# Train Shed Thread (A year in the making)



## bicyclexc (Mar 31, 2010)

Work on the railroad continues at a glacial pace, but lately there have been great advances. This spring there will be lots of track laying!

Right now the train shed is being built to house the rolling stock. Frostburg, MD got a foot of snow today, but I've been waiting to start this project for almost a year so nothing could stop me.

Progress today:








Shed floor with leads on top to check alignment.









Some sketches. None of the measurements are true.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I'm sure you've already committed to a track design, but looks like the switches are eating up your storage space. Have you considered a single 3 way switch to feed the storage area? 

Greg


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

I think hes just checking alignment. 
Personally i think you'll want openings a min of 7" for plows etc. Unless you won't be buying any more rolling stock.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

True Marty, although he's still got a nasty S curve taking the middle track with any long cars. 

The 3 way has several benefits. 

Anyway just a thought. 

Greg


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

Greg 
I like RJ's 5 way I think it is. why not plan for more. 

Sorry bicy, but we are interested in your project. Keep us posted.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I have that 5 way, but the remote control version (I will be controlling it remotely to make up trains from a distance)... they also have a 3 way at a nice price, and it's a single, gentle arc... no frog, etc. 

Greg


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

geeeezzzzzzzz - you guys don't give in do ya!!!! :~} Let him have room to breath and post in here ugh.. 

OK - Bicy .. 

To keep the wolves at bay, you can tell every one watching at home today a couple of things. 

Like,... 1. how long will your shed be when completed!?? 
..........2. what kind of cars will you store in your new shed? 

And,.. yes I agree,.. less side space and more room in each bay width, try this combo in your 24 in width. 7 in doors, 1/2 in posts between doors, and 1 in. on each outer side wall.. this equals your 24 in width.. 

This really depends on IF you have large steamers in your roster!!! 

See, your having fun, great news & thanks fer sharing with us old farts!! 

Dirk - DMS Ry.


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## bicyclexc (Mar 31, 2010)

I have very limited space for this Building (2'x8') so I'm building a 3 bay, 22"x8' shed. I have 10 Bachmann big haulers-3 bay hopper cars I need to store (18" ea), I should be able to get 5 on a track leaving me space enough for my boxcar and 2 tank cars and soon to be USAT caboose on the third. Yes the turnouts are just on there for alignment, and a 3 way switch would have been nice, but expensive and not prototypical (those are new Aristo aluminum 10's). 

I have the doors planed at 5" wide right now, but I'm not there yet. The tracks are 6.5" centers. I just cut the grooves for one track and I'm covered with saw dust. I also framed out the bottom with 2"x2"'s. All pressure treated so far. The floor is 1/2" ply. The walls will be 11/32 untreated but I have paint for the whole thing so hopefully I'll be OK. The roof is the other half of the 1/2" (26" wide). Have shingles and the whole 9 yards but I don't want to give it all away quite yet


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

Holding on to your "Poker Face" eh. Good for you!! 

Keep having fun then!!!!! 

I'm going to have dinner!! 

Dirk - DMS Ry.


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

Great ,,wolf ,,wolf,, 
Besure to prime and paint inside also for moisture. 

wolf, wolf.... 
Dinner??? what is it, noon time???


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

6:00 pm in AZ 

assume 8:00 for you!!


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## noelw (Jan 2, 2008)

Ours almost like your idea with the three doors.









We ended up a little wider than yours.
Our is just under 3 foot wide and little over12 foot long due to the short space we had left over at the end of our set up area.
We also made the roof in two section so when raised it turns on LED lights.









We made our own slide track switches. Now have 5 tracks inside to hold more cars.
We had to make the door ways wide enough for the marker lamps and hand rails. So our is just a lillte over
7 inches.


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## bicyclexc (Mar 31, 2010)

Progress for today, its 5pm EST and I'm hungry. I finished the grooves for the flanges, finished the long walls, each with 8 windows (remind me not to be this ambitious next time). I up'd the width of the doors from 5 to 5.5" on advice from y'all. That's a project for tomorrow.


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## bicyclexc (Mar 31, 2010)

A solid 6 hours worth of work on the shed today. Ditched the single-slope roof in favor of the double slope, hopefully that made it lighter to move. Added 2 hinges to the roof so it opens, 2 more before its done.


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

Very nice job...


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Nice! 










Nice switch for your yard throat, nice gently 7 foot radius curve (probably like a #5 or almost #6 switch).... unfortunately it's $530


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

The number 5's I have measured came out to a 60'' radius. 5 ft ... pretty tight for the most part.. 

Dirk


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## bicyclexc (Mar 31, 2010)

The roof went on today in 2 steps.








First the tar paper.









Next the shingles









Then the Prototype. Company Shops, NC


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

Photos need to be bigger.


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## bicyclexc (Mar 31, 2010)

Sorry if the pictures are not going through well, I'm linking them from my facebook page with HTML tags. Here are a few more.

Got a little ambitious last night and dumped a quart of concrete grey exterior paint on the inside of the train shed. With the paint dry this morning, I was able to staple in the $10 string of LED christmas lights I got from sears yesterday. I'm not very excited about the blue color of the light but I won't complain cause it was $10.

Things that remain to be done:
1) Exterior Paint
2) Front Doors
3) Windows
4) Track transition
5) Exhaust fan? (I'd like to hear about any experience you may have with this problem. Please comment if you have good ideas on active heat control.) 








_View from front with lights on._








_Inside view._


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Looks nice! 

A circulating fan and source of mild heat will be needed to avoid condensation during times of humidity. 

If it get's really hot where you are, you need an exhaust fan, get one of the solar powered ones from an RV place. 

Greg


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## JackM (Jul 29, 2008)

At the risk of adding one more chore to your list - stop off atyour local hobby store and pick up a teeeeny bottle of Tamiya Transparent Yellow paint and give the LEDs a thin coat. You'll like the more natural light. (If any of the LEDS is difficult to get to, well, every shop has a few flourescents.) 

JackM 

Nice case of shingles on the roof. I mean, nice roofing shingles.


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## JackM (Jul 29, 2008)

And to Greg - I've been thinking of rigging up a solar powered exhaust for my shed. Never would've thought of going to an RV place. 

Jeeeez, this site is handy. 

JackM


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

*http://store.sundancesolar.com/sunsolpowven.html*


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## bicyclexc (Mar 31, 2010)

I looked online and bought a 3" vent fan, vertical mount and accompanying solar panel for $40. Hopefully I can mount it in the rear attic wall. We'll see when it comes in.

A bit of progress today. More to come tomorrow. Now it is a true "Car Barn". The tasks are now shifting to detail work.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

For dehumidification, I prefer "goldenrods" ... you might only have to run these in conditions for high humidity... they work well and are proven. 

You will need 110v but it will keep rust down... many of the cheap Chinese screws will rust very easily. 

http://www.goldenroddehumidifiers.com/ 

Greg


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## bicyclexc (Mar 31, 2010)

Thank you Greg for the help. I have not even considered humidity but now I guess I should. 

Tom


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

What are you doing about spiders, mice, wasps, snakes and all the other local gentry?


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Yes, you will find out quickly that all those small screws of cheap steel will rust quickly in humidity... also springs in trucks. The goldenrods don't use much power and have done the trick for people for years... I first found out about them when I lived a block from the ocean in a house made of concrete block, which is amazingly porous... got rid of all the moisture and mildew. 

limit bugs by using fine screen on all vents, put vents near track level so with the vent in the roof, you will get natural convection cooling. 

Make tight sealing doors / plugs on the 3 openings, and some of that soft self-stick foam tape for the roof. 

Greg


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Besides the solar fans(bought cheap at RV center less than $40 for 2) I also install 2 inch side vents every couple of feet. Of course my train shed is 24 ft long. I really do not worry about the bugs as mine sits 4 ft off the ground but I do get wasps and spiders but they die due to the heat and once in they never figure out how to get out. I just sweep them up once in a while. I have not had to worry about the metal screws or nails going south. Once painte should take care of that. Later RJD


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

The biggest issue in my train shed is mice. I get spiders and camel crickets, but the mice like to chew stuff, and in the past they've taken up residence in heavyweight passenger cars, making a nasty mess. I put mothballs in the cars, or rather little packets of whatever the stuff is in mothballs, and that seems to have stopped them


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## bicyclexc (Mar 31, 2010)

YES! FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE!

All great ideas. Thinking about animals now... Perhaps I may hide a few mothballs inside somewhere as well. All the joints should be small enough to keep mice out so only bugs will be the worry. If I choose to seal up the hinged roof with foam tape I'll have to add a vent somewhere probably. Next step though- windows.

Fan and Solar Panel came in the mail yesterday. Going to experiment with it today.









Yes- The doors open inward and that's weird but this way the hinges and latches are secure and on the inside. Should be enough space for trains still.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Get some of that thin self adhesive foam "weatherstripping" from Home Depot / Loews / Menards and line the doorways, should be able to do the vertical surfaces and on side where the doors meet. The thin gray open cell stuff will compress easily, and close most of the gaps to slow down spiders. 

People often just use a "plug" with some foam around it, but it does not look as nice as your setup. 

Greg


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

now this all depends on whether you have the building sitting on the ground or raised up. If it's above ground like mine I have no real issues with critters. Later RJD


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

Mine is two feet off the ground on 4x4 posts. The bottom is open, but sealed with hardware cloth stapled to the frame. They got right in. I'm pretty sure if the mouse wants to get in it will. They can chew through wood in no time at all.



The mothball packets really worked for me. They didn't deter the camel crickets, but lack of moisture will deter them--they need a damp environment. Running the stuff often is a good solution too.


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## bicyclexc (Mar 31, 2010)

It's been an interesting couple of days. Had surgery on Wednesday to remove my clavicle plate... Slowly recovering from that.








Shiny.
But I've managed to get a few things done on the shed. I began the windows.









I used pieces of plexiglass 4"x6". Waterproof medical tape cut into thin strips make the frames. The outside trim is, outside trim, painted white. Gorilla glue for the plastic/wood joint, urber-wood glue for the wood joints, plus 2 screws for good measure.








6 done, 10 to go. Each one takes about an hour.


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## bicyclexc (Mar 31, 2010)

Quick update:

1) Windows, all 16 done
2) Doors, trimmed and painted
3) Gauge Checked with my NEW WM USAT CABOOSE!! Very excited. It's beautiful.
4) Paint touched up
5) Rail transitions installed in front of the barn
6) Sanding here and there
7) Applied the mailbox lettering today, good enough for me, I want to be done with this today!
8) Painted and sealed the underneath to limit decay

Thank you to everyone for all the suggestions! Going to move it outside in the next few days and then the electric and track work begins!


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

Shed looks great! Love the inset rails. Mine has a mostly open floor, for ventilation, with the track supported by boards.

Just a humble suggestion: I would replace the mailbox letters with a sign. If you have an inkjet printer, you can make a sign and print it on adhesive vinyl paper. You can get the paper at Staples or office depot. You can even find the WM font at http://www.railfonts.com/

Or you could probably find a free font close enough. I think your work deserves a better finishing touch


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

that looks great. 

JJ


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