Space for Trains

[Anonymous]

Ok, I am sure the majority of us here live in houses or own a house in which to set up your permanent layouts. What part of the house do you set up your layouts in? I know the basements and garages are most common.

Unfortunately, alot of us dont have a house and live in either live in apartments or duplex like myself, so Im not able to set up a permanent layout. My living room has adaquate space to set up a modest layout, though its pretty much impossible to do any scenery. I can pretty much work on setting up track running around the livingroom area and dining area...doesnt seem like much but at least its something.

How about you guys?

[darianj]

I'm setting mine up in my basement. Presently, there is a lot of stuff stored down there and I had to do a lot of cleaning out. At this point, it still looks messy. Nothing like some of these other guys have...nicely painted, dedicated room with space to display the whole collection. But I have space for a 6 x 10 layout.

I think I did something a little unique though. I did set the table up on wheels which allows me to easily move it from one area to another just in case I have have to move it temporarily.

[Roger Bielen]

I have a metal building, barn, that I use as a second garage and for storage. Initially, I was partitioning off a 1/3 of it for a shop for my Dad when he was with us, but when he decided to move to FL to my sister's the Mrs. suggested I get the trains out of the TV room and use the "shop" for a train room.

The space I have is 15' X 30' of which the layout covers about 15' X 26' including aisles. To address security concerns I installed an alarm system. I also have a motel type, through the wall, heat pump and a portable dehumidifier.

[Birds]

Basement. First time in many years.

For small layouts, the website below (recommended by someone else on the forum a while ago) has some great plans that will fit on a door (or two or three) and slide under a bed.

http://www.thortrains.net/marx/drlaydex.html

One uses short trains, but lots of running options.

[thor]

Living room floor, have to wait for a day when everyone's out - like yesterday - then the kid and I get a few hours to set up the empire and play with it. I'm thinking of fitting a ceiling mounted 8x4 above the bed. The garden is the ultimate plan though.

[Anonymous]

I chose to build in our den, keeping in mind that I didn't want to take up valuable living space. So, roadbed is close to 7' high, built above the windows, running the perimeter of the 12' X 15' room. I mounted the 8" wide roadbed on a ledge made of cove molding and plywood. If for some reason the layout needs to be removed the room will be left with a plate rail...a bit of added architectual detail. One wall has wall mounted cabinets that serve as support for a 2' wide yard area roadbed above. Between 2 cabinets is mounted a roll out control panel that also houses a ZW with room for another transformer if needed. I operate the layout while standing on a 2 step aluminum painters ladder...my head only a few inches from the ceiling.
As is common with most first attempts, I've had second thoughts about certain design aspects. I plan on modifying the yard area depth to make it shallower...allowing for easier access to corners and such. In doing so I also plan on expanding into a hallway entrance to the den. This extra real estate will allow me to add a reverse loop, a wye and a few sidings, giving me added operational interest. For now, the 2 loops up and running have been enough to hold my interest for the last 6 months. As evidence, I've been spending way too much time running and not enough building.

Bruce Webster

[Anonymous]

I just started and set up in the dining room. the wife isn't thrilled but she enjoys it. the family room is where it will go permanantly. I am designing a "Murphy Bed " type board that will pull down from the wall. It will be about 7 x10 and a foot deep when folded up. when folded up will just look like kitchen cabinets. I will post pics when it is done.[:)]
John

[Anonymous]

Just an idea I've done in the cellar. I've built the table top 4' high off the floor and put braces and scrap wood for shelving on the bottom(floor). I've got pop-ups and little strategic aisles for access. This storage space is a lot more than I thought. Because of this ,I freed up more space for trains and made storage space. Kinda like a 2 story cellar!! Don't be afraid to chuck stuff. If you don't use it, lose it!

[Sturgeon-Phish]

With both kids with places of their own, my gracious wife allowed me to convert a bedroom into a trainroom/bedroom. I made the table just high enough to allow a bed with pillows roll under the top and braces. Works fine and the layout is 5'9" x 9'6" and I have space for a 4' X4' table to work on trains. I love my wife!
Jim

[laz 57]

Basement.
laz57

[cnw1995]

I am fortunate to have my layout up on a raised crawlspace that takes up half the basement - it's full of rocks and roughly graded but pretty permanent benchwork - made of concrete! I gradually cleared off the stuff stored on it over the years then put down 8 4x8 pieces of foam board and was off and running - starting with a train set oval.

I'm of the opinion there's always some space for some sort of layout. Before the basement layout, I had only a 3 x 5 ft. layout board I put on a pair of folding table legs and stored behind the couch. i would slide it out - pull down the legs, and place the accessories, buildings and trees on it, wire in the transformer and it worked.

[Buckeye Riveter]

The finished room over the garage.

[Anonymous]

I have half a two car garage for my layout (which means my car sits in the driveway). Not ideal but better than nothing.

[pbjwilson]

I had pretty much given up on a permanent layout when I came up with this idea. It was when I was cleaning up the basement around Christmas that I discovered the space.

Exsisting cabinets - covered with carpet and layed track


Made a big curve around a pole and into the next room where the track is supported by a 10" shelf on standards. At the end of this straight is a curve that goes through a hole in the wall -


And back out through this tunnel

[IronHoarse]

I have a 11' x 26' room off the back of my garage. It serves as my work shop and hobby room. 17' x 5' of the room is taken up by my layout.

[More to restore]

We have turned the attic into a hobby room with a spare double bed for guests. Over this bed hangs a folding table of 3x2,5 meter (10x 8ft) which I bring down to play whenever there are no guests.
It is a bit heavy and I does not allow any buildings / structures to be present permanently, but it works in this house.

[c50truck]

Empty nester here, taking over one of the girls rooms. Hope she doesn't need it back.[:D]

[Dave Farquhar]

Some years back CTT published an article that talked about building a portable 4x5 AF layout. He made a removable mountain (pegs held it in place, I think) and the layout could slide under a bed or couch. With AF track being roughly the diameter of O42, all you could do was a simple oval with one pair of switches, but with O27 you could do a couple of interesting things in 4x5. I think you could even do a double-reverse in that space, barely.

[Anonymous]

Since we live in a 117 year-old "Victorian", our "basement" is really a cellar, with low overhead pipes. The low attic is an iferno in the summer, and Siberia in winter. We did not want to give up an entire bedroom. So, a 5x8 "O" in my bedroom, a 2x4 "N" in the computer room, a 4x6 "S" in the cellar, and "G" in the yard. They are all very portable, since we will probably move to a smaller place one of these days, being we are in our mid-60's, and the 5 kids have married and moved. Joe

[Anonymous]

Like Buckeye, I have a finished room over the garage 12' x 45' UNFORTUNATELY, I only get to use half of it about 12 x 22. The other half is my wife's sewing area, and computer area. Yes I can run trains with the Cab 1 while reading/posting the forum. Am I a lucky guy or what????................Tim

[otftch]

I purchased a pre-built Handi-house (10 X 12) and insulated it and added Luan walls.Added an a/c unit and I was ready to go. My mistake was that I figured room for the trains and me to run them. Its an adventure to show the layout.Two will fit,more and we need to take shifts.
Ed