Hi,
I normally deal only with buying and selling vintage trains, but was recently approached by a fellow to help him plan and create a rather large indoor setup. He has a large warehouse he would like to run multiple trains & multiple scales around the building perimeter and into offices, etc.
What are some of the concerns and considerations I need to take and make when discussing this system? Right now I have come up with a few basic questions of my own. Any help with directing this project would be appreciated.
1. Are there off the shelf track systems offered? 2. Is it better to secure track to the wall or hang from the ceiling? 3. What are the basic power requirements I need to consider, such as so much power per length? 4. Can multiple controls be used for the same track?
I am looking forward to this project, but want to approach it in the proper manner.
THanks in advance,
P
Welcome to the forums. Sounds like quite a project with a lot of possibilities.
1. Not quite sure what you mean by "off the shelf track systems." There are a number of brands of sectional track that come with plastic roadbed attached, but it's a bit pricy, especially for such a large project.
2. Securing to the wall or floor to me is much more stable than the ceiling in my opinion.
3. The power requirements vary some with scale.
4. If you use DCC controls you can run mulitple trains on the same track. I think all scales have it or something similar.
For O scale thoughts you might want to go to the Classic Trains section of the forums and for G (Large) scale try the Garden Railroad section.
There are a couple of questions I would ask.
1. Is the warehouse heated? Extreme changes in temperature can cause some problems as can excessive humidity.
2. Can you use the floor area or just the walls? If you are only using the walls, you will have several levels of shelves and the shelves could not be as wide due to reaching over one to get to the ones above it.
Good luck,
Is this to be a "personal" layout, or a public display? This will impact the amount of aisle space you need, and how much detail you can put close to the edges.
Does the owner want a layout with scenery, or simply a track showcase for running trains? Is it to be a "railfan" layout, where the trains just run automatically, or does he have an interest in switching, schedules and prototypical operations?
I would look around for train clubs in your area. (Where are you? That would help, too.) Train club members have experience in laying out large areas, and would probably love to look at the space and make suggestions.
Take a look at our weekly photo threads, either Weekend Photo Fun or, as it's sometimes abbreviated, WPF. Each week you'll find a representative sample of what people are up to, and what can be accomplished in model building and scenery.
First, though, go get a copy of John Armstrong's "Track Planning for Realistic Operation." At first, it will seem a bit "deep" for this stage of the planning process, but there's a wealth of information about good layout design. I ordered mine from Barnes & Noble.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Thanks for some input on this project.
I realize it's a big project, and I may or may not be the one doing the actual work, right now it's in the planning, visualisation process. I will be talking with the gentleman tomorrow and should have a better grasp of the scale of the operation he desires. This fellow is the type to be "in for a penny.. in for a pound", so the expense isn't so much a concern.
I know he wants to run lots of trains, I'm sure some of it will have some display layouts required, while others will be pretty much for the activity of the train actually moving through the building. This won't be a 'public' train setup, but more for the owner and those who may come to his building on business.
I will have to find out about the status of the environment. We live in the southeast, so I know the issues of environment will deal with humidity as much as anything else.
I will post once I know more and the project progresses.