# Cheektowaga Central opens new train shed



## JackM (Jul 29, 2008)

HISTORY - The Cheektowaga Central Railroad started in 2008-9, if, by "started", you mean thinking about it and reading as much as I could and wondering if I had a clue what to do. The first shovel of dirt was dug around Labor Day of 2009 - just a hundred-foot loop of track around the main flower bed behind the house. (I'm not a gardener, I don't especially enjoy gardening, but when I bought the place in winter 2004 nobody mentioned that there were flower beds all over the place. My first goal was to clean things up and make the beds as low maintenance as possible.) 



What is now called the "flower bed loop" was a resounding success and is still firmly in place. 2010 saw the extension of track around the side of the house, across the front, and back. Over the following months, I came up with a plan to add an eight track train shed and a working "yard" between the patio and the Flower Bed Loop. The train shed was partially completed before the first snow. After the winter snows melted, the rain-delays started. I expected to start work in early April and have everything completed by Memorial Day. But near-constant rain thru April and May delayed start-up until the end of May and work wasn't completed (more or less) until mid-July. 



THE PROJECT - I'll start with the train shed and get to the yard in the next episode, coming soon to an MLS near you. 



I learned early on that it's a pain having to bring trains out from the basement any time I wanted to run something around the Flower Bed Loop. Suggestions I received from the folks here at MLS didn't work for my situation. Although my garage is bigger than the normal two-car, the extra space is taken up by riding mower, workbench and sink, table saw, car parts (my cars are a matched set of 20-year-olds so I have almost enough parts to build me a new one), etc. Doesn't really matter, because I don't see any way to bring them into the garage from outside - not gonna knock a hole in the cinder blocks. Outdoor storage is the only way to go. 



However, there is a bit of a security issue since I'm on a corner lot with no fences. Also, my layout is basically ground-level but I wanted the storage yard to be a bit higher since it's right next to the patio. So I built a "raised flower bed" type structure of 1"x6" cedar boards.
The roof, inspired by the train shed at old Union Station in St. Louis, would be a curved sheet of Lexan.







I didn't want a closed-in box for the CCRR train shed. I wanted to be able to see what's in there and to shove cars in and pull them out as "prototypically" as possible. So transparency was in order. Thus, the Lexan. I used 1/8" sign-grade Lexan, "both sides UV protected", and guaranteed not to yellow for ten years. How well that will protect the rolling stock under it remains to be seen. The 1/8" Lexan is surprisingly flexible and is just right for the curved roof I wanted. Here's the end result: 









And here come the security concerns. There's no way the neighborhood don't know about my outdoor trains, especially since the tracks running around the front of the house are visible to passing traffic, joggers, bicyclists, dog-walkers, etc.







Motion-detecting lights were already in place (all they ever see out here is deer, anyway). But obviously the "box" has to be secure. Putting Lexan over the top is one thing, but, again, I wanted a place for the rolling stock to be viewable and accessible; I couldn't just nail it to the box. So…"sandwich" construction. All four sides of the box are two levels of double-walled one by sixes. Sandwiched between the boards are Lexan sheet, with lag bolts holding the layers together. The visible Lexan is flexible but wouldn't break even if you could bend it back over itself. The top is hinged along one side with robust stainless steel hinges and locked on the opposite side. The 1/8" flexibility requires more padlocks than I really like, but they're necessary to make sure a corner couldn't be lifted up enough for an arm to reach in and grab something.







Now - what's wrong with this picture? The tracks stop at the plastic wall, then start up again on the inside of the box.







I originally expected to cut the Lexan horizontally across the top of the rails so they could run continuous into the shed. Instead, I took a chance and laid the track with a whopping 3/8 inch gap.







This way, the Lexan can be inserted between the wood layers. It's flexible enough to slip under the roof so that it can be padlocked in place. With the lock in place, the Lexan end panel isn't going anywhere. 



And the answer to your question is….. YES! The rolling stock can easily navigate the big gap without human assistance! Admittedly I only own 16 pieces right now, but they all got to their places inside the shed by being pushed by the S4. Likewise, the S4 and GP-40 are able to make it into the shed under DCC power. Truth is, all the rolling stock made it into the shed on the first day without a problem. The locos were a bit more picky. At first, they'd go in on track #3 nicely, but the other seven tracks required some "fine-tuning" to be totally satisfactory. I'll admit I'm a bit surprised it all went so well. (Most of my stuff is Aristo, but the S4, Intermodals and one of the covered gons are from USAT.) 









Beginning of day, remove padlock, grab the metal thing that probably has a name but I don't know what it is, and lift out the panel. End of day, reverse procedure.







I may be able to claim the fastest 0-60 times in Garden Railroading. I enter the garage, hit the switch that powers the DCC, grab the cab unit, walk out to the patio, unlock the end piece, pull it out - and it's "Gentlemen, start your locos!" 




Here's a thirty second video that takes forever to load. It takes about two minutes for me; I have the world's worst DSL connection. A confession - One thing I didn't see coming. I built the "raised bed" last October and started filling it with topsoil, tamping it down frequently for a nice, firm surface. I ran out of soil about halfway up and, with snow clouds threatening, put off ordering more soil until spring. (The Lexan roof was already in place.) Once the rains stopped in late May of this year I finished loading and tamping the topsoil. A few weeks after that, I noticed the roof kept sagging in one particular spot.







Eventually, I figured it out: tamping the soil so firmly forced it to spread outward, bowing the sides. Now the hasps don't meet the mating parts quite right, causing the plastic to twist a bit. I am not pleased. Next time (yeah, like I'll build another one) I'll put in a cross brace to keep the sides straight. Looks like I'll have to move one of the hasps a bit to regain the original fit. 



We learn by doing. 





I'll post the Rrrrrrest of the Story - the yard itself - sometime soon. 





JackM.


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## jake3404 (Dec 3, 2010)

Very nice, I like the see through idea. Too many sheds look like this dreary cave that you park stuff in. I'm curious how the clarity will last out in the rain and elements. I wonder if your going to have to do some window cleaning, from time to time.


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## JackM (Jul 29, 2008)

The nice lady at the distributor suggested this particular type of Lexan because it is used for outdoor signage (protect neon tubes from idiots who throw rocks, etc.) so it should stay clear for a long time. UV protection on both sides, so it should stay pretty for a long time.

It cleans up nice with just a quick hosing; no wiping or drying necessary. The removeable front panel is the only part that really gets dirty because rain will splash ballast dust on it. Hosing does okay, but a paper towel and window cleaner makes it sparkle. Frugal guy that I am, I make my own for general household cleaning: 50/50 water and vinegar. Works as well as anything from the store, but puts me in the mood for a burger and fries.

JackM


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## todd55whit (Jan 2, 2008)

nice. I like the cribbing near the switches.


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## dieseldude (Apr 21, 2009)

Jack- Nice job on the shed, but your Cheektowaga Central loco has Cleve Hill colors on it!! It should be maroon and gold! LOL. 

-Kevin.


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

I don't want to use track inside my car barn. I inted to make track out of 3/4 x 3/4 x 1/8 in angle iron. I plan on welding the prober distance apart with steel " Ties" I then pan on sinking the track in the concrete floor of the car bar leaving the sapace between the track open like a pit. I will concrete the bottom of the pit. Now that the top of the fake track is level with the floor the doors do ot have to have notches for Track. 

The area out side the car bar will probably be level all the way accross the tracks no pit. 

JJ


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## JackM (Jul 29, 2008)

Kevin - Actually, I unwittingly picked my own HS colors - Canisius - Blue & Gold - kinda. I must've had a momentary lapse into my teens. Stop in sometime when you're in the neighborhood.

JJ - I can't imagine welding the rails evenly enough to pour concrete around them. That would be a beautiful piece of work.

JackM


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## wchasr (Jan 2, 2008)

JJ, I like that idea! 

Jack, I'd wondered earlier this summer how your lexan was holding up. Did you ever test the interior temperatures of the "greenhouse"? I like the sandwiched foundation idea. The gap doesn't worry me much and even if you were track power you could have spanned that distance internally with jumper wires. Keep us updated! 

Chas


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

When I first started over 10 years a got I started making road bed by bolting it together like this.

If you make a jig you can weld it. which I have done but no Pictures. 












This was the orginal plan but since then I have fill in the sapces between the supports with concrete than followd with dirt.


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## wchasr (Jan 2, 2008)

JJ, 
How many track & roadbed methods have you used now?


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## JackM (Jul 29, 2008)

Jack, I'd wondered earlier this summer how your lexan was holding up. Did you ever test the interior temperatures of the "greenhouse"? I like the sandwiched foundation idea. The gap doesn't worry me much and even if you were track power you could have spanned that distance internally with jumper wires. Keep us updated! 

Chas 

I used the width of the hinge part of the hinges (don't know how else to describe it) to make sure I mounted all three hinges at the same height, and took advantage of the same part of the hasps, so there's a 1/2 inch gap between the top of the side panels and the curved roof. This gives it plenty of ventilation. On one of the mid 90s days we had last week I used my (HF) Infrared Thermometer to measure temp of ballast, rolling stock, etc. I shot the beam thru the space between side and roof. I couldn't find more than a five degree differrence between anything inside or out of the shed. I've never seen and moisture collect on the inside of the Lexan, etc. I guess that space is much like the vents in the roof of your house. Very pleased with that. And I doubt the moles, voles or chipmonks would be able to climb up the smooth surface and squeeze inside. 

I did run a jumper into the shed, so all tracks are powered inside. Full control. Next step will be to convert to Kadees. I have a bunch of them waiting on the workbench for installation. Then the fun begins! 

Thanks for your kind words, guys. 

JackM


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## JackM (Jul 29, 2008)

Here's a thirty second video that takes forever to load. It takes about two minutes for me; I have the world's worst DSL connection. 


That video is no big deal, so ignore that link. I put it up on YouTube - much faster load: 

http://youtu.be/2OAS-E6zU7o


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

could get very HOT in July.


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Posted By wchasr on 26 Jul 2011 07:43 AM 
JJ, 
How many track & roadbed methods have you used now? 
I have changed the process about 5 times I think. The changes have been what I use for Forms.  I have done trenches and just filled them with concrete. It was a fast and easy way but was a disaster when it came to linear level. It was alike a concrete sea with solid waves. Then I tried plastic garden edging. It bowed out from not enough stakes for side support. Then I tried expansion boards. The stuff they put between sidewalk joints to allow the concrete to expand. Then I went to steel as you see in the pictures. Then I went to steel in a re useable format. Which is what I am using now. 

JJ


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

To save space on the switch area, take a look at the 5 way Train-Li offers.


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## JackM (Jul 29, 2008)

could get very HOT in July. 


Not a problem in Upstate NY. My infrared thermometer (which I also use as a meat thermometer) shows the temp inside the box on a sunny day is only about five degrees hotter than outside. 



take a look at the 5 way Train-Li offers. 


I'm sure it's helpful for space constrictions, but it doesn't look very prototypical to me. Also not controllable with my pneumatics. 


JackM


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

That's quite attractive, Jack.... Very, very nicely done....


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## JackM (Jul 29, 2008)

But so LONELY!!!












JackM


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