If your large scale railroad is indoors, where do you keep it?

[Anonymous]

Hello There,

I have a slight problem. I have spent hundreads of pounds on locomotives and track for my g scale railroad and I dont want it outside because im scared of electrics and the british weather! Please could you give me ideas of where to put my railway and where you put yours.

Many Thanks,

Jake

[John Busby]

Hi Jake

When my G scale trains where indoors they where on the floor in the spare room which was wholy my territory.

The plan was to lay 3/4" plywood sheets over the floor taping the joints but not actualy fixing the ply to the floor. 

Then build the railway starting at that level and working upwards to as far as I could reasonably reach.

What changed was I bought my own house and moved and then had a large enough garden (oops!! I mean desert and weed patch) to build the railway in.

One day I might build an indoor section but not in the near future but I will use the floor as the starting level and work upwards.                                                                                                                 To gain maximum use of the space the walk ways where to be painted as rivers and heavily varnished to cope with foot traffic err I hope??

regards John

[Anonymous]

When I was bitten by the train bug my car moved out of the garage.  I'm the one that has to scrape the ice off of the windshield in the winter so the wife doesn't care what I do with the space.  The investment in locomotives and rolling stock, that's another matter.  It's her fault, though.  She's the one that gave me my first GRR subscription to get me interested.  Seems she thought I'd need a hobby when I retire.  "Be careful what you ask for - you may get it!" 

[Tom The Brat]

Right now?

A storage locker!

[vsmith]

Currently mine resides indoors, in various boxes, in a rented storage unit....

 

It used to be indoors, in my garage. I had to dismantle it when we demolished the garage to make way for a new replacement garage that will eventually be the new home of my RR. It was 8 x 20, then 8 x 10, then 8 x 20 again, now its 0 x 0.

 

I still have 80% of my rolling stock stored inside my house, at my workbench. I'm still working on my kitbashes, and trying to keep my enthusiasm up during all the remodeling greef.

 

Indoors is very doable, just need some room, How much area do you have to work with?

Shelf or table layouts are doable, I suggest a continuous shelf around a room.

 

Heres the history of my layout from almost start to today, lots of planning ideas included;

 

http://www.trains.com/trccs/forums/250710/ShowPost.aspx

 

 

[Anonymous]

I have shelves on three walls in my basement that have old bachmann track on  , this  is where i store my rolling stock and engines, i also have 80 ft. of brass track , hanging from my ceiling to run trains.

Vic

 HOW is the  garage  coming along , is it under roof yet .  BEN

[vsmith]

I have shelves on three walls in my basement that have old bachmann track on  , this  is where i store my rolling stock and engines, i also have 80 ft. of brass track , hanging from my ceiling to run trains.

Vic

 HOW is the  garage  coming along , is it under roof yet .  BEN

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all your help everyone! It has really helped me.

Regards

Jake

[Anonymous]

...in my apartment bedroom!  well, one of the bedrooms!

I would like to convert the whole room into a train room, complete with shelving and nice museum-style lighting, but the management of the complex probably wouldnt go for that.

I am surprised that I have been able to store it in the apartment--adding to it year after year--and not have the complex give me too much trouble...even the inspectors came in and were impressed.  Of course, if they said the carpet needs to be replaced, then I would have to dismantle.  But for 9 years it has proven a most rewarding past-time.  The irony is,  my space and trackage wouldn't be much more if I were doing a HO layout---the LGB R1 curves really come in handy in a bedroom!  I even have installed a 3 way WYE section.

If I had to dismantle like I said for say, carpet, that really would be no problem.  Because like all model railroaders, my 2nd time around I would attend to a slightly different style of design for easier access to the back area and upgrade some other things.

I don't have a large backyard, just a patio, but I often thought of putting a small garden pike back there.  It would suit my needs, I would have a design similar to the original German layouts (having only a small patio to model in), matter of fact, it would not resemble a U.S. style garden railway much--as I would put the railway on benchwork at a proper height, however the benchwork would allow for sufficient drainage.  This way, it would be like an indoor layout but have the added advantage of sunlight and fresh air.  Problem is, I never get around to it, as my indoor layout keeps me busy.  I like creating indoor layouts more than outdoor because the scenery aspects don't have to be "weatherproof" which costs more and takes more investment/time.  Once the scenery is on the layout, I also don't have to worry it will disappear the next day!

 

Regards,

 

Tom M.

 

 

 

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks Tom,

It has really helped me,

Regards,

Jake

[Curmudgeon]

Highly interesting.

I have a small railroad, I put mine outdoors, before I had ever seen any other outdoor non-ride-on railroad, so I wasn't fixated on any particular way to do it.

 

This February it will be 15 years on the ground.

We've been doing wayfreight ops for all of that time.

I live in the Greater Seattle area, lots of dampness, quite a bit of temperature swing.

We've been to zero F on occasions, and last week or so over 100 here.

We run in rain, snow, wind, earthquakes (2 at 5.0 or greater), and had 3 power outtages during sessions where we just kept on running.

No track or turnout electrics outdoors at all.

Tell me again why you want to be indoors?

[Snoq. Pass RR]

I live in the Cascade Range of Washington State and I recieve rain and 12+ feet of snow per year.  And, my layout is going to be outside in all of this.  All of my trains are battery powered RCS, so there is no worry about electronic problems.  For RCS stuff I would visit http://dnkgoods.home.mindspring.com/ or http://www.rcs-rc.com/.

[Curmudgeon]

Snoq. Pass RR runs on my small railroad........

 

He's getting better.......

[Anonymous]

I have built a very easy ledge at the top of my son's ceiling in his bedroom.  We are just now starting to upgrade a little bit.  Some new cars, and probably some scenery this winter.

http://www.hpibajaforum.com/Kids/LGBCieling.JPG 

 

 

 

[Anonymous]

Jake, go ahead and design your layout OUTDOORS. I started mine out doors early this year. After running trains I take my transformer and loco's and rolling stock in my garage. I made some shelves and they sit nicely above my workbench.

http://community.webshots.com/album/547283539pPilnH

 

It's not a big layout, but it's a start....

 

good luck

dan

 

 

[on30francisco]

I built mine around the perimeter of the room. It is definitely doable indoors - even in the limited amount of space I have in my overpriced, crackerbox-size SF studio apartment.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the help . im just worried about it being outside with electrics.

Jake

[dukebasketballer`]

I have mine going around the top of my bedroom. I can only run small stuff, but at least I can run trains while my outdoor empire is under construction.

Here are some pics:  http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dukebasketballer/album?.dir=9975re2&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/ph//my_photos

David

[Curmudgeon]

Let me say this one more time.

I have no track power or electric switch power outside at all.

 

My small railroad has over 1400 feet of track, and over 75 turnouts.

We have had 20 trains running at once.

We have run through 3 power outtages in ops sessions, and one one or two other occasions, when the power went out, I went out and ran trains.

 

[lkydvl]

    Mine is indoors.

24 X 36 feet 2nd story above my new garage.



Andre'

[dwbeckett]

When rebuilt the new DNRR will be in the two car side of a three car garrage. The first track plan I did was too big  and was based on builder plans for the worng model home. After meausering our new home I was left with 20x21 plus some space for storage yard that my wife hasn't approved yet ( her side ) I have been Packing Trains for 2 weeks now ( part time ) and found that I have more engins then cars / . The new plan will have a 1 track main line 11.5dia, two inner loops 9/10diam mix with a fouth loop 6.5diam for my logging equipment. so how much space do you need?  as much as you can get!!!!