New 62 sq.ft. O-scale 3-Rail Layout.

Looks good Thomas.

Sorry you had to change directions, but progress is good and I look forward to more updates.

Hello and thank you RSJB18, I am looking forward to actually start to work on the track layout. I am ready to get some paint on the frame and mover forward.

DoubleDAZ posted:

Sorry you had to change directions, but progress is good and I look forward to more updates.

Hello Dave,

Well the original plan was near perfect but I am very happy with this newer / smaller plan and it will be a great "first" layout for me to use and learn from. Thanks for all your help.

Hello everyone,

Well I caught a break in the weather and have had two days of warm sunshine. I turned the Frame over and completed all the required welding. Moved it outside where I could grind all the sharp edges and give it a good cleaning with some paint thinner. Gave it two coats of primer and then two coats of black paint. Installed the swivel casters and turned it right side up and took these photos.

Next up will be to buy some ½" plywood and get it cut to size and laid out on the Frame. The Frame Top is actually 137" long and I welded one end with the angle iron turned down. This means that I can install 3-pieces of plywood that are 4-foot wide ( 144-inches ) and that would allow the last piece to overhang by 7-inches. My Track Layout is 132-3/8" long so it fits within the 137" with plenty of room extra on both ends for Train clearance. The extra 7" would allow for some more scenery but I am not sure that I should do that?

Any thoughts and suggestions would be welcome.

Hi Tom,

I like it, especially where you turned the rails up along 2 sides so you can just slide the plywood sheets on and they’ll self-align. My layout is going to be 3 independent levels, but I’d like a backdrop that doubles as supports, so you’ve given me the idea of using a painted sheet of plywood with access doors along 2 sides, maybe even 2 1/2. I had already decided to indent the legs.

DoubleDAZ posted:

Hi Tom,

I like it, especially where you turned the rails up along 2 sides so you can just slide the plywood sheets on and they’ll self-align. My layout is going to be 3 independent levels, but I’d like a backdrop that doubles as supports, so you’ve given me the idea of using a painted sheet of plywood with access doors along 2 sides, maybe even 2 1/2. I had already decided to indent the legs.

Hello Dave,

I have thought about welding some short pieces of pipe along the back to accept rods that would be fastened to "Backdrop" scenery. The Backdrop scenery could be printed on cloth so I could just reach through it to service the tracks.

What do you think about me allowing the 7" overhang on the plywood? I can support the overhang with some wood gussets to prevent any sagging, but I don't think that would be a problem.

I think a 7” overhang is fine as long as whatever you put on it is light enough or you add the supports. 1/2” plywood can warp, but that’s all Mianne recommends and their system has 24” centers, so I think you’ll be okay. I plan on using 1/2” plywood with an overhang with tracks on it around some of the “L”.

DoubleDAZ posted:

I think a 7” overhang is fine as long as whatever you put on it is light enough or you add the supports. 1/2” plywood can warp, but that’s all Mianne recommends and their system has 24” centers, so I think you’ll be okay. I plan on using 1/2” plywood with an overhang with tracks on it around some of the “L”.

Thanks Dave. I plan to bond some 1" rigid foam board on top of the plywood also, so that will help a little bit. I will install the plywood and see how it looks before I decide for sure.

Hi Thomas -

I am in awe at your metal work and in wonder at how you move that thing around and in and out of doors.

I am working on a similar new layout (version 2)- 8 x 12. Version 1 was a simple 4x8.

I have some scale steamers that really need the O-84 / 0-72 curves and am building essentially three concentric ovals (0-84, 0-72, O-60) and some cross overs and sidings with (sorry) Fasttrack.

I have a very small basement and so to walk around, the layout needs to go against the wall.  Therefore, I also decided that I needed to put the table on wheels so that I could move it in and out from the wall for building and maintenance.  I would be a danger to the world with a welding torch, so I am using a conventional 2x4 wood frame, 1/2" plywood top, and 1/2" pink foam board over that (as is my current layout). I am not certain why I use the pink foam board at this point.  Sometimes I like to pretend that it deadens track noise (but I don't think it does).  It just gives me a more malleable surface to work with, but that's not always a good thing.

An additional challenge is that there is a vertical steel I-beam in the middle of the area (holding up my house so it must stay), so somehow my table will need to roll back and forth through that I-beam !

Good luck with your layout.  Keep us posted.

- mark

That's certainly a novel approach to framework.  So tell me why you turned the end piece of angle iron's leg down.  I may have missed something.

DrTrainDad posted:

Hi Thomas -

I am in awe at your metal work and in wonder at how you move that thing around and in and out of doors.

I am working on a similar new layout (version 2)- 8 x 12. Version 1 was a simple 4x8.

I have some scale steamers that really need the O-84 / 0-72 curves and am building essentially three concentric ovals (0-84, 0-72, O-60) and some cross overs and sidings with (sorry) Fasttrack.

I have a very small basement and so to walk around, the layout needs to go against the wall.  Therefore, I also decided that I needed to put the table on wheels so that I could move it in and out from the wall for building and maintenance.  I would be a danger to the world with a welding torch, so I am using a conventional 2x4 wood frame, 1/2" plywood top, and 1/2" pink foam board over that (as is my current layout). I am not certain why I use the pink foam board at this point.  Sometimes I like to pretend that it deadens track noise (but I don't think it does).  It just gives me a more malleable surface to work with, but that's not always a good thing.

An additional challenge is that there is a vertical steel I-beam in the middle of the area (holding up my house so it must stay), so somehow my table will need to roll back and forth through that I-beam !

Good luck with your layout.  Keep us posted.

 

- mark

Hello DRTRAINDAD and thank you,

Believe it or not I only have about 3/4-inch clearance on either side of the Frame when I open both doors to my shop. The swivel casters allow the Frame to easily roll in any direction but it is still a bit of a trick to get it outside. When it is time to bring it into the house I will get my neighbor to help me stand it up on one edge on a furniture dolly and it can be rolled through a standard 3-foot door. All of the plywood and foam deck will be removed to move it into the house and then reassembled.

It may be next week before I can start to work on the plywood deck because of rain is predicted all this week. I am almost 40-miles to the lumber yard and I do not want to take a chance and get the plywood wet. I will post more photos as soon as I can get the deck cut to shape and installed.

You could add casters to your wood frame by adding a bottom horizontal board to tie in all the legs and make it a roll-around. Sure makes it easy to access all sides of the layout.

Dan Padova posted:

That's certainly a novel approach to framework.  So tell me why you turned the end piece of angle iron's leg down.  I may have missed something.

Hello Dan Padova,

I turned the leg down on one end of the Frame to allow a "second" frame to be added at a later date. Originally my first Layout was going to be almost 22-feet long and in two halves that would be bolted together. I had already started to work on the first half so I modified it to the current shape / design. If I decide to expand ( maybe double or more ) the Layout, all I need to do is build a "mirror" copy of the current Layout and then bolt them together. I have already drilled holes in the end that has the turn down angle, so all I need to do is align the second frame and drill matching bolt holes.

I have made some new drawings to add a second half but in a 90-degree "L" shape instead of the original straight design. The "L" shape would allow a bit more length to the track and the "new leg" could actually be longer than the current layout.