# New HO shelf layout underway



## Artieiii

Well I've been talking about a new layout for the last several months. I built 2 bridges and got an NCE power cab. This weekend construction started. This will be an overhead shelf layout in my basement man cave. The plan is an inner and outer mainline loops with a few turnouts for a small yard. 4 turnouts to allow the inner and outer loops to criss cross.

I bought some undersize 2x4's and secured them to the studs around the room above the door trim. Then I cut 1/2" oriented strand board for the decking. The corners are braced with 2x4's and screws. I left 2 gaps in the decking for my bridges and used a router to recess the bridges to the same level as the OSB decking. No pix yet maybe when I get home from work. I pre-painted all the structure before attaching it to the walls. So far so good. Can't wait to start laying track. It's all perfectly level.
-Art


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## tjcruiser

Pics, man ... PICS! 

TJ


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## tankist

-Art, don't you think something very important is missing from your post?
[thick asian accent on] "YOU POST PICTAS NAW!"


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## Artieiii

Pics Now! Sorry Anton and TJ, I am at work. I will take some pix when I get home.
-Art


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## sstlaure

How big is the layout, depth of shelves, etc?


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## Artieiii

sstlaure said:


> How big is the layout, depth of shelves, etc?


just about 12' x 12'
2 7" wide shelves for the bridges
1 11" wide shelf 
1 20" shelf
Painted black to match my TV/surround sound unit and my 2 train shelves.
It's gonna be one sweet man cave when done.
-Art


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## Artieiii

quick question:
how am I gonna hammer in track nails to oriented strand board. I am not that great with a hammer and if I miss don't wanna bend the track sections. I was thinking about pre drilling the track nail holes but I don't have a drill bit that small.
-Art


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## sstlaure

You can pre-drill with a pin-vice and a teeny tiny drill bit....or just glue the track down and hold in place with thumbtacks until dry. I've found Alene's tacky glue works great both between cork/wood and between cork/plastic rail ties. Only in the tightest corners did I find the need to actually spike the rail.

http://www.micromark.com/Drills-and-Pin-Vises.html


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## tankist

as Scott said - just glue it. as added bonus the relatively elastic adhesive caulk will provide cushioning and reduce the noise (the effect will be even greater if roadbed is used)


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## Artieiii

No tight corners on this layout sstlaure. I want the curves to be as wide a radius as possible so that my MTH SP daylight cars can make the corners as well as my other rolling stock.
-Art


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## sstlaure

You'll be fine with glue. FYI...you can get the big bottles of Alene's at Walmart cheap. I'd get some of the large head pushpins as well so that it's easier to push them into the strand board.

Are you planning for a valence/fascia for lighting/storage?


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## Artieiii

sstlaure said:


> Are you planning for a valence/fascia for lighting/storage?


Not sure what you mean. My bridges have LED lights I might put some lighting up there but gotta see how it looks with track first. It looks like I will need to buy some more turnouts. I only have 4 would like to have 4 to criss cross the 2 mainlines and 2 additional 1 for my container yard and 1 for a parked train if needed.
-Art


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## Artieiii

*Pics up*

Here are some pix as promised:
-Art


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## tjcruiser

Nice integration of the shelf loop with the display cases. Good thinking there!

TJ


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## Massey

Looks good. I am planning on something like this for my kids in their room. Just gotta get the materials for it all and figure a way to mount it.

Massey


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## cabledawg

Looks good:thumbsup: Simple but well thought out. I need something like this in my office. Get a HO train with sound and a few lighted features and we'd be set!


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## Artieiii

Massey said:


> Looks good. I am planning on something like this for my kids in their room. Just gotta get the materials for it all and figure a way to mount it.
> 
> Massey


I mounted th 2x4's to the studs then screwed the MDF to them.
The materials were not expensive. The MDF costs about $7 each and the undersize 2x4's were less than $2 each. $20 for a gallon of paint, some wood screws. I spent about $120 for the whole thing including $20 for a stud finder.
-Art


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## raleets

So, just curious, are you planning a turnout by the window so the train can go out for some fresh air?  
Bob


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## Artieiii

raleets said:


> So, just curious, are you planning a turnout by the window so the train can go out for some fresh air?
> Bob


Good idea, that's where the hot tub is! LOL.
-Art


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## Artieiii

cabledawg said:


> Looks good:thumbsup: Simple but well thought out. I need something like this in my office. Get a HO train with sound and a few lighted features and we'd be set!


Cabledawg,
I've been planning this in my head for several months. I was not sure how I was gonna support the inner part of the shelf. Originally I was going to try to screw hooks into the studs on the ceiling and hang wire to the inner part of the shelf. After I got the shelf up there I realized that I could support it with 2x4's at a 45 degree angle from below. My stud finder was having trouble locating the ceiling studs so I gave up on the hanging idea. I built the 2 bridges specifically for this shelf layout. I can't wait to see them with their LED's glowing.
-Art


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## Artieiii

I hooked up my bridge lighting last nite and started laying some track. I used an old cell phone charger for DC power to the LED's on my bridges. It worked great. 5 volts output is just perfect for my lights. Can't wait to hook up my NCE power cab and make a few laps around the man cave.
-Art


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## Artieiii

Inner loop track had been set. Here is how it looks so far:
-Art


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## Artieiii

Inner loop and outer loop finally set. It looks really cool with the lights down low and just the bridge lights on as the 2 trains go over the bridges in opposite directions. I spent 4 hours last nite getting the track "just right". Was having some derailment issues in the turns. I used code 100 flex track but I figured out that where the 2 pieces of flex track join in a turn it's best to make a small section of the track straight otherwise my steamers tend to derail at the joiners. I still have to add the switch machine extenders on my Atlas switches as some of my rolling stock bumps into the switch machines. I also have to wire the switches to a control panel.
-Art


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## sstlaure

The secret to smooth flextrack in corners is to not trim both rails at the same point. Allow the inner rail to grow in length so that the joiners are offset by a minimum of ~1". You have to trim a few extra ties to give room for the offset joiners and feed the long rail into the next section of track, but the track lays down REAL nice when you do this. (i.e. no kinks)


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## Artieiii

I got a new idea while browsing through Home Depot today. I found this clear plastic 1"x1" plastic used for putting a plastic corner on painted walls. I put it around the edges of my shelf layout to protect the trains from falling off the shelf and since it's clear it won't interfere with the view of the trains. I bought 2 pieces bit it looks like I will need a few more.
-Art


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## xrunner

Artieiii said:


> I got a new idea while browsing through Home Depot today....


Yea I do that all the time at Lowes/Home Depot/Hobby Lobby. etc. I browse and try to think - how could I use this thing for a purpose for which it wasn't intended.

Another thing I do is look at what other people have in their carts at the checkout line, to see what other people are using.


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## Artieiii

xrunner,
I find myself in the paint aisle all the time thinking about new projects. I prefer Home Depot over Lowes because I spend tons of time in there so I know exactly where to go for whatever I am after.
-Art


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## tjcruiser

I'm chuckling at your Home Depot "hunts". I do the same thing, though often, it's the other way around. I'll be fixing some old train, or building some Cub Scout project with the kids and think, "Hmmm ... now if I only had a piece that looked sort of like this ..." Then, off I go to HD or the local hardware store, cruising the aisles, looking for something that might -- just might -- do the job. Inevitably, some helpful store guy will ask, "Can I help you find anything?" To which I respond, "Uhhh ... well ... sort of ... I don't know exactly what I'm looking for, but when I spot it, I'll know right away!"

TJ


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## Big Ed

tjcruiser said:


> I'm chuckling at your Home Depot "hunts". I do the same thing, though often, it's the other way around. I'll be fixing some old train, or building some Cub Scout project with the kids and think, "Hmmm ... now if I only had a piece that looked sort of like this ..." Then, off I go to HD or the local hardware store, cruising the aisles, looking for something that might -- just might -- do the job. Inevitably, some helpful store guy will ask, "Can I help you find anything?" To which I respond, "Uhhh ... well ... sort of ... I don't know exactly what I'm looking for, but when I spot it, I'll know right away!"
> 
> TJ


They are probably watching you on cameras wondering what you are looking to steal.:laugh:

Looking in people shopping carts to see what everyone else is buying.:laugh:

Hey Art, show a picture with your new protectors in place.


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## Artieiii

OK Big Ed but gotta wait till after work today.
-Art


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## Artieiii

Big ed,
Here is a pic of my shelf with plastic guards in place. They are a little hard to see in the picture (that's good) don't really wanna see them just want to protect my trains. Now I can put my Lionel Veranda's up there and not worry about a catastrophic failure  The shiny reflections are from the protectors. They come up to about the height of the wheels on the loco. Zoom in to see them better.
-Art


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## cabledawg

Art, how did you attach the plastic guards? I've got really small finishing nails, but I wonder if a staple gun would work better attaching the plastic to my MDF board? Just wonderin...........


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## Artieiii

Cabledawg,
The plastic guard has mounting holes about every 2 feet. I used these holes and got some short panhead wood screws to mount it. I used the panhead ones because regular wood screws taper at the bottom and I was worried that if I made the screws too tight it might break the plastic.
-Art


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## cabledawg

Sounds like a plan, Art :thumbsup:


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## Artieiii

The plastic guards are 1" high and the MDF is 1/2" so only 1/2" is exposed. It is enough to protect the trains from a fall but not so high as to block the view of the trains. It's working perfectly so far.
-Art


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## gunrunnerjohn

Has it actually caught a train?


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## Artieiii

gunrunnerjohn said:


> Has it actually caught a train?


No Gunrunner, not yet. Before the guards were up one of my intermodal cars derailed and it fell off the shelf but it safely landed on my couch. No damage was done. All my engines have remained on the shelf, with and without the guards.
-Art

PS last night I tried my hand at making some trees with hemp string for the brances, wire for the trunk and saw dust painted green painted green. I made 2 trees and they came out pretty good. My wife was impressed. I am thinking about making a mountain backdrop out of foam in one of the shelf corners to simulate the rocky mountains for the ski train.
-Art


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