# Ceiling Train HO Scale



## kezug

My son, who is 8, loves trains. Since we do not have a room to dedicate for a permenant layout, we decided to do an Extreme Bedroom Makeover. Together, my wife and I modified his room; new paint, custom desk and a train track on the wall complete with 2 types of truss bridges. 

Now I understand this is not the ideal way to present a model train, but considering our limited space, and my son's love of trains, I just had to make the most of the situation. Plus, we still have floor space in the basement for him to do ad-hoc setups for unlimited combinations any time he wants.

The materials
- 1/2" MDF for the track shelf (shelf is about 7" wide)
- brackets from Menards (6" version is menards, but this is the 10" version at lowes to give you a better idea of what they look like Click here for Bracket
- and many various sizes of "doll" rods (only the square ones, not sure what they are called)
- and some trim

*Here is a link to YouTube Video or just watch below*


----------



## Lownen

Beautiful work! Your son is very fortunate to have parents like you.


----------



## Boston&Maine

Everything looks wicked good! Nice work on those trusses, they are beautiful


----------



## sptrains.com

Fantastic work, I would have loved to do something in wood, but I don't have the woodworking skills required so I went with the train shelving. I'm happy with the results, but yours is a whole different level.


----------



## Boston&Maine

I have always wondered about this, but I forgot to ask it in my last post so I will ask it now... How high is the track off of the floor, about 8ish feet? How well can you actually see the trains when they are going around the track, especially since it is HO scale?


----------



## sptrains.com

Based on the pictures it looks like they're at 7' figuring a 6'8 door. Visibility of the trains was my one concern from looking at the pics. I may have gone with O gauge or larger, but it looks like the track is on the inside of the shelf, away from the walls so visibility might be pretty good all around.

Once again, I'm just amazed by the workmanship. Stellar job all around.


----------



## kezug

Thanks for all the feedback. I have to say that when my wife put the idea of doing a "ceiling track for a train" in my head, I was not to thrilled about it. For all the reasons and concerns mentioned so far. But after some thought and designing, I was determined to pull it off. 

As for the height of the track, yes, its about 7' off the ground and while its wide enough for 2 tracks, I only have one track on it now and its close to the inner room side edge. Once the second track goes up, it will be more difficult to see, but when it goes over those bridges, it's a treat.

If you notice, in the video, the last segment is pretty much the view point from laying on the bed. This view allows you to see plenty of the train.


----------



## kezug

I do have a question: I ran 20guage wiring throught the wall (its your typical wiring with a single coating on it).

Its hooked up to a transformer that accepts 120v and outputs 16 DCV and 18 ACV.

This wiring is running through the drywall, under the baseboard and then thru the desk to the transformer.

Is this type of wiring safe to put behind the drywall? Is there a better wire that I should be using?


----------



## sptrains.com

It's not up to code, but since you're not running 110 through it, I think you'll be fine. I've never seen wire that size even get slightly warm to the touch with HO track before.


----------



## kezug

Video is now available on You Tube.

This is my first video on you tube, and its neat to have something like this there. Please check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BQCDh61GBw


----------



## smokey

Man, way cool :thumbsup:

Really nice woodwork, too :thumbsup:


----------



## sptrains.com

Very cool, I've taken the liberty of adding the youtube link, you'll see that your video now shows up right on this page. Just click the youtube button when posting a message to embed a video.:thumbsup:


----------



## Boston&Maine

sptrains.com said:


>



I fixed it for you, LOL 

You do not need the whole link, just the video "code" which in this case would be 9BQCDh61GBw...


----------



## sptrains.com

Boston&Maine said:


> I fixed it for you, LOL
> 
> You do not need the whole link, just the video "code" which in this case would be 9BQCDh61GBw...


I have no idea what you're talking about, my video works perfectly! :smokin:

EDIT Button For the Win!


----------



## kezug

Boston&Maine said:


> I fixed it for you, LOL
> 
> You do not need the whole link, just the video "code" which in this case would be 9BQCDh61GBw...


Thanks guys, I fixed the original post...I didnt see that you can add <YT></YT> links directly to show a video...too cool.


----------



## valiant

kezug said:


> Thanks for all the feedback. I have to say that when my wife put the idea of doing a "ceiling track for a train" in my head, I was not to thrilled about it. For all the reasons and concerns mentioned so far. But after some thought and designing, I was determined to pull it off.


Looks great! I just joined and know very little about setting up a track. I feel I'm in the same boat as you because my wife has been after me to for about a year to do just what you did. When I saw your post I was excited because now I know its not impossible! 

May I ask a few questions?

I was worried about how sharp you can make the corners. Did you use some MDF that was already made for a corner or did you cut it out of a bigger piece?

I have a box of old train stuff but I was thinking about buying a bunch of that 36" flexable track cause I figure It'll be easier to make the track fit the shelf exactly where I want it. Does that sound about right?

Thanks in advance


----------



## Lownen

valiant;

Are you working in HO scale also?


----------



## valiant

Yes, I have a bunch of old cars, assorted track and the controllers and 2 engines that my wife had when she was little. Would have liked to go bigger but I'm going to try to keep costs down and us what I have.


----------



## sptrains.com

If you're tallented with wood, the way this one is laid out is gorgeous, if you're like me and not a finish carpenter, I'd recommend going the way I did with the premade wire grid units. It's not as pretty, but it was really easy to suspend, and works great with my son's G scale train. You'd be done in a weekend, and running trains.


----------



## kezug

valiant said:


> May I ask a few questions?
> 
> I was worried about how sharp you can make the corners. Did you use some MDF that was already made for a corner or did you cut it out of a bigger piece?
> 
> I have a box of old train stuff but I was thinking about buying a bunch of that 36" flexable track cause I figure It'll be easier to make the track fit the shelf exactly where I want it. Does that sound about right?
> 
> Thanks in advance


I used 1 - 4x8 sheet of MDF 1/2". From that I cut 3 (7"x48") boards for the long runs. From the left over, I cut the corner pieces. 
To make the corners, specifically the curves, I simply connected 3 pieces of curved track with 1 straight away on each end. I then layed the track on the board to trace out the curve. When you do this, you will see exactly where to make your curve and cut. I believe, the corner square I needed to start with was 22" square. 

I used regular curve track for all the turns, with flexitrack in between. If i did it again, I would not have used flex track since I was making simple turns with straight aways.


----------



## kezug

I really didnt expect the favorable feedback so thanks to everyone who responded. I have added many more pictures to my first post....check it out.

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showpost.php?p=2233&postcount=1


----------



## shaygetz

kezug said:


> I really didnt expect the favorable feedback so thanks to everyone who responded.


Your Monster Scratchbuild of the day at my blog...for all the fame and glory that's worth Your work'll be seen by tens of people...


----------



## valiant

sptrains.com said:


> If you're tallented with wood, the way this one is laid out is gorgeous, if you're like me and not a finish carpenter, I'd recommend going the way I did with the premade wire grid units. It's not as pretty, but it was really easy to suspend, and works great with my son's G scale train. You'd be done in a weekend, and running trains.




I'm okay with wood but I don't know if I can swing a bridge like that. I'm open to other ideas though, do you have a link to some "premade wire grid" or is that something I have to bend up out of some wire mesh?


----------



## upsman4767

Outstanding work! I'm very impressed.


----------



## sptrains.com

Valiant,

The stuff is this : Ceiling Track grid & Supports

I'm working on getting pictures up, but here are pictures of the one in my son's room. It's off a camera phone, so not ideal.










I put molly bolts in the ceiling with washers, and a circular hanger from home depot connected to the S hook hangers. Then I zip tied all the pieces together with black zip ties, and used the S hook to loop around each joint. It's very stable but since I didn't use any shelf brackets instead suspending the entire thing, it sways when stopping my son's large G trains suddenly.

I hope this helps.


----------



## RagnarRobertssonRR

Wow - just like Lionel or G trains, only smaller!


----------



## Stan kolak

*Ceiling train*

Nice job. I too have a ceiling mount, but with no bridges. I cleared the two door frames. Each corner is a season of the year.


----------



## Boston&Maine

Stan kolak said:


> Nice job. I too have a ceiling mount, but with no bridges. I cleared the two door frames. Each corner is a season of the year.


That is awsome idea Stan, I bet it looks really cool... Any chance that you can get some pictures of it uploaded to here?


----------



## railroadstooge

Hats off to you for the arch truss bridge. Really some impressive work.


----------



## Stan kolak

*Ceiling trains*

I also have a ceiling train set-up, but with no bridges. I sent them to the forum but with no title, on Monday night, EDT, May 12th. I hope someone finds them and post them. My wife did most of the work, picking out the best. Stan Kolak


----------



## Stan kolak

*Ceiling train, sent to forum, hope it gets on board*



Boston&Maine said:


> That is awsome idea Stan, I bet it looks really cool... Any chance that you can get some pictures of it uploaded to here?


 Sent the pix's with help from wife, to the forum, hope someone picks it up and post it. Stan Kolak


----------



## Boston&Maine

Stan kolak said:


> I also have a ceiling train set-up, but with no bridges. I sent them to the forum but with no title, on Monday night, EDT, May 12th. I hope someone finds them and post them. My wife did most of the work, picking out the best. Stan Kolak


What do you mean by "sent them to the forum"? Did you use the "contact us" e-mail at the bottom of the page? LOL, I have no clue who has access to that, I think that only Tworail does :dunno:


----------



## Stan kolak

*20 gage wire*



kezug said:


> I do have a question: I ran 20guage wiring throught the wall (its your typical wiring with a single coating on it).
> 
> Its hooked up to a transformer that accepts 120v and outputs 16 DCV and 18 ACV.
> 
> This wiring is running through the drywall, under the baseboard and then thru the desk to the transformer.
> 
> Is this type of wiring safe to put behind the drywall? Is there a better wire that I should be using?


 20 gage is rated at three amps. HO trains run at about 1/2 amps. OK for straight DC. DCC with 30 volts for a start, might be close if three engines are running on the same track. On the next installation thru walls, use #16, 10 amps, wiring is cheap. Speaqker wire or extension cords are about #16 gage.


----------



## T-Man

Great Job!

Just think, with a timer you could use the train sounds to lull yourself to sleep!


----------



## Boston&Maine

Hey, I had never thought about that T-Man... That sounds like a really good idea to use a train to help you fall asleep... Maybe I will put an overhead train in my bedroom when I get a house


----------



## Stan kolak

*ceiling mount*



Boston&Maine said:


> That is awsome idea Stan, I bet it looks really cool... Any chance that you can get some pictures of it uploaded to here?


.................sent pix's to forum, could not send out to modeltrainforum.com/gallery. Have sent pix to personal friends, OK. Cannot send specifically to the photo gallery, stan kolak


----------



## Boston&Maine

Stan kolak said:


> .................sent pix's to forum, could not send out to modeltrainforum.com/gallery. Have sent pix to personal friends, OK. Cannot send specifically to the photo gallery, stan kolak


Yea, TwoRail sent them to me via e-mail, your layout is very cool... Something is wrong though with my account now too, I can not upload to the gallery either... As soon as TwoRail gets a spare minute he is going to look into that and then I will post all of them up for you :thumbsup:


----------



## Boston&Maine

Well, I found a little loop-hole in the system... Everyone, here is Stan Kolak's ceiling layout, featuring each of the four seasons :thumbsup:


----------



## Stan kolak

Boston&Maine said:


> I have always wondered about this, but I forgot to ask it in my last post so I will ask it now... How high is the track off of the floor, about 8ish feet? How well can you actually see the trains when they are going around the track, especially since it is HO scale?


.........In the non-bridge ceiling mount, about 7 ft above ground. The rear track, to the wall, is raised on 1" thick high pile carpet. The view is good plus no noise factor thrown in as a goodie.


----------



## DocStone

sptrains.com said:


> If you're tallented with wood, the way this one is laid out is gorgeous, if you're like me and not a finish carpenter, I'd recommend going the way I did with the premade wire grid units. It's not as pretty, but it was really easy to suspend, and works great with my son's G scale train. You'd be done in a weekend, and running trains.


Hey SP, do you sell the premade wire grids for O or G scale? If so, can I get a link?


----------



## mwsmith34

*Derail?*

Great ceiling and shelf layouts.

I am planning on building a shelf layout in my son's room (~7ft off floor). Going to use 0-Gauge. 

Do you receommend I take any precautions for potential derailments (7ft fall)? The layouts in this thread have no gaurds (plexi). I like the open look this offers. Other web searches have turned up some layouts that use plexiglass border or wire border to prevent train falling. What have your experiences been?

Thanks


----------



## mr_x_ite_ment

I have often been interested in ceiling layouts. I think they are a great option for a small house where space is limited. I may build one myself one day. I say, "Great job," to the guys who displayed their work on this thread! I will have lots of inspiration if I ever decide to try a ceiling-style layout!

Chad


----------



## gunrunnerjohn

I recommend some sort of derailment protection. I'm planning a dual-track ceiling train myself, it'll have some sort of barrier to prevent falling trains.


----------



## tjcruiser

MWSmith,

Personal preference to a large extent ... the tradeoff between aesthetics and train safety. If it was me, I'd opt for some sort of rail protection.

One thing to consider with an O setup: corner curve radius, and limitation on the size of the loco/cars that can navigate the turn. To keep the corner shelves reasonably tight to the wall, you'll likely want 27" or 31" diameter turns.

Enjoy!

TJ


----------



## gunrunnerjohn

I'm using O31, but to allow some of my locomotives to navigate it, I'm going to have to watch the spacing, they have a lot of overhang on O31 curves.


----------



## Massey

Hey guys! I stumbled apon this forum while researching info for a ceiling layout I am going to build for my son and myself. Good job to the OP on the layout for his kids! 

Massey


----------



## VmiPat

Hello all,

Sorry to bring this thread back from so long ago, but this one looks just like the setup I want to do in my basement.

The only question that I haven't been able to find while researching everything is how to run power to the entire track. The only thing I have seen people do for a setup like this is to run things behind the drywall. Is there another way to do this without it looking bad?

Thanks


----------



## Ken O.

Saw one on youtube where he ran the wiring under the track but then put crown molding under the shelf to tidy it up and hide the wiring. Not sure how he got power to it in the first place though. I am planning this type of layout also but on mine one section will go through the corner of the closet under the stairs (tunnel) so I can connect all my power wires in the closet where it won't be seen. Then my feeder wires will be hidden by crown molding like the one I mentioned.


----------



## Mustang Gregg

Very nice!!!


----------



## VmiPat

Ken O. said:


> Saw one on youtube where he ran the wiring under the track but then put crown molding under the shelf to tidy it up and hide the wiring. Not sure how he got power to it in the first place though. I am planning this type of layout also but on mine one section will go through the corner of the closet under the stairs (tunnel) so I can connect all my power wires in the closet where it won't be seen. Then my feeder wires will be hidden by crown molding like the one I mentioned.



Ah that makes sense.

Random question: The one thing I will be adding to my setup is a cooler mounted on the other side of the drywall where my hot water heater room is. I plan to mount a cooler with a slot cut out just above track height with a ramp down to the train. My question here is if there is an HO scale train car that is big enough to take a 12oz beer can from the ramp without tipping over. If I have to go up in scale I can, I just grew up with HO so I prefer it. I did some tests with a log dump style one earlier, but it was too unstable. My intent here is to move the train forward roughly 5 feet so that I can have the train car dump over/etc to drop the beer to me on the couch.

I can post my plans soon


----------



## Featherbedder

Go with G scale, it would carry a keg.


----------



## Mustang Gregg

In my limited experience, I don't reckon HO would handle a side dump of a 12 oz can. It will probably have to be G [or at least O].

Mustang


----------

