Hi All,
I have question, I'm thinking if it would be best to build a gate or bridge across my doorway, for a continueous run, I've heard both good and bad about having one, now here's the plan, my door opens inward to the trainroom, would that make a difference, should I go for the reverse loops instead?? which means my layout would be a sort of sophistacated dogbone? thanks for the help,
With an in swinging door, your gate will have to stay opened when you leave the room. You can find information on lift gates, swing gates, lift outs and similar names by scrolling down the right column and to Search our Community and searching there. I think a lift out would be the simplest in your situation. You wouldn't have to have hinges. Just be sure to have your track wired to disconnect power to a section of track each side of the opening, so that no trains can take a dive when it is open.
You don't say how wide your room is, which would make a difference as to whether reverse loops would be a better option or not. A discription of your whole room, windows, doors and other obsticles would help folks make better suggestions.
Good luck,
Richard
You could always reverse the door to open out if that is possible. Just a thought.
-Bob
Life is what happens while you are making other plans!
Hey Richard,
Along with my door opening inward, right of the door is the garage door ( which is concealed) no other windows or other obsticles are in the way, the whole room size is 18ft x 19 ft, hope that helps,
Thanks Pete
Insufficient data!
I have an in-swinging door, and my track plan is a sophisticated dogbone. But I'm working in 1:80 scale and my layout room is a 2-car garage. Also, the door is in one corner, which would have made engineering any kind of across-the-door connection a challenge.
Then, too, I'm working to simulate a specific prototype that is very unlikely to resemble anything you might want - unless you can read Kanji...
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Hi tomikawa,
My scale is Nscale, my room demesions are 19ft x 18 ft , 342 sq ft, the door is located about five feet from the center, I have a garage door that is insulated and will not open, other than that there are no other obsticles.
Thanks for the help,
trainsrme1
Hello Trainsrme1,
You should consider carefully all the pros and cons of each remedy regarding your situation with the entry door to your layout room before lifting the first tool. The simplest way is a lift out section. The second is a swing out gate. But consider that these two options effectively barricade you into the room should something happen while working on the layout / room. Reversing the door to open out while costlier may be the better decision. Another option and a lot of work as well would be a sliding or pocket door.
Just some points to ponder s you plan your ingress and egress.
Good Luck
John R
John R.
Go with the dogbone!!!!!!!! Remember that when you do the loops, if they are disguised (like a mountain or forest) you can go with a smaller radius, whatever the min is for the car lengths you are running. Can save a lot of room. Also returns can be a kind of oval on one side (the visible and round on the other or hidden side. Liftouts and duckunders are a pain, even when they work right!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Is your door a door that goes to the outside? My room has two doors. One is an inside door and the other is an outside door. You can reverse the inside door fairly easily, but no so the outside door.
I also have four lift bridges crossing those two doors. Here is a link to a PDF file with specific details that you need to know about lift bridges.
http://waynes-trains.com/site/LiftBridges/Room%20Access%20Lift%20Bridges.pdf
I hope this information helps.
Elmer.
The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.
(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.