Street Rail Way

[Anonymous]

Hello every one. I am trying to burst out of my 4X8 lay out I have now in HO, and all I really have room for in my parents basement is a shelf type area not more than say 18 to 24 inches wide. For maximum room I am thinking of building a street car line on that shelf. Any one else hear ever build a street car line, and can any one give any advice as to a track plan etc, or am I off my rocker and should dedicate the room to a switching area.

[Anonymous]

Hello every one. I am trying to burst out of my 4X8 lay out I have now in HO, and all I really have room for in my parents basement is a shelf type area not more than say 18 to 24 inches wide. For maximum room I am thinking of building a street car line on that shelf. Any one else hear ever build a street car line, and can any one give any advice as to a track plan etc, or am I off my rocker and should dedicate the room to a switching area.

[Anonymous]

You could build a streetcar line that has a switching job that comes out after hours! I built a layout on a 1' x 8' shelf when I was a teenager. my theme was to have a track in the street, and spurs that went behind buildings to industries off the street. I had a run-a-round in the street, and an old roundhouse boxcab modified to run on overhead. It was very cool to see it shoving a boxcar around a tight curve off the street to a little industry along the way. look for a book called "Traction guidebook"

David Wallace

[Anonymous]

You could build a streetcar line that has a switching job that comes out after hours! I built a layout on a 1' x 8' shelf when I was a teenager. my theme was to have a track in the street, and spurs that went behind buildings to industries off the street. I had a run-a-round in the street, and an old roundhouse boxcab modified to run on overhead. It was very cool to see it shoving a boxcar around a tight curve off the street to a little industry along the way. look for a book called "Traction guidebook"

David Wallace

[BR60103]

There are lots of streetcar layouts. Model Railroader does a constuction article on one every 5 years or so.
You should be able to get a streetcar around 9" radius curves, some around 6". (you will have problems getting modern boxcars around these curves.)
You don't have to lay street trackage to begin with -- model a country line or put the track in the open and add the road when you feel up to it. There are variations where you don't need to put up overhead wire, but that takes out some of the fun.
There are some pictures in the forums at www.the-gauge.com

[BR60103]

There are lots of streetcar layouts. Model Railroader does a constuction article on one every 5 years or so.
You should be able to get a streetcar around 9" radius curves, some around 6". (you will have problems getting modern boxcars around these curves.)
You don't have to lay street trackage to begin with -- model a country line or put the track in the open and add the road when you feel up to it. There are variations where you don't need to put up overhead wire, but that takes out some of the fun.
There are some pictures in the forums at www.the-gauge.com