Train Shack Complete Ready for layout.

[Hookedtrout]

My layout is 42 inches to the track level from the floor. A 5 year old would need to stand on a milk crate to see it well, have one. Not them new ones, one of the old real dairy ones. They can drag it around themselves but it's strong enough for them to stand on. I have this idea for a shockenly wonderful trestle without any grade for a future module for my layout. It will be a corner and the trach will emerge from a portal onto a curve which will be on the side of a mountain which will drop at a steep angle to nearly the floor and whoes peak will nearly touuch the ceiling. The track will hug the slope on a tall wooden trestle and reenter the tunnel at the other end. The train will them leave (and enter) the tunnels at "normal track level on the othe sides of the mount. Soon as I finish a few things I'll do this, probally next spring sometime. Fred

Can't wait to see a picture of that, that sounds awesome! Sounds like the possibilities are endless with some immagination. My mind is turning now. I almost don't dare get started for fear of missing a great idea and it being to late to incorporate it.

Hook

Hook

 

[Hookedtrout]

The 15" curves _are_ small, but short, switcher engines (like the SW9/1200), small steamer (0-4-0. 0-6-0, and maybe a 2-6-0 and 4-4-0) and short cars (40 foot boxcars, 34' shorty 'beer can' tankers, etc) will work on it. in 4.5 ft, if you expand your turn space, you can use the 22" curves, which will handle 95% of the stuff out there -- only really large steam like the giant 2-8-8-2 Mallets, and hyper realistic 85' Passenger cars from Walthers won't run on that

Ok back to the Atlas freeware to expand the turns. I expanded the one end on my first attempt to 4' but it didn't look like the 18" radius would work there, I'll play some more. Keep the advice coming I'm taking it all in.

 

[Russ Bellinis]

I set the same goal when I planned my layout. I wanted to build a tall trestle as a focal point. There is a lot of discussion on the horizintal aspect of track planning, but not nearly as much on the vertical part. Keep in mind that it takes a whole lot of track to get a significant vertical difference in elevation. My steepest grades are 4%, which is considered by many to be the maximum. At this grade, it takes over 8' of track to climb enough to cross over another track (and another 8' to come back down) I cheated and put 2' of foam over the bench work which allowed me to increase the overall effective height of the tall trestle by cutting away the foam, giving me about 12''from the water below to the track.
Good luck :thumb:
Doc

I just thought I'd throw this out here for those who would like to run mountainous scenery, but are afraid of "steep grades." I checked a book out of the local library titled RAILROADS OF THE COURD'LINES (spelling?). This is about mountain railroads in Idaho from around the late 1800's to early 1900's. I'm not sure what the ruling grade was, but they had a pic of a 2-6-6-2 mallet like the model with tender that was offered by Mantua. It was pulling 6 cars and a cabboose, and the picture's caption said that was the maximum load for that engine without a helper?

 

[Hookedtrout]

Step by Step

I'm starting the table, my plan is to build the support out of 2x4 and use 1/2 in CDX plywood for the deck then cover the entire surface in 2" foam board. My plan is to run a DCC, is there anything in particular I need to do for the wiring? Do I need to plan a pull out bench for the controllers etc? How big if yes.

Any other suggestions before I start cutting wood.

Hook

 

[belg]

Hook the size of your pullout is going to be based on the amount of control you will need to mount on it. I for one would mount any switches and light controls on a permanent non moving section to prevent wiring problems. A standard keyboard undermount drawer would be adeqaute for your controller(s). Pat

 

[Hookedtrout]

I plan on running two trains eventually but I'll probably start out with one for now so it won't be all that elaborate. It's being built for a 6 year old so I'm keeping the operation end fairly simple.

Hook