Benchwork

Some of our benchwork is a combination of a small number of modules from our earlier layout and a small amount of traditional wooden benchwork.

One of our members working near where the mainline begins the climb towards the helix

The vast majority of SVL, however, is built using a combination of steel strut and plywood box construction. Our club has developed a technique which combines prefabricated C-channel structural components with traditional wood construction.

The Helix

Here’s a detailed explanation of helix construction continuing from David Griffy’s LDSIG presentation, the next four pages show the construction of our Helix. We used a combination of metal C-channel strut, threaded rod, and laminated plywood sections to connect the upper and lower levels of the railroad.

The MegaDrawer

Eric Eggel is one of our more productive members when it comes to getting things done at SVL. Using the C-Channel components, and a healthy dose of creativity, Eric built a movable staging yard which allowed the club to drastically expand our staging yard capacity.