Layout stacking ideas please?

I'm thinking if you used some creativity you could start out with an O36 oval stack O31 on top of that and O27 above that. of course there wouldn't be much space left for sceanic elements and accesories excpt maybe at the top and you might have to stack the tracks right above one another on one side to gain a better viewing perspective.

As I remember a O27 Polygon will squeeze inside an O36 oval (not real sure about that) but I did squeeze an O27 oval inside the O27 polygon.

Thank you Matthew, I had not thought of using the one baseboard and having a raised section of track to utilize for clockwork.

I have three sets of clockwork, with three complete scenic components. One for USA, one for English, and one for German. All my O gauge electric is USA style, so I could definitely incorporate those on one baseboard.

Your idea would solve all the USA running. I have both 031 and 027 so no problems there.

I was hoping to have some way of having another baseboard, with just track mounted permanently, so I could switch the scenic details to swap from English to German styles. Hoping to either have this second baseboard mounted like a drop leaf table to the wall, or have it at a suitable level above or below the USA baseboard. Both baseboards would need to be 5 x 3. The European track I have is actually a little tighter than 027, so much scope for an interesting small layout here.

I’ve done a lot of stacking different boards on top of each other. Many of the different displays I built are on my YouTube page. There should be a link at the bottom of this post.

I’m not sure what you mean by a drop leaf table. My Assumption is you want to put a hinge on one or both of your displays so you can swing them against the wall when not in use. If you are swinging one up against the wall keep in mind the thickness of the board plus height of the track, (if it is screwed down) or any affixed accessory higher than the track would have to be accounted for to swing the display flush against the wall.

With ¾” plywood board and standard O27 Lionel track you should be able secure a 2x4 to the wall and use a set of standard door hinges attached under the plywood and vertically to the 2x4 with the bottom of the pivot point just above the top of the 2x4. This should still give you enough clearance against the wall so you can lock it in place with a hasp and still have ¼” to spare.

To swing both levels against wall the easiest way would to have the lower level swing down and the upper level swing up.

Normally I have a 9” to 10” clearance between levels. I think others have gone with less but there’s still some rolling stock I can’t run through tunnel portals at 10”. I think if I had two levels the same size I’d want at least 12” of clearance so I could easier reach between them.  But I’m not sure what the viewing perspective would be.

Theoretically you could swing three separate levels stacked on top of each other against a wall in a room with 8’ ceilings. The bottom level mounted at 3’ above the floor and swinging down. The middle level at 4’ above the floor, hinged to a 4x4 and swinging up and the top level mounted at 5’ above the floor mounted to a 2X4, swinging up and locking to the ceiling. Those mounting heights are approximate depending on the real height of the ceiling

But for a better viewing perspective you might want to only go with two levels so you can have more clearance between levels.

This photo shows three shelves at elevations of 18", 36" and 54" above the floor. Please disregard the clutter. The upper shelf is 24" deep, the others are 30" deep, all made with doors 79" long/high. You could have two separate layouts stacked at fairly convenient heights, with the lower shelf for storage. I actually have a fourth shelf above, not shown in photo.

The layout was a temporary setup with O27 track.

Matthew you are right. I was thinking about having a hinging arrangement of some sort. Thank you for the link to your vids. Extremely interesting viewing! The cheesy layout is a classic.

Since Ace has shown me the difference in height between shelving, I think I might try this first. I can always revert to the hinging if I need to, and your instructions above are just the thing to make it work.

Ace, thanks for showing me the differences in shelving height and roughly how they equate to layout heights. Two high will do the trick nicely. With the track not permanently secured I can also have fun with different plans, so that's a definite bonus too. The highest scenic item I have for clockwork is a 1920's Karl Bub station with a height of 11", so the 18" between levels looks very feasible. Average height of other items is 8". I could also arrange lighting very easily by mounting diffused lights on the underside of the top layout. I knew I kept those fish tank lights for a reason.

I honestly cannot think of any reason why a decent weekend should not see the basics set up.

Time to gather materials!

Thanks for all your time and effort guys. I appreciate it.

If you think of anything else please feel free to let me know!

I have this other project at a different location, a 36" x 138" layout shelf along one wall of a room, high enough to clear other furniture. In fact there is just enough clearance underneath to sit at a computer. A good way to multi-task the space. I use a step-stool to reach to the back of the layout shelf.

My layout shelf is 51.5" high, the upper shelf is 73.5" high, the ceiling is 91".

There's about 18" clear above the layout and about 18" clearance above the shelf.

Those dimension suit me, others may prefer a lower table height.

https://ogrforum.com/d...nt/10440673242762760

IMO moveable or hinged layouts are a hassle. It's a lot better to have a fixed layout which is always available, even if it has to be a smaller size.

All this goes to show just what an inventive, creative, and strong willed bunch we are.

When we need a layout bad enough, we will have one!

That's great use of space. Those two standard desk lamps throw a pretty good light. Looks like about 18" to the top storage shelf too. 138" is a real nice run.

Taking a good cold look at the nature of our obsession, I'm agreeing with you and thinking permanent is the way to go whenever possible. I'm a big fan of keeping the hassle out of the fun.

So, if I stack two 5x3 baseboards, and make the whole assembly roll, I not only get to have everything I want, but also can run the layouts from either side by setting up two transformers. By keeping the whole assembly smaller, my wife can move it easily too.

This island type of setup would also allow my son and I to operate the layouts together, one on each side.

My wife suggested I try to find a nice TV stand unit to use as a base so I can have some storage and still have the unit look good. That would also help keep the lower baseboard at sitting level. TV stands usually come with castors, and are built to take some heavy weight. Guess I'd just have to be careful to watch the weight up top to not have the whole lot capsize. Running clockwork on the top level helps with this.

If I were going to go with a portable 5 X 3 table as you’re suggesting Prewar I don’t think I’d try converting a television cart. Most of the ones I’ve seen are made from cheep materials I wouldn’t trust to support my trains. For the money you’d extend to buy one that might hold up over time and be sturdy enough for the trains. And then made the necessary modifications you’ll probably have spent as much as the cost of making your own approximately $90 plus a quart of stain or paint. Here’s a material list with approximate costs of making your own.

1)      2, 2X3’s @  8’ for $2 a piece to make 6, 28” legs = $4

2)      8, 1X3’s @ 8’ for  $5 a piece to make the rails top and bottom to tie the legs together = $40

3)      4, 1X2’s @ 8’ for $2 a piece for the grid work to support a table top and shelve underneath $8

4)      6, 3” ball casters at $4 a piece $24

5)      a box of screws $7

This doesn’t include the plywood. You’re probably going to spend up to $30 for 1 1/2 sheets of plywood if it’s not on sale. That should be enough for 2, 3X5 Table tops and a bottom shelve.

Pre War,

   I was thinking about something like you are talking about then I realized it would be nicer for me,  to have a book shelf ceiling layout around part of my Game Room instead.

I am in the planning stages of just what I want right now, decided against the fold down multi level layout.

PCRR/Dave

Prewar, there are different ways to do things, so take some time to think about what will work best for you. If you want to show us the floorplan of your potential layout room, maybe we could come up with some more ideas to fit your limited space. A good small layout is certainly better than no layout!

I had limited space too.  I built independent loops on stacking "cake layer" units.  I got pretty far along until I realized I wanted to run bigger locomotives.  So I gave it away to a kid who was just getting into trains.  The new version will take some of the lessons learned from the first but it will be bigger, lighter, more detailed, and easier to dissasemble-move-asseble.  I should start construction soon.  Maybe I can post progress at that time.  Anyway.  Here's pics of the first prototype (torn apart) and second (gave away).

Maybe help with some ideas....

Revolving pizza layout

Another revolving layout

First off, huge thanks. You guys are great.

Matthew, thanks for the materials list and costings. The prices are remarkably similar to those here in Oz. Have decided against hinging.

PCR. As above. No hinging for me either. Would like to hear more of your plans and progress as it happens please. We are both in that crucial phase in our future layouts.

Ace. That is sage advise about just taking some time out to really define what I want /need. I'm really no good with floor plans sorry. I can say that the layout/s will be inside the house, in the second living/play room which is pretty small. The only space I can have is an absolute max of 5 x 3. The ability to shift it around on rollers is a must.

WITZ 41. Thanks for sharing your insight. Just as important as knowing what will work is knowing what will not. I for one appreciate your honesty to post what did not work for you this time around. Your great pics are an excellent graphic representation of your progress towards your eventual layout. You make a really good point about planning to suit the size of your roster. Look forward to your progress reports.

Ironbound. Don't feel too bad about some-one else building on your idea. Since you have had the idea for more than 50 years, maybe you were the first to come up with this. It is a great system, however this time around I'm sorry it does not fit into the operational requirements I want.

Ok. To go with Ace's excellent recommendation to have time out to think, I have the following updates.

I've tried negotiating some more space, but to no avail.

So here is the final design brief:

-5 x 3 max.

-Need to have two levels, preferable separate levels, one for electric (lower level) and one for clockwork.

-It would be nice to have the lower layout to sit down to, and have the upper layout as low as possible (I use a cane and have somewhat limited mobility). In a perfect world I could use a standard chair to sit at to use the lower layout, and a high bar stool to use the uppermost.

-Simple to construct, as I am not much of a carpenter.

-Use castors to allow 360 access. This will also keep the wife happy.

-Storage space would be nice, but not a necessity.

The lower baseboard would be good to have at 24" from the floor, then the second baseboard at 48". This way my legs will fit (just) under the lower layout, and  hopefully the stool will allow me to access the top baseboard with moderate ease.

Of course the layout designs will feature most switches etc at the front where I can reach them, and a simple run around track at the rear. I have both layout designs (one heavily inspired by Bluesheepbrian's superb ideas) done to my satisfaction.

I am not running large loco's, the largest being an Ives 1694, and have setup both layouts and everything runs as I want it to.

So the big question now remains as to how to build the supporting structure for these baseboards. Do I try to take the easy way out and go with industrial shelving? Light weight and easily height adjustable, use of shelf stays, large weight bearing capacity etc. but at the expense of looks.

Do I try to build a wood structure to make an attempt at making the unit more homely?

Again, comments most welcome!

Hey Prewar,

Ace’s suggestions are most often right on the mark. No matter what you decide, I guarantee in the end there will be something you’d want to have done differently once it’s completed.

I’m wondering in your cost analysis if there is any value in these thoughts...

This is simple project and may be a great opportunity for some father and son bonding. Depending on the boy’s age, maybe he can’t help with anything and only provide companionship, moral support and comic relieve when the inevitable mistake happens, maybe he could only help with the painting or staining or maybe he can help with it all. This being your first attempt and it being relatively small; now is a great opportunity with a modest investment, to teach your self and maybe your son some skill sets and learn what your abilities and limitations are.

An obvious advantage of custom building your own bench work is you can design it to blend in with the surroundings of your home.

I agree with you  Matthew. I like the way you think.

This is yet another great opportunity for bonding. I'm very lucky to have the son I have. To have the family I have for that matter.

My son and I can be found running standard gauge and O gauge on the carpet just about every night. The whole layout idea is because of my failing health. This will just make it a lot easier all round.

In a perfect world we would have an 8x4 available to run a loop of Standard gauge, then O gauge electric, and then clockwork. But it's very rarely a perfect world :-)

We should be making final decisions on this adventure soon.

For easy construction I would suggest using a door for a layout table. Common sizes are 30"x 79" and 36"x 79". If you want something on casters, perhaps you could adapt a desk or cabinet unit for the lower part, with the layout on top of that.

I would be wary of having a layout on casters. It would help a lot for construction to have the layout moveable for access, but after you get a bunch of trains and accessories loaded on the table, I think it's better to have the layout stay put if possible, especially if you build it tall with an upper level. Before trying to move it around you would have to be sure trains will not tip over and fall off the table.

For easier multi-level construction, build in a corner if possible. This image shows 30"X 60" and 36"X 60" shelves stacked in a corner. As drawn, the upper and lower shelves are 30" deep and the two middle shelves are 36" deep. This is similar to shelves built in my own house, although they weren't originally intended for train layouts.

Extra shelves above and below will be very useful for storage and organizing, and are an excellent way to maximize use of limited space. 18" separation between the levels provides reasonably good access.

Ace, thanks for all your efforts.

I really like this. If it was built out from a wall we could gain access to three sides. I also like the way you have sized the shelving. I may only be 6" but that sure can avoid hitting shins on the bottom shelf, and can also improve accessibility and light to the second top shelf.The extra shelving sure would be handy, especially seeing as the clockwork has two complete scenery requirements to be swapped as needed.

Going to show your pic to the wife when she wakes up (it's 6am here).