Let the Games (Trains?) Begin!

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2 replies

Spanners

Member since
January 2011
14 posts

Let the Games (Trains?) Begin!

Posted by Spanners on Sunday, March 11, 2012 11:54 AM

Hello All,

I have been reading / lurking for a while, but thought I'd introduce myself and the project I have going. I've been collecting and playing with trains for 30 years, but have never had a dedicated "Man Cave" until now.

This room will house both a G gauge layout (and my old unfinished HO layout as you can see) as well as a postwar showroom "tribute" that will pack in as many accessories and bits as I can get in there. I collect postwar mainly, but also have an affinity for MPC large steamers..

I'll be bugging ya guys o'plenty when wiring of block signals and such begins. I recently elected to divest of all my fancy electronic command control doodads and stick with wires, a few ZW's and toggle switches, along with tube track and good old fashioned derailing (anti-derailing Stick out tongue ) Lionel switches. None of that "fancy" Ross or Gargraves trackage in this project, back to roots- HA!

This pic is a bit out of scale, but this is approx 600' sq ft of benchwork and depending on how the roof pitch factors into my chosen plan (which is a slightly amended version of the "Big and Busy Retro Railroad" from CTT's track plans), I can expand this a bit. You can see the "L" portion of the layout, for those familiar, in the far left of the pic, which I can add to if needed.

I am thinking of NOT using Homasote (or the like) in this project, and aside from its sound deadening affects, is there any other downfalls of not using a base layer? I've used it in the past on smaller layouts, but am thinking about just fastening the track directly to the board this time around, sans any roadbed, but with the base (grass) scenery applied. Old school I know, but that's the look I'm trying for. Dumb idea???

Thanks and I'll keep you updated and if all goes to plan, I should have trains running in basic form in about a month.

Cheers!

Jeff