It’s been a hot, humid week – and even with the air conditioning on, the most comfortable place in the house is the basement. So I’ve taken advantage of the weather (and the need to stand up and stretch every so often when working) to tear out the last of the old Proto:48 benchwork and build the foundation for my 7mm Great Western Railway layout. I reused as much of the wood from the old benchwork as possible. But I reworked my design to make the benchwork thinner and lighter.
The shelf is also almost nine inches lower than before: I decided the old layout was too high – especially since my British models use traditional three-link couplings, which will require better visibility for operators to couple up and uncouple.
Layout height is a personal preference. For me, the shelf height of 50 inches will work well. As the lead photo shows, it’s high enough I can use the space underneath for bookcases while still being able to reach under to deal with any (hopefully rare but also inevitable) wiring or turnout control issues.
I will mount the sub-roadbed on risers so there’s opportunity to build scenery below track level, so I expect the railhead to be a little higher above the floor: I’m thinking 54 inches.
I’ve ordered track supplies and they’re currently in transit from the UK. I’ll start cutting sub-roadbed once my track arrives.
The Model Railway Show 