How Close to the Edge?

[rrinker]

 Back on topic - the thing about runnign the cloose too the edge, particularly with team, is it only takes one tiny screw to back out to vault the thing right to the floor when a rod jams into the ballast. Running slow won't save you, unless it's the trailing end of the rod that falls off. 

 I've been lucky - only thing I ever had go off the tracka nd actually hit the floor went off the unfinished end, no off the side, and it was a couple of Kato covered hoppers - they just got turned back into a kit, nothing actually broke. Anyone who's built those will know what I mean.

                                       --Randy

 

[rrinker]

carl425

 

 

rrinker

Down by a river?

Down at the end, right by a corner? 

 

 

 

Do you mean "Down at the end, round by the corner" 

 

 I thought that's what I typed - do you know how hard it is to type the lyrics for one song while listening to something else?           

                                             --Randy

[rrinker]

doctorwayne

 

 

rrinker

What, no Yes fans here?

 

 

Not here, anyway....I never really cared for their music.  It always struck me as being too light for my tastes.

Wayne

 

 Too light? Oh, a Rush fan then - well, that's my second favorite.

Try  Machine Messiah (I know, sacrilege, no Jon!) or Gates. Definitely not light.

                              --Randy

 

[doctorwayne]

rrinker

What, no Yes fans here?

Not here, anyway....I never really cared for their music.  It always struck me as being too light for my tastes.

Wayne

[carl425]

rrinker

Down by a river?

Down at the end, right by a corner? 

Do you mean "Down at the end, round by the corner" 

[doctorwayne]

cuyama

doctorwayne

Unless you're running trains at slot car speeds, why waste layout space?

 

Because not everyone has your track-laying expertise – and many people have oversized visitors and operators in the aisles. 

Why take the chance?

 

I don't really consider it to be "taking a chance".  I doubt that my "track-laying expertise" exceeds that of the average modeller, but I am generally the only train operator and am usually rather careful.

I have mostly generous aisles, although there are a couple which might hinder some folks with larger builds.  If I were expecting such visitors, trains would be removed from at least the sidings shown in those photos. 
The only really precarious areas are around the peninsula (photos 2 to 6) and when operating there, I'm always walking alongside the moving train.

I do "get" the practice of not laying track too close to the edge, but my interest when building the layout was more for having as large a radius as possible, without even thinking about set-backs from the edge.

 

The only hit-the-floor issue with this layout was when I was doing some switching while standing in the aisle area beyond the peninsula, with most of the rest of the layout not really in sight.  I could swear that I heard something else running, but several checks around the layout revealed nothing to be where it wasn't previously.

Once the switching in that town was completed, I recoupled the locomotive to its train, and set-off to the next town along the line.  

The train hadn't gone too far when I heard the unmistakeable sound of something hitting the concrete floor.

The coal train, shown in the photo below, powered by two Bachmann Consolidations, and with 12 hoppers loaded with loose "coal" (Black Beauty blasting medium) was apparently on a track which some not-to-be-named-idiot had neglected to kill the power....

 

While I was switching that town on the other side of the room, the coal train was moving back and forth on its siding, in unison with the locomotive I was using.  However, when my train left that town, the coal train was then attempting to leave its staging track and enter the layout proper on the other side of the aisle.  Unfortunately, the lift-out at the room's entryway was not in place.

 

The lead locomotive dropped about 3' and hit the floor head-on, breaking-off the Kadee coupler on the pilot and the drawbar mounting post on the tender.  The tender's load of loose "coal" was all over the place.
The second loco was hanging, nose down, with three of its driver sets over the abyss, prevented from following its sister locomotive to the floor by the sheer weight of the trailing train.

 

Surprisingly, there was little other damage to the locomotive, and it was quickly back in service.  Here she is, coming out of the shop after repairs....

 

 

Crews dubbed her "the lucky 26", with apparently no qualms about working in her cab.  However, about two years later, this loco began to have issues with loss of proper gear mesh.  A tear-down revealed a broken screw-mounting post inside the boiler casting, allowing the interior weight, which encloses the motor, to rise, taking the gears out-of mesh.
I'm pretty certain that this was caused by the kiss-the-floor mishap, and it became an issue only after more use in the demanding role of moving coal trains. The repair was, however, quick and easy, and the loco is trouble free again.

 

Wayne

[selector]

I lost an IHC 2-8-2 once trialing newly laid track supported on spline roadbed.  No scenery. Ya pays yer money an' ya takes yer chances, sonny.

You can safely move right up to table's edge, but you should have something to prevent the more costly items, or rare, from meeting an untimely end.  Plexiglass seems sensible. A picket fence could even do the trick if you don't mind cuffs, buttons, elbows, and other items snagging them or knocking them askew all the time.  I prefer a modest hedgerow of ground foam bushes or something that, once I have done trials, I know will do the job.  That is, I like scenery to extend naturally outwards of the tracks so that they look like they belong in a real setting. If a couple of trees, or shrubs, can catch a tumbling locomotive against them, great.

[BATMAN]

It's been 12 years, haven't lost one yet.

This is the worst I have had caused by my sister waving her hands around, pretending she knew what she was talking about when we had family from England visiting. I gave her a pass though because she usually gives me about $500.00 a year in gift certificates for PWRS because I am the best brother in the world.

[railandsail]

You are a brave soul Wayne,....ha..ha

[cuyama]

doctorwayne

Unless you're running trains at slot car speeds, why waste layout space?

Because not everyone has your track-laying expertise – and many people have oversized visitors and operators in the aisles. 

Why take the chance?

[doctorwayne]

kenben

So I canʻt seem to find any minimum measurement (distance) from track enter to edge of layout in HO scale. Is 3" min standard? Can 2" work with out problems?

 

Unless you're running trains at slot car speeds, why waste layout space?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wayne

[BRAKIE]

On my ISLs I keep the track one car from the edge so,if I knock one over it will hit the layout and not "the big catch all"--the floor.

 

[cowman]

My 4x6 has one spot thet is at the edge and on a curve.  I do as Kevin does and have aremoveable plexiglas fence all around the layout.  It is virtually invisible and saves trains from taking a dive whether by derailment, clothing or tiny fingers.

Good luck,

Richard

[rrinker]

Down by a river?

Down at the end, right by a corner?

 

 

 What, no Yes fans here?

 

                             --Randy

 

[SeeYou190]

I have always allowed my track to go right to the edge of the layout in spots. 

.

I use removable plexiglass panels for safety. 

.

-Kevin

.

[cuyama]

I try to keep at least 3" from track center to the edge of the benchwork in my designs, more when possible. Much less than 3" and I suggest some sort of a guard ... not only to keep derailed trains from taking the big plunge to the floor, but also to reduce the hazards of loose clothing (and overhanging bellies) from the aisle.

Many published speculative plans unfortunately shortchange this safety distance to cram in more track. They also often don't provide enough track-to-track clearance in curves, but that's another topic.

Allowing the benchwork to curve in and out as needed often helps secure some breathing room from the benchwork edge – look beyond the rectangle!

Byron

[saronaterry]

2" inches is ok. I have spots that are that close, but I build up scenery at a slope, or have installed a tree line between the track and the abyss.

Just in case.

Terry

[kenben]

So I canʻt seem to find any minimum measurement (distance) from track enter to edge of layout in HO scale. Is 3" min standard? Can 2" work with out problems?