I am building a large model railroad. It’s measurements are 20X40, around the walls of my train room with dogbone ends. This layout will have 3-foot wide shelves and 6X6 dogbone ends. My goal is to make the layout as realistic as I can, given the antique materials I have to work with. I understand that Model Railroader magazine does not feature the gauge I am working in, but I think it should make some room for it. As far as model railroading is concerned, it’s all good and a good idea on layout building is a good idea, regardless of gauge. Perhaps my build will be an inspiration. [soapbox] Here is a link to my blog, with pics and details:
While Model Railroader doesn’t cover American Flyer or S hi rail, they do cover S scale - both standard and narrow gauge. Since it’s a minority scale they don’t have a lot of S scale specific articles, but many of the articles are as applicable to S as to other scales. For American Flyer and S hirail articles, see Classic Toy Trains magazine.
Regardless of scale, I hope your plan is not up against a wall (walls). Most people are fully extended with a 30" reach, I personally prefer 24". Obviously your 72" turnback loops will need access on 2 or 3 sides, or via an access hatch.
I am HO, and understand bigger scales need bigger spaces. Just make sure you can get to it all.
Agree that the 36 inch shelf width is too far for convenient reach-in access. My absolute limit is just under 30 inches at belt-buckle height, and there had better not be anything fragile close to the near edge of the benchwork. I would suggest that you test your own reach at your planned layout height and build accordingly.
Of course, if you build everything from 18 inches back in the form of lift-out modules, all bets are off.
For the other posters here, ‘larger scale’ could be On30, scale O, Q* or any of the G-gauge scales, not just Lionel or Flyer…
*Q is either 1:48 on 1 3/16 inch gauge, or 1:45 on 1.25 inch gauge.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - in 1:80 scale, aka HOj)
onebiglizard & tomikawaTT: Thanks for your suggestions and concerns. Truth is, the whole perimeter layout IS up against the walls, except for three sides of the dogbone (turnaround) ends. The shelves are 36" wide, which is what I have determined is the minimum space needed to do what I want to do in the gauge I’m doing it. However, I have worked into the plans at least a 6" space behind the rearmost track for scenery. That puts the rearmost track at a max of 30" from the fascia. The only problem I anticipate is that I’ll have to be careful how high I elevate that rear track so that I can still access it easily (although in hand-laying it, I may have to use a step-stool). I also have left a good 6" from the front track to the sculpted (when completed) front fascia. The back-most scenery may be a bit of a challange for me to build, but once it’s done, it’s done. I may use foam to carve out rocks, etc. on my workbench and fix it in place back there once it’s painted and covered. I could also use wads of black polyfil covered with foams to represent massive foliage-covered areas; trees could work the same way. I anticipate that there will be places where I’ll just let the clouds show through or simply paint a backdrop, so I’ll have to work it all out as I go. At any rate, this track plan and benchwork represents a quantum leap in accessibility from my old layout where I had to either pop up or crawl over elevated track to reach areas. I’m glad that monstrosity is down. This build should be a relative piece of cake to access all areas. [:-,]
I don’t see 36" wide bench work being a problem as your bench work looks kind of low to the floor. I personally regardless of scale wold have it no less then 48" off the floor. Model trains regardless of scale look more realistic when viewed at eye level as opposed to looking down or a birds eye view. Your structures and scenery will look more realistic as well. As far as reaching the back of the bench work at 36" wide yes of course 24" is better but 36" is still assessable Tony Koester has small platform throughout various spots of his NKP extension for this exact reason. I plan on adding them as I get closer to finishing the railroad and simply have them on hinges so when now needed they can be folded up and out of the way.
If you plan on using anything other then clownish in your back drops such as photo backdrops for example I strongly suggest you put them in place before you go any farther. I am building a two wall yard section to my layout which i hadn’t planned on earlier which is no big deal easy to access etc. but the problem I am encountering is the track exiting the yard which has to go behind the only finished part of the layout so this should prove to be a challenge, I am planning on saving my back with Mircromark’s top side creeper.
One question you mentioned in your blog about ripping 12 sheets of Homasote I am assuming this is going to be your layout base are you planning on putting plywood under the Homasote or straight on top of the bench work?
Keep us posted on the progress it will be nice to see something different
Allegheny2-6-6-6: Thanks for your observations and insights. I appreciate it. I ripped down the homosote yesterday to 2" wide strips. They will be for face-gluing a spline to lay the track on. I don’t know if I’ll have enough, so I’ll use the strips for the curved sections first, since they bend well enough. I figure that if I have to, I can rip down plywood for straight runs. My layout will be hollow, so there will be scenery above, even and below track level. I’ll use a variety of techniques that have been discussed on this and other forums as well as whatever I can invent. I’ll earnestly try to make all of my scenery to scale as best as my ability allows and will keep my blog updated with pics and details as I go along. Since I’ll be using a large-gauge out-of-scale track and train system, I’ll refrain from posting anything specifically about that directly on this forum. Otherwise, you can follow my progress at: http://timmysamericanflyertrains.blogspot.com/
I ripped down the homosote yesterday to 2" wide strips. They will be for face-gluing a spline to lay the track on.
I have to ask are you planning on standing the Homasote on end such as Allen McCelland did on the V& O? I used spline subroadbed on the main part of the new layout but used the method used by Howard Zane and others ripping the pieces about 3-1/2" to 4" wide and cutting kerfs every 1/4" or so to get it to bend.
Allegheny2-6-6-6 : Yes, I am planning on standing it up on end. In fact, I have just completed the first curved section and an very pleased with the result. I think it looks good and is extremely solid. The homosote bends well and makes a gracefully flowing curve. I have it all clamped up and am waiting for the exterior-grade glue to dry. I re-inforced it with long screws in the sides. I may go with a through-bolt here and there as well. The first curve was a little difficult to get started, but now I can see a quicker way to do it and am anticipating it to go a lot easier. My quicker way will be to put in an upright pillar at the critical points and bend as I laminate, securing it to those points. I can fill in the other support pillars later, tweaking elevation as needed. I hope to have some pics before the week-end. The other way you described sounds doable, but for the larger gauge I am using, I decided to go “Full Monty” with it up on end, for the added support for heavy locos and to stand the stress of me hand-spiking rails, etc. I have enough to do all my curves that way. If needed, I’ll rip 1/2" plywood straights and face-glue two of them together for added strength. I have no immediate shortage of 1/2" plywood.
I saw on a video where Rick Rideout of Rix’s products used but along the lines of what your talking about he used a long finishing nail as the point which he bent the Homasote and clamped it with spring clamps to hold it in place and then did the same with the second and third pieces gluing and clamping as he moved along.I can see where this method has some advantage over the way I did mine but I’m please with the end results.
Please elaborate on that statement a little bit more. Realistic in what regard? On can have very realistic operations on a sheet of plywood. At the other end of the spectrum one can have very realistic looking scenery on a loop of track. I am also interested in what antique materials you are dealing with?
Model Railroader does not limit its articles to any specific gauge. It is limited by what people submit. On the other hand it does generally limit content to scale model railroads since they introduced a whole nother magazine for the high rail and toy train stuff a couple decades ago (I actually had some input on that - got the letter sitting around here somewhere).
Allegheny2-6-6-6: Thanks for the tip on bending and gluing up the homosote strips! I use every clamp I have in the house. I started on the most difficult section first, figuring that if I conquer it, then the rest will be relatively easy. I found that it is helpful to pre-bend the homosote and let it adjust for a few hours before doing the actual glue-up. It’s going well. I just have to cool my jets and let the glue set up fully before continuing.
Texas Zepher: I’m happy to clarify. I meant realistic in terms of how the scenery looks. There won’t be anything realisitc about the track and train system - which are antique. The track and train system I’ll be using does not fit into this forum and so I really don’t want to eleborate on that on-list. However: the benchwork, roadbed and scenery are topics of interest where I feel that ideas can be shared freely here. Hopefully, in those categories, I’ll be able to share some experiences and give about as much as I get. But once the spline roadbed is contructed and I am ready to lay down track, I’ll probably stop posting to this forum until such time as I start on the scenery. We can dialog off-list on the other stuff if you like.
GUYS: It’s “Clamps Gone Wild OR Habius Clampus”. I wasn’t gonna show this part, but I know guys like to see what guys like to see. You may want to have a couple cold ones before you see these uncensored pics of my work-in-progress. I have posted some pics and details on my blog at:
The upper elevation loop on one dogbone end is completed and cleaned up. The top may need flattened a little before I lay track down. Next up will be the lower elevation loop on the same dogbone end. It’s a broader diameter curve and is going to present some scenic challenges when I get that far.
Yes when you get that far I highly recommend extruded foam for elevated areas. I have found foam so much easier to work with than the old plaster over a frame. I am able to produce scenery that looks just as good in a fraction of the time. The only thing I use plaster for anymore is certain rock molds that I put on top of the foam.