MaspethMattMy basement is appprox. 25x45
And dad can't have a 25x6 part of it for his railroad? You must have stored a lot of christmas trees. Having a 45 foot long shelf with the kids around; accidents will happen. They will play indoor baseball or soccer in a space like that. (I did)
About the grades: the Rhatische Bahn used 7%, KCS finds 1,5% steep. A fellow member spoke about 3%. Depends on the trains you will be running and about what you want. Double heading, with a pusher in the back to get a coaldrag over the hill in Virginia? Or a logging RR high in the mountains?
MaspethMattPlease don't crush my idea
Obviously your ideas are to vague, that's why we are asking (not crushing)
Have fun, keep smiling
Paul
great ideas.. how do i find these articles. i'm not too good with internet. did google and no luck.
The issue Randy mentions in the above post can be found in MR's January 1970 issue. It's entitled "Hide Your Layout In the Living Room." The articel starts on page 52. It gives a set of sketches and a supply list.
Drew
John Armstrong's Murphy Bed and Credenza was in Creative Layout Design. This one was all DIY, no manufactured murphy bed components. There was also one back in the late 60's or early 70's in MR which worked in a similar fashion.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
hey ds, you aren't just right up my alley, you are infront of my house in my parking spot. bit of maspeth humor, i live in an apartment building area. my e mail is matushekgsd at AOL, can you send me pictures? i'm starting to feel like a dunce in the corner compared to the few people who gave me tips. i'm going to search out any local train clubs and just show up with beer and a notebook.
m
Having done that (in a 5'x9') layout, piano hinged to a cabinet 4' wide by 16" deep, which allowed me to have 14" high structures/mountains/scenery, when folded down left me a 16" deep aisle 3' long on either end, the center section was a true pain to get to, and of course that was where all my track problems happened. 4x8 will make an impossible reach to get that derailed car on the back side of the layout, especially if the entire back side were hinged to a shelf/cabinet/wall. Tore it all down and am building an around the walls layout using 24" hollow core slab doors hinged on 12" wide shelves anchored to the wall. To keep noise down and allow room for wiring to pass underneath, I am using 4" wide strips of carpet padding spaced 2" apart (to make a 2"x1/2" "tunnel" to pass wiring thru topped with at least 1/2" foam, depending on grade and "mountain" sizes. Let you all know how well this "sound deadening" technique will work and how durable it will be seeing as how it is hinged and will be moving up and down every time I want to take the layout out and railroad. This room is shared with a pool table, air hockey table, foosball table, treadmill, TV and of course couch and loveseat. Additional modules are planned to straddle or be placed on top of the game tables, but must made to be put away in the cabinets built under the fold- out sections of the layout.. My "game room/train room" is 17.5x35, but right now the pieces are in place for a 17.5x12 layout.
Just throwing out another idea to consider....
I once caught a train in my pajama's. How it got in my pajama's I'll never know... (sorry, Groucho)
Are you planning to store the rolling stock from the yard in the cabinet when it is closed? If you aren't, a more practical soluction may be to build your yard on a drop leaf that folds down. Linn Westcott did this on the HO railroad that grows series.
Another thing to consider is the placement of your switches - you'll want to avoid having them over the joints where the cabinet joins the "murphy bed" portion - this will shorten your yard tracks. Also, how to you plan to bridge that gap? Short sections of track like the modular groups do? A cut with a saw after the track is laid? These are things to consider and will save headaches in the long run.
lvanhenTry a train show or flea market - look for brass track - it's as cheap as you can get these days. Just plan on cleaning it fairly often!
Brass track is a collectors' item. I our neighborhood, if you put it out by the curb on Tuesday night they'll come by some time Wednesday and collect it.
Seriously, you're better off going online and ordering nickel-silver track in bulk. The brass you would find would all be used, and probably battered from being pulled up from an old layout years ago. As Lou mentioned, it requires much more frequent cleaning than NS track, too.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
MaspethMatt metal stud, never thought of that. i already swiped a bunch of hinges from the carpenters but i think a piano hinge would be more true. i already know about the ugly side and my kids. was planning on some thin luan smothered with train tin signs. for the long, thin part; does anyone know where i can get cheap track?
metal stud, never thought of that. i already swiped a bunch of hinges from the carpenters but i think a piano hinge would be more true. i already know about the ugly side and my kids. was planning on some thin luan smothered with train tin signs. for the long, thin part; does anyone know where i can get cheap track?
Try a train show or flea market - look for brass track - it's as cheap as you can get these days. Just plan on cleaning it fairly often!
My John Armstrong book collection seems to be temporarily missing, so I can't verify which one has his Murphy Bed and Credenza layout in it. The Murphy Bed part was rigged to fold down and stand vertical in an enclosed cabinet. The Credenza was a bookcase with a non-folding yard, where the trains could accumulate before the normally-horizontal Murphy Bed underwent the great upheaval. A slanted lid covered the yard when not in use, rising to become a minimal backdrop. The slant was meant to discourage placement of objects on the yard cover.
The idea was that the layout could peacefully coexist with a room (and family) that had to be more formal than the usual railroad room.
The track plan on the Murphy Bed was, at its most basic, an out-and-back balloon loop with a continuous-run connection. The yard was rather basic, due to its compact size. Of course, nothing would prevent the railroad from running out the end of the yard and around the rest of the room if the Management could secure such a right-of-way.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - playroom restricted to Social Security recipients)
I have used stuff from Rockler in the past for some wood working projects. They have about everything you could ever want to build any type of specialized cabinets, beds, etc...
Their stuff is not cheap, though. Here is a link to one of hte pages with Murphy bed plans and hardware. A quick search showed the harware almost $300. OUCH...
The hardware needed for a bed is probably a LOT more than what is needed just for a 4X8 train layout. There might be a more appropriate type of hinge mechanism for your idea.
Another good resource is Woodcraft. They are a chain store, so there might be in your area. The people in there are very knowledgeable and helpful. At least, in the store near me. Once again, not exactly cheap, but very good hardware.
I hope this helps your plans.
The idea is not at all impractical, and in your case, it makes a lot of sense. What you're planning is essentially a "lift-up" drawbridge structure. These are frequently used, but the normal use is to provide access from one side of the tracks to the other without ducking under. Those bridges are generally thin single-track or double-track sections, and often look just like drawbridges. In your case, the moving part would be the rest of the layout, while the thin track would remain fixed.
I think you'll find what you're looking for if you search for lift-up bridges. You may want to use a "piano hinge" on the end, because it's long and will give even support. I'd recommend making this out of a light wood frame, or maybe even a steel stud frame, with a 2-inch construction foam base. Remember that the bottom of your layout will face out when it's in the "up" position, so think about some way to protect the wiring underneath from small hands.
Matt, I have a diagram on how to do it, but cannot find it! It is from my slot car days, you might do a search based on HO Slot Cars to see if you can find it as well.
Cuda Ken
I hate Rust
Maximum grade depends on your specific situation but generally you do not want to exceed around 3%.
3" of rise over a run of 100" is a 3 percent grade. I'm modeling HO.
ok, so here's my idea. I would like to make a switch yard on a 4x8 layout that swings up into a cabinet llike a murphy bed. I have little kids and accidents do happen. Then attach a long running strait away to the other side of the play room where there are less toys for a nice turnaround or a mountaintop. I am asking for advice or direction where to look for the murphy traintrack and what would be the correct incline from that track to the turnaround, meaning how many inches rise per foot. My basement is appprox. 25x45 and can do alot along walls and in niche corners. Please don't crush my idea with technical stuff. Give me advice to run with and they tell me my cigar box tunnel is not period, ect... thanks
ps, i can do either N or HO. O is for the christmas tree.