Tuesday night meeting and work night

 Tuesday March 30 

Don was delivering our financial report, but stopped to open a card, Barb Owen gave the club $100.00 dollars, wow, thanks on behalf of the club! Her sister also made us cookies, yum! I should also thank members who have brough in various items like lumber, for our use.

 Rob asked if we should drain the water heater, as it is not in use. He also mentioned that the roof of the entrance leaks were it joins the building. Jim repaired a second toilet, and we are looking at rehanging the washroom doors so they open out. Don also mentioned a layout that is for sale, but we decided it would be counter productive at this time, not to mention covid concerns. 

 The crew added the top plates to the remaining frames, finished the peninsula corner, built more benches, about a dozen more needed, and started building the big curve on the end of the peninsula. Another good night's work.

Friday framing

 Friday March 26

 Found out Rob and Ann were at the club cleaning up again. Washroom is now clean, thanks

 Cliff, Glen and Rob retrieved the last of the 2 x 4 lumber from the trailer. 

 Don and Rick worked on benchwork, as we are running out of lumber, they were pieceing short pieces together.

 Glen, Rob, Donald and I finished the frames for the pensula, after laying it out on the floor. We think it is a good idea to use our 1/4 inch plywood on top of the benchwork to get the outside curve of the peninsula. This curve would be doubled using short 1 x 4s sandwiched between 2 curved plywood arcs.

The idea was hatched that we could add cleats, of scraps of wood, to the back of the benches and set the backdrops on the back of the benchwoek and attach it to the cleats, see picture below. This would raise the top of the backdrop above the 2 x 4 frame about 1 to 2 inches, no big deal.

Tuesday night working on the railroad

March 23 

Rob and his wife cleaned up the yard around our building, 5 bags of leaves and vines, great job!

 Support frames along the south wall, and from the east wall to the centre peninsula were put in.  Then with a screw, in the floor, and a 6 foot cord, Mike drew a circle on the floor where the central peninsula will be. This will help us locate it's final position while maintaining optimal aisle widths. The end of this peninsula is the last section of frames left to be built. 

 Benches continue to be constructed but we are running out of 6 foot 1 x 3 lumber, so we are going to build a few 5 foot ones.

Friday at the club

 March 19

Don S. brought over all the 1 x 4 s he cut down to 3 inches, which a crew used to make 8 benches 6 feet long. Work continued on frames, finishing up the east and west walls. The south west corner was finished to the furnace. The joining section from the east wall to the peninsula was started. Only then did we realize we could not reach the fuse panel, so we made 1 section only 18 inches wide.
A discussion was started about not including the bridge section, for now. That section would take a lot more time to build, extending the construction time. We will have to make a decision soon.

Tuesday night work

 What a great night. All of our construction materials were sorted and stored on and under the sections of the layout already built. The west wall section was completed. A lot of single frames were built. The east wall loop and several and several single frames were installed, after vents were installed on the water meter box. The paneling covering the water pipe was replaced. Cabinets are tables were moved. 

The toilet was replaced and the water turned on. Don P. Suggested we put the main yard on the west wall to make use of the row of spot lights there. Cliff, Rob and Glen are getting the rest of the lumber from the trailer on Friday and I will open the club at 1.

Tuesday work night at the club

 Tuesday night at the Huff and Puff. Our small work crew got down to work putting up the framework for the main section of the centre peninsula. It has become apparent the floor is not perfectly level so we will have to make adjustments where necessary. We then decided to loose 4 inches of space on the west wall side of the layout, and cover over the dart board frame. In assembly line fashion, we measured, marked, cut and stacked most of the components for the 13 frame members for the west section of the layout. We only got part of the loop end started before we called it a night. Next work schedule is Friday at 1.

Started the new Huff and Puff

 Thursday at the Huff and Puff Don, Tom, Glen, Rob, and me, got started on our new layout. First we sorted and stacked all the lumber along the west wall. Then we cut enough lumber to build 8 double support frames.   First thing we did was to build the first support frame and make it into a jig by adding some scrap lumber as stops. Seven more frames were constructed, using the jig. After plotting the position of the first support frame, we set up 2 frames and screwed them together. After adding 1 more frame, all of this structure was then levelled and braced. After patting ourselves on the back we called it a day.

Dues

 We have to get a better idea of our expenses, like heat and hydro, but for now club dues are $225 per year and if joining during the last 8 months of the year, dues are $25 per month for the rest of the first year. Dues are for the whole year, you may not say I only want to have a membership for 4 months. Members have to be tall enough to operate the layout, no stools are allowed, for the safety of all.

Meeting night

 Construction Decisions 

 Track level will be 48 inches 

Backdrop will be 2 feet high 

Benches will be mostly 30 x 72 inches and be faced with 1 x 4's and the rest will be 1 x 3's Minimum radius will be 30 inches 

Loop benches need to be at least 64 inches wide or 2 x 32 inches wide for single loops Double tracked, Center loop will have to be 6 feet across 

 The INTERCHANGE plan was adopted for the benchwork

 Jigs will be made to build the "H" support frames. 

The support frames will be 3 feet apart for most of the center peninsula 

 All lumber will be sorted to lengths

 Walls will be repaired with appropriate panels and not painted

 General 

 Treasurer's report was read and adopted. For Covid 19 we are classed as a SOCIAL GROUP All covid rules are to be followed For now our membership level is set at 25 people No DC equipment will be run on the layout Water is turned off between sessions. We will go back to our schedule of Tuesday night at 7 and Fridays at 1 Jim's ballast was accepted, thank you Jim has all the turnouts wired and checked for good operating conditions, thank you. Thanks were expressed for Cliff and his pickup Boxed material was stored in the closet I think I remembered everything.