small O27 layout

[Andrew Falconer]

Scenery Dividers 

Island layouts require a scenery divider to focus the viewer on the immediate scene and the main track or two. Backgrounds on the scenery divider can be plain gray or blue. Dividers will add to the scenery.

Andrew

[brianel027]

Being something of a king of small layouts with 027 track, there's one thing you can do that does really help: either use the older sheetmetal construction Lionel 1024 switches, or drill apart the modern ones and using a hacksaw, cut off everthing but the actual track size.

That's what I do. I cut the switches down to just the size of the track iteself. This frees up a lot of additonal space on a small layout. The 027 switch footprint does take up a lot of space, epecially on a small layout where space is at a premium.

Plasticville buildings are just fine. I only use HO kinds of acessories, like the Model Power HO blinking water tower for on tops of factories. With a smaller layout, you just have to compromise some.

Also the K-Line S-2 Alco Switcher is a perfect loco for a small 027 layout.... I have loads of them and it is by far my favorite loco. The K-Line Alco FA is good too (much better looking than the modern Lionel coutnerpart) and the K-Line MP-15 is also another good candidate. The smaller steam engines also look right at home.

[underworld]

Tons of micro layouts at this website

http://carendt.us/

Most of them are smaller than O scale, but lots of intersting ideas that can be scaled upto suit your needs.

 

underworld 

[lionelsoni]

That was my point in using O34 for the outer loop in the layout designs above.  O34 will of course handle anything that needs O31, which will look better on O34 than on O31, and perhaps some O42 stuff besides, while having the smaller O27 rail profile.

[NYC Fan]

You may be better off with 031.  You will find that it will give you more flexibility as to what you can run.

 

Here are  pictures of my 3' x 5' office layout.

Skip

[cnw1995]

As a sort of horizon model? Maybe it would work visually - depends on how much space you have before you have a track. Speaking from experience, it looks weird to see an O size train passing in front of an HO model that is clearly only a few inches away. I've had success using HO and N scale buildings as 'distant' objects on mountains, etc.

[Anonymous]

What about large HO models like those in the Walthers steel mill series?  I realize that the finer details won't match but it seems the size of the Walthers models may make up the diference in scale.

 

[Andrew Falconer]

Weaver Models has some short O scale cars that might look good with the R-M-T BEEP.

The PS-2 2-Bay Covered Hopper is a good choice.

[lionelsoni]

Vertical-motor F3s can run on O27.  Trainmasters and scale Hudsons cannot (without modification).

[daan]

In teh new catalog from Lionel the plymouth switcher is back on track for $109. So is the simple 4-4-2 atlantic they offer, which is also available with railsounds (but then more expensive) and also a nice machine for a small layout. Both also at lower prices on ebay (a lot)

Secondhand: K-line S-2 (around $40) MP15 (around $60) and the alco's are good value for the money if you fetch a new or slightly used one. Heavy used machines have much wear (they wear out easily if not maintained!!) and can only be used as a statue somewhere..

K-line also has brought out a nice set of ore cars (be sure to get one with diecast trucks, from the plastic ones the couplers don't work nicely) which are very good sized for small layouts.

Anything postwar (except the F3's) also run on 027, so you've got plenty of choise there..

[Andrew Falconer]

 

Will HO Scale Buildings work on a small O-27 layout? 

They will be if you have a back wall or divider and stick the HO Scale Buildings right in front of the wall or the divider. That is the solution if you are squeezed for space and squeezed for scenery. I saw that scenic trick done in a two part article in Classic Toy Trains by Dave Frary and the Kalmbach Book: Realistic Scenery for Toy Train Layouts by Dave Frary. 

Note to Moderators: I am not selling books by Kalmbach, I just mentioned them.

Andrew

[lionelsoni]

That worked!

The larger layout (first picture) is 39x74 inches.  The other is 39x66 inches.  The outer-loop curves are Marx O34.

[Anonymous]

[lionelsoni]

I see only red "X"s.  Can everyone else see the pictures?

[Frank53]

How did you "enlarge" from HO to O?

I just scanned them in sections, pieced the file together in photoshop, enlarged it 180 percent and printed them on a large format printer. These are 300 dpi, so the file is huge, but the effect was worth it.

[Anonymous]

These layout drawings are from lionelsoni. They are designed to fit under a twin sized bed.

 Bob:

 They look really fun. I will show them to the Mrs. since she ultimately has the final say on any inside layout.

 Thanks a bunch,

 Matt

[Anonymous]

[Anonymous]

How did you "enlarge" from HO to O?

[Frank53]

Thanks for the compliment Daan.

the tracks shown above are 2.5"-3" from the wall. All of the building backdrops take between 1/4 and 3/4" inch. The curve allowed for placing a street coming out from the corner, enabling two half buildings (one shown) to be placed at a 45 degree angle.

The stuff is also relatively cheap. The foreground buildings are two HO flats enalrged to O-Scale. I think they cost $7.95 for two. Likewise, the large cityscape was about $10 bucks - it is also HO, and I enlarged it.

there's lots of space on small layouts, you just have to look for it.

[Anonymous]

I'm referring to large models like the Walthers steel mill kits. 

[daan]

For:  Andrew Falconer

 

I'm also working on a small O27 layout (4x8) and want to know if HO scale buildings will look OK with my trains.  I assume by your response the answer is yes?

Sorry, the answer is no. H0 buildings look silly and small with 0 gauge tracks. What most modellers do is just model a part of a building, like the facade and cut the house right behind the facade. It leaves the impression of a house, but it's only a small piece of it. That you can also do in length and in height, as long as doors, windows etc are 0 size.

I'm planning a city on my layout. The city needs huge buildings, flats and skyscrapers. I'll only model the front side of the buildings and stick them to the wall. It gives the impression of a city street, but you only need 6 inches in depth to realise that.

Search on the sunday foto fun postings, Frank53 did great jobs with cutting and facade building and has regular postings on the sunday foto fun. You can get a lot of ideas about how to fit in 0 gauge buildings on extreme small spaces. It's all about the impression it leaves as a whole, not the buildings itself. And that impression is rudely disturbed by using h0 scale houses on a 0 scale layout. (but you can do it if you want a more toy-isch look)

[Anonymous]

thank you everyone. You guys are wonderful.

 Bob:

 I would love to see those pictures.

 

I am still trying to hash out the details with the banker/real estate tycoon (wife). I do have to admit it is an uphill battle. She keeps reminding me that I have a 50' by 60' layout outside.

Matt

[jimhaleyscomet]

Allen,

 Perhaps I should confess that when my Beeps jump of track it is usually because the track is not perfect.  When I had beeps climbing an 027 spiral they would jump off the track under heavy load at the same two locations.  Perhaps if I worked on the track enough I could have fixed it.  Still, they are not as forgiving as my Plymouth Switcher.

Jim H 

[Anonymous]

For:  Andrew Falconer

 

I'm also working on a small O27 layout (4x8) and want to know if HO scale buildings will look OK with my trains.  I assume by your response the answer is yes?

[Anonymous]

The beeps wide wheel spacing can make 027 operation problematic.  It can be done successfully but once in a while you might jump off the track especially on a reverse S curve. 

Jim H

Gee, I have a ton of BEEPs (well, actually only 15) and I run them on my O27 layout (Atlas track) all the time--reverse curves and all.  Have never had one of them derail.  They also negotiate the switches just fine.

Indeed, there were problems with the earliest BEEPs (first production run) derailing cars on O27 curves.  This was caused by inadequate clearance between the coupler arm and pilot structure, and the problem was corrected in all subsequent production runs.  The problem with those earlier models can also be easily corrected with a little X-acto knife surgery (not visible) on the pilot, and RMT will even provide you with a diagram of what to do if you have that problem.  None of the BEEPs you buy today will have that sort of problem operating on O27 track/curves.  They are excellent--ideal, even--little locomotives for a small layout.

 

 

[Andrew Falconer]

3'x5' means that the structures will have to be S Scale and HO Scale in proportion.

What springs to mind for buildings are the less than O Scale structures made by Bachmann as Plasticville and Ertl Farm Buildings. Bachmann and Ertl are a place to start.

Andrew

[jimhaleyscomet]

The beeps wide wheel spacing can make 027 operation problematic.  It can be done successfully but once in a while you might jump off the track especially on a reverse S curve. 

Jim H 

[lionelsoni]

Matt, I have some layout drawings for you.

[Anonymous]

Thank you again to everyone!!!!

 I looked at the RMT stuff and it does look nice. I am also familiar with the MTH stauff and I like it as well.

 Thanks again, Matt