drew a blank here, but can't delete it
I am currently using 18" bi-fold hollow core birch or oak doors for my shelf layout from Home Depot. Each bi-fold sections is approximately 18" wide by 79" long. You get approximately 13' 1" of usable shelf for about $43.00 not including metal brackets. I went ahead and built up width slightly using 2x2's and 1x2's.
Lance Mindheim has used these doors extensively on his "Voodoo & Palmettos" Miami based layout and has several close-up photos of the brackets (from HD) and the finished product. Check out his layout.
Larry
www.lancemindheim.com
I also experimented with hollow core doors from the big orange box. Each $25, 36 x 80 slab would net 3 12-inch wide x 80-inch sections. After sawing, my intention was to use firring strips to close the open cavity. However, as the inside reinforcement is mere pressed paper-type product and my railroad is outside, that seemed to be problematic......
The thing with hollow core doors is that you can buy a 24" wide bi-fold and once you remove the hinges, you have two 79" x 12" sections. Attempting to cut them length wise and then trying to add reinforcement at the cut does become problematic.
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I would think the whole idea is not to cut the doors if possible, and then only to length. Doors are a possible candidate on a layout I am planning, as I anticipate moving at some point and don't have a wood working shop at my disposal for crafting modules. Of course the drawback is that you can't really go down below grade easily (but then there aren't a lot of deep caynons in a river valley - Connecticut).
Co-owner of the proposed CT River Valley RR (HO scale) http://home.comcast.net/~docinct/CTRiverValleyRR/
Doc in CT I would think the whole idea is not to cut the doors if possible, and then only to length. Doors are a possible candidate on a layout I am planning, as I anticipate moving at some point and don't have a wood working shop at my disposal for crafting modules. Of course the drawback is that you can't really go down below grade easily (but then there aren't a lot of deep caynons in a river valley - Connecticut).
Doc,
You can definately cut down below grade. On my photos I do not have my styrofoam sheets added to the surface of the door. For mockup, I am laying Peco code 83 on the surface to see how everything is going to fit. Once that is complete, I will be laying down Micro Engineering code 70. I will be able to cut in canals, rivers or whatever.
On my previous layout, I was using 2" thick foam and began cutting in a canal. The photos below show the initial cuts and the nearly finished product.
Camero
I meant cutting through the door itself which means adding fillers or rails around the open ends for structural integrity. (Not clear from your photos if this is what you did). Going below grade to me is below the primary sub-roadbed surface. This is a lot easier in L-girder/plywood or open bench work.
In my planning, this is not a real issue as the door would likely be a lower lever or hidden staging area and not used as primary subroad (it can be the lowest level of scenery). I don't envision multiple layers of full foam sheets rather a build up in specific areas. But this is just preliminary thinking for now.
I have experimented with hollow-core layout structure in the past. One thing about the process that I never did like was the issue of how you handle the wiring, under-mount switch machines, etc. I am curious to know what your plans are.
In my experience, you either end up with all of that hardware exposed under the shelf, and you have to put a facia on it anyway. Or you end up cutting holes in the under-panel in order to tuck the hardware up inside. A third option would be to sandwich the wiring in between the door and the foam layer, but that has it's own issues. Namely everytime you want to make even a moderate adjustment in track or structure placement you have to break out the 1:87 scale backhoe.
I'll go with the old 3-sided box any day...
I have figured out what is wrong with my brain! On the left side nothing works right, and on the right side there is nothing left!
The majority of the Hollow core door layouts, that I have seen and read about were usually of the Coffee Table layout variety in O-Gauge, or N and Z Scales.
Here are some pics of an O-Gauge Halloween themed layout that I built for my Fiance and her kids. This is obviously Holiday display type layout rather than a "Serious" layout, but many people did comment on, and enjoy it.
These obviously wouldn't run on the 027 curves of the Coffee Table Layout above, but do show the advances that 3 Rail O-Gauge has made in the last 15 years, which also includes command control. They're not your Grandpa's Lionels anymore.
Always promoting the Hobby
Doug
May your flanges always stay BETWEEN the rails
I model a freelance bridge RR the Missouri & Arkansas Railway used by the CB&Q & MKT that takes place in Eastern Missouri. The line starts out at Old Monroe Mo on the Cuivre River at MO. State Highway 79, then west to Hawk Point then south along MO. State Highway 47 across the old Wabash / Norfolk & Western RR line near Warrenton Mo. thru Missouri Wine Country to connect with MKT near Marthasville Mo. on State Highway 94. Since this is "my" railroad most places will have the "flavor" of this area but may not be perfect to the prototype. Time is pre Burlington Northern (1970). The location & time frame gives me a lot of room of equipment I can use plus freight cars from so many different Railroads from all over the country. As with many railroads built in the 1800’s they never reached all the way as planned. So they never made it all the way to Arkansas.
#1 This will be a point to point RR built on Hollow-core doors (about $24 ea) along two walls, so it will be in sections.
#2 It's going to be less track, no yard, no switch machines, open staging, & simple engine service area.
#3 Just a few small towns with one or two sidings.
#4 More open scenery between towns.
Here is my first section or "domino"
More photographs at this link:
http://s86.photobucket.com/albums/k103/usnvet76/
stebbycentral I have experimented with hollow-core layout structure in the past. One thing about the process that I never did like was the issue of how you handle the wiring, under-mount switch machines, etc. I am curious to know what your plans are. In my experience, you either end up with all of that hardware exposed under the shelf, and you have to put a facia on it anyway. Or you end up cutting holes in the under-panel in order to tuck the hardware up inside. A third option would be to sandwich the wiring in between the door and the foam layer, but that has it's own issues. Namely everytime you want to make even a moderate adjustment in track or structure placement you have to break out the 1:87 scale backhoe. I'll go with the old 3-sided box any day...
If you check out Lance Mindheims "Voodoo& Palmettos", wiring section, he uses a hole cutter to burrow through the bottom of door to drop down feeder wires. All of his bus wiring is neatly stapled the the bottom of the door and all feeders are attached to the buses using suitcase connectors. Maybe switch machines would be difficult to mount on the underside of a door, but each application needs to be addressed individually.
Since my layout is based on a prototypical section of trackage in the greater Miami area, I only have four turnouts on the longest side of my layout and no more than eight turnouts when everything is added up. Wasting time adding switch machines would probably be more trouble than what its worth. As a result, I will stick to hand thows.
http://www.lancemindheim.com/wiring.htm
I have completed the initial section of hollow core door and now weathering the ME code 70 track on my work bench. Since this 20' section has only four turnouts, it is easier to do track weathering from a remote location and then add it to the layout. The fascia is a primered pine base trim that Lance Mindheim suggested and is using for his Miami based layout. The far end of the layout is receiving another section of hollow core, but that will probably be done during mid summer.