I am in the same boat as most people planning a layout. I am asking myself the question: I don’t have a basement or dedicated room for a layout so where do I put my trains? I am looking at putting shelves around my room that is 15 1/2’ X by 12 1/2 '. Since there is furniture in this room and my computer I am thinking that placing the shelves near the celing just over the top of the doorway would be the easiest way to go. Has anybody tried this? The only problems that I can think of is how to take care of derailments since I am 5’1 and the shelves would be about 7 ’ high and how to get my layout around a window where the curtains are nearly all the way to the ceiling. Anyone have ideas of how to do this or other ideas on a layout that is overhead?
I did exactly that marc, except mine is 2 feet wide. Putting it right above the door does make it kind of a pain to work on, but you learn to handle it. This eliminates the need for a bridge, liftout, or duckunder. There are some problems to solve but i think you have the makings of a great layout. You will need to build a platform on wheels so you can move it around and do switching and such. Happy railroading
How do you guys see your railroad when it is above the door facing? Do you wear stilts? I’ve got the same problem, but I have designed an around-the-walls layout supported by triangular gussets from the wall studs that supports the railroad at about the level of the light switch. The width of the layout will vary from a minimum of about 9" to 18" at the yard. Over the entrance door and closet, I plan to have drop-in sections, otherwise the sections will be permanently mounted to the gussets on the studs of the walls. The elevation is high enough that furniture will easily fit under it, and the width is such that it does not significantly intrude into the room. When you are standing in a room, notice how close you get to the walls. You’ll be surprised that you tend to stay at least 12" - 18" from the walls, but usually quite a bit further. Therefore, the width should not be a problem, and the height makes it possible for adults to view at a “normal” level.
Yes, my scenes won’t be very deep, but at least I’ll get to run my trains. By the way, I plan to build the railroad in sections that can be taken out easily to be worked on in the garage. Minimizes the mess in the train room.
Why not put the layout at about 5 feet off the floor? Yes, you’ll have to have gates or bridges at the door and closets (and maybe the windows if you choose), but the layout will be much easier to work and play with. At that height, the layout will still be above most if not all the furniture in the room, a mirror on a dresser or a tall dresser being the most likely exceptions.
In the G-scale arena, there are several companies that make around-the-wall track systems that are see-through. Most are suspended from the ceiling, but there are also wall-mount systems available. Purchase a copy of Garden Railways magazine and look through the advertisements. One of these systems would probably be wide enough to allow two or three HO-scale mainlines, and you’d still be able to see your trains from floor level.
I am half-way thinking about a variation on this for an upper-level at least. Should mention I am in N scale.
I have seen several large-scale overhead hanging railroads…1 in a restaurant…one up in the air over a 3-foot height HO modular layout at a mall display. I thought they were fine as a novelty to watch a big train running around. I might be real happy with it in G-gauge.
I would think of running it forehead height for an N scale upper level in a train-only room, set back far enough from door to allow opening (or use outward opening or foling door). The up-in-the-sky level would be narrow scene, mostly on-and-on running… something we don’t have enough room for on average layout. Switching only at one or two locations which would require step stool or ladder, like a rolling ladder only a couple steps high but with a railing or two for safety.
Just my idle thoughts…
Thanks everybody for your input. After reading your replies, it sounds like it actually would be easier for me to build a layout along the wall where I can operate and see the trains easily and use a gate/bridge to go around the door. This way I can take advantage of the bare wall by the window and get around the window by putting a shelf below the window instead of finding a way to get over the top of the window that is about 3 inches from the ceiling. I can also put another shelf below it as a storage area for my trains taking care of two problems at once: Where to run my trains and where to store them when not in use.