# My "Free" HO/Lego Layout... (scale purists might not want to look)



## Greatscott (Jan 1, 2011)

Ever find those fantastic adds on Craig's for free stuff and usually end up being the second caller... That is normally my luck too.

The Story:
A couple of weeks I was searching on Craig's for HO train stuff, I am a geek through and through, and I have been thinking of getting a table, never had one, just EZ-Track on the floor. But I retire from the Navy in about a year and will likely be moving (again), so I wanted a small 4x8 layout, something that will be easy to move and have a low risk of the movers destroying. I typed in the search on my phone and the first add that pops up is for a nice looking simple layout, it had buildings, a couple of locos and a bunch of rolling stock. Looking for the price I read the last line in the add, "Free to a good home." I read the add twice, then got on the computer to make sure my iPhone wasn't playing tricks on me (it does that from time-to-time when sending texts...), sure enough, free. So I sent an email and got a response about an hour later. I called the guy, he said that he has several responses, but I was first in the gate, so it was mine if I wanted it. We made arrangements to pick it up the next night. The only hitch, the guy lives on an island and its a $25 ferry ride...

A ferry ride later I get to the guy's house, as we are loading everything into my truck I am feeling bad, just about everything is in new condition, or still in the package. But, we are pulling the stuff out of the lower level of the cottage he runs a B&B out of, the train table was an entertainment piece he put together for his guests and it wasn't that big of a hit, so he wanted the train table gone so he could put something else in, a pool table, I think. Given the house we drove past to get to the cottage, this guy wasn't hurting for money and just wanted the table gone, so I don't feel all that bad. 

The table was made to be suspended from the ceiling, so I bought some lumber to put legs on one side, and I bought I used desk to support the other end to provide storage and a place to store locos and rolling stock. I also put together a folding shelf for the controls and switches, and added some more track. So far, my 'free' table has cost me about $150... But, in no way am I complaining...

I have two controllers on this table, the right one controls the main track along with the outside spur, and the left one controls the inside spur. I have the outer loop on the right side, the outer spur and a small part of the main track on switches, so I can turn each one off to allow up to four trains to be on the track at once (it works better with just three trains).




























As you have likely noticed, there is something a little different on this table... 

For a while I have had the idea of having a HO scale Lego train, here is what I have come up with;









































































It still needs some work, but it goes around the track pretty well. I am planning on getting enough Lego base plates to cover the right side of the layout (from the road to the edge) and put some Lego buildings and equipment on that side. 

Why Legos? Honestly, I like trains, but I find them just a little boring, in the same bread as NASCAR... round... round... round... and repeat. I like the building part of the deal, once I get it finished, I want to rip it apart and see what else I can make. 

I also like making my own themed trains, I put together the Christmas set almost 20 years ago, painted and lighted all of the cars. Its been through a good many moves, so I need to rebuild it. Also on tap, I have plans for a military train, and a holloween train, complete with a rolling graveyard.


----------



## Stillakid (Jan 12, 2010)

Very Nice! Great idea, and you're right, being able to switch things around and re-design is a plus!


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Did the Lego train set come with it?
Good deal you got.:thumbsup:

I got a big box of Lego's from when the kids were young, enough to model most of NYC.


----------



## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

Cool...are they making HO gauged mechanisms for Legos now? That's also a similar story to how I got my N scale layout...a two hour drive and $5 in bridge tolls later, I had my current layout with several engines and lots of rolling stock. My beloved just reminded me that it did cost 3 Bennies for the cabinet to fit in but..hey...the layout was still free...


----------



## billshoff (Nov 4, 2011)

*"So far, my 'free' table has cost me about $150"*

I got a free puppy once. It only cost $200 for the checkup, heart worm meds, flea treatment, etc. Don't 'cha just love a bargain?


----------



## Greatscott (Jan 1, 2011)

big ed said:


> Did the Lego train set come with it?
> Good deal you got.:thumbsup:
> 
> I got a big box of Lego's from when the kids were young, enough to model most of NYC.


Thanks for the comments!

No, I have had the Legos, slowy building my collection from age 9. As luck would have it, your garden variety HO scale train is right at 4 Lego pegs wide, which allows for all kinds of building possibilities. The rolling stock was easy, I had a Mega-Blocks submarine given to me a while ago, I put it together once and tore it apart. Part of the kit was a bunch of 4x16 (2 flat block high) plates, I hollowed them out with my trusty Dremel and CA glued them to some rolling stock. The engine was a little more trick, I had to some cutting around the motor, and had to do some chopping on the frame to get everything to line up right. 

The table did come with about 40 pieces of rolling stock, all of the buildings (most are aluminum), two very nice engines and the power supply on the right side. 

The engines that are on the tracks are the ones that came with the table.


----------



## zorba (Aug 6, 2012)

nice!


----------



## Ren (May 31, 2012)

I picked up the exact Walters yard working set you have. My crane didn't work though. It's a nice rail set, did you find the trucks a pain to put together?


----------



## Greatscott (Jan 1, 2011)

Ren said:


> I picked up the exact Walters yard working set you have. My crane didn't work though. It's a nice rail set, did you find the trucks a pain to put together?


That set came with the train table, already put together. I was a little disappointed that it was a static model, but it is pretty cool.


----------



## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Hey Scott,

I think it's GREAT that you're doing a Lego layout. I have an old Lionel O setup, but my kids really enjoy creating buildings and such for it out of their Legos. It's the fun of creating (and then disassembling and recreating) the buildings that they really enjoy.

Do keep us posted as the layout expands with details.

Oh ... and thanks much for your military service!

TJ


----------



## THE TYCO MAN (Aug 23, 2011)

A Lego loco in HO! How cool! Played with Lego's until 2007 there abouts. Woulda begged my mom for a Lego train that would run on HO.


----------



## Mr.Buchholz (Dec 30, 2011)

LEGO MANIA!

I love anything to do with Lego, and I think this is neat!

WANTS MOAR! Keep us posted!

-J.


----------



## buickestate (Oct 24, 2012)

way too cool, I love lego! and I love free! win win


----------



## KAL5 (Sep 4, 2011)

Thats nice My nephew allways wanted a lego train set he was big into legos then stoped playing with them and his mom threw most of them out. I'm just thinking of all the money I spent on them for him


----------



## eljefe (Jun 11, 2011)

Throwing Legos away? That's an outrage!


----------



## KAL5 (Sep 4, 2011)

Tell me about it when he told me his mom threw them out I almost cryed he had a boat load of them and i should know I bought them all for him sooo sad


----------



## Greatscott (Jan 1, 2011)

eljefe said:


> Throwing Legos away? That's an outrage!


My inner-child just had a stroke!!!

Thanks for the comments guys. 

So far, no new progress, work has been rough lately, 12 - 15 hours days have been the norm. I'm gearing up for my last deployment before I retire, so chances are nothing new will happen with it for a couple of months.


----------



## Mr.Buchholz (Dec 30, 2011)

KAL5 said:


> he was big into legos then stoped playing with them and *his mom threw most of them out*.


THAT IS A CRIME!!!!!! 

Seriously. I love Lego, and still have all of my collection and then some ( I added to it a few years ago muahahaha ).

Lego by far is the best toy a kid could have. Endless hours of fun, and if you have a good imagination, the sky is the limit.

Truth be told, if I'm having a really crummy day, I'll bust out some Lego and fiddle with it, leaving my troubles behind.

Lego = theraputic 

-J.


----------

