2025 Home and Garden

The Behemoth Bacule Bridge is in operational order. Ballast works (Thousands of 1×1 plates). The control switch works. Ran it a couple dozen times repeatedly to test operability and self-alignment of the track upon lowering into position. It even runs off a 9v speed regulator so no need for batteries. And there is a backup manual mode if needed. I have the motor switch connected to the feed from the Speed Regulator so that you simply turn on the regulator to have the lights on. Then flip the switch at the cabin to raise and lower the bridge, feeding from that power. That way, Lights and (soon sirens) will go off as soon as there’s a current without accidentally activating the bridge. So it’s safe in standby mode prior to and after intended movement. I’m ordering a few 2×2 siren bricks off Bricklink so hopefully we can hear an audible alarm (depending on the noise of the crowd).

I may decide to rotate the bridge and landings so that the cabin with switch are facing the center area for control by staff already in the space.

@rcgrier3406 @joshhall @amplef0rth @gabevistica

Wow, that is way more complex (and AWESOME) than I was imagining it to be. Amazing work, Michael!

Subbed. I will probably do a few shifts, but no firm sign up just yet, as unsure of my work status. I might just do what I did last year and hold back as a reserve. That way, if I’m available at the time and someone has emergency and cant make it, the shift can be covered. But over-all I really enjoy this event and I’m sure I’ll be able to do at least a few shifts, just not willing to commit until closer to at least mid march, because of being unsure of work status.

In 2022, we had the red double PAT bus on a crane, that was pretty popular with show goers, but it was also fresh in people’s minds because the bridge collapse was only a few weeks prior to the home show.

@gabevistica, I started working on a layout today, both for the train area and for the display only tables. It’s not exactly following Josh’s U-shaped idea, but I’m trying to come up with something that makes the best use of our (17) LUG tables and (2) Mega tables for the train area, accommodates Michael’s Behemoth Bridge, eliminates the separation between the areas that we’ve had in prior years as best we can, all while staying within 60 ft. x 20 ft. area the H&G show gives us. I hope to have a first draft out for comments later this week.

I think I’ll have a minimum 3×3 baseplates/30″x30″ area for your crane in the Train area (maybe even 30″x40″) that I can block out.

@thoga1109, it was good to see you at the Ross Park Mall event yesterday. I’ll also block out an area for your Food Truck display in the train area. I’m thinking 3 wide by 2 deep baseplates (96 x 64 studs) so that there’s room for your Brickheads there too.

Hi Bob, it was great seeing your awesome creations again. Thanks for blocking out a space for me, I really appreciate it!

@argonvesher, I’m intending the Behemoth Bridge to be front and center to the R104 and R120 track layout. It’s built in the LUG colors and may sport a special LUG banner on the bridge so like that LUG box car that my Big Boy hauls, every photo of the bridge should have the LUG logo in it. 🙂
It has two manual modes should anything happen to the motorization, one being emergency operation by popping out the worm gear and directly raising/lowering the bridge by lifting it with the hand. Max lift is about 45 degrees so you can navigate around the raised bridge to access the inner operation zone. I just went through a week of hard testing of the bridge, from repeated operations to looking for stress in the frame as it settled over the days and it’s passed. So hopefully no need to crawl under it.

I’m really liking the idea about different worlds from the view of the train going through the displays. Whether it’s the main 104/120 loops or the smaller R40 loops, I would be more than glad to record the journey with my camera car. It worked at CSC and to capture a train going through the wild west or castles or other themes would be great. If any of the loops are connected with switches, I can try to do a seamless grand tour of the entire layout by stitching video segments together.

If @carlsonf wants to bring her nuclear power plant to display, I would be more than glad to provide any of my nuclear energy themed rolling stock to integrate with the display.

@joshhall and I have two layouts to put forth for your consideration and comments. In doing these, we tried to make the best use of our (17) LUG tables, (2) Mega tables and (4) Laura tables to carry the trains, incorporate Michael’s Behemoth Bridge, eliminate the separation between the areas that we’ve had in prior years as best we can, all while staying within 60 ft. x 20 ft. area the H&G show gives us. We’ve also been able to configure both layouts using what we’ve had previously in our MILS inventory plus what’s been added from 2024 Project Support such that we won’t need to borrow MILS Track from Phil this year.

Layout #1 was very similar to last year’s with essentially everything train related inside one big “box”, eliminated the separation between areas and had a larger Display Only area. We’re not even going to put that out for consideration because we think we’ve moved past that.

Layout #2 has a separate “box” for the long radius curve track with the Behemoth Bridge on the bullpen side for access, a second area outside of the box for 2 or 3 “Worlds” with a 9v train loop running around it, and then a Display Only area to fill out the space. I included a “notch” between the “box” and the “9v Worlds” area for public access to get a closer look at (and pictures of) Michael’s Bridge and Gabe’s Big Crane in action, both of which would be behind sneeze guards for protection.

Layout #3 has a smaller “box” for the long radius curve track with the Behemoth Bridge still on the bullpen side for access, a 35 ft. long “Front” area for multiple “Worlds” with a 9v train loop running through it, and then an even smaller Display Only area to fill out the space. We ran double track across the front of this area with loops on either end so that the trains would run in front of anything we display. There’s room for 3 baseplates deep of displays across the front plus more room inside each loop. In addition, I’ve shown (2) 6 ft. commercial tables that can be placed behind the LUG tables to accommodate “Worlds” that need more than 3 baseplates deep, or for “Live Builds” as some of you like to do at these events.

For both “Box” area layouts I’ve already blocked out space for my Incline, Michael’s Bridge, Gabe’s Big Crane, Tim’s tall buildings, Tom’s Food Trucks and a rail yard, and there’s still room for city MOC’s and roads on the front side. We’ve determined that while it might be desirable there’s no good way to put Michael’s Bridge in the front of the “Box” area and still be able to protect it behind sneeze guards, or to restrict access into the box from the public.

For the 9v “Worlds” areas in both layouts, these can be grouped in “Worlds” or can be just individual displays. We plan to put black tablecloths down on the wooden LUG tables because we know that not everything that will go in these areas will be MILS’d (we still need to check and see if we have enough). These areas will be protected by sneeze guards and table drapes as long as we have enough, and if not by stanchions. We will also use stanchions in the Display Only area as well as we have in the past.

Fire away with your comments and questions, and I’ll try to answer them as best I can. Josh will put up an opinion poll shortly to help us keep track of which layout people prefer, and for sure this will be a topic of discussion at the Q1 meeting.

@gabevistica, we plan to put a speed controller at each end of the R-40 loop to feed power from both ends to help with the voltage drop. And yes, the LUG owns (6) 72×30 regular commercial folding tables.

@rcgrier3406 the space you have allocated for me (in Layout #2 which appears to be the favorite so far) works. I may want/need to take the “Pond” area and the several “blank” areas (4 of them) around my area as well.

Bob Grier wrote:

We just need to keep clearance for the Schnable car when it goes around that lower right corner.

Understood (and that is what I assumed).

I can contribute my building fire again this year. This building would be best placed in a corner roadway either at an intersection or a natural curve. I can also fill some space with fire trucks If needed

Jonathan Wagner wrote:

So the main big train part is on the right in layout 2, the middle-ish part is the 9V for the lands and the left is random/other displays? If so, think we could fit 4 lands in.

@argonvesher, that’s right. The “middle-ish” area in Layout #2 is for “lands” or “worlds” and has a single track 9v loop running around it. Overall dimensions are 15′-0 across the front by 6′-8 deep, and there’s space for the equivalent of (93) 32×32 baseplates inside the loop so lots of room to work with. The plan is to cover those wooden topped MEGA/LUG/Laura tables with black tablecloths to hide the wood so that anything placed in there does not have to be MILS’d or on full baseplates. The front and right side (where the “notch” is) will be protected by sneeze guards, and we’ll obviously have power there (for the 9v trains) available for anything motorized in the “lands” that needs it.