Fastrack curves

https://ogrforum.com/...4-5-outside-diameter

This layout features combined curves that creates 'O44.5' which will fit, albeit right to the edge, of a 4x8 layout. Read the thread and you'll find the right combination of curves to do it. Also, the thread starter, posts lots of great small FastTrack layouts. Search for his threads...he also has many articles in the OGR magazine with a lot of great layouts, including 4x8 ones.

My mistake, I should’ve stated that I have tow 4x8 tables combined together. (Both next to each other) And I’m trying to to get bigger curves to fit. Now, the example which I’ve seen could work but what curves should I buy to make it fit two 4x8 tables combined together.

It helps to be a little clearer about how the 2 tables are joined.  When joined, do they form an 8' x 8' table or a 4' x 16' table?

Chuck

I should’ve been more clear. That’s my mistake, I guess it’s the fact that I just can’t wait for the layout to be finished. My family and I created two 4x8 tables and we joined them together. We plan the nail this down eventually but both tables are facing each other side by side. I’m not sure what the number of two 4x8 tables would add up to, but I’ll send a picture of what the tables look like.  

I use O48 Fasttrack curves on my layout which is 12 by abut 4 1/2 feet.  That 1/2 of foot is needed to safely fit the O48 curves.  If you have the tables together as pictured above you should have no issue with O48 but I would suggest trying for O60 if you can, maybe 2 loops one O60 and one O48.  You will want to run larger engines over time and they require larger radius curves.  That is one of my regrets with my layout.  Also, even if you don't buy bigger engines, smaller stuff looks better on wider radius curves. 

Rule of thumb for Fastrack is take the number radius of the track and add 3 inches for minimum outer curve dimension, i.e. O48 will require 51 inches of table.  But as noted above that leaves the track right at the edge of the table which is dangerous.

@ArtsModelTrains posted:

I use O48 Fasttrack curves on my layout which is 12 by abut 4 1/2 feet.  That 1/2 of foot is needed to safely fit the O48 curves.  If you have the tables together as pictured above you should have no issue with O48 but I would suggest trying for O60 if you can, maybe 2 loops one O60 and one O48.  You will want to run larger engines over time and they require larger radius curves.  That is one of my regrets with my layout.  Also, even if you don't buy bigger engines, smaller stuff looks better on wider radius curves.

Rule of thumb for Fastrack is take the number radius of the track and add 3 inches for minimum outer curve dimension, i.e. O48 will require 51 inches of table.  But as noted above that leaves the track right at the edge of the table which is dangerous.

This is great advice, but I’ve already tried O-48 and it looks like it runs off the table, do you think I can get away with O-48 half curves. I’m most likely going to put some type of barrier around the edge so nothing happens so the trains don’t derail.

Lay the 0-48 on the table and take a picture so these guys can see what you're trying to do.

If you’re using a single table(48”x96”) the 0-48 will hang over the edge. As stated above, the 3” margin is a good rule of thumb. According to your picture, the tables are connected on the 8’ side which gives you a 8’x8’ area. You could easily fit 0-84 curve sections on an outer loop with room to spare.

Gene

The way you have the two tables configured, you have 96" of total width in either direction. I'd probably go with an O-84 outer loop and O-72 inner loop. That would allow you to run the larger equipment on both loops.

@GregK posted:

https://ogrforum.com/...4-5-outside-diameter

This layout features combined curves that creates 'O44.5' which will fit, albeit right to the edge, of a 4x8 layout. Read the thread and you'll find the right combination of curves to do it. Also, the thread starter, posts lots of great small FastTrack layouts. Search for his threads...he also has many articles in the OGR magazine with a lot of great layouts, including 4x8 ones.

This idea is solid and lots of examples plus formulas to calculate "easements" are described in Ken's fantastic book,  21 Great Track Plans for Compact Layouts.

It is geared toward FasTrack and Atlas track but can be applied toward any  O Gauge track.

There is also SCARM which is free software a lot of us use, but it won't help with figuring out easements for you.

John

@Dtrainmaster posted:

Lay the 0-48 on the table and take a picture so these guys can see what you're trying to do.

So this is what I came up with since I combined a few of the O-48 curves I have and the other curves are O-36 from starter sets. If combined together I can kind of make a table but it’s not ideal. Picture of track connected: kind of goes off to the side a little edge of the table a little. B it if I were to just put  two full length O-48 curves in one part of this track. It would hang off the table: the arrow points to both because I got on successful turn. So I have a few questions, do I use less straights on certain parts or should I try to figure out how he made those O 44.5 curves?  

Use less straights.

@PRRMP54 posted:

Use less straights.

...what Dave says.

Attached is a simple layout using O48 curves and 40" (30" + 10") Fastrack straights, with about 2" clearance to the table edges. 8'x8' is plenty of space to make O48 curves work.

@OC Patrick posted:

...what Dave says.

Attached is a simple layout using O48 curves and 40" (30" + 10") Fastrack straights, with about 2" clearance to the table edges. 8'x8' is plenty of space to make O48 curves work.

Will this track plan work if there are edges around the table? I plan to put edges on the sides of the table to protect everything that’s gonna be on the layout.

@TheRoyalHudson988 posted:

Will this track plan work if there are edges around the table? I plan to put edges on the sides of the table to protect everything that’s gonna be on the layout.

It should. Our layout track is just about 2"-3" from the edge, and I installed a 1"x3" border on the sides. Photos of my son and the layout.

judging the size of my tables, do you guys know how big of a grass mat I need to cover the whole layout? That’s the next thing I’m adding then I’ll buy the boards.

@TheRoyalHudson988 posted:

judging the size of my tables, do you guys know how big of a grass mat I need to cover the whole layout? That’s the next thing I’m adding then I’ll buy the boards.

8’ x 8’ = 64 sq. ft.

@Training Wheels posted:

8’ x 8’ = 64 sq. ft.

Will this cover both tables, or just one? I measured both tables out vertically and horizontally and I got 96” for both. Do they make 96 inch grass mat or am I just measuring this wrong?

@TheRoyalHudson988 posted:

Will this cover both tables, or just one? I measured both tables out vertically and horizontally and I got 96” for both. Do they make 96 inch grass mat or am I just measuring this wrong?

96” = 8’

I had to look at the measuring tape again, your correct. Thank you, I was just double checking so I don’t buy the wrong thing.

Just like the two 4' x 8' tables to make an 8' x 8' layout, it will take two 4' x 8' grass mats to cover them.

Chuck

Ok so I recently got some grass that will fit both tables. My question is how do I adhere them to the layout itself? Can I just glue it with a hot glue gun? Any better options?

If I remember correctly, these are paper-backed.  If so, and you use glue to tack them down, they will never come up without big tears.  On the other hand, if you just tack them down either with tiny thumb tacks (you may not like the available colors) or very small brads, along all edges, the grass mats will be secure enough to run trains on, but not so secure as to be destroyed if you choose to go another direction later in life.

Chuck

I used a staple gun.

Well, the new layout is almost finished, all I need now is just more track for some type of track plan. Don’t mind the train running. I just got bored of not running my trains for a while. I’m also going to get the old Tmcc system with the Cab1 remote. I already have the legacy powermaster to go with it. This way I can run just about anything I would like within O-48 and smaller.

Looks good!!  But, just a little warning; verify (research on-line) that your Legacy Powermaster will work with the "older" TMCC system before you spend the money to buy the system.

Chuck

On a layout that my Dad built for us as kids, he adhered the Grass Mat with rubber cement.  Really he just put a few dabs here and there to control "bellies."  The track, buildings, and humidity in our basement(!) flattened it out in short order.  The only place the cement really mattered, was on the little bit of mat that went up the 1x3 sides.

Yes, our table also had sides.  No locomotives making a suicide leap to the floor!  I think the sides are a good idea, I can remember him making pain-staking measurement with a Little Joe electric (our largest loco at the time.)   If you put sides on the layout, you should probably borrow an articulated like the Big Boy for testing, because that will probably have more overhang than anything else.  My $.02.

I don't know if it is the way you took the picture ,but to me it looks like your table legs are not level ,you should check them so they don't cause you any problems in the future .

@PRR1950 posted:

Looks good!!  But, just a little warning; verify (research on-line) that your Legacy Powermaster will work with the "older" TMCC system before you spend the money to buy the system.

Chuck

I’ll do more reasearch,  I was just going off of what the Powermaster manual said. If it doesn’t, that’s fine because this will allow me to operate my engines in Tmcc. Like the engine that’s running in the picture, it’s a Tmcc engine so I’ll get to use all of its features. Unfortunately, the Base-1L is out of the picture since they don’t manufacture it anymore for my Cab-1L .

@TheRoyalHudson988 posted:

Ok so I recently got some grass that will fit both tables. My question is how do I adhere them to the layout itself? Can I just glue it with a hot glue gun? Any better options?

My current layout configuration is just like yours (two 4' X 8' tables, bolted together on the long sides to create an 8' X 8' square), and I used two rolls of Bachmann paper-backed grass mat to cover the top (I used OSB for the top as well, but with  additional half-inch extruded foam sheets on top). The grass mats are actually a bit larger than the top (50" X 100" each), so there was enough extra to curl around the edge and staple in place underneath, no need to glue anything down. I also used sections of foam pipe insulation opened up lengthwise to 'grip' around the edge, to provide additional holding power and help protect the edge (and passers-by!) from damage.