had side and at the top of the peninsula that appeared on my previous versions of the plan.
This simplify's something and complicates others but thos will be explored when I complete my track plan. I have one in my head but i haven't put it on paper yet because I haven't completed a list of wants, druthers and possibilies. I know I want certain things to be there and these include 19" radius curves on the peninsula, a draw bridge arrangment that would permit the transit of trains from thew right hand side of the layout to the peninsula without running around the whole layout, hidden staging and some kind of carfloat service to permit interchange with unmodled railroads. I may not be able to fit al if this in unless I add another level to the layout but I won't know that until what the possibilities are and that's where CAD software like 3rd Planit comes in.
3rd Planit will let me draw and experiment with trackplans that I think may be good but somehow don't work. I'll be able to test these out before I lay a single piece of track and I won't have to worry about whether they'll fit nicely on the bench work without major modifications. I also won't have to aorry about drawing curves correctly because the software will take car of that.
So what do you think?
Irv
It's a great tool
I have used 3rd Planit for about six years. It is now second nature and I can quickly test, refine, or dismiss some of my ideas. I still fine I doodle out the original concepts, and then put them into the program. It is sobering to see how real curves and turnouts constrain reality!
After I did one plan on 3rd Planit, I found I could work it without much thought. Have fun!
Cheers,
Scott
Benchwork
Hi Irv,
I like your benchwork plan. I used the Mod-u-Rail benchwork by WS for my own layout and really liked how it all went together so well. Plus, it would not be too difficult to move it if you had to later, since the modules are connected together by wing nuts.
Sounds like you have a lot of good ideas. I really like the drawbridge idea, especially.
I tried 3rd Planit myself a few years ago, but ended up going back to paper and pencil. As I recall, it was because I couldn't figure out how to get it to do grades or elevations and get it to show up in 3d - but then again, I'm not sure any of the software out there can do that. That was a while ago, so maybe they've improved it since then. If you're having good luck with it maybe I'll try it again.
Greg
Benchwork
I just finished one of the 12" x 18" fitter sections that go against the left wall. It wasn't difficult to do either once I found all the materials I needed. To bad Woodland Scenics doesn't make those things as I can see they would probably be very popular. The 12" x 18" does need legs since It can be supported by the adjoing modules.
I made my supports using 3/4" bass wood cut to fit and screwed together. On top of that I made a module similar to the way the regular modules are created. Namely these have 1/2" thick 12" x 18" base with profile sheets cut to fit and glued together with white glue. They can be attached like the other modules.
One also gains a nice 12" x 18" space under the layout which can be used for one of those rolling carts with mutliple drawers.
If I get a chance I'll put up a phot so that everyone cans ee how this works.
As for my ideas, they have gotten me in trouble before. And it may be happening again. I am thinking of adding a second level to the benchwork. That will require a helix and I've never built one before.
Irv