Indoor layouts??!!

[Anonymous]

Anyone making indoor layouts?? would love to see some links!
I have just upgraded my layout quite a bit...

Regards,

Tom M.

http://members.aol.com/metzbahn/lgblay.htm

[Rene Schweitzer]

Tom, yes there are lots of folks here who are building indoor layouts. Hopefully, they'll pop on and post pics. Also, check this article out:
http://www.trains.com/content/dynamic/articles/000/000/004/976qjfbp.asp

[Anonymous]

I am in the process of building a 'G' layout, 8' deep by 12 ' wide. Am using the old cookies cutter method but need help for the following...............it is of the up and over type layout. How long of a run do I need to cross over the top and not have a steep climb up or down? Are there any standards on the internet that I can go to concerning what I have described here?
Good luck to all in any of your endeavors. Hopefully I will have some photos to p[ost here! Thanking anyone in advance!!

Marshal!

[vsmith]

Hi guys!

Welcome to my world!

I'm doing a 8 by almost 20 foot layout in the garage, which has a long and many potholed history, you can check it out at the following link:

http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=16963

Marshall, With no plan its hard to say other than generally but I dont know if you'll have enough room for an up and over, you need to start the "up" slope almost at the crossing point to keep the grade low as possible. Keep a minium of 8" clear from the top of rail to the underside of any structure like a bridge. Post a plan or drawing if you can.

Best I can suggest is to test build your plan, and see if your engines can haul up it. thats going to be a very steep grade at that layout size. Maybe 4% or greater. I have seen it done but you will be limited to only a couple shorty cars. Beleive me, at the scale of your layout small engines and two axle cars or 20 foot maximum cars look best. Good Luck!

[markperr]

Marshall, I agree with vsmith. You'll have a minimum of 4% grade to get over it. If you calculate 10" clearance between the upper and lower track, at a 4% grade, you'll need 21' to climb from top to bottom. A five foot diameter, which is the maximum size curve you can get away with in a 12' length, is only fifteen feet. Even a five% grade is sixteen feet of track to climb ten inches. You'll probably have to measure the height of your tallest piece of rolling stock from the top of the rail head and give yourself the least possiblt amount of safe clearance you can. If you're building a narrow gauge short line, it wouldn't be unprototypical to have five percent grades.
I'm not sure if I can describe this very well but you could also take a figure eight design which would be folded over on itself and stretched the 12' distance. In other words, look at how a paperclip is designed and connect the two ends with another loop. Have one curve go over the top of the other.

Good luck,
Mark

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the replies vsmith and mark! I am going to change the layout a bit and use a crossing, probably 30 degrees. The up and over was just a thought and if everything is on the same level it won't hurt the scenery one bit either. In fact the scenery may be the challenge that I am looking for! We have just set up a new 'puter here and there are some neat things on it. Maybe I'll get the chance to send out a few photos as progress is made on the layout. Thanks again guys!

marshal

[Anonymous]

We'll be watching! [8D]

[Anonymous]

Hey Guys! Well we have the layout running to a small degree. It is 8" by 12" . Have the LGB switch boxes (LGB 5075N) and 2 wires running from each EPL 1201's. Have power running from DC terminals of transformer. When I pu***he button on the box the switch is only thrown into one position and when pushing button again nothing happens. I am familiar with HO switches and I guess this is where the confusion sets in, diagram only shows two wires from switch machine and two wires from transformer. Vas Es Los?

Marshal

[vsmith]

8" x 12" ????

I hope you mean 8' (feet) x 12' (feet), the " always refers to inches in construction drawings, you probably made Matts jaw drop with that one. I have a 9" x 12" (thats inches) HOn30 microlayout but in G that would be a site!

Checked out your website, I see its coming along!

Unfortunatley I cant help with the switch controllers. I purposely avoided controlers to keep my layout as simple as possible. I would try asking LGBof America via e-mail why this is occuring.

[Anonymous]

DOUBLE OOPS! The layout is 8 feet by 12 feet, OOPS #1. Switches are working now as they run off AC, OOPS #2. Sometimes no matter what you do there is always something that can go wrong!!

Marshal

[RhB_HJ]

QUOTE: Originally posted by marshal

DOUBLE OOPS! The layout is 8 feet by 12 feet, OOPS #1. Switches are working now as they run off AC, OOPS #2. Sometimes no matter what you do there is always something that can go wrong!!

Marshal

Hi,

The LGB turnouts are designed to work with half-wave DC. The EPL turnout controls have built in diodes, which take care of that as long as you feed AC to the boxes. Feed DC and the one direction will be blocked since the diode won't let the current pass. That's what happened in your case.[;)][:)]

Of course you don't necessarily need those large LGB turnout controllers, you can build a neat little panel with SPDT springloaded switches. How to wire that is shown here. http://www.girr.org/girr/tips/tips1/lgb_1600.html#controls

You might as well bookmark George Schreyer's site http://www.girr.org/girr/index.html He has tons of very good info!

[Anonymous]

RhB_HJ, Thanks for the input! It is greatly appreciated! If and when I can learn how to download the photos I've taken so far of this layoput I will send them along to the forum. The turnouts are working real good.

marshal