Building the Ore Dock Benchwork

Photos from November 21-25, 2020

Now that the walls were complete around the heater and water heater, it was time to figure out how the ore dock would relate to the rest of the railroad and to the room. When the layout is complete, the ore dock will be the focal point when guests enter the railroad room. The height of the railheads on the dock had been determined when the water heater enclosure was planned. The first step was to determine the size of the platform and the orientation of the dock.

With the ore dock placed on the plywood, rough measurements could be made to determine where the dock would sit and how the platform would be supported.

The design was later modified a bit in order to allow the keeper joist to be placed closer to the wall and use supports on both sides to provide better support and rigidity. Placement of a joist on the wall was crucial to the finished platform as it established the railhead height and must be level.

With the initial joist secured to the studs in the heater enclosure, a keeper joist was constructed and braced to match the initial joist.

Two L-girders were constructed and adjusted for level and plumb. This established the footprint of the platform.

Joists were rough cut to size and placed on the L-girders next.

Now that the joists were in place, the plywood platform could be adjusted, cut, and placed.

The benchwork could now be painted flat black while accessible.

The keeper joist and associated bracing now needed to be braced to the L-girders to prevent lateral movement.

The joists and added bracing were then painted.

With the benchwork painted and secured, the underside of the platform was painted.

To complete the platform, the plywood was turned over and secured to the joists. Now I have a solid platform to use to work on the ore dock model.