# Our O Scale 8x4 Layout



## L0stS0ul

My journey with trains started almost 6 months ago when I found my dad's old 1952 Lionel 726RR Berkshire along with a bunch of track and accessories. Since that moment, thanks to this forum, I've learned more about trains than I ever thought I would. I've always been a plane person but I've really found a love of trains and watching the wonder on my 4 year olds face as I bring these things to life has really made me feel like a kid again. It all started with a platform I had built for my son's second birthday...









Quickly that little loop didn't do to much for us and I added onto the table and created an L shaped layout. 









I was having some difficulty with the switches so came up with this layout to try and simplify things a bit. 









We got bored pretty quickly with that one and next thing I know I was back to some complexity 









It was clear at this point that we had outgrown our little space so I started negotiating with the wife.  I did manage to get her to agree to a longer layout as long as I cut down on the width that we were currently using. A LOT of thought later I came up with this design for the area









And I started building and learning and learning...









































After a ton of work I'm getting close to where I can just enjoy running the trains and I'm not spending hours under the table wiring things. My son just loves it so much. I really can't believe where all of this has ended up after 6 months. I am a little afraid of where it will go in the next few years :smokin:


----------



## L0stS0ul

Here's a quick video of it in action


----------



## gunrunnerjohn

You have indeed come a long ways in six months! :thumbsup: I do miss the bridge over the gap between the tables, that was a nice touch on the previous version.


----------



## L0stS0ul

Thanks  We miss the bridge as well and I do have plans to add them back in. Once I get that TV up on the wall I'll have the area under it to expand into and plan to make that whole area fast track only. There will be bridges connecting the two tables. The wife says I have to finish this whole area first though.


----------



## vwrabbit

That's a fantastic little layout! Ballasting looks great!

Tim


----------



## L0stS0ul

Thanks so much. Ballasting is a lot trickier than it looks. That stuff goes everywhere. I've probably vacuumed up more than is actually on the table lol


----------



## DonR

Oh the glories of 3 rail 0 Scale...a reverse loop and not one
extra insulator to overcome a short...that's for us 2 rail HO folks
to worry with. 

Great fun layout.

Don


----------



## Fire21

You've put a ton of stuff into a relatively small layout, especially in O-gauge. I love how you tied your first interest into it all with the airport up on the hill.


----------



## Big Ed

What brand of switches are they?
What problem were you having? Front wheels jumping off?

Complete with an airport. :thumbsup:

Go back to negotiations and you can add on an L. 

Looking good.:thumbsup:


----------



## L0stS0ul

Thanks, its been a lot of fun building it and the airport was needed.  I have a Lionel trolley I want to figure out a way to connect the airport to the town. Would have to be raised up. Still mulling that.

The switches are k-line supersnap. My little scout negotiates all of them fine but the general and the heavier trains derrail a lot on the right hand switches. I have shaved it down a bit and the Berkshire and j-class can now go over the ones on the table but the general and mth train still have trouble. I was originally going to do a figure 8 but the other left hand switch has been even more problematic I went for the current setup. If you also notice the general near the coaling tower has no power. That left switch is not working right either. I'm using it as an isolated section right now to store a train but it should have power. I've not had a chance to take it apart to figure out why. They are nice and compact but have been tricky to get working.


----------



## Big Ed

I never had any of those switches.

An ideal for you to ponder.
How about moving your hanger over to the left and put in a taxi road?
The runway looks kind of odd running right into the hanger?

If you want you could add a backdrop where the hanger is now and then paint in more of the landing strip to make it look longer. Paint some more hangers on it too. That is if you can paint a little. Or permanent markers will also work.
Just an ideal.


----------



## Big Ed

I just looked at the other picture of the hanger and see the wall.
Heck, just expand the runway right onto/into the wall.:thumbsup:


----------



## tjcruiser

What a fun micro layout! Nice job on the hillside and waterfall, too!


----------



## Big Ed

tjcruiser said:


> What a fun micro layout! Nice job on the hillside and waterfall, too!



Waterfall? 

Is there a waterfall somewhere? 

In the video it looks like the switches work nice?
That train rolled through them fairly fast.


----------



## L0stS0ul

You can see it a bit on the right in this picture. I still need to paint it a bit and add some mist









I have done a lot of work on those two switches. The general and the GS4 still have issues on them but for the most part they are working. I don't run the gs4 on the inner track anyway. 

Interesting idea on the airport. I might have to flatten that area anyway to bring the trolley in. Will have to think about it  its currently modeling a personal airport that don't generally take off both directions. I still need to number that runway heh


----------



## gunrunnerjohn

That would be an impressive takeoff if that plane makes it in that length of runway.


----------



## L0stS0ul

It would be a little challenging


----------



## tjcruiser

gunrunnerjohn said:


> That would be an impressive takeoff if that plane makes it in that length of runway.


Oh, yeah ...


----------



## gunrunnerjohn

I flew a Robertson STOL conversion 152 once, and the actual takeoff roll was 100 feet, so it's possible with the right equipment. He claimed less than 300 feet over a 50ft obstacle, but all I had was runway in front of me, so it was hard to judge. This one had a 150HP engine and the really big Fowler flaps, they looked like barn doors! It was a hoot to fly it, I was happy to get to give it a whorl! Landing was more like floating than a normal approach. With a bit of wind, you felt like you were doing about 20 kts groundspeed! 

In return I was giving him a familiarization flight in the Mooney as he had to go pick one up and had never flown one.


----------



## Big Ed

I see the water falls now. :smilie_daumenpos:

What did you use for the water?
How long has it been on now?


----------



## L0stS0ul

I used the woodland scenic realistic water for the pond and the water effects for the water fall. I tested several ways of making the water fall including silicone caulk and hot glue and for me the water effects worked and I liked the best. It took a long time for the realistic water to dry. Probably 3 weeks before it wasn't tacky any more. Really pleased with how it came out for the first try.


----------



## Big Ed

L0stS0ul said:


> I used the woodland scenic realistic water for the pond and the water effects for the water fall. I tested several ways of making the water fall including silicone caulk and hot glue and for me the water effects worked and I liked the best. It took a long time for the realistic water to dry. Probably 3 weeks before it wasn't tacky any more. Really pleased with how it came out for the first try.


I used DAP crystal clear calking.....said not to yellow. 
It was said that the DAP crystal clear was the only clear calking that wouldn't yellow.

It took around 6 months, but it did yellow! :smilie_daumenneg:
Well some water is amber in color right?

There is a way to add cotton wisps from cotton balls and add it to the bottom to simulate a water mist. Take a cotton ball and pull it apart, you only need a little to simulate a mist rising up. Put it down by the base.


----------



## Cycleops

The gas powered controller looks interesting.


----------



## Big Ed

I fuel my locomotives with that. 
I don't need any electric.


----------



## L0stS0ul

That's a pretty cool mountain. My water has only been on the table for a month and a half. I'll report back in a few months with how it's holding up. So far it looks great still.


----------



## Lee Willis

Nice layout, coming along great. I love O-gauge.


----------



## L0stS0ul

Thanks a lot. We are really enjoying it. Of course I will always want to expand it but until the wife signs off it's a good amount of fun in a small area. O Scale is where it's at 

A little video playing around a bit.


----------



## L0stS0ul

It's been a few months now and I thought I would post some updated pictures. I finally figured out what to do with that area near the mountain. I picked up some maintenance sheds and created a little work area off the siding. I also picked up a lionel kid swinging from a tree. It's a nifty little animated piece. 

I still need to finish balasting but I think it's nearly finished. Just as I'm getting this to where I really like it I've already started designing my next layout which my wife doesn't know about yet lol.

An update on the water. It still looks clear and non yellowed. Very pleased with the realistic water product.


----------



## gunrunnerjohn

WOW, you made a lot of progress, that looks great! What switches are you using on the tubular track section?


----------



## L0stS0ul

Thanks  I did take a good while working on that smoke unit but now that is working good I have started focusing on the layout again. 

The switches are K-Line SuperSnap remote switches
http://www.collector-modeltrains.com/dash/universe/catalog_item/MT-0738129/
http://www.lionel.com/media/servicedocuments/72-1397-250.pdf

I have 2 left and 2 right hand and found them for $45 each. They work pretty good but all of them have required tinkering to get working right. The ones on the table now are working pretty smoothly.


----------



## gunrunnerjohn

I like those switches, the hidden switch machine is much better looking than the big Lionell 022 switch.


----------



## L0stS0ul

That is one of the things I like a lot about them. Very compact and attractive. I really like the look of the supertrack with the ties and everything else. Too bad it's not made anymore. The price was also a big bonus


----------



## Mark Boyce

Today is the first I have seen your layout. You have really made quite a nice transformation from the beginning.


----------



## Cycleops

Love the layout L0stS0ul . Never been a fan of three rail O but your railroad has the right mix and all the activity adds to the whole with plenty for the eye to discover. Clever track plan too. I'm sure you're enjoying it!


----------



## sjm9911

:appl:
How did I miss this thread?!? Lost soul great layout. Man it has a bit of everything and the scenery came out awesome. The tunnel was a great way to run the trains and gain space for scenery in a small space, brilliant


----------



## AmericaWestLines

Where did you find the dog?


----------



## Big Ed

AmericaWestLines said:


> Where did you find the dog?


A little pricey but here are some.
Sometimes if you wait and search e bay you can get these same packs a lot cheaper then what they want.
Search their site there may be more.



http://woodlandscenics.woodlandscenics.com/show/Item/A2725/page/1


----------



## Big Ed

That same thing is here cheaper,
http://www.oakridgehobbies.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=o+scale+dog

They have some others.

Edit,
Bachmann has this,
http://shop.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=3056


----------



## AmericaWestLines

Ah yes, pricey, but for the right dog would be worth it! LOstSOul 's dog looks like a lab. But then on an ipod a horse looks like a lab. 
A relative uses a guide dog so I'm looking for a lab to put a harness on. Only labs that i have found are horse sized.


----------



## Big Ed

AmericaWestLines said:


> Ah yes, pricey, but for the right dog would be worth it! LOstSOul 's dog looks like a lab. But then on an ipod a horse looks like a lab.
> A relative uses a guide dog so I'm looking for a lab to put a harness on. Only labs that i have found are horse sized.


I can't tell what it is by his pictures? Too small for me to see.:dunno:

One in here, I don't see a scale listed but I looked quickly.
Your right not many that are not the size of a horse.
http://www.scalefarm.com/_model-schleich-dogs_schleich_dogs.htm


----------



## AmericaWestLines

They have puppies on there too. Even they are large tho


----------



## AmericaWestLines

I missed one of your posts. The bachman and bowser both have lab like dogs Thanks.


----------



## L0stS0ul

Thanks guys. It's been a lot of fun building it.

The animal is from an assorted animal set my son got at Michel's craft store for a few bucks. It's not scale but a lot of the animals in that cheap grab bag work on the layout.


----------



## L0stS0ul

I found a link to it

http://www.michaels.com/safari-ltd-toobs-dogs/10319944.html#srule=price-low-to-high&sz=12&start=307

They have a ton of these "toobs" for buying animals. They are all over the place on scale but sometimes you can find some that work near what you are looking for.


----------



## AmericaWestLines

I thought I looked when I got my B17 there. Time to stop back in From your picture the dog seems about the right size.


----------



## L0stS0ul

So I've been trying to figure out how to expand this a bit. The inner loop I'm actually quite happy with. Just enough switching to be fun. The outer loop is just that. A loop so I want to expand that out some to make it a bit more interesting. I have another 4 or 5 feet I can expand out from the end on once I mount the TV to the wall. This is what I've come up with so far

















I've not yet figured out what I would do scenery wise. For sure another mountain as I really want to have a trolley line that goes from one mountain to the other with a stop in the middle for the little town. I also want to incorporate some bridges so I was thinking maybe a little pond in that middle triangle area. I think this could be a fun little expansion. It would take it from 8 feet to 13 feet in length.


----------



## gunrunnerjohn

That's how it starts, soon you'll have the whole room! 

Looking forward to seeing what you come up with. :thumbsup:


----------



## L0stS0ul

gunrunnerjohn said:


> That's how it starts, soon you'll have the whole room!
> 
> Looking forward to seeing what you come up with. :thumbsup:


I would love to have the whole room but I think my wife would disagree with that  I have to slowly expand to the full potential


----------



## gunrunnerjohn

You just take it a nibble at a time.


----------



## L0stS0ul

A little video update of the layout. I've picked up 2 PS2 engines and I am extremely pleased with them. One is from an entry level 2-8-0 Penn set. I have to say it's way more impressive than most of the lionel entry level sets. I have been recommending friends find these instead of the lionel ones. You can't beat the sound, smoke, and cruise control for the price. The other train is my first mid level train. A MTH 30-1554-1 Southern 4-6-2 Imperial P47. I love this engine. 

I've also been toying with the MTH remote commander. I need to have the 4-6-2 factory reset but the 2-8-0 works wonders with it. I'm really happy with it and I'm thinking about picking up the DCS Commander if I can find one for cheap. It should have able to handle my small layout.


----------



## gunrunnerjohn

Rather than the DCS Commander, I'd go for the full DCS. It's much more capable, the DC Commander is very limited. 

The DC Commander only provides DC to the tracks, so it's not compatible with many locomotives, and it also is limited to 100 watts maximum through the box.


----------



## L0stS0ul

Thanks for the info John. Maybe I'll actually have to save some money to move up to the full system. $350 is the cheapest I have found so far and I don't know if that's all I'll need yet (just reading up on it). The commander is tempting on my budget at only $130 even with the limitations but you're recommendations have always been spot on. I'm already swapping out between the remote commander and the z1000 controller when I want to run other trains. Guess I'm used to it at the moment


----------



## gunrunnerjohn

Truthfully, I'd really hold out for the full DCS. Everyone that I know that's ever bought the DCS Commander has regretted it soon after the purchase. In this case, you really do get what you pay for.

Remember, the full DCS system supports four channels with 10 amps for each channel. Also, two of the channels are variable channels that will run in either fixed mode or variable mode to run conventional stuff on those loops using the DCS remote.


----------



## L0stS0ul

OK, you have sold me. It will take a while but I'll start saving up for the real deal. ☺


----------



## gunrunnerjohn

You won't be sorry.


----------



## L0stS0ul

My wife gave me the go ahead to purchase the full dcs system. Pat's Trains has a really good price on it and after describing all the stuff it could do my wife told me to just get it as a birthday gift. Thanks me 

I do have a question about wiring this thing.

The layout has an inside O-31 tube track oval with a simple reverse loop using 3 kline supersnap switches. The outside loop is a simple fastrack oval. I currently power all of my accessories with a CW-80 thru the accessory port. The inside track uses the MTH remote commander powered by a Z-1000 brick. That brick also provides direct power to the supersnap switches from the 14v out. The outside fastrack oval has it's own Z-1000 and power brick controlling it. Right now the 2 tracks are completely isolated

The goal with this is to simplify all of this to the one controller. I am hoping that I can run track leads off the TIU to both sets of track so the one controller and control both tracks. Is that possible or will I have to do some more creative wiring or something else? It's not been clear from what I've been reading. I believe the TIU can handle blocks but not sure about completely isolated track sections

Can a single Z-1000 power brick handle the 2 separate tracks running 2 trains and the switches? All of the other accessories will remain on the CW-80. I do tend to run 5 or 6 lighted passenger cars on the two tracks.

What I would really like to do is take that remote commander upstairs with one of the Z-1000 bricks and use that to power the 12x12 layout I'm doing around the ceiling in the family room that my new train will go around for the holidays.

Is all of this possible or do I need to purchase something else. 

Thanks


----------



## gunrunnerjohn

I think two passenger trains with standard incandescent lighting may strain the Z1000 brick. I'd consider picking up a Lionel PowerHouse 180 for the layout, it'll handle the two trains with no problem, and it also has an industry leading electronic circuit breaker.


----------



## L0stS0ul

Thanks John,

I have converted most of my passenger trains to LED at this point. They are all old K-Line streamliners and I'm using lights from an Amazon LED strip. The ones that I have not converted I need to do so anyway as the light is slightly different from the streamliner glow. Hopefully the Z-1000 will hold me over until I can find a powerhouse 180 to replace it with. Most places say December before they will have stock. 

Are there any good sites with suggestions on wiring 2 separate tracks with the TIU?


----------



## gunrunnerjohn

There's no "magic" to wiring separate tracks with the TIU, it's actually pretty simple. For a 4x8 loop, you can just wire each loop with a couple of drops, one on each side, and have a split in the center rail midway between the drops. Obviously, you will have to isolate the center rail of any crossover switches.

I'd use the two variable channels, that way you can run conventional or command. on each loop. Configure the TIU variable channels in fixed mode and turn on DCS for all channels. You end up with fixed channels until you select a track and vary the voltage. Presto, you have variable power without changing any wiring or flipping any switches.


----------



## L0stS0ul

OK, well I can keep the 2 z-1000 power bricks. I have an old Lionel transformer I can use for the upstairs track with the remote commander in passive mode.

When you use the variable channels do you go thru the z-1000 controller or straight from the power brick? Reading the manual it looks like there are some interesting limitations with variable. Do you have to do variable in to variable out or can you mix fixed input to variable output? I've already ordered the power brick to banana plug connector.


----------



## gunrunnerjohn

Straight to the TIU, no variable voltages as input. The TIU has four channels, two of them are variable and two are fixed. The variable channels can run in fixed mode, which is to say they will pass the transformer voltage through for command operations. However, the variable channels will also magically switch to variable voltage by just selecting them from the remote and changing the voltage.

The channels are 1:1, if you connect a transformer to variable #1 input, the power comes out ONLY the variable #1 output. You can connect one transformer to more than one TIU channel and share the power.


----------



## L0stS0ul

Thanks John,

The system should be arriving sometime this week. Can't wait to test it all out. I'm sure it will give me weeks of tinkering


----------



## gunrunnerjohn

The last "tip" on the TIU, I recommend you use one 50W or so transformer to power the aux power. If you don't have aux power, you MUST power the Fixed #1 input as that's the two ways the TIU receives internal power. You can parallel Fixed #1 and Variable #1 if you like and just use the Variable #1 output as previously described.


----------



## L0stS0ul

hmm, I don't have a 50W transformer for that. If I am reading correctly I should do the following:

1. Using the tiu plug adapter for one of the Z-1000 bricks plug it into the Fixed #1 
2. Use wires to connect the poles on Fixed #1 to Variable #1
3. Attach wires to track on the Variable #1 output.

4. Using the tiu plug adapter for the second Z-1000 brick plug it into the Variable #2 
5. Attach wires to second track on the Variable #2 output

The 2 tracks are not connected in any way. 

Does that sound right? Thanks so much


----------



## gunrunnerjohn

You got it, that will work fine. The one downside of using the main transformer to power the TIU is if you trip the breaker on the power to Fixed #1, the TIU loses power and the second channel loses control.


----------



## L0stS0ul

ok interesting. that could be a real problem. I have a CW-80 that I currently use to power my accessories off the accessory jacks. Could I possibly power the TIU fixed #1 with track power from the CW-80 and use the 2 z-1000's on just the variable? Would there be a better way to do that? Totally forgot I had that lionel transformer just sitting there


----------



## L0stS0ul

The system came in today and it was super simple to hook up using the z-1000 bricks. I used the TIU/Barrel Jack Adapter Cables to connect one z-1000 to fixed 1 and the other to fixed 2. Then just grabbed the first drop on each that were going to the controllers previously and connected to the fix out 1 and 2. It works awesome and I've been able to reprogram all of my engines to the way I like which is really nice. 

I was surprised to see with only one lockon on each track the track signal shows 10 all the way around on both tracks. I am seeing some voltage drop on both tracks with only one lockon on each but only about a volt. I get 17 near the drop and 16 at the farthest end. I know they are not huge but still I was happy to see that 

Now to plan out how I'll wire this for good. I need to replace the 20 gauge wire that came with the lionel track with something beefier and add one more lockon on each track. Since I have a bunch of conventional I'll switch over to the variable channels. I also need to find a small power block to power it. I'm still learning this thing but there is a ton to play with that is for sure


----------



## gunrunnerjohn

Sounds like you're well on your way.


----------



## L0stS0ul

Now that a number of other projects are out of the way, mainly the ceiling layout in the family room, I am back to thinking about the layout in the basement. I liked the idea I had before but I decided I wasn't maximizing my fun. I really want to connect the 2 tracks and I think I have figured out a way to do it and it should be quite a bit cheaper than the other layout I was thinking. I already have the tubular switch for that side so I only have to buy 3 fastrack switches.

















The big question I guess is how to wire this with the TIU. Maybe the transition piece from fastrack to tubular could also handle the the isolation. I'm pretty sure I need to isolate the 2 loops with this setup.


----------



## sjm9911

Looks like you really Jamed as much "fun" as possible in that layout! GRJ will help with the technical stuff!


----------



## gunrunnerjohn

You can just cut one piece, or if you have a 1 1/8" piece in that transition track, pull the jumper. Connect the two TIU channels, one to each loop, and away you go. You can power both TIU inputs from one power supply if it has enough power.


----------



## L0stS0ul

Thanks John, I was hoping it would be pretty easy like that.  

I think the big trick will be finding an 031 fastrack switch. I couldn't make this work without that and every place I check is out of stock.


----------



## gunrunnerjohn

Those were announced several years ago, and I guess there is a pent-up demand.  Current "shipping status" is Oct 15, 2015.


----------



## L0stS0ul

actually I take that back. I can get away with 036 switch on that. Everything still lines up and connects in scarm. If it's that close there should be no extreme flexing I'll have to do.


----------



## gunrunnerjohn

Unless I'm missing something, it looks pretty easy to isolate the two loops.


----------



## L0stS0ul

That's where I was thinking I would isolate it. I'll already have the fastrack -> tube transition piece so could just go with plastic pins on that or something. I've got a ton of plastic pins that came with the k-line switches.

I love playing around with scarm. So many options you can try out. 

Here's another option which would provide for better continuous running and limit the need to back up to turn the trains around. On the other hand though things do not line up nearly as nicely so there will be some forcing of the track into the setup.


----------



## L0stS0ul

I think I have settled on the cross over as the track plan. I think the cross over will add an interesting twist to the layout and I'll have a good amount of space to add passenger stations and stuff. It's going to be a bit before I can start building though. I'm looking at about $140 in track I still have to buy and then 3 or 4 fastrack switches (if I do that siding) which are amazingly expensive. I hope I can find some of those in an auction or something for much cheaper. With materials it's likely around $500+ addition to the layout. Gotta save some money. The wife has been way to kind about my spending recently


----------



## L0stS0ul

Since I don't want to wait until sometime next year, I can drastically reduce the cost if I get rid of the reverse loop. I only need 1 switch and I can still reverse the train in the smaller loop if I want to. Total cost of track with the 1 switch is only $160 shipped. Much more reasonable. Since I need all of the parts for the full design I'm not wasting anything. I can get the layout built and then when the rest of the money, or a good auction comes up, I can get the other parts and add onto it.


----------



## Mark Boyce

I like that last version a lot better. It has always seemed to me if one puts in a crossover to another track, there needs to be a way to get back again without putting the train into reverse.


----------



## L0stS0ul

I agree Mark. I really want to have the trains able to switch tracks without having to reverse. Cost is also an issue for me so I'm trying to keep it down as much as possible. I found 2 fastrack switches for about $80 so I only need to pick up one more k-line switch for $40 and I'll be done with switches I think. I've been playing around and I think I have 2 finalists for the layout. 

I have a few goals. 
1. I want a section to have a girder bridge that flows into a pond that I can have people fishing around and maybe a little boat or something in it. I really like the water and want to add more to the layout

2. I want to have another tunnel area cause I had a blast building the last mountain and I want to do it again 

3. I really want the 2 tracks to be connected. I run a lot of passenger cars so I want several stops. Also more buildings for a tiny town somewhere for freight. I can't afford sidings so this has to be trackside

So here are the candidates. 

#1 The cross over. 








I like this one as the crossover adds some interesting visual things. Plus I have one of those 90's that I'm not using right now. It also allows me to add more interest and stops around the fastrack which gives the fastrack loop purpose. Right now there is none.

#2 The modified Dog Bone








I like this one as it makes the internal loop larger. I think this one would be much more visually interesting as the trains go around. Only issue is the outside fastrack loop still doesn't have any real purpose. I suppose if I made the water feature less large I could stick a passenger station along it but that's about it. 

I think both options would be nice and they line up really well with what I have currently. Plus the cost is only about $100 more dollars for both options (without scenery of course, just track)


----------



## gunrunnerjohn

I like the second one, the dogbone. You get two larger independent loops to run on.

We'll have to re-title your thread as "_*Our O Scale 12x4 Layout*_" soon.


----------



## L0stS0ul

I think I'm leaning toward the dogbone as well. I almost have every thing I need to build that layout too and it's cleaner with none of those tiny fastrack pieces. Hopefully break ground on this during the holidays  There are a few options for mountains and tunnels too. I didn't intend to but I guess I've landed on the PRR and Southern so these mountains work well


----------



## gunrunnerjohn

I like it, lots of tunnels and interest around the layout. The airport adds a nice touch as well.


----------



## longbow57ca

Hello, LOStSOul, I just love your work on your small Lionel layout, It is very nice layout with lots action on a small layout. You should put that layout in Classic Toy Trains magazine or O Gauge magazine. I think they would be happy to get your layout for their magazines. Thanks longbow57ca.


----------



## Big Ed

Leave the back of the tunnels open so you can get in there if you need to.


----------



## Mr.Buchholz

Awesome! I love that landing strip with the hangar and planes! I had thought of that when I started building mine, but instead went with the helipad.

I also like that lighted tower you have! Lighted towers are neat, and every layout should have one! Glad to hear your son is getting into it as well!

-J.


----------



## L0stS0ul

longbow57ca said:


> Hello, LOStSOul, I just love your work on your small Lionel layout, It is very nice layout with lots action on a small layout. You should put that layout in Classic Toy Trains magazine or O Gauge magazine. I think they would be happy to get your layout for their magazines. Thanks longbow57ca.


Thanks, it's a fun layout and we all really enjoy it. Plus it was a blast building it  I'm not aware of these magazines or how to submit it to them. 



big ed said:


> Leave the back of the tunnels open so you can get in there if you need to.


I have huge sections out of the current mountain. It always seems that trains derail inside the mountain that is for sure. Plus cleaning the track is a pain. I think on the next mountain I'm going to make the top removable to make my life easier 



Mr.Buchholz said:


> Awesome! I love that landing strip with the hangar and planes! I had thought of that when I started building mine, but instead went with the helipad.
> 
> I also like that lighted tower you have! Lighted towers are neat, and every layout should have one! Glad to hear your son is getting into it as well!
> 
> -J.


Thanks. The airport was one of my sons request. He loves airplanes and trains now. He's just getting into the choo choo bob show. The lighted tower is my dad's marx tower from the 50's. They are really cool if you can get them working well. I've spent hours with this one


----------



## A&NRR

I love the S.P. daylight, I may have to set up an O scale layout just so I can get another Daylight GS-4.


----------



## L0stS0ul

I've been slowly adding the track and switches that I will need to complete the layout. I'm nearly there now. I just picked up the last 2 switches yesterday. I'm hoping to start work on the layout soon. My wife and I just re-arranged the room that I currently do all of my work on the trains and now all of my stuff is on the other side of the wall. Then the thought came into my head... What if I created a staging/repair area with a small tunnel through the wall. So I tested that idea out. It just might work.

I'm going to start this in stages. First I'm going to add the cross track to the existing layout to complete the reversing options. Then I'll extend it out to create the ability to switch between tracks. Then I'll see about adding the switches needed to do the service area.


----------



## cole226

OH NO. 
now there are trains going thru the walls. there will be no end now:cheeky4:


----------



## Mark Boyce

cole226 said:


> OH NO.
> now there are trains going thru the walls. there will be no end now:cheeky4:


Yes, his wife will be trying to line him up for counseling before he knows it. 

Now the title should be "Our O Scale 12 x 4 Layout, With a Mouse Hole Into the Next Room Yard"


----------



## L0stS0ul

It was her idea and so was the ceiling train in the family room. Of course after saying, "hey could you run a train into that room" the next thing she said was "maybe you can not expand it out under the TV." Of course I had to tell her that no, it must be expanded


----------



## L0stS0ul

Proof I've been picking up parts for the expansion. All of the switches and crossovers needed. Even a nice k-line action accessory girder bridge  I've ordered the rest of the track that is needed and I'm just waiting for it to arrive to start work I'm really excited to get started. :smilie_daumenpos: The destruction pics will be incoming :smokin:


----------



## Magic

Great I love destruction pics.

Magic


----------



## gunrunnerjohn

We're going to have to change the title of this thread soon, I think the 4 x 8 aspect is disappearing fast.


----------



## GK Trains

Great use of space. Very nice scenicing detail


----------



## L0stS0ul

I've started the deconstruction and the rest of the track came in yesterday. Getting all of the old ballast up and cleaning the track was a royal PITA as well as servicing the switches. Two of them required work. I'm close to having step 1 done which is to finish the figure 8 and redo all of the original wiring with soldered connections. Step 2 is to get the TV mounted to the wall with the speaker, and step 3 is to expand the table and lay all of the new track. It's coming along well.


----------



## L0stS0ul

I've had it wired up and running for a few days now and I'm just not liking how the trains run on it. I've got 2 issues going on. 

1. Two of my engines are shorting out on the left hand switches. I can't figure out where but both are showing scorch marks on the rear collector. The short is fast and I just see a large spark and the engine keeps going but it's very concerning. 5 engines are fine but these 2 are so strange. 

2. The other issue is the Lionel cross track. The center plate is not playing nicely with some of my passenger cars. The grooves are so deep and wide that the passenger car collectors are dropping down causing everything to stop and then it pops up. Not quite enough to derail it but close. 

It was certainly worth a try but I'm just not enjoying the figure 8. It feels like too much track in that little space and somehow makes the whole layout feel smaller. Time to rethink things a bit.


----------



## L0stS0ul

I've been talking this over with my wife this evening and due to several issues not only is a change in track plan needed but also a change in location for the train table. Unfortunately for me this means I have to shave a foot off the table size length wise as the new area is not as big. I've been messing around with SCARM most of the night trying to fit everything I want into an 11x4 table size and I think I've managed to do it in 10.5x3.5. I have to now figure out how to 1. move the current table into the other room without destroying it and 2. how to raise it up. I don't want to start over from scratch so that will be a trick. I think I have the track plan though. Would love to know what you all think. Anything you can think of that would make it better with the 8 switches I have? The goals are:

1. I want the outer loop and inner loop connected
2. I want to be able to reverse the trains from either direction inside the inner loop
3. I want a good amount of space for scenery and I need to incorporate a bridge
4. Outside loop will be fastrack and inside tube
5. I have 2 fastrack switches and 6 tube switches to play with
6. I'm not allowed to buy any more track. With the smaller table size I should have a lot left over now from what I have on hand


----------



## Big Ed

L0stS0ul said:


> 6.* I'm not allowed to buy any more track.* With the smaller table size I should have a lot left over now from what I have on hand



*"I'm not allowed to buy any more track." *You should have had a ! at the end of this. 
Who is not allowing you? :dunno:

Looks like you accomplished most of your goals, except the part about having lots of room for scenery? You need a larger table?hwell:

What happened to the hole in the wall plan?


----------



## L0stS0ul

The table will now be where the hole in the wall would have lead. This also means my work area is being reduced in size to make room for the table to be in the same room. If I had just moved faster on the table build. Now I have way less space 

When my new cabooses came in yesterday she wasn't very happy with me so I'm on a spending block for a while hehe.


----------



## gunrunnerjohn

Continue the discussion here. 

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=71042


----------

