Don't make the mistake of building bench work first and then trying to fit track onto it. That usually doesn't go well. Instead design a track plan and the make the bench work to fit it.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
BigDaddy to the forum. Personally I'd make it higher. Mine is at 48. You are younger and more nimble than most of us, but a crawling on your hands knees gets old in a hurry.
to the forum.
Personally I'd make it higher. Mine is at 48.
You are younger and more nimble than most of us, but a crawling on your hands knees gets old in a hurry.
Ya, I wasn't exactly sure how tall to make it. I was thinking 44" because I have my nieces that will come over and want to be able to see it and they are 3-9 years old right now (4 of them!), but being as I am 6 feet tall, I think 48" would probably be a lot easier on my back. I just turned 34 and having to crawl underneath, really isn't too much of a hassle and later on I could always take and change it out to something where I could walk thru, but am still taking suggestions and ideas on the best way for at least the main entrance into the room. Basically I am removing the door and there is only a couple of inches from the door edge to the wall, but I probably only need a 1.5-2 foot path thru.....
cowman Welcome to the forums. Your posts will be moderated for a brief period of time, so you may experience a delay in seeing them.
Welcome to the forums. Your posts will be moderated for a brief period of time, so you may experience a delay in seeing them.
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cowman First, I would consider changing the length of 1 & 2 so that you could put a gate in the opening. There are lift outs (if you have a place to store them), swing gates (which it appears could swing in to the right, but it would be crowded), drop gates that hinge down (but if you plan much scenery it it is in danger of getting knocked off) and my preference a tip up gate. The hinges do have to be on top of the layout for them to work peoperly, but they can ge disguised in several ways. You could also make your gate not as wide as the rest of the benchwork, which would make it lighter and easier to handle.
First, I would consider changing the length of 1 & 2 so that you could put a gate in the opening. There are lift outs (if you have a place to store them), swing gates (which it appears could swing in to the right, but it would be crowded), drop gates that hinge down (but if you plan much scenery it it is in danger of getting knocked off) and my preference a tip up gate. The hinges do have to be on top of the layout for them to work peoperly, but they can ge disguised in several ways. You could also make your gate not as wide as the rest of the benchwork, which would make it lighter and easier to handle.
I was thinking of making the gate a bit narrower than the rest of the layout and have it be more of a corner type piece with just 1-2 tracks running over it, not exactly sure yet. I think the door is in an awkward place (I'm removing the actual door) and wish it was to the left about 12 inches.
cowman I have an NCE set up and like it. Others that have other brands will swear by their brand. The advice I was given was to find out what others in your area have, especially if there is a club, then get that brand so that you cnn participate in group activities and run on other layouts with your controller and they can come to yours.
I have an NCE set up and like it. Others that have other brands will swear by their brand. The advice I was given was to find out what others in your area have, especially if there is a club, then get that brand so that you cnn participate in group activities and run on other layouts with your controller and they can come to yours.
I watched a couple video's on YouTube about NCE and Digitrax, which I think is what most clubs around here are using, and I personally like the NCE one better from what I saw in the video's. I also probably won't be going to any of the local clubs as I'm really new to this. I think the hardest part for me will be the scenery. My dad is making a layout in his garage as well, so we will try and go with the same DCC system in the end.
cowman I would suggest a selector plate for your staging yard, so as not to eat up too much space with switches.
I would suggest a selector plate for your staging yard, so as not to eat up too much space with switches.
I just looked that up and it seems like a really good idea. Then I can have one track going thru the wall and have way more space available for the staging yard instead of a bunch of switches.
ROCK MILW You might check out the Montreal Harbour Ry. in the MRR Track Plan Database. The dimensions are similar to your room.
You might check out the Montreal Harbour Ry. in the MRR Track Plan Database. The dimensions are similar to your room.
Thank you for the suggestion. I had a look at that plan and it is similar in size to my current room. I could actually make that plan a foot wider, but then the only problem I have is the walk in closet at the bottom right. It does give me some good ideas though, thank you.
Right now I have 6 feet of space in the middle of the layout, but I could probably easily get away with reducing that to 4 feet I'm guessing?
Personally I'd make it higher. The chart is 2 different threads on layout height. I made some arbitrary judgements. If someone said their layout was 50 - 52" I entered that a s 51". If they said there were levels at 42 and 55, I entered both.
Mine is at 48.
You are younger and more nimble than most of us, but a crawling on your hands knees gets old in a hurry. I would have a swing down or lift out section. There are a couple videos in the MRVP subscription service which show how to do that so that power is cut off before and engine falls in the abyss (if the gate is lowered) and the rail to rail connection lines up correctly.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
I have an NCE set up and like it. Others that have other brands will swear by their brand. The advice I was given was to find out what others in your area have, especially if there is a club, then get that brand so that you cnn participate in group activities and run on other layouts with your controller and they can come to yours. Also, if you have questions you have a group of people close by that are familiar with the setup.
Good luck,
Richard
Hello from Stony Plain, Alberta everyone! New to the forum and to the hobby. I have been interested in trains ever since I was a kid. At one point growing up we did live by the main CP Rail tracks going thru Athalmer, BC. We would always go walking along the tracks, finding spikes and stuff. I really wished I would of kept them. The trains that would go thru the area are generally coal trains. Watched the trains change thruout the years. I grew up in the 90's and watched as they changed locomotive type, how they distributed the power thru the train, how the coal cars changed, the disappearance of the caboose. I personally love the CP Rail Multimark paint scheme. I am going to be starting my own model layout in HO scale. I have moved a whole bunch of stuff to make room for it. I have attached an image to scale of basically the type of layout I will be creating. I still need to figure out the best way to do the entrance into the room, any suggestions would be awesome. I want to eventually get at least one of each type of rail car (not passenger). I will probably be going the NCE DCC route as I was watching a couple video's and I think I prefer it over the Digitrax.
On one part of the layout I want to have an area where they can load LPG cars, one area that grain cars are loaded, and one area that is more industrail (think box cars and gondola's).
I have been watching a few video's on YouTube about how to make scenery.
I work at a lumber yard, so have easy access to lumber. The frames I am making out of 2x4's (cheaper than 1x4) and then I will have 1x4 for the cross members and then 1x3/1x2 T legs and then I will top it with 1.5 inch rigid foam. I am going to make the benches probably 44" tall as I am 6 feet tall. I will eventually be cutting a tunnel thru into the closet with a 32" wide by 5 foot long stagging yard.