Maybe it's just me, but I look out my attic window and think to myself that I could build a real nice bridge right into my neighbor's attic. Now I'm not going to try to talk my neighbor (who I never really talk to anyway) into an expensive and time consuming hobby, but I found it to be a pretty neat thought experiment anyway. What I'm wondering now is whether or not anyone has ever actually done this before? I've never heard of anyone doing anything like that, but the world's a big place, and I can't be the only knucklehead that ever thought of it, right?
Model railroading between houses: Has it been done?
- Thread starter nekom
- Start date
tcwright973
Member
I remember reading an article on one of the forums about two neighbors who ran trains from one basement to another using an underground plastic pipe. At least I think it was on one of the forums. Sounded like a neat idea especially if your interested in operations.
Tom
Tom
IronBeltKen
Lazy Daydreamer
Seems like a neat idea, as long as everything is well-tuned and operating flawlessly. But I'd hate to face the situation of a train being stalled or derailed deep inside one of those underground pipes...!
4Starcstms
Member
I think it would be a great thing. Maybe even if it was just between say a basement and a garage or something. I dont think I'd trust my neighbor enough
Boy, ballasting the track between the two attics would sure be a lot of fun, not to mention the guy who had to crawl out there with a Brite Boy every so often.
Yeah, it would pose a lot of logistical problems, but I think they could be overcame. Maybe when I get old, I'll found a retirement community for model railroaders and have a `mainline' that goes through all of the houses, and everyone would of course also have their own branches. Think big, right?
J.R.-K.C.N.-Hogger
Member
I to have read where two nieghbors ran trains between house's, it was quite a few years back, and they used O scale, seams like it was far back enough that it was outside third rail, an old practice that was used to power locos in the 40s-50s, don't remember much about the artical, but allways thought it was cool!!! JR
Cjcrescent
Master Mechanic
No, you're not.
We have 2 MRs here who actually discussed this very project, and since one was an architect, even designed the underground system to connect the layouts, extra signal circuits to monitor progress, including "access hatches", (Tee's every 2-3') for rescuing equipment. This was all going to go into 8-10" PVC sewer pipe to allow for double track, and all the wiring associated with a DC signal system. IIRC each monitored "block" was only going to be ~6' long and would light a red signal on a panel in each house. Also each car was going to have to have resistors mounted either in them or on the axles so if that car derailed the panel signals would stay lit, and not go out , indicating the location of the derailment.
Trouble is though, First, the houses are so far apart, ~80' that a train running at 60 SMPH, would have taken almost 20 minutes just to make the trip. Thats a long time to be out of sight. Second, the houses are at such a difference in height ~20ft, (could be more!), the grade would still have been about 4%. Three, one house's low side, faced the other's high side. The "low ended" house would need a trench dug almost 8' down for the pipe to enter at the layout's level, while the "high ended" house would have the pipe entering at about 4' above ground. Fourth; the resistors alone were going to be expensive as one guy has over 2000 cars and the other has about 1000. Needless to say, the project was abandoned.
Still its fun to think about.
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Larry
Long Winded Old Fart
When I worked in W.Virginia in 1988 as an outside salesman there was a man that lived on the side of a mountain that had 3 diff. level of homes that he had built over a 35 yr. period. He didn't have any neighbors, but the engineering he had accomplished to go from 8ft. down to the next structure was amazing. The Helix's seemed to go on forever & it would take a long train almost an hour to go from a starting point to an ending point.(same spot).
So, anything is possible if you have the money & the time & the friends that you need to accomplish the feat.
Years ago there was a hobby shop in Miami, Fl. that had a bridge made out of stainless steel that spanned a 35ft. space in his store. It was a 2 track bridge that had to go above his receiving doors in the warehouse.
Larry
So, anything is possible if you have the money & the time & the friends that you need to accomplish the feat.
Years ago there was a hobby shop in Miami, Fl. that had a bridge made out of stainless steel that spanned a 35ft. space in his store. It was a 2 track bridge that had to go above his receiving doors in the warehouse.
Larry
not to mention the guy who had to crawl out there with a Brite Boy every so often.
That's what John Allen style track cleaning cars are for. Noooo problemo!
Jim
I once read an article in Model Railroader where the fellow had considered (but not actually built) a section of track in a pipe about 20 feet long. It was going to be the tail track for a wye in the corner of the basement.
His answer to the track problem was to have a board that the track was mounted on, and it would simply slide into the pipe, and then slide out if you ever needed to work on it or retrieve a derailed car etc.
Not sure how practical it would be, but it's a possibility.
As somebody else noted, if you live in one of the new housing developments, all you need is a 10 foot long pipe and a couple of sections of flextrack. I can't believe how close together they build them these days.
His answer to the track problem was to have a board that the track was mounted on, and it would simply slide into the pipe, and then slide out if you ever needed to work on it or retrieve a derailed car etc.
Not sure how practical it would be, but it's a possibility.
As somebody else noted, if you live in one of the new housing developments, all you need is a 10 foot long pipe and a couple of sections of flextrack. I can't believe how close together they build them these days.
