# Doorway Layout & Track Question



## seabilliau (Dec 12, 2011)

I'm just starting out and was wondering if anyone has any experience in setting up a "doorway layout" for O gauge? I have been looking Thor's page...

http://www.thortrains.net/marx/drlaydex.html

...and like the idea as I will have limited space when I set up my first layout in the basement. I also like the idea of being able to purchase a slab 7x3 door at HomeDepot for $25 and then put some legs on it for a quick table that I can expand on by adding another door. I wanted to know if anyone had any hints/warnings they could pass before I start.

Track Question:

Also, the set I will be starting out with comes with Fastrack. By the time I'll start I'll have an engine in O27 and another in O. I understand the numbering for the O gauge but its still a little confusion knowing where to start off sometimes. Any help would be great.

seabilliau


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Sea,

I built a very simple O27 layout about that same size (33 x 96 or so, I think). I used a sheet of 3/4" MDF mounted to a 2x4 box frame, with standard banquet-table folding legs underneath that. In the middle, I build a small pull out drawer for the transformer and a few block-section toggle switches. All in all, very basic.

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=3469

My biggest dissappointment is in the O27 manual switches. Most of my prewar, tinplate locos cannot navigate across the switches without some sort of short that trips the e-unit.

I don't know much about Fastrack, but you may be more limited in layout options than you would with standard tubular track ... you can cut tubular to length pretty easily ... I'm not sure how easy it is to do that with Fastrack.

Regards,

TJ


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

seabilliau said:


> I'm just starting out and was wondering if anyone has any experience in setting up a "doorway layout" for O gauge? I have been looking Thor's page...
> 
> http://www.thortrains.net/marx/drlaydex.html
> 
> ...


A 4x8 sheet of wood is better then a 7x3 door? Should be able to get a sheet of wood for the same price.
If you got the space start at the beginning with biggest you can, if you can. It is a lot easier.

O/27 will run on O track and O/27. Not all O will run on O/27 track. And the O/27 switches will give the some of the O trains a problem.

You do know there is a difference in O and O/27 track?
Check Thors site you will see the difference.

I believe most O runs on fast track, though if you don't have a large curve the big stuff will either look funny going around or won't go around them.
Most new trains are listed with the minimum curve it will run on.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Fastrack is difficult but not impossible to customize the lengths, basically you have to cut a piece out of the middle, and bond the two pieces together. Ugly, but it works. With the fixed pins, cutting off one end and adding pins is difficult, and I've never found a place to buy the pins.


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## seabilliau (Dec 12, 2011)

Tj,
Would standard 0 have been better or is it just impossible with that width? Would you have used something else? What does it look like now?


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## seabilliau (Dec 12, 2011)

Big Ed,
I do know that 027 has less of a radius tha 0 (yes?) from what I've read. So, if I have the room, and all things being equal would it be safer overall to stick with 0?


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## pookybear (Feb 3, 2011)

O gauge rail comes in many sizes.

The way it goes I think... Lionel was 0-42, with 0-31 being used on smaller
0 gauge sets. The 0-27 was the bottom of the line in the cheapest of sets.
However, there are choices beyond this. Back in the early teens Ives track
was 0-27 but in "high rail" style like 0-31 and 0-42. Also one can get Hornby
track if you look around a bit. It is made in both 0-24 and 0-48. Like others
have stated there are larger sizes as well. 0-54 0-72 and so on. But when
keeping the layout to a smaller size short engines are king so the tighter 
curves can be used.

Pookybear


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

seabilliau said:


> Tj,
> Would standard 0 have been better or is it just impossible with that width? Would you have used something else? What does it look like now?



At a 33" layout depth (dictated by a room door), I didn't have much option other than the O27 (27" diameter) setup. I had a stockpile of old (but servicable) O27 track on hand, so I just jumped into the layout without really thinking things through in much detail. Since then, I've spent more time restoring my O trains rather than running them mad, and the layout is pretty much a stockpile of locos and freight cars. It's the problems with the O27 switches and my prewar locos that's a killer to more run time.

In retrospect, I'd juggle some other things in my basement, move the layout location over a bit, and work to a deeper layout depth, with standard O tubular as the track.

Live and learn ...

TJ


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## servoguy (Jul 10, 2010)

TJ, have you tried the metal Marx switches. They should handle your prewar stuff just fine. They work better than any of the later O-27 switches, IMHO.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Bruce,

You had suggested that once before ... duly noted. When I go to the big Springfield, MA show in Jan, I'll keep my eyes open for some Marx switches.

Cheers,

TJ


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## seabilliau (Dec 12, 2011)

I live close to Springfield, MA. What is the show?


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

It's a big show ... 4 or so large buildings, at the Big E fairgrounds in West Springfield ...

http://www.railroadhobbyshow.com/

Jan 28/29, 2012

TJ


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## seabilliau (Dec 12, 2011)

Great! I'll see you there. My son will will love it. He's only 4 1/2. And when I took him to Lego Fets up in Hartfrod we spent 2 hours watching the Lego trains go around in circles. He didn't care about Legos. He just wanted to watch the trains go.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

They'll have lots of active layouts at the show. Your son will be in his glory ... and then sleep all the way on the ride home!

TJ


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

tjcruiser said:


> Bruce,
> 
> You had suggested that once before ... duly noted. When I go to the big Springfield, MA show in Jan, I'll keep my eyes open for some Marx switches.
> 
> ...



Why look for Marx if you want to build a new one with O?

Go get all Ross or Gargraves O products........it will look nice.
It's only money......for your Christmas present.

Or look for O track and switches.
That is if your thinking of a new layout. You should be able to sell the O/27 stuff.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

No firm decisions yet, Ed. I've been so focused in the restoration game, I haven't had much run time lately. But at some point, I gotta go down that road. I was thinking O (primary to get around my O27 switch problems), but if Marx switches can get me around that problem with the remaining O27 track that I already have ...

No action on my part yet, though ... I'm in a wait/learning phase. At least I'm armed with info on my radar when I head to the big MA show in Jan.

Cheers,

TJ


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

seabilliau said:


> Big Ed,
> I do know that 027 has less of a radius tha 0 (yes?) from what I've read. So, if I have the room, and all things being equal would it be safer overall to stick with 0?



I guess O would be the way to go if your starting new. Less to worry about and you can run most trains on it. Like TJ said you will have problems running O trains through switches.

If you look at my video you see where the train starts, that curve is O/27 then look to the outside track curve directly by the O/27 curve that curve is O/54. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSG72ljq6To

See the difference? 
But that O/54 curve is for O/27 track. O track is a different size, it is taller. The O/54 mates to the O/27.

With the tube track for O/27, O/54 is the largest curve you can mate.
For O track in tube track O/72 is the largest.
Unless you get different track from gargraves then you can go to a O/99 curve or larger plus they have flex track.
http://www.gargraves.com/sectionaltrack.html#o

Gargraves or Ross track and switches would be the way to go if you have the bucks.
http://www.rossswitches.com/

All my track is O/27 brown tie but I have the O/54 curves on the outside line. My switches too are for O/27 track. The bigger curves allow for bigger trains.

I would have problems running some O trains through my switches.


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## seabilliau (Dec 12, 2011)

The Gargraves phantom sure looks good. Tha's exactly what I am looking for. I'm sure once I price it all out i'll think different but I'll probably just peice meal it togerht over time.


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## servoguy (Jul 10, 2010)

My take on this is to use O-31 for most or all of the layout. I like to cover the floor with track, and O-31 allows me to get a lot of track in a confined space. I have a Williams Challenger that requires O-72, but everything else runs on O-31, including a MTH 2-8-8-2. I put a lot of switches in the layout. My last layout had 40 switches on the mainline all wired in pairs so that the train would throw all the switches, and all I had to do was watch.


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## Badwolf & Arizona RR (Jun 17, 2011)

big ed said:


> A 4x8 sheet of wood is better then a 7x3 door? Should be able to get a sheet of wood for the same price.
> If you got the space start at the beginning with biggest you can, if you can. It is a lot easier.


Yep - go as big as you can.

That being said - a door is much more rigid than a 4 X 8 piece of wood, while being lighter. The plywood (using this as a general term for the lumber that comes in this size) will still need a frame to make it sufficiently rigid for a layout. A door will reverberate more than plywood (I've found with slot cars) but it's not a bad idea for an HO scale layout, just a little cramped for an O-Scale set-up.

FWIW


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## eljefe (Jun 11, 2011)

TJ--Looks like you have 5021/5022 switches on your layout. You said your prewar locos have trouble with these?


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## servoguy (Jul 10, 2010)

TJ, let me suggest something. How about raising (or lowering) the HO layout so that you can run the O gauge layout under it. This would give you a lot more room for the O layout, and you could still run the HO. With a few pulleys, you could make a way to raise the HO layout of the way, or just permanently have it as high as possible with the O layout only a foot or so above the floor.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

eljefe said:


> TJ--Looks like you have 5021/5022 switches on your layout. You said your prewar locos have trouble with these?


Yes. My postwar Scouts (249, 233) run just fine through them. But the prewar tinplates have trouble.

TJ


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Bruce,

My near-term focus is more on restoring a few more project trains, rather than running them. In that process, I need to finally get by <bleep> in gear and clean out the giant mess and chaos in the far side of my basement. Once (or if) that's done, I think I'll move the 4x8 HO layout there, and open up some room for a revamped/larger O layout.

Someday ... I hope ...

TJ


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## servoguy (Jul 10, 2010)

Is this according to T man's rule about there never being enough space, time or $$$ for the trains? I don't even have a basement here in Florida. I will be buying a larger house soon with a large air conditioned loft over the 3 car garage. That may supply enough room for the time being. I have never in my life had room for a "permanent" layout. This will be a first. And it will truly be a "toy train" layout and not a model railroad.


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## eljefe (Jun 11, 2011)

tjcruiser said:


> Yes. My postwar Scouts (249, 233) run just fine through them. But the prewar tinplates have trouble.
> 
> TJ


I wanted to confirm because I've noticed the same thing. In fact, my prewar 1688's are incompatible with every postwar switch I've tried. I will start a new thread on this subject...


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## TOM32 (Aug 3, 2010)

seabilliau said:


> I'm just starting out and was wondering if anyone has any experience in setting up a "doorway layout" for O gauge? I have been looking Thor's page...
> 
> A bit late but, Home depot 36 x 80 hollow core door will let you set up this little layout:


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## breakerboy (Jan 17, 2012)

*Door layout*



seabilliau said:


> I'm just starting out and was wondering if anyone has any experience in setting up a "doorway layout" for O gauge? I have been looking Thor's page...
> 
> http://www.thortrains.net/marx/drlaydex.html
> 
> ...and like the idea as I will have limited space when I set up my first layout in the basement. I also like the idea of being able to purchase a slab 7x3 door at HomeDepot for $25 and then put some legs on it for a quick table that I can expand on by adding another door. I wanted to know if anyone had any hints/warnings they could pass before I start.


seadog,

Thanks for the link to thortrains - six very practical HO door track plans for me to reference. Thanks buddy!!

bb


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## seabilliau (Dec 12, 2011)

Did you get the link for the door table?


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## breakerboy (Jan 17, 2012)

I did - thank you.


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