HO Train Layout

Floyd

Member
Loren and Cab....Just signed on and read the comments from both of you. It sounds like in the long run things would work out better if I could use the larger curves on the layout. I value both of your comments and since you both indicate that this would be the best plan, I will try to expand to accomodate the larger curves. I have almost got the room ready to prime and then paint and the tables will be reset again. By the way, the tables that I am using are oak tables that I got at a school auction. They are tables that were used in the Lab and are really hefty. All along the sides there are openings similiar to drawer openings but without the drawers (sort of pigeon holes). I was thinking about using these for storage of train related items. I may take a picture and post it so you can see what I have. I'll keep you posted.

Loren I pray that your wife's health will improve.
 

Floyd

Member
I forgot to mention that I recently got the successful bid on ebay on five boxes of HO related items. As luck would have it, included are some three foot pieces of track, and quite a bit of rubber rail bed.:thumb: Now, question is...How do I secure this rubber type roadbed onto the foam base that I will be using? I know there is probably some information on this topic on this forum but I can't find it.....Need help again:confused:
 

green_elite_cab

Keep It Moving!
Is it AMI? I think just about any railbed can be secured with elmers glue, and maybe some track nails if there are kinks. the real tricky part is getting the railbed to be int he right spot. It might look fine when you lay it, but suddenly when you lay track on it, it will be offset. Then again, thats not really a problem.

do you have a link to the auction?
 

Floyd

Member
Loren/cab...it's me again. I have been thinking about the 24 inch or wider curves for my layout. I tried to draw a new layout picture but had no luck so I will just say that I have come up with a 30 inch wide by 44 inch long piece of material that I can use for a table top on the righthand table (see previous drawingwhere it was 48" before) of the planned layout. If I were to attach this piece next to the existing 30 inch wide by 7 foot piece that is also part of this table, would it make any difference as far as using the wider curves? If I attached this piece as it is, it would only leave ten inches or so for a walkway between the two long tables so I would need to rip the piece down to 22 inches wide, giving me a walkway of at least 18 inches. By doing this, I would end up with the overall width of the right hand table being 52 inches at its widest point up to 41 inches lengthwise before the table narrows down to 30 inches again. Hope you understand what I am trying to describe. What do you think? I was trying to figure out how much table space you would need for the wider curves.
 

zachary

Member
it this was me i would take and make a bridge across the open side that can be removed to get to the inside and you can get a 30 inch radius
 

Floyd

Member
:wave:Zachery...... Thanks for your suggestion. How wide would you think that this bridge should be? Would you make sort of a "lift up and out" type or would you put it on hinges, i.e., maybe a long piano type to swing upward to enter? Also would there be a problem with the tracks as far as matching them from the bridge to the tables?
 

Nomad

Active Member
Floyd, I think Zachary's idea would be great for your area if you made the table bigger. You could even elevate that track for your passenger service and run the freight separately on other trackage. I have that type of bridge on my layout made out of Atlas truss bridges. I made mine hinged to swing up out of the way. I didn't it laying somewhere to be stepped on.

Loren
 

green_elite_cab

Keep It Moving!
admittedly, i'm having a tough time envisioning your new plan, but now you also need to consider that if you need to get access to that part of your layout, it might be a tight fit.

The bridge is a pretty good idea, since the tracks can continue in a large circle rather than needing lots of space to double back. It would also let you keep the larger aisle clearance i think.

Another thing you can do is run a point to point terminal commuter operation, although thats alittle more involved, and might not be something easy to continually run. You'd simply have two terminals to an end, and run the trains back and forth. With RDCs, and modern commuter trains with cab cars, i think they can just go in reverse and head back (which can be set up with a circuit that automatically causes the train to stop and change direction). If you have a regular passenger train, you'd have to run some coach switching, and you'd have to move the locomotive around so that it could get to the other side of the train.

while this satisfies your passenger operations requirement, it would be annoying if you just want to relax and watch the trains roll.

I generally support the bridge idea.
 

Floyd

Member
Green elite cab.....I will try to post some pictures of the layout tables so far. I thought that my description might be confusing to some. Got to get me a digital camera someday so I don't have to wait for development of the pictures.
 

Russ Bellinis

Active Member
Floyd, I just read through most of this thread. I didn't realize how much has gone on since I looked at this thread the last time. I have a couple of comments to add.

#1. If you can add a draw bridge to your original layout, to make your outside main a loop for passenger operation, it will function better than narrowing your aisleway by widening the tables. Also if the tables are made wider, you might have difficulty reaching the back corners of the tables in case of a derail. The other thing you could do for passenger operation if you are stuck with the smaller radius curves is to run "shorty" passenger equipment. Athearn passenger cars are a scale 72 feet in length instead of 82 feet in order to run on 18 inch radius curves. Other manufacturers make similar sized passenger cars. MDC/Roundhouse (now part of Athearn since Horizon bought both companies) makes some 50 foot Harriman (S.P., U.P., & W.P. prototype) cars that will also work on tight radius curves.

#2. I noticed a couple of pages ago on this thread that you mentioned having some switches that came with a train set that you wanted to use on the layout. Check the track on the switches with a magnet. Some train set track and switches are made of steel instead of nickel silver. If you find steel rail, the savings will not make up for the extra maintanance needed to try to keep rust from killing the electrical conductivity of the track. Steel rail is one reason why you will often see old timers on the Gauge reccomend to newbies not to buy a train set, but rather buy the train and the track and the power pack separately and build your own train set.
 

Floyd

Member
Russ thanks for the information. My layout has been modified slightly since you were on last. The only change that I have made is to widen the rounded tabletop that appears on the drawing on your last post. It did make the center isle more narrow but I made sure that it was wide enough for my grandson and I if we walk into the center one at a time. I also have an original cut out from the center isle to the right which makes it possible for us to reach across most of the table on the right side. What we can't reach on that table from there, we can reach from the end . To reach the center section along the south wall is no problem since it is a narrow table top connecting the two larger ones. On the left table we can reach the whole area there from all three sides. I am planning to work a bridge of some sort into the layout to connect the two tables and like you suggested to run a passenger operation. By reading and looking at some of the bridge articles posted, I really like the idea.....Now to try my hand at building one and making it work without any problem:roll:

I will check the track also as you suggested.

By the way, I have covered the table top with 2" styrofoam insulation and have started laying the sub-roadbed out of 2" blue foam board so I am progressing some on the project. I had kind of a hard time making this sub-roadbed line/match up on the ends but with a little more work I can get that taken care of. Need to add the other rail line, lay the tackbed and then test run the train. It has been a time consumming project but I am enjoying it all. My grandson says that I am working 24/7 on the this and is waiting patiently to run his train. I will try to post some pictures in the near future.

Any snow up your way? We are about to blow away down here:eek:
 

Nomad

Active Member
Floyd, Gary S. has a thread about building a bridge like you need. I kind of copied it when I built mine, except his lifts off and mine is hinged to lift up. As far as snow goes here, it has been spitting off and on all day, but now it has turned to rain. I just noticed your in Colorado, I was born in Steamboat springs.

Loren
 

Russ Bellinis

Active Member
Any snow up your way? We are about to blow away down here:eek:

I think you misunderstood my location. I know there is a Lakewood somewhere in Colorado, but I live in Lakewood, California near Long Beach about 5 miles from the beach. We have been having cool weather lately, rain yesterday and high 60's to low 70's today with a cold wind that feels like it is out of Alaska; but I don't think I've ever seen snow here. The only snow we hear about in this area is the pharmaceutical kind, although I can see it on the mountains on a clear day when they get some snow.
 

Floyd

Member
Russ....When I saw Lakewood, I automatically thought of a city here.:eek:ops: Hope you have warmed up by now.
 
If the lift bridge section is elevated, then your passenger cars and other long equipment can make laps up there, while down below a freight line can circle around. Urban theming, like Furlow used back in the 80's with the Carbondale layout, would play well with this kind of planning. Upper track - mainline, lower track - urban belt line. Give it a gritty, wrong side of the tracks look and it could be fun. Or whatever you decide.

Rural could work too, with the upper line being a class one that could afford the grading/bridges, and the lower line being a short line serving the small towns. A bi-level station where passengers detrain and transfer to the other railway would be a neat feature.

Just dreaming...keep us posted!
 

Floyd

Member
Green elite cab.....I finally used up a roll of 35mm film so here are the pictures of the tables. I have since been at work every day on this project so will post some updated pictures later.


600617-R1-22-3_023.jpg

600617-R1-18-7_019.jpg

600617-R1-19-6_020.jpg
 

Nomad

Active Member
Floyd, that looks good. Very sturdy. I like the cubby holes you put in the tables. What are those black feet on the tables?

Loren
 
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