Appalachian Southern

After some long days lately,  here are  a few  pictures of the layout. The homasote was installed in the upper and lower level staging areas.  I plan to lay the atlas code 55 track right on top of it.  The lights are working out well above the lower staging level. I was very pleased to say the least.  Not an inch of it is dark. The lights are so bright, it is almost difficult to photograph. The plan for today is to get to work on building several #7 switches so I can begin laying track as soon as possible.

Update 05/12/2009

A reader asked for the specifics on the lighting setup; here are the details.

I bought a four bulb florescent ballast and some low profile single lamp holders. Here are the part numbers:

Ballast: ADVANCE (4)F32T8 RS/IS Centium ICN-4P32-SC Instant Start Electronic Ballast

Lamp Holders: ADVANCE Model FRBP Medium Bi-Pin Lamp Holders Low Profile

I mounted each ballast that I would need under the bench work. There is a wiring diagram on the ballast. I ran the appropriate wires to the ends of each bulb, most of the wire had to be extended due to my bulb spacing. I ran a switched power lead to each ballast. One ballast for every four bulbs. Of course the one switch on the wall turns all the bulbs on. I will just continue this around the room as the bench work progresses.

Homasote Installed in Staging Upper and Lower

Lower Staging Area Lighting

What the Room Looks Like Now with Lighting

These fluorescent bulbs are not wired yet, but it was good to get them mounted under the upper staging level.  It is always nice to see something work as planned.  These are 5500K T8 bulbs.

Lighting Installed

Yesterday I made a significant miscalculation. I did not leave enough separation between the lower and upper level. So the task of the morning was to raise the upper level to a more reasonable height. Now the upper level is just below eye level for my height of  6′ 3″.

The process of moving the upper level upward was easy enough, just remove ~500 screws and replace them after moving each piece.  The process was not as bad as it sounds. These are the measurements I settled on after the move:

Lower Level Height : 47″

Upper Level Height: 68-1/2″

Distance Between Levels: 17-1/2″

These dimensions aren’t correct for everyone, but due to my height I had to raise the upper level just a bit to get the desired effect of eye level viewing. I hope it all works out as I am not moving it again.

I have the plywood under-layment just sitting in place.  I don’t think I will fasten it down until I get all the holes drilled for the DCC bus lines and get the fluorescent bulbs, ballasts, and wiring in place.  I thought I was going to lay some track this week, but I may just focus on getting the lower level lighting completed. As the track plans for both levels are nearing completion, things are going to get busy here really soon. I just have to remind myself that this is a marathon and not a sprint.

Upper Level Bench Work