A Basement Review
I’ve received some feedback with an inquiry about the basement. I’ve mentioned it is not suitable for a model railroad space. Most of the new home dates to the mid-1800s. It was built as a farm house and has a stone foundation. Over the years, there have been additions and improvements. I suspect the basement floor was once dirt, but it is now an uneven concrete surface .
Here are a few images of the basement environment. Click on these thumbnails for a larger image.
There are four rooms in the basement. This one is where the oil furnace, oil tank, and electrical box are located. The image at left reveals the extra room to the left of those features.
Here is the space at the bottom right of the stairs. Out of sight to the right are two more old water conditioners. That is a small workbench on the left. There are some drawers as part of the bench. Several have swelled shut.
This image shows the area to the left of the stairs. Note the beams above are rough cut small tree trunks. This feature can also be seen in the second image. I know some of you out there are starting to think, “Hey, there’s usable space there!” Let’s review a couple of additional images before I burst your bubble.
This room is through the doorway at the far end of the room in the previous image. Parts of this were updated when work was done to repair damage from a kitchen fire. The white square is the non-standard basement door to the outside.
A tripod and timed exposure enabled this last image so you can gain a better perspective of the basement. The person in the middle is me. I am five-foot, eight-inches tall. I cannot stand up completely where I am standing. The floor seems to be a bit taller in this spot. There are several areas where I can stand up and barely clear the floor joists.
So, let’s review the basement environment, shall we. The foundation is mostly unfinished stone. The concrete floor is not level. The clearance with the above floor joists is low. The stairway down is narrow and the steps are taller than standard. It is pretty damp and chilly, even on the early June day when I took these pics. It’s just not a hospitable place to bring friends, even if hot tea is involved. With a load of money, this basement could be made into a decent place for a model railroad. But I’d rather spend money directly on the model railroad, or other items.
If you really need to see the basement for yourself, then you can sign a liability waiver when you visit and take a look. I don’t even allow my dogs down there.
Now you know why I have chosen a spare bedroom on the second floor as my new model railroad room. Feel free to leave a comment.