Indoor G-scale

[trainman_15501]

  Yes indoor G-scale is big. WE have a large 5000 sq ft Room we rent.WE do multi-scale .But we have at least 1500' of G track layed. 400'  dog bone-shaped layout with LGB block system setting with 7 --8 to 10 car trains runing at one time.  Better track layer then typest.

     For more info check out our club Laurel Highlands Model Railroad Club Inc. at

 www.lhmrc.org   Somerset Pa U.S.A.    Trainman_15501

[dwbeckett]

Just a thougth, when my indoor LS RR in complete (track laying ) , I will have some extra track and only live in our Reno part time for now. I am planning (as of today) on a small outdoor out and back with Y at one end.  I think I would be able to run two trains a once. We are currently redoing our Cal home backyard, so now would be a very good time to add test track that will be removed when we get ready to sell that home. Having GRR and an indoor LS RR is the only way to go. THE BEST OF BOTH WORLD'S    Being SIMI-RETIRED has it's rewards.

 

    

[vsmith]

Brian unless your lucky I'd plan on packing it. We are a small segment of a small hobby. Most realitors here sya its better to show buyers a generic garden, the GR sometimes is a detriment. Besides if you take it with you its less track you have to pay for to build the next layout, indoors or out.

I like the ala Marty way your already thinking about the next one, alas for me my layout will be the anti-Marty of layouts, sort of a sick shrunken head version of his big plains layout. Small sick and twisted.

[bman36]

Hey there,

     Add me to the ranks of indoor Largescalers (wherever I fit in). My line is missing about 30' of track to close the loop around my basement. Definately will finish that this year. Just in time to sell the house next year. Hope the new owners like trains! If not it will provide a neat shelf for useless garage sale stuff. I've never worried about what I have constructed indoors...if someone wants to tear it all out later that's their deal. In the meantime I will enjoy what I have. Indoor is great when I get tired of seeing the snow. Pics??? Time for a digital camera! Later eh...Brian.

 

Brian, just dont forget to pack the track when the time comes, you'll need it at the next place, right?

Vic, Not to worry...unless they ask for it (and agree to pay seperate from the house) it will all be coming with me. Then I will be looking to build something along the lines of what Marty Kozad has. This will be our last house...on an acreage. Gonna' take some time to build so I'll most likely build a loop indoors first. MUCH bigger basement in the new house. Later eh...Brian.

 

[bman36]

what are using when you did your scenery,I'm going old school using checken wire with a hard shell

Who is this for? Everyone? In my case it has been the real deal...flagstone. Yes it is heavy but looks just awesome. Our local quarry has about five different shades. I can pick out scraps from mining. A five gallon pail full is five bucks! I can get a LOT of nice pieces in one pail. I guess you could say I went for the rugged desert look. My line is based on both mining and logging. Both Narrow Gauge. Later eh...Brian.

 

[scooby1]

what are using when you did your scenery,I'm going old school using checken wire with a hard shell

[dwbeckett]

I built a HOn3 kit back in 78 when stationed in Hawaii, took first place in it's catagory ( I WAS THE ONLY ONE ) I still have the award but not the Engin, long ago sold with all of my littel stuff when I switch to REAL SCALE. 

[vsmith]

I am modeling G scale (1:20.3 - 1:22.5) indoors. I'm modeling a freelance backwoods logging line on 45mm track and a small mining/industrial line on 16.5mm (HO) track around the perimeter of my very small San francisco apartment. Although I model from a model railroader's point of view and am a stickler for details, I feel if it looks good it's OK. I used to model in On30 but I caught the Large Scale bug when I built a logging caboose and some flatcars in Large Scale that I originally built in On30. It is so relaxing and enjoyable to model in LS compared to O or HO and at least you can see the details without a microscope.

I was into HOn30 before this. You want to talk about eyestrain?

[vsmith]

Hey there,

     Add me to the ranks of indoor Largescalers (wherever I fit in). My line is missing about 30' of track to close the loop around my basement. Definately will finish that this year. Just in time to sell the house next year. Hope the new owners like trains! If not it will provide a neat shelf for useless garage sale stuff. I've never worried about what I have constructed indoors...if someone wants to tear it all out later that's their deal. In the meantime I will enjoy what I have. Indoor is great when I get tired of seeing the snow. Pics??? Time for a digital camera! Later eh...Brian.

 

Brian, just dont forget to pack the track when the time comes, you'll need it at the next place, right?

[bman36]

Hey there,

     Add me to the ranks of indoor Largescalers (wherever I fit in). My line is missing about 30' of track to close the loop around my basement. Definately will finish that this year. Just in time to sell the house next year. Hope the new owners like trains! If not it will provide a neat shelf for useless garage sale stuff. I've never worried about what I have constructed indoors...if someone wants to tear it all out later that's their deal. In the meantime I will enjoy what I have. Indoor is great when I get tired of seeing the snow. Pics??? Time for a digital camera! Later eh...Brian.

 

[underworld]

scooby Yep.....working on a Gauge 1  3-rail (prewar Marklin) layout.

ElMik Hello, I bought a Wilesco steam engine from you at the National Threshers meet in Wauseon two years ago. BTW nice layout!

underworld

[vsmith]

Oh come on...thats just a brisk walk away!

[Tom The Brat]

Um. I live north of Chicago. Almost to Wisconsin.

[dwbeckett]

TOM THE BRAT and On30fransico, we Three should try to meet someplace in San Jose or Pleasenton. then we could share Idiea's I live on the Delta so some place in the middel would work for Me. Or maybe the house in Reno, I have a connection for resonable casino rate's. then you would be the first out-of-towner's to visit the DNRR.

Dave

[Tom The Brat]

Hehe. I agree with you there. My eyeballs aren't 8-years-old any more

[on30francisco]

I am modeling G scale (1:20.3 - 1:22.5) indoors. I'm modeling a freelance backwoods logging line on 45mm track and a small mining/industrial line on 16.5mm (HO) track around the perimeter of my very small San francisco apartment. Although I model from a model railroader's point of view and am a stickler for details, I feel if it looks good it's OK. I used to model in On30 but I caught the Large Scale bug when I built a logging caboose and some flatcars in Large Scale that I originally built in On30. It is so relaxing and enjoyable to model in LS compared to O or HO and at least you can see the details without a microscope.

[Tom The Brat]

Of course, I knew my login, but the password got reset again and again and they only will mail it to the email address I used to have...

So, here I am with a more descriptive name

[dwbeckett]

 TOM THE BRAT,Can't beleve a computer programmer forgot there logon TRY TORBY your signature gave it away

David

[dwbeckett]

Thanks for the extra info. looking forward to the next Reno trip(03/01) to see how much snow we have in the yards.

[tomgb]

to dwbeckett: I'm sorry the photos aren't a bit larger. I'm just learning how to process them. I tried saving them in higher resolution (image size) and placed 2 new ones on my photo holding site but subsequest test revealed they were going to display no larger here than the first set. The photo site has their own size standards they adjust to and it doesn't look like that can be changed. I'd like to know how others are able to display larger photos here. 

For your area size question - you'll notice the layout is kind of a "U" looking format so I'll start from left upper to across the bottom and then upper right to give sizes. We had a fair amount of rain last year and are getting plenty this week. I monitor the dirt floor but have not noticed any water intrusion. I have wood "runways" or decks in some areas and indoor/outdoor carpet in others to keep from tracking dirt into the house.

Upper left is 28' x 16' but I can only use about half of the long dimension because I run out of headroom. Across the bottom is 20" x 16",  20' x 15',  20' x 4' (that's a stairway framing zone), 20' x  13' (only used about half because the height above the floor is pretty tall), and the upper right room is 18' x 16'. The smallest diameter curve on the green line is 8' and the smallest on the red line is 5'.

Since I don't seem to be able (for now anyway) to post a larger picture of the turntable perhaps if you have specific questions about it?.....

[spikejones52002]

Here is a shot of my "G" Gauge double track around my Front Room.

I can run it any time I want. I especially like it during commercials.

Sorry for the poor quality. I have one of those digital cameras that knows everything on how to take a perfect picture.

[vsmith]

Thats a nice layout Tom

[dwbeckett]

Nice pix what is the size of the differante areas ? and can you post a larger shot of your turntable? I plan on adding one but I have not decided on a type yet. How's floor holding up with all the rain this year?

[tomgb]

Here some photos - assuming I did everything correctly. It seems a little complicated.

On the layout schematic, the gray color represents foundation walls, the red and green two different  railway lines, yellow for sidings,  and the blue is an extension of the red line. I tried to screen out most of the overhead ductwork in the pictures. The gray backgrounds are cloth to hide the wall framing and the one long painting (40 feet) partly showing behind the turntable was done for me by a friend for a previous N-scale layout and salvaged for this layout. I don't have much talent for painting decent clouds or mountains so the backgrounds are mostly just pale gray/blue.

The turntable is the most recent addition. It's scratchbuilt using a lazy susan base and works surprisingly well considering the total cost (not including track) was under $100.00. It's not motorized, of course, for that cost.

 

[scooby1]

try putting your pics on webshots.com then from there to here thats how i do it

[tomgb]

I have been building an indoor layout under my house for about the last two years. It's a custom built home on a slope that is steep enough to provide stand-up room under several of the main floor rooms.  The house foundation and support walls are spread footing and beam construction so the floor is dirt and still sloped too steeply to work direct so I have framed the layout up to be mostly level but with enough grade differences to allow crossings. There are two 300+ foot lines to allow twin grandsons to run trains independently. The layout traverses 4 "rooms" divided by the foundation support walls so you can generally see only one room well at a time. I have a combination of store-bought and scratch built structures and have done lots of "landscaping" and topography modeling learned from several years of working in N-scale some time back. My two lines aren't modeled after any existing lines or any specific era and have kill sidings to store a variety of trains. They are designed to just "run-for fun" and not to do a lot of switching or "freight on a schedule" operations. My real joy is actually in the dreaming and building.

I would be happy to supply some pictures but I see that a note from "Bergie" on 11/27/06 indicates Mac users photos will not work at present and that's what I use. If someone with a Mac has found a way to provide photos and can clue me in I can get started. In the meantime, count me in as another "indoor" modeler.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dwbeckett]

Scooby I have a post or two on the New DNRR under construction, no new pictures yet but should have some next week. My RR has a two track main with a dubl slip switch and 2 bridge duck under (50inch), low point is at 45 inchs and the high point at 60 inchs. I am building without a hard copy track plan since the last three didnt fit. My space is limited to 21X21 ( 168 foot of main line) the two car side of the Garrage. The layout is Reno, I live in northen Ca. so work is progesing slowly. AND TO THE REST OF YOU CLOSET INDOOR LARGE SCALERS, IT'S TIME TO COME OUT. 

[scooby1]

so far this is my layout 

[vsmith]

I was for a couple years, but I've stopped progress on the indoor layout and will be focusing on the outdoor as it will require alot of attention to make it work.