My Layout ...


Patrick

Alien Attitude.
Here's my start.

It was drawn on a 1/2" = 1 foot scale.

The link point between the 2 loops are 4 Atlas switches (not the quick turn ones) with about a 16" piece of Flex Track on the outer loop.

Along the walkway, I have a rise on the outer loop leading to a lift bridge. The dots in between the 2 loops are for future expansion, rail yards, etc. The outer loop is centered 3" off the outer edge and as you look at it, I stretched a 1/4" 3.25" wide board to soften the curve on the left side of the layout. I do know I want to run separate trains on the 2 loops which should be far enough apart at the junction to allow this. I'll be running DC until such time as I can afford to start get a digital setup at a later date.
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Yes there are cabinets above the layout. I have 8" of clearance between the track and the underside. A former owner had a bar area in the basement. I have grandkids...lol

The outer loop curves are 28" radius, I am initially thinking of using 22" radius on the inner loop, which the Longer passenger cars don't like but can use if I run them slowly.
 
Looks like a great start. That bridge is going to look phenomenal! Who makes it?

I'm not sure, but I'll try to find some identification on it. It was part of a layout I bought about 7 years ago at an estate sale that I ultimately dismantled. It is going to be mounted on a lift platform as my lift bridge, otherwise it is too tall for my layout.
 
I'm not sure, but I'll try to find some identification on it. It was part of a layout I bought about 7 years ago at an estate sale that I ultimately dismantled. It is going to be mounted on a lift platform as my lift bridge, otherwise it is too tall for my layout.

Great Thanks. That was the first thing that stood out. It will make great focal point, and conversation piece!
 
I've been trying to figure out for a number of years how to use it. The downside of tearing apart another's labor of love.

About 8 years ago, I tripped upon an estate sale where the guy was a MRR buff. I bought the large layout for IIRC $175 and had to tear it down. I have many of the old buildings and track left, but sold several items to other members here. I actually have no money in the stuff I have remaining, but have still much of it in storage boxes. Some of it I don't think I'll ever use. I wasn't able to buy any of the rolling stock as that was gone before i got to the sale (or wasn't included).
 
Yes. It will be attached to the lift up that allows me to not have to duck under. I have bad knees to the point one has been replaced. First time when I was 47 and the 2nd time when I was 49. I broke the replacement before the first year because I did what I was told not to do.

I also have a timber bridge that the previous owner had, but I won't have the height in my layout to use it. It stands 9" tall and is about 2' in length.

I did complete the track risers yesterday, so I can complete the cork roadbed of the outer loop and start my lift off over the walkway.

2 questions arise from the track laying:

Looking at the photos of the layout you guys post, do you paint the track before you lay it or afterward? (ties, rail sides, etc.)
How do you fasten the track to the cork roadbed?

I know in the painting the rail, the tops need to remain unpainted. I also have a couple of packages of rail tacks from when I traded my Lionel trains to a railroad hobby shop for H0 (yes I regret doing it 25+ years later, but didn't and don't have space for trains that big). I'm not sure the rail tacks will hold in the cork on top of pink foam table top.
 
Looking at the photos of the layout you guys post, do you paint the track before you lay it or afterward? (ties, rail sides, etc.)
How do you fasten the track to the cork roadbed?

Patrick: I paint the track and road bed using Light Earth from a spray can after I've checked the track, soldered any feeders and everything works like I expected. I used Atlas track nails to fasten the track to the cork and into the sub-roadbed. In many cases after I ballasted the track and the track is secured by the ballast cement, I remove the track nails.

The spray paint covers the rails, the rail sides and ties without much effort. Wipe the tops of the rails as soon as possible to remove all paint.

I haven't found the need to weathered the sides of the rails.

Greg
 
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Thanks for the tip. I'm using T pins to hold stuff down while the glue dries at this point. I am trying to use as much flex (code 100) as I can. I bought a box a bunch of years ago, along with what I took off the estate sale layout, that I have plenty.

I never got far enough along before I had to box up my layout to move and leave stored for so long.
 
Patrick: I used flat head nails to secure my cork roadbed to the sun-roadbed which eliminates the need to wait for any adhesive to cure. The nails are security driven into the plywood sub-roadbed.

Greg
 
Patrick, pretty much like Greg. I use white glue to fasten the cork roadbed to the plywood and use Atlas track nails to fasten track to the cork. They reach through and are slightly embedded in the plywood. I paint the track, ties and roadbed with the same light earth colored rattle cans and immediately wipe off the tops. If I miss a spot, a Bright Boy can take care of it. I'll also randomly paint some ties with several other shades of brown and gray to simulate those that have been replaced. I wait and test track for several weeks/months before ballasting. Nails could be removed then, but they aren't really visible and I just leave them.
 
Patrick - since most answers back to you were using track nails into a plywood base, if I were in your shoes I would use some sort of mastic to glue the track to the cork. Depending on your want to be able to salvage the track would depend on what type of "stickum" to use - panel adhesive, silicone, caulk, whatever. Use pins or weights to hold in place while drying overnight should do the trick.
Hope this helps.
 
I have 2" of the pink foam over the entirety of my layout (makes for digging out creeks and such easier). I think a little Elmer's glue all maybe thinned a little with water will do.. Do you paint the track before you lay it or after? My thinking is before and then touch up the additional ones later.
 
If you're using sectional track, it shouldn't matter whether you paint before or after. If you paint flex beforehand, then whenever you bend it even the smallest amount, there will be a bare spot at each tie plate on the moveable rail. My thinking also is that mounting it first holds it in place as well. With all due respect to Sherrel, I use nails as it is easier to remove and reuse track, just remove nails, soak ballast and yank. It is also easier to correct alignment mistakes or "change of mind" situations when (not if) they happen. Gluing the cork to foam works well; there is still enough cork for the nails to bite into, HO scale that is.
 
If you're using sectional track, it shouldn't matter whether you paint before or after. If you paint flex beforehand, then whenever you bend it even the smallest amount, there will be a bare spot at each tie plate on the moveable rail. My thinking also is that mounting it first holds it in place as well. With all due respect to Sherrel, I use nails as it is easier to remove and reuse track, just remove nails, soak ballast and yank. It is also easier to correct alignment mistakes or "change of mind" situations when (not if) they happen. Gluing the cork to foam works well; there is still enough cork for the nails to bite into, HO scale that is.

Good to know, thanks Willie. I have the cork in process at this time and once I'm happy with it, then the track. Makes sense on flex. I hadn't considered it.

I'm attaching the pics (sorry for the poor quality) of my transition area between the 2 loops. The first shows the 4 switches and the other 2 show where I placed the insulated rail joiners. The T pins are at the joint. While for a while the 2 loops will be joined, I'm trying to get it ready for another controller (I do have the 2nd one already). What I need to plan for is how to transition a train between the 2 with little intervention by me. I can always manually roll the engines through the junction or convert to DCC in the future. This junction was actually the brainstorm of 2 loops and the beginning point of the lines.


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