The start of the layout...

[yallaen]

Well, here are some pics of the game room and my intentions:

This is as you walk in from the hallway/bathroom area. This is the main corner. I'm going to have a corner piece of plywood in here, with bracing on each end. There will be scenary here, perhaps several accessories

This is from the corner looking north. The door leads to my little workshop area/storage area.

On the left of the door is an approx. 6" space. Thru here will be a hole (with a mountain face and portal) leading into the storage room

This is the storage area..and looking back at the inside of the future hole. Train comes in here. I'm going to make a loop here around the room with a removable section to allow access into the room for repairs, maintenance, storage, etc. Couple little shelves..etc will be in here. Going to use concrete nails with the .22caliber hammer thing to secure brackets to wall..and run shelf around perimeter in here and looping back out via switch.

From the main corner facing east..the track will run along the wall. The shelving unit there was built by the previous owner. There is open space in the corner behind it. A hole will be cut in the shelf. Train will enter the shelf, slight curve through the shelf..and out the back of it..into...

This small space. It's about 3-4 feet wide. The stuff will be gone there...train will come thru wall, and there will be a plywood bench with 1x6"s as legs, cross braced. Train will loop around and head back out via switch.

 Single track via the holes..double track with a couple crossovers for sidings and sceneary. The height will be about 4' off the ground. I did some rough pricing and material selection:

4x8 plywood sheets, sanded on one side, are about $10/each. If I go with 16" width, I can get 3 cuts each sheet. 2 sheets should handle the walls. I think this was 15/32" thickness. Maybe 3/8". I'm not sure on the thickness..suggestions? Underneath the plywood, every 16", will be black max-brackets from Lowes. They are $3.00 each, and are more sturdy then those gray brackets. I'll need about 25 of those puppies...geesh..thats the big cost there! $75.00 for brackets! Maybe those gray things arent so bad after all at 88 cents each lol...

The room is going to be painted a darker green, as there may be a pool table and game table on the other wall...darken the room..looks like a pub lol...instead of a kid playroom (which it used to be).

I've got the track for the runs..and several O22 switches already bought. Still dont know about the insulator factor. Might just run cork or that Woodland scenics stuff. I also like Franks ceiling tile idea..and there are 2 boxes left over in the garage from when the guy finished the basement in this area. I'm still exploring the pink insulation..but stymied on securing it down..and the track to it.

Once I get the track laid..then it's a matter of accessories and scenary.

Wiring: I have the Cab-1 remote, command base, and a TW transformer. I'd prefer to use the TW for accessory power. I'm thinking of getting a power brick. Will one be enough for this? Where do I need to tap power to? Each side? Every so many feet? And do you all solder your track together?

I'm gonna paint the room tomorrow...mark off line for plywood..and start collecting material.

[darianj]

Sounds like a good plan.  Look forward to seeing the work in progress and the finished product.

[yallaen]

Here are some updated pics...

I repainted the room. My wife was very happy with my color choice..it will make it more "pub-like" then the green that was there

I changed the direction of the O gauge...if you notice, there is a locomotive on top of the shelf in the above pics. It's 64" from the floor to there. We decided to run 1 track around the sides of the wall with scenary behind the track, and some up near the edge. The reason for this is we are going to do a much larger HO scale layout below it, about waist high.

Here is a picture of one of the boards. I bought 1/2" plywood, that was sanded on one side, at Lowe's for $15.98 each. I bought two...the first I had cut into 4 12" wide strips (lol, they didn't even charge me for the cuts), and the second I had cut into 2 4x4' sections. One of which will be cut for the corner, and the other 4x4 was cut into 4 12" width pieces for patching, etc.

These are the brackets I bought at Lowes. This was the biggest cost of the project (paint being second, but we needed to paint the room anyway). If you see in the second pic, there is a nice cover that goes over the bracket and finishes it off really nice. These were $2.97 each, and I bought 26. I'm debating on whether I can go every other stud with a bracket..or if I need to go with each stud. I bought #10x1/2" wood screws to secure the brackets to the wood. The underside of the wood will be painted green to match the room.

 Now, since the train is going to be higher up, I'm thinking of going with the sanded side facing down. It will look "neater" I think. With the rough side up, since it's going to be landscaped, etc., I think the rough will be ok. Suggestions? I also got a deal on Ebay for Woodland Scenics roadbed for O gauge. I got 2 25' rolls for $10.00 plus shipping. It should arrive tomorrow.

I need to start reading previous postings, and such, on scenary work. What comes first? The track, or the scenary? Over the book case, where the track will go into the wall, will be a mountain with a portal. I think we are going to use some of the city scape background for the wall behind..maybe with some hills and such every so often. There will be some signal lights, and an accessory or two along the way. The track will be pretty much centered in the board, maybe more towards the viewing edge. In the corner, there will be a siding placed as well. 

Should I paint the "top" board an earth brown tone for landscaping? Suggestions?

 

[thatboy37]

thats a nice start with what you have. keep up the great start and keep us posted on any work you do. i might be able to steal a couple ideas from you.

[yallaen]

LOL..well, there will be more later tonight..but I have to go grocery shopping with the better half..and she made me stop for now :(

[yallaen]

Well, here's some pics of the current status...

These are of the main run. I got the shelves laid out. I didnt know what to do about overlapping of the plywood pieces...so I notched two abuttments like below:

If you notice, only about 1/2 of each abuttment rests on the shelf bracket. I wasnt too crazy on that..

This is how I did the remainder of the joints..I just put them butting up against each other on the shelf bracket. The screw hole is right in the middle of the butt ends..so I"m gonna just use hot glue to keep these in place.

This is where the shelf goes into the side of the door. I cut the corner off in a curve..kinda makes it look a little more transitional into the wall...

Finally, I got the first coat of paint on the underside of the boards. I'll put one more coat on them..let them dry, then fasten them onto the shelf brackets later this evening. I'm getting close to call time for the real railroad, so I'll have to go to bed at a decent time :( I was hoping to get the shelves mounted, and the rails fully mocked up to each portal area..maybe get those marked out and cut out if I have time...

 

[yallaen]

Oh, hey..

For anyone considering one of these projects..I HIGHLY recommend a Black and Decker laser level...it was FANTASTIC getting all the shelf brackets lined up! Lowes had them on sale last weekend for $20! The black and decker stud finder..not all it's cracked up to be lol..once I found a good stud..I just measured 16" to find the next mounting hole

 

[Frank53]

yallen:

I got your pm message with some questions about road bed, etc. I used ceiling tiles over the plywood and painted these an earth color just to have something other than white as a base. I glued the cork roadbed to the ceiling tiles and the track over the raodbed, ballasting the track to hold it in place, as opposed to gluing or screwing teh track in place.

As for scenery, etc, I am applying this right to the ceiling tiles and gluing the whole works. Check the two threads in my sig line which shows all the steps over the course of time.

[yallaen]

Wow Frank..hadn't looked at your site for a while..you've been busy!

I'm gonna send you a PM about another item...

[yallaen]

Well, the boards are up and mounted..I really impressed myself! Everything lined up nicely.

Since the boards were up, I went ahead and mocked up the track..and since the track was laid out, only follows that the train must be tested under power ;)

The main straight away was great. No sparks, everything looked good. I had to adjust the whole thing for the train to clear the siding/wall, but then I gave it power and headed into the siding...

Uh oh...lot's of sparks as it crossed the switch :(

Both oppossing switches (runaround siding) have plastic insulator pins on the inner rails. Once the train goes across the switch...humm...no power. Can't mess with it anymore..gotta get to bed..work will be calling in several hours. Any suggestions?

 

[riverrailfan]

"I'm debating on whether I can go every other stud with a bracket..or if I need to go with each stud."

 

I did a self layout in my sons room that is 11'x11'. I used the same brackets and only used 3 per wall except one because of a bridge which has 5. I used 1x12 by 12 ft pine. Has been holding well for 3 years now. You could spead out your brackets every other stud. Any farther and you risk sagging of the plywood between brackets.

[kpolak]

Uh oh...lot's of sparks as it crossed the switch :(

Both oppossing switches (runaround siding) have plastic insulator pins on the inner rails. Once the train goes across the switch...humm...no power. Can't mess with it anymore..gotta get to bed..work will be calling in several hours. Any suggestions?

Hi yallaen,

I had a solder joint break causing half the switch to go dead, try checking track voltage with a multimeter, and verify that all the ground rails are grounding.

Check the location of the fiber pins.  This will account for the sparking. 

O22 (O) switches should have the fiber pins in the inner rail of the straight, and the outer rail of the curve.

1122 (O27) switches should have the fiber pins located in both inner rails.

Hope this helps,

Kurt

[Sturgeon-Phish]

I like the green.  Are you going to add lighting?  If so I'd do it before you get too far along.

Jim

[Wes Whitmore]

That looks great.  I was going to use those brackets, but I don't have any white besides the ceiling in my basement, so I am looking for other alternatives.  I like the height of your laybout much better.  I had to go over the door, instread of to the side of it, which makes for a very high track compared to that.  Keep up the great work!

Wes

[Dr. John]

Very nice work thus far. I agree with Sturgeon-Phish - extra lighting (track lighting, perhaps) would look very cool and really highlight the shelf layout.

[Wes Whitmore]

For a portal, you can probably still use the MTH single train portal if you want, but I think it's 7 3/4" wide.  You can just cut down, but since it's a hollow piece of plastic, you will have to put a side on it or you will probably see into it since it's taller than the door casing.  There might be others that are not as wide though.

Good luck
Wes

[CSXect]

Cool, Franks method is catching on I need to get started on my layout soon before I end up with a good job and less time to mess with trains

[RR Redneck]

Looks good.

[thatboy37]

i like what you doing. keep up the great work.

 

 

[Hogjaw]

Wow!!  What an imagination!  Looks great. 

I used Teddy Bear Brown for table top in an attempt to simulate the Arkansas soil. 

Also, I like the 'we' part you mention.  Project will go a lot smoother.  I made that mistake.

Look forward to seeing your progress.......but, enjoy it as you build it!

Hog