Show me your skirts!

My wife came up with the idea of using tension curtain rods between each set of layout legs. We got some nice light weight, dark green material from the local JaAnn Fabrics store. She sewed a "rod pocket" across the top, and hemmed the bottoms for the correct height at each individual location. Looks great, and SHE gets all the credit when folks come over!

I bought some dark green cloth material at Walmart a few years ago to put skirting around my old garage layout.  I sewed Velcro to the cloth and used the Velcro with the sticky backing on the wooden layout frame.

I ended up having to staple the Velcro to the layout frame because the cloth was so heavy it started pulling the Velcro of.

Sorry, no photos.

I want to do much the same thing on my upstairs layout, just haven't gotten around to it.

A better method might be to use ready-made curtains and hang them on curtain rods.  Lighter, and if you get them a decent width you can simply open them to gain access.

Here are my skirts!

Cotton and Polyester fabric purchased by the bolt with simple pleats (I totaled one pleater and had to find a replacement for my machine).  Attached with Velcro strips about every 3 feet.  Felt might be too heavy to "flip up" for under table access.

I have used dust cover (the black material on the bottom of upholstered chairs) several times with good results.  It is very inexpensive.  I get it at our local fabric outlet (Mill Outlet Village on Capitol Blvd.) here in Raleigh, NC.

George Lasley

Crude and simple, but effective, the "boss" found a huge length of denim fabric on clearance at one of those craft stores. I used small roofing nails to attach it to the layout edge. 

I got mine on the Bay. It was $40 for 21' and velcro tabs. It's removable and washable. I'm happy with it for the price.

I am away from home 'til tuesday but will post a picture.  But I recently switched to carpet runner - you can buy 36" wide carpet in any length at Lowe's or Home Depot.  It is heavier/harder to hang than cloth but it cuts down noticeably on noise from benchtop reverberation coming from underneath, it hangs really straight once cut and straightened and its still flexible enough to get at whatever is behind it.

I will have to take some new photos of the skirts on my layouts (haven't taken the time to transfer photos, etc. since I got this new computer).

I have a forest green skirt on the tinplate pike--custom made by a friend of mine in Virginia Beach who manages a fabric store.

On the hi-rail layout I have a dark brown skirt that I obtained from a place in Florida that makes skirts for exhibit tables and such.  Located that place on the Internet.

Both fabrics hang very nicely (fairly heavy material), without wrinkles, and both are pleated and backed with Velcro all along the top.

I am very happy with both.

I used Alucobond panels. They were mismeasured for a job that I fabricated.  I really like the sleek look and cleanability of a hard panel, but  I think a soft material would muffle noise better.

I really like the look of having a 1x6 or another size boar along the top of the layout and the skirt hanging from the back of it, but I made 2 corners of my layout rounded they are easier to walk by, and I have no ideal how to bend a 1x6 around a corner..lol

I could possibly angle the corners instead.

Any suggestions?

I used the thick grade of landscape fabric.. not my idea, I borrowed it from one of the other members here.  Attached it at the top with small squares (used as reinforcement) with roofing nails.  I then folded it over so that the folded edge was at the top of the layout.  

Not be best, but it does work good for the $$.  When I get things a little more finished I am planning on putting a 1x6 around to finish it off.  

Look in my sig, there are some pics of it there.  

Brian

Thanks for the tip,
They had the 21 footers on closeout for 26 bucks with 4.99 shipping with each additional skirt shipped free. Definitely worth the money.
David 

Here you go.

Some very handsome "finery" you folks are displaying here!

One thing I plan to do is to install lights under my layout, so when I have to spend time under there wiring I will have it nice and lighted.

I like the way skirting gracefully flows around curves of a layout. My fascia is 1/8" x 2" plastic strip, cut into 8 foot sections and screwed into my 1/2" plywood tabletop. The skirting is made by Exclusively Expo, a commercial firm making trade show equipment. It comes with Velcro. It was a bit pricey, but less than the cost of an upscale locomotive.

  Bob A.

I agonized over this for 2 years. I needed 186' of material. Price at Craft stores was the same as a high end engine from MTH or Lionel. Had a friend over who works in a mill in a nearby town. They manufacture fabric for Military purposes. (Back Paks etc.) Employees are allowed to take so much fabric each year that is rejected or extra from large orders. He gave me a 200'X63" roll of fabric for a case of beer. What a deal.  I was very fortunate. In these photos I stapled the fabric to the edge of the table. Then covered it with 1 3/4" base moulding from Home Depot. Got a set of sliding closet door brackets, stained some plywood and put them on a framed opening of my transformers, TIU's etc. Fabric material was easy to make creases with my wife's iron.

I got some brown curtain panels at Kmart.  They were on sale for half price.  I cut them in half and rolled them onto a piece of 1/2 inch plywood, cut into one inch strips just short of the width of the panels.  I screwed them up underneith the 2x4 frame.

Killian - Thanks for your response. I don't have many overviews of the layout, because it's crammed into a 12' x 13' room, and it's hard to get perspective. Here's the layout diagram. It's also the subject of an article on pg 54 of the Dec 2011 CTT magazine. (I've completed an upper (red) loop since the article was written and my earlier picture was taken.)

   Bob A.

I used black felt from JoAnn Fabrics. It was 60" wide so I was able to split it down the middle. I remember it was pretty cheap on sale, like 2.99yd. I did the whole layout for about $35. Attached the material with hot glue. 

Black felt and staples. Easy - cheap.

Al, your tastefully done ceiling really works well with the skirting.tt

Now, this is (for me) a useful and timely subject.  Got lots of ideas from it.

Great forum post.

Bill

NNo skirts for me. I like to show off my legs.

True heresy.  A Lionel layout skirt around my small American Flyer layout.  Skirting material was purchased from Wal Mart several years ago.  The fabric was originally intended to be used for curtains.  My wife and I cut it to size, gathered it, folded it over poster board and tacked everything onto the 1/2 inch plywood top. 

No pics yet because I am not far enough along, but I am building bookshelves/cabinetry under the layout which will hide all the wiring/storage underneath.  Makes lots of extra room for RR books/mags/modeling tools/supplies and also will accomodate the control panel.

Bob Anderson, great looking layout.  I love the smooth curves of the fascia.  Where did you get the 1/8 x 2 plastic?  I wonder if it's available in 3 or 4 inch.

Tom H

Here's ours.....graciously done by our President's (OGR Forum member Kanawha) wife!

I used bead board and painted it to match the carpet.  The bead board is on both sides with an access door in the dinning room side.  Transformers and panel are in the drawer.

Tom - I'm lucky to have a nearby plastics store, Tap Plastics. They cut the 2" strips off a 4' x 8' sheet of black plastic. They could have easily cut it at any other width. (The 1/8" was from memory; I just measured, and I think it's actually 3/16", making it easier to bend, but still with good rigidity.)

   Bob A.

Here is an older layout that I had. The material was from Walmart about 2004

Mine is pleaded fabric attached with Velcro at the top.

Very well done everyone.  Gives me some great ideas of how I will do mine.  I have decided to do 1x6 along the top edge. Not sure if I want pleats or not in my skirt.  I think I will keep it an earth tone brown too.  

I don't have a skirt on my layout, but my girlfriend was wearing one yesterday.

Seriously though, this is a great thread!