Site Location
The layout room is a finished space of 22’-6” by 11’-0” over our garage. The space was originally designed for a carriage-house bedroom which included a closet, laundry room and bath. Then we finished the space we choose not to have the bathroom install but had the plumbing placed in the walls and floor. Both the closet and laundry room were off to the side and would not affect the planning and building of the railroad. The windows were something we had no choice about and they will be eventfully covered by a tall painted backdrop anyway.
Finishing the room was done no different than any other room in a house. The electrical was placed as it would be for any bedroom but with a few extra wall and ceiling outlets. The HVAC was done the same as well. Sheetrock was then hung, textured and painted a flat off-white color. Since this is a walk around railroad and one tends to do allot of standing while running this type of railroad, we had a heavy Berber carpet installed. Once the room was ready and the time came to start the railroad we covered the carpet with a plastic carpet guard, which will be removed once the bulk of the messy construction is completed.
With the careful planning of the railroad room it has become an enjoyable place to work and play. Proper lighting, outlets, heating and cooling was the primary concerns during its construction so it could serve a dual purpose if the need arose and it could be return to its original indented space.
For more work-in-progress photos please take a look at our PHOTO CENTER pages for the building of the D.R.& N. Railroad...