Construction of the Yosemite Sugar Pine RR

I was use to a having a rather large layout. 18 x 22 were my last two layouts that filled pretty much a double car garage here in California. After moving to San Diego and having to rent a home, I didn't want to build a huge permanent layout, but would rather wait until we get our own place.

I had been running a small woodshop out of the garage cutting wood items for crafters but in the last few years things have dwindled to nothing so the equipment was just sitting there taking up space.

All this time I'm having train withdrawals. It only got worse when I started to plow through book after book on layout plans. My wife bless her heart, came out into the shop one day and asked why the long face? I told her I'd love to build a small layout, just something to run some trains on again, but there is no room. I had been looking the shop over for weeks trying to figure out where a layout could go.

She is a master at organizing things like this. She looked around and within a few minutes, she says, "Move this here, put that there, get rid of those you don't use them anymore. etc. etc." and in a little over an hour of moving and tossing stuff, low and behold, I had a clearing of 5 x 9 feet. Ok, it's not huge by any means but workable to run some trains.

Back to the magazines and books I went looking for that elusive layout what would meet all my dreams. Well it didn't take long to realize that going from 400 sq. feet down to 45 sq. feet was going to be a real challenge, especially with all things I wanted to do. Compression would have to be the rule of the day, well many days to come actually. This can be a very painful process actually.

Jan 21st, 2006. Started moving things around and out of the work shop. Took most of the afternoon.

Original Plan modified

The wood shop before the railroad moved in

Another view... where did I get all this stuff?

My wife came up with a plan on where to move everything and in one after noon I had room for a layout. What a Sweetheart!

Almost cleared out enough room, just a few more things to move.

Following the plan I had drawn up, Saturday night, I went and got the wood. One railroad in kit form laying in the back of my truck. ;o)

Sunday afternoon construction of the tables began in earnest.

In a few minutes the table that would hold the future YSP engine facilities and yard was up.

With the plan laying on the floor, section 2 was screwed together.

Sections 1 and 2 have legs on, section 3 is almost there.

A couple hours later and presto, bench work.

Late Saturday night, bench work comleted. Ok, I'm whipped ... heading to bed and sweet dreams of running trains!!