Fun with 1022s: An 027 Traction Layout That'll...Floor you.

[marmelmm]

Hiyas! Newbie to the forum, but I've been fooling about with 027 since the late 1960s, which would make me about (cough cough) years old.

It started innocently enough last December. I wanted to run a trolley around the Christmas tree.

Things went downhill rapidly after that. [:D]

Things came to a head a month or so back. I started out with an Industrial Hobbies Laurel Line DT Brill, which proved to be a hit at the Bentonville (AR) train show (the kids loved it, especially when I went 'Abracadabra!' and made the trolley 'magically' change directions by letting the bumper hit my finger), which landed me an invite to the Springfield (MO) show in April. At the Springfield show, I picked up a couple of 1022s and a 90 degree crossing, and made the loop into a figure 8 with a couple of spurs at odd angles.

It was at the Springfield show that I discovered the delightful power switching properties of the 1022, which, after picking up entirely too much used track and switches on eBay, led to the current layout (dis)gracing my living room:

http://www.schwag.org/~marmelmm/Images/027trolley.JPG

For a poor boy in a one bedroom apartment, this is a highly amusing little layout. You can run around the figure 8, go point to point or do a 'pretzel' by starting at one end, running around the 8 and off to the other end. In addition, the 1022's power switching abilities mean that a dead storage yard is easy as pie (the pile of track in the center is from a now-abandoned extension to the lavatory; I decided that dealing with 027 track on the floor didn't go well with morning ablutions).

From one IR Brill, the fleet has expanded by three MTH Bump-And-Go trolleys (Third Avenue, PTC and Main St.).

I highly recommend traction for 027 modeling in a tight space (this entire layout is about 4 x 5). The cars have no problems on the curves, one car makes an entire train and who doesn't love a trolley? [:)]

The Fort Smith (AR) Trolley Museum is having an open house tomorrow (May 7th) from 12-5. (http://www.fstm.org/) If you're in the neighborhood, come see "The Magic Trolleys"!

Yours trolley,

-MMM-

[marxalot]

Hello and welcome to the forum. Nice trolleys. I've always liked them but never have gotten one. Maybe that will change! You make some very good points about their use in a smaller space. There are several other trolly enthusiasts on this board so you'll hear from them.

Jim

[cnw1995]

Did someone mention trolleys? How delightful! MMM - thank you for sharing and welcome to the forum. I am so pleased to welcome a fellow traction modeler, and look forward to perusing your layout. I am making a traction layout in my basement's raised crawlspace that is 28 by 11. Have you seen Western Hobbycraft trolleys? They are wondeful.... I'll see your Ft Smith Trolley Museum and raise it with the Fox Valley Trolley Museum http://www.foxtrolley.org/ and the famed electric car department of the Illinios Railway Museum http://irm.org

[msacco]

I only have one trolley and some would say it's the best O gauge trolley around. I got it for a 100 bucks a couple of years ago from Walt Cameron of Western Hobbycraft. He still has them but that awesome price is long gone. Still a nice deal for a die cast and brass, very detailed trolley. Not bump and go, but the most beautiful trolley model I've ever seen. Get one!!! You won't regret it. They run very smoothly too!
Here's the link
http://www.westernhobbycraft.com/

Mike Sacco