Here is some pictures of the start of my portable layout. I have some track layed and can run 2 trains at a time. It has a siding on the outside loop and a small yard off the inside loop. I am still tryign to decide if I want to lay a small trolly line. I really wish I coudl have a much bigger and perment layout but for now I am having alot of fun doing this. My next sept is to find a way to run all the wireing inside the door. Not too sure how I am going to be able to do this because even thoug the doors are hollow I think there is supports ever foot or so. If that doesnt work I was going to lay a cork roadbed under the track so I will run all the wiring under the cork so it is hidden. I am going to dig out a few of my plasticville buildings and set them up. Maybe a small station and a switch tower. Let me knwo what you think and if you have any suggestions.
I noticed that you are using 027 track. The only thing that I changed on my layout was the Lionel 027 turnouts for the K-line low profile 027 turnouts. This allows you to run longer cars – engines on this track. Also the K-lines do not BUZZ when the trains goes over them or is parked on one. They also can be run from fixed power instead of track power.
Actually none of my switches are powered except the 2 O42 ones. That might change in the near future. I already had these switches sititng in boxes and really dont have the money at the moment to go out and buy powered ones yet.
To deaden sound, slip 1/8" x 1/4" pieces of foam weatherstrip under the ties. (cut same length as ties)
You can convert your two automatic switches to fixed voltage. You have to drill out the rivets to get the switches apart and re-rivet them when finished. Inside there is a conductor that takes power from the center rail. You clip this conductor and solder a feed wire to the side that feeds the switch machine coil.
Thanks for sharing with us Jim. It looks great. You have put a lot into the space you have available. Keep us updated. By the way the partions inside the hollow core doors are cardboard. You can drill thru the edge and the partions if you or a friend have a drill bit of the type used by telephone installers and cable tv guys. It is about 1/4" dia. and varies in length from 3’ to 6’. It even has a hole in the end of the bit to pull a wire back through once the hole is drilled… Tim
They thanks for all the advice. The layout is 2 36" x 80" doors put side to side. When I want to put it aaway i just undo the 2 latches I used and pick up the doors and stand them up in a closet. And yes that is one of the new dockside switchers. It is a sweet running little engine. I also have my post war 665 and my Santa Fe switcher on the layout. But the Santa Fe switcher is up for sale on ebay right now to fund more train stuff.
Accessories are on the way. Frist off I want to lay a cork road bed, run all the wiring either thru the door itself or under the cork so its all hidden, and maybe make a small control panel for the switches and blocks. I might even run a small trolley line to go with my postwar trolley I have. Then I will add some buildings and some roads and secenery. I want to make this layout as portable as possible so I will be very limited on what I can add.
How are you planning to fold it? Are you making the hings in the middle and fold it with the tracks outwards or do you fold it with the track inwards on levelled hinges? You could use magnets or so to get buildings semi fixed on your layout but still be able to take them off when folding the layout. I used that once on a movable layout in h0 scale and it works great. (specially with working models which vibrate themselves a way across the layout when not fixed properly).
Looks great by the way.
I actually decided not to fold it up. It will just be 2 seperat doors. That way I wont need 2 people to move it around. The doors are pretty light but with 2 of them I would need a second person to carry them into another room or down to the garage. I do like the idea of the magnets though. Thank you for the suggetion and I will use them.
Jim, I wouldn’t worry too much about getting the wiring into the door or under the roadbed. The hollow-core doors are solid wood around the edges and in a small area where the doorknob is expected to go, cardboard on edge everywhere else. I would just fasten the wires closely to the bottom. You can get cable ties with molded-in screw holes for that. The extra quarter inch or so will not matter at all on carpet. If you want, you can fasten small blocks of wood or rubber feet to the bottom to create clearance on hard surfaces. Of course, if you attach legs, there is no problem at all.
