Height Problem

[MR421]

First off I'm not really new per say to Lionel however I've had something come up that has thrown me a curve.  Every Christmas since I've been a kid we've always put the layout around the tree mounted to plywood.  It's always been one level.  This past year I decided to build a more elaborate layout for my children which included a new graduated trestle set and my father's postwar metal truss bridge.  That's where the problem started.  Track is classic O-gauge.  I couldn't tell you who the maker of the bridge is but it's easily over 24" long, all metal construction and was on my father's layout back in the 50's.  Our postwar steam locomotive with freight cars is capable of running thru the bridge and under it with no problem.  My wife's General set will not fit thru the bridge nor under it due to the stack height.  The same with my son's new GG1.  Locos are too tall.  The trestle set which is new doesn't seem to have enough height to clear these locos under the bridge.  The bottom of the bridge is flush with the bottom of the metal ties.  Is this common?  Do I need to "shim" up the trestle piers in order to clear under the birdge.  Is this stuff only meant to be used with O27?  How high is the "new" Lionel truss bridge with blinking light?  Will these locos be able to run thru it?  Sorry for the long post.  Any help is greatly appreciated.  Thanks.

[phillyreading]

MR421,

One thing that I have found helpful is to keep in mind that with running any bridges or other overhead items is to keep a seven inch heigth, that is seven inches between the two levels, rule because not all engines are the same heigth and some operating cars(cop & hobo) need extra space. I even space my telephone poles with fish line for wires about seven inches high.

Measure your tallest piece of equipment while on the tracks, don't forget the electric engines(EP-5 or the GG-1) then add a half inch for clearance and usually you can't go wrong.

Lee F.

[wjstix]

Roughly speaking, Lionel O gauge trains over the years have been built in three different sizes.

The largest trains are the ones built to full 1:48 scale (1/4" = 1 foot). Lionel in recent decades has called these "Standard O". These are scale models, usually with some modifications to allow them to run on fairly tight curves, but some need O-72 curves to run successfully. These engines can be very tall and wide.

The smallest is the O27-type equipment, which is closer to 1:64 "S" scale size (3/16"=1 foot). Lionel terms these as part of the"Traditional O" line, the size traditionally used in many many Lionel trainsets.

In between those you have what are sometimes called "Semi-Scale" engines like the GG1, Berkshire, 2046/56 Hudson etc. Many of these are close to scale in height and width, but may be shortened in length to allow them to go around sharper curves.

If you have a bridge or something that are built to only accomodate O-27 smaller trains, larger stuff won't go thru it / under it. It might be your bridge is not a Lionel, but Marx or someone else who made smallish O trains. (Any chance of posting a picture??)

[lionelsoni]

The highest American prototypes (doublestacks and some new auto racks) are 20-feet, 2-inches tall.  This works out to 5 1/24 inches.  So 5 inches should be enough for just about anything, with some exceptions.  Some pieces might be larger than 1/48 scale.  The Lionel "General" locomotives are in this class; but fortunately the prototype is so small that the models are easily under 5 inches.  The other problem type is, as Lee mentioned, electric locomotives.  There are four ways to handle them:

o Use catenary. 

o Raise the limit to about 5 3/4 inches.  That will clear pantographs even with the shoes cocked to one side.

o Run with the pantographs lowered.

o Add a tether--a wire, chain, thread, or whatever--to hold the pantograph just under your highest obstacle.  That, along with removing one small truss at the end of the bridge, is what I do to get my GG1 and "EP5" through my 313 bascule bridges with 4 3/4 inches of clearance.  They actually look better that way, with the pantograph at a realistic height instead of stretched all the way up.

Remember that the clearance is measured from the top of the rails; so you also have to allow for the track thickness, 7/16 for O27, 11/16 for O31.