Hello, I want to put a O gauge train track around the walls of my game room, my question is has anyone done this recently and would you use 027 or 036 fastrack in the corners, or does this depend on the size of my corner shelf ? Also, I’m planning on using a 5.5 inch board to lay the track on is this a good width or would narrower be better ? The train is a 284 Berkshire Rio Grande
Let’s start with the original premise. I’m assuming you are putting the shelf above the doors to avoid crossing them. That means the shelf is at least 84" off the floor to allow a couple of inches for shelf supports above the door trim. Think about what that means for a minute.
It means you have to look up to even see the train. It means if the shelf is too wide, the train cannot be seen because the shelf edge interferes with the viewing angle. It means there is no such thing as a close-up view. It means you will need a ladder to put the thing up, rerail trains, clean the track, and attend to any other chores. It means you will want the wiring on top of the shelf, and behind the track.
The height also means your trains will not likely survive a gravity testing derailment without serious damage. Which means you will want the shelf wide enough so that most derailments do not result in a floor dive. You are going to encounter a trade-off between visibility and train protection for the shelf width unless you install another method to make sure the trains don’t come crashing down.
In light of the risks to your train, I would use larger radius curves if at all possible to aid in derailment reduction. For this reason alone, I would recommend the 036 or 042 track instead of 027. The 027 is a setup for derailments on the curves if the train speed is turned up too high. Lionel and K-Line 042 track comes in 027 style and is fully