HO layout on a door?

[Li'lJugs]

Any published plans?  Or anyone have any ideas?

 I was going to go with the Carolina Central in N scale, but decided I couldn't live without sound and the higher detail level of HO so purchased a Proto 2000 diesel and Digitrax DCC system today, along with a few sections of straight track just to see how it went.  

I'm happy with my purchases but, of course, will have to have some kind of switching layout as I really do have just about enough space for a layout on a hollow core door and that's it.

80" x 36" is about as large as I feel I can go.  Any help?

[loathar]

You really need to try and go wider than 36". You will be limiting yourself to 18" and 15" radius curves. This will severely limit the size of equipment you will be able run.
A door is OK for N scale, not very good at all for HO.

[WRGMILW]

HI

 

Space Mouse Holds contest once in awhile !

He held A 2 x8 contest in feb 08

 

You may have modify a layout to get  it on a door of 36x80 .

Keep us posted on your layout . 

 

Check it out !  

 

 

[SpaceMouse]

http://www.chipengelmann.com/Trains/2x8Contest.html

[IRONROOSTER]

If you could add 4", you could fit in a loop of 18".  Otherwise you'll be limited to about 16 1/2" (15" if you use sectional track).  That can work if you stick to small locomotives and cars.  You can also have a switching area down the middle where you could have larger locomotives and cars. "101 Trackplans" from Kalmbach has some 3' and 3 1/2' wide layouts.

Enjoy

Paul 

[dknelson]

You really need to try and go wider than 36". You will be limiting yourself to 18" and 15" radius curves. This will severely limit the size of equipment you will be able run.
A door is OK for N scale, not very good at all for HO.

That assumes a layout has to be an oval.  A door could provide a very nice point to point or switching layout.  I seem to recall someone building an entire layout of doors, and coined the word "doorminos" (versus dominos). 

Dave Nelson

[Li'lJugs]

I looked at Chip's layout contest, and like the Fergus Falls layout-it was kind of what I had in mind.  I hadn't planned on having any type of loop as I realize that the curves would have to be too sharp for my tastes.  This will be my first layout so it will be more of a learning exercise than anything else.

 (BTW, I must have spent a couple of hours since yesterday running the loco back and forth and listening to the sounds, LOL.)

[R. T. POTEET]

 

Any published plans?  Or anyone have any ideas?

 I was going to go with the Carolina Central in N scale, but decided I couldn't live without sound and the higher detail level of HO so purchased a Proto 2000 diesel and Digitrax DCC system today, along with a few sections of straight track just to see how it went.  

I'm happy with my purchases but, of course, will have to have some kind of switching layout as I really do have just about enough space for a layout on a hollow core door and that's it.

80" x 36" is about as large as I feel I can go.  Any help?

Am I the only one to notice that Li'lJugs has already resigned himself - or perhaps herself - to a switching layout on a 36" by 80" door?; it become just a little bit ludicrous, therefore, to talk about adding 4" so he can get an 18" radius curve.

Li'lJugs, sound or no sound, you would probably have been served better had you stayed with N-Scale; I would cut off my left you-know-what right now to know just what kind of Proto2000 loke you just purchased. Considering the space you are going to have to work in it would not be too difficult to buy something TOO BIG for your purposes. That 36" dimension is going to restrict you to a 15" radius curve -  one labelled as very sharp - should you elect to try some kind of a turnback operation for your switching. On his iconic Gorre and Daphetid John Allen engineered 15" radius curves but he designed his original layout in the late '40s - early '50s when small steam was available and there was a proliferation of 36' cars. Although Geeps may well, with effort, be able to negotiate 15" radius curves you would be better off with one of Walthers/Life-Like's SWs or a similiar loke from another manufacturer; for your purpose a Spectrum 44 tonner would be perfect. If you were to go the steam route a USRA 0-6-0/0-8-0 would be good selections. A 2-8-0 on a 15" radius curve is stretching things just a little bit.

I would call your attention to Kalmbach's 101 Track Plans; this publication has a small number of layouts with 16 1/2 inch radius curves which could be readily modified to 15"; in addition there is a small section on shelf layouts which could give you some ideas. I would, at the same time, call your attention to the 2008 Great Model Railroads which featured an outstanding shelf switching layout.

As far as track design goes there are two ways to go in your case - three actually but I'll get into that in a minute: firstly you can use the whole 36" width - with or without a turnback curve - and design yourself one enormous industrial area.

Secondly, you could place a scenery divider down the middle of your platform creating two 17" shelves and you could design your switching theme to fit in this space - this will utilize one of those turnback curves and the effective length of your platform will extend to 160".

The third option is a modification of the second: divide your layout into three segments - two 14" segments and an 8" segment. One of those 14" segments will be at an elevation approximately 6" higher than the other. The 8" segment provides room for a series of switchbacks to achieve that 6" separation. Each of those 14" segments will be used for a switching district. Underneath that 6" elevation will be a storage/fiddle yard reached via a turnback curve. You can keep your trains out of sight in this storage/fiddle yard and rearrange them for arrival onto your lower 14" platform to be broken up and switched.

Keep this in mind; to avoid a toylike appearance you should raise your platform heighth to about shoulder level and you should restrict your freight car lengths to 40".

[loathar]

R.T.-Nope! TOTALLY missed the part about switching layout!

[Li'lJugs]

I would cut off my left you-know-what right now to know just what kind of Proto2000 loke you just purchased.

 

RS-27, Soo Line #415, 1/2 of the "Dolly Sisters"