# How to protect trains, from falling off edge of layout



## musicwerks

Hi- my trains runs 5 feet straight section less than 1 inch next to the edge of my table layout. I don't want my Scotsman to be flying off the table in case of derailment.

How do you guys put on the edge to prevent trains from flying off the table? Ideas and pictures are welcomed

Kiong


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## gunrunnerjohn

One thing to consider is a small plexiglass barrier. It only has to be high enough to catch the train of it tips. For O-gauge, probably a two to three inches, for HO maybe an inch to an inch and a half.


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## dablaze

You can usually get plexiglass offcuts cheap or free from a local signshop or plastic fabrication shop.

Craig


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## shaygetz

I walk on the wild side... 4'6" drop, straight down ...incentive to lay my track right and check my coupler heights and wheel gauges:thumbsup:


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## musicwerks

I am getting 1m lengths of thick (5mm) clear acrylic screwed to a L shaped cross-section and the layout edge, a removable section for hand space to line up my trains.


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## Southern

I have a 3 inch tall strip of very thin clear plastic near the turnouts that are on the edge. I do not have it all the way around the layout. I do most of it like Shay.


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## sstlaure

Eventually I'll have a short plexiglass or lexan shield (maybe 1.5" tall) - just enough to catch them should they tip (or get knocked) over. I've got hardboard versions in-place now and haven't had anything spill off yet.


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## tjcruiser

It's cheap and cheezy, but I've slipped pieces of foam pipe insulation over the edge of my layout base ... the insulation comes pre-sliced. It creates a nice, raised soft cushion ...

TJ


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## Ranger

i like the pipe insulation idea. @musicwerks, you can always make a fence to go along the edge with it only being a 5ft section. Ive done that before with a small gauge chicken wire. It was strong enough that if an engine hit it the wire wouldnt give. All you have to do is staple it along the edge of the section then decorate around it to give it a realistic look.


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## wolfeinmane

I have over 25 feet of 'right on the edge' 44 inch high track and one of my GP's did a nose dive last year. I bought really cheap decorative fishing net on eBay, (really cheap, 5'x6' around $4 bucks) and cut it in 5-6 inch wide lengths. It works really well since I can just 'unhook' it to lean over the layout if needed. I also have over 20 feet of under mountain tracks that are only 4 inches wide for the base, so I pulled taught the full sections of net under those areas to catch a falling train. It works really well for me and the price was really right.


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## midnightmadman29

tjcruiser said:


> It's cheap and cheezy, but I've slipped pieces of foam pipe insulation over the edge of my layout base ... the insulation comes pre-sliced. It creates a nice, raised soft cushion ...
> 
> TJ


Neat idea and looks good. It probably wont work for me because my 2x4 framing around the table is flush to the edge. In other words I don't have a 'lip' to attach it to


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## MarkVIIIMarc

The HOish scale slotcar guys have guardrail pieces I intend to use for curves. The plexi glass strips have to be the deal for straight lines. Stuff stinks when I feed it through any of my saws though.


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## t44florida

Maybe put a fence (scale size) beside track. BTY.... very clean looking layout. Good luck aj


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## spoil9

Ranger said:


> i like the pipe insulation idea. @musicwerks, you can always make a fence to go along the edge with it only being a 5ft section. Ive done that before with a small gauge chicken wire. It was strong enough that if an engine hit it the wire wouldnt give. All you have to do is staple it along the edge of the section then decorate around it to give it a realistic look.


I like this idea. I was planning on the plexyglass but this is something just a little different from the norm.


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## Big Ed

t44florida;166231. BTY.... very clean looking layout. Good luck aj[/quote said:


> Do you see tj's parking lots and dirt roads?
> 
> Every granule of dirt was hand placed, one exactly/precisely next to the other granule with tweezers.
> That took him 6 months alone to do.:thumbsup:
> 
> 
> Edit,
> Then he did all of the grass the same way.


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## Southern

I had one place that caused me trouble so I put up a thin plastic wall.


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## Big Ed

That is a nice looking bridge Southern.:thumbsup:

My O layout is right on the edge, I still have to come up with an ideal myself. I was thinking about something on piano hinges so I can lay it down when I don't want to see it.

I also thought about some fish net in the back where you can't see it.

Knock on wood I haven't wrecked yet.

I like tj's ideal, it is good for HO or N, but I don't know about O.


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## Mr.Buchholz

TJ, love the pipe insulation idea! I might just have to try that myself. Love the layout as well!

-J.


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## Southern

big ed said:


> That is a nice looking bridge Southern.:thumbsup:.


Thanks


big ed said:


> ........ I can lay it down when I don't want to see it.


The plastic is almost invisible unless the lights pick it up. It is on the back side of the layout .


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## Big Ed

Southern said:


> Thanks
> 
> 
> 
> The plastic is almost invisible unless the lights pick it up. It is on the back side of the layout .


I say that every time I see it. I do think it looks good.:thumbsup:

I would still like something that I can remove completely out of the way if I need too.

Your fix might work if I can slip it in and out of slots on the ends, then I can just throw them in when I run and take them off when I am not running the trains.


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## Southern

That is the way that it is. i just dropped a piece of scrap plastic in the grove on the edge of the table. i is not hook at all.


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## Big Ed

Southern said:


> That is the way that it is. i just dropped a piece of scrap plastic in the grove on the edge of the table. i is not hook at all.



My problem in 2 spots is that my rail is so close to the edge that I have no room to do that as the train would hit it.
And if I extend it a little on the sides I wouldn't be able to walk around it.

So mine would have to sort of fold down the side or slip off completely.

Option 2, 
I could loose 20lbs and might just squeeze by, 
if I hold my breath in.

Good ideal with the slots.:thumbsup:


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## Southern

big ed said:


> I could loose 20lbs


me too, but more like 40lbs.



big ed said:


> Good ideal with the slots.:thumbsup:


I am lazy, The slots were already there.


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## wolfeinmane

I went with fishnet from ebay (cheap) since I have a lot of narrow under mountain track, suspended it with hooks, then pulled it tight, and it's already saved an engine and heavyweight coach. I am planning on more scale (tall though) fencing for the outer edges. I have a prison on my layout and I've been playing around with different lace to get tall chain link fencing. I don't know if I would trust it to keep a derailed consist from hitting the cement floor though.


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## Big Ed

Southern said:


> me too, but more like 40lbs.


If you ask the 'experts" I guess they would tell me 60lbs or more for my height.

I would be happy with just loosing 20lbs.

6' 4" I think they say 220 is right for me, I am 265 right now. Or it might be 200 for me?

I would like to get down to 245, I would be fine with that.

Edit,
I was 284 last year at this time so I am making headway.


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## tjcruiser

midnightmadman29 said:


> Neat idea and looks good. It probably wont work for me because my 2x4 framing around the table is flush to the edge. In other words I don't have a 'lip' to attach it to


It could still work ... cut away 1/4 of the pipe insulation tube, leaving you a 3/4 circle segment. Lap that over the edge of your table, and attach it with a few dabs of hot glue.

(Mind you, I am not saying that the pipe insulation idea would be the best option for everyone ... it just happened to suit my needs OK.)




big ed said:


> Do you see tj's parking lots and dirt roads?
> 
> Every granule of dirt was hand placed, one exactly/precisely next to the other granule with tweezers.
> That took him 6 months alone to do.:thumbsup:


I'm BUSTED, I guess ... my secret revealed! 

TJ


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## Big Ed

tjcruiser said:


> I'm BUSTED, I guess ... my secret revealed! TJ



:laugh::thumbsup: I don't think you would be able to "mess" up your layout. 

Put some gunge on it...I dare you.

( I do like the neat and orderly look though):thumbsup:


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## wolfeinmane

big ed said:


> If you ask the 'experts" I guess they would tell me 40lbs too for my height.
> 
> I would be happy with just loosing 20lbs.


Hey Ed, I hit the danger zone on the blood pressure and 281 pounds last January. I cut out all sugar drinks, no fast food at all, (just Subway now and then), no red meat, (miss the hamburgers so much), watched the sweets, only whole wheat bread, and really watched the salt. I lost 24 pounds in about 2 months with no extra exercise. The blood pressure came way down as well.

If you are going to go this route, be careful of products that say low fat or 33% leaner. If you look at the labels for those products the leaner one almost always has more salt.

If you are a soda pop drinker check out Arizona Diet Iced Tea. I think it tastes great and has zero calories.

We were at a friends barbeque last month and I splurged on a cheese burger. I actually got sick from it after not eating red meat for so long, weird.


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## Big Ed

wolfeinmane said:


> Hey Ed, I hit the danger zone on the blood pressure and 281 pounds last January. I cut out all sugar drinks, no fast food at all, (just Subway now and then), no red meat, (miss the hamburgers so much), watched the sweets, only whole wheat bread, and really watched the salt. I lost 24 pounds in about 2 months with no extra exercise. The blood pressure came way down as well.
> 
> If you are going to go this route, be careful of products that say low fat or 33% leaner. If you look at the labels for those products the leaner one almost always has more salt.
> 
> If you are a soda pop drinker check out Arizona Diet Iced Tea. I think it tastes great and has zero calories.
> 
> We were at a friends barbeque last month and I splurged on a cheese burger. I actually got sick from it after not eating red meat for so long, weird.



I stopped eating so much.

I never have fast food maybe once or twice a year.
They say cutting bread helps, I love bread.
Salt.....though you do need some salt or else you will die. Everything it seems has salt in it. I just stopped adding it. Though some things just have to have it!
I drink diet soda, says zero calories.

Doc says walk around the block after work a hundred times at a brisk pace everyday will do it.
Yeah right after a 12/13 hr work day I really feel like doing that.

Whole milk which I love, is no good either.

Basically almost everything I like is no good for you.


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## Big Ed

Do you know of the Lone Star tick that when it bites you you will then get sick from eating red meat?

Maybe you were bit?

check it out,
http://now.msn.com/a-bite-from-this-tick-may-turn-you-into-a-vegetarian


A better link,
http://thestir.cafemom.com/in_the_news/139454/scary_new_tick_could_turn


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## DJTrains

A lot of good info here.

On the sides opposite the viewing or control side of the table I like to have buildings, fences, and tree pictures glued to thin board and the board fastened to the edge of the train table (facing in toward the trains of course). On the viewing or control side of the table I keep the track far enough back so there's no worry of the trains going over. Just some landscaping on this side would also prevent an overboard train. 

Just download pictures of buildings, etc., online, print to scale, glue to board, and screw the board to the table top....it's really cool.

Just paint in a little sky over the buildings and black in between. Or simply blacked (color of your choice) all the open spaces between the buildings and trees.

One reason I like this is I can use buildings from my own hometown or famous buildings. 

Or, you could use people, animals, .....you get the idea.


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