Below are some photos showing the construction evolution and finished version of my current standard gauge layout. As you can see in the last photos it is mostly done. The only thing left to do is to add some “life” to the layout, meaning people. This can be done at my leisure over time.
Last year saw some radical changes in my life. I got married and moved to a newer, larger house with a large, unfinished basement that did not really have any function other than to let the kids have a place to run around in when they were younger. The basement was finished throughout last year with the ceiling being installed right after I returned from my honeymoon. My previous layout was in the second floor of my old house, a 1-1/2 story Bungalow with a single, large second floor room.
All of my current standard gauge trains are reproduction MTH PS2 models that I operate with the DCS system. I enjoy the look of new tinplate trains with their glossy finish and their smooth, quiet operating motors. The accessories are both Lionel and MTH. I would like to have an original Lionel set or two for display purposes and to honor the heritage of standard gauge trains but it’s not a priority for me at this time.
I started the layout design process like most people do by developing a track plan. My original goal was to have a combination o-gauge / standard gauge layout. I worked for months trying to integrate the two gauges into one layout. I was not impressed with anything that I could come up with. As we worked hard to finish the basement and the room began to take on a different look, I took a different approach. I separated the two gauges and decided to make the standard gauge layout an island style layout with display shelves along three sides. Looking at the track plan below, the display shelves are built in and are located along the top and right sides. The three shorter sides along the bottom are open to allow for storage but they have since been covered with curtains. The layout is a divider between the family home entertainment section and the area where both train layouts will be located. The display shelves are positioned so that anyone sitting in the home entertainment section will be able to see the trains.
The track plan is pretty simple and was developed around two basic principles: use all of the accessories that I have and be able to operate two trains at a time. I did buy a few more trackside signals and lights once I began operating to fill in a few small areas or to add interest while trains are running. I also decided near the end of the design process to eliminate as many switches as possible to allow for smooth running and less problems with trains tracking through the switch. I have noticed that many of the new American Flyer or Ives reproduction trains do not track well through O42 tinplate switches that are offered by MTH. The inside loop consists of O42 and O72 curves, the outer loop O57 and O84 curves.
I am fortunate that my wife does not have problems with my trains or the fact that 1/3 of the basement will be train layouts. She does, however, object to large piles of cardboard train boxes. So one criteria of the bench work is to allow for ample storage. Another was to use as much lumber from my previous train layout in the construction as possible. I’m a firm believer in “green” construction and reusing everything that I can. It makes good sense in many ways, not just in how much money I keep in my wallet.
The table top itself consists of a layer of chipboard covered with acoustical ceiling tiles for sound deadening. The final layer is dark green carpet that helps accentuate the colors of the standard gauge accessories. I like the early standard gauge era colors of green and cream more than the later red and silver so most of my accessories reflect the early era. I’m a little more flexible with my trackside signals and lights so just about anything that looks good will do.
The whole construction process, from the first board being cut to the final coat of paint started the day after Thanksgiving and ended December 23rd! I had not planned on finishing before Christmas but my wife said that it would be great to have the layout complete by Christmas since we were entertaining the entire day and all of the families would have a chance to see it.
I have great fun taking a few moments out of each day, heading downstairs and running the trains. As I am sure most will agree it is great stress relief after a long day at the office.
Update: 02-07-2013:
Below are two pics showing the curtains on the other side of the layout. They very simple cafe rods with a single curtain each. The fabric was bought on sale at Joanne's and the cafe rods were purchased at Joanne's too and are very inexpensive.
In other news, I switched trains and found the Stephen Gerard cars do not run well through the O42 switches and would derail. So, I removed one switch and changed another O42 to an O72 switch. That seems to have solved the problem!
Update: 02-11-2013
I added two pictures of the church. My father brought this over when he came to see the layout for the first time. He picked this up at a local train show in Berea. It looks very much like the church that my parents were married in, and not coincidentally, is the same church that I got married in! It's not tinplate (its made for G gauge) but it holds its own very nicely! I need to add some lights to it.
Andrew
