Going to try a new layout

[Terry Toenges]

Since I took the Christmas layout down, I'm going to try something different while I still have the board up.
I'm thinking of either the trolley going back and forth between buildings on the upper and lower levels or maybe some type of logging or mining. I'm thinking On30 but I'm not sure yet. I might do it in HO.
I'm glad my great granddaughter had her Legos over here that I could use for supports so I could get an idea of what I would do.

[charon]

With all the grades and curves I think On30 would be excellent, imho.
Chuck

[Terry Toenges]

It's going to be a challenge since I'll have to custom build some bridges. I can use some tunnels. I have some old trestle kits that I haven't built yet that I can use.
I have to make a frame and put it on rollers so I can roll it out because it sits in front of the cold air return. I have to leave that part open somehow. During Christmas, I just put a new filter in before I built it. Then I had to take it apart so I could slide it out and get to the filter. I tried to slide it out with the setup all together but that wasn't happening. Maybe if I covered the concrete blocks and the under side of the board with some sort slick material it would slide.

[Len]

Instead of the concrete blocks, have you considered framing the lower plywood with 1x3 boards, attaching some mounting pads to the bottom, then putting the whole thing on 4" casters?? Something like this:



Then you would be able to move the layout around without a lot of hassle.

Len

[Terry Toenges]

Len - Thanks for the advice. I thought about doing something like that. I had my old layout on wheels.
Earlier today, I ordered an adjustable bed frame on wheels for $50. I figured that would be the easiest. I can adjust it to the width of the layout.
There will be 13" overhang on each end for the length or I could run 8' "slats" on the frame. I'm thinking the overhang might be ok. I'll have to wait and see.  It's 5/8" plywood. I've got about 8" overhang now on the concrete blocks.
If I want it to fit between the frame rails, I'll have to cut a slot where the extra piece is attached. I'll attach a couple of pieces of wood under the extra piece hanging out to better secure it to the main board. It is already glued with white glue and I have four metal brackets screwed to it and the main board.
If I use the slats I won't have to cut the slots because it will sit above the rails. I'd probably secure the slats to the frame and board to the slats so it wouldn't slide around on the frame.
With the bed frame, I have the added benefit of it being all open underneath so it won't interfere with the bottom part of the cold air return. Since it's on wheels, I can pull it away from the cold air return a few inches so the top part is not obstructed either.

[Ken G Price]

With all the grades and curves I think On30 would be excellent, imho.
Chuck

I have to agree that On30 would look really good with all the curves.
You don't so much as need tunnels, as needing view blocks, such as trees, little hills, and buildings.
I had 4 tunnels on mine at the start and converted 3 of them to just small ridges to block parts of the trains.
This also made it much easier to get to a derail. And with just one short four car tunnel (in the center back of the layout) less aggravation.
Of course this is just take on it.

[Terry Toenges]

I'm going to do On30. I already have some On30 ore cars and log cars. I like the Climax but there aren't many out there and not so good reviews so I'll buy a Heisler. Anyone know how they are on 4% grades?
I'm thinking a tunnel on the far right to go over the back part of the ground level so I could do a ground slope from the top to the bottom. I'm going to have to add a parallelogram piece of wood to the piece that sticks out because of the track overhang there. That will be a bridge or trestle over that.
I remember seeing pics of somewhere in S. Dakota, I think, where there were two or three levels of track crossing each other. I'll have to locate that.
Admin - If you need to move this to On30 now, I understand.

[Terry Toenges]

Inspiration. Three levels of track at Lead, South Dakota in early 1900's. Deadwood Central RR (Later taken over by Chicago, Burlington and Quincy), Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley RR (later taken over by Chicago and Northwestern) and Homestake RR.
https://www.loc.gov/item/2012649432/
http://transpressnz.blogspot.com/2014/09/three-rail-tracks-in-lead-south-dakota.html

[RAM]

Richmond Va. The only place 3 class 1 rr crossed.  Seaboard, Southern. & C&O

[Terry Toenges]

I didn't know that.
I found pics of that, too.
http://southern.railfan.net/ties/1950/50-4/three.html
This shot is from a little farther away.
http://www.piedmontsub.com/graphics/RichmondTripleCrossing1990.jpg

[Terry Toenges]

I made some minor modifications so that I can have straight bridges were the tracks pass over other tracks. The back part where they cross over tracks will be hidden by a tunnel. I also checked out where I can add turnouts on the top and bottom.

I had some old HO Lifelike bridges that were too narrow for On30 so I widened them with some balsa wood.

Below are the before and after pics.
Before -

After -

[Terry Toenges]

Changed it a little. Added a mid-level run-around. Cut up some foam blocks and glued and stacked them. I measured them and graduated the height. I measured the spacing of them so I could figure out if I can do 3% or 4% grade.
It looks like I'll be able to do 3% grade starting at the lower level to the first bridge. The bridge will be flat.
Then, the mid-level curve will have to be 4% up to the run-around. The run-around will be flat. I have to do 4% so the run-around part will clear the lower track.
The upper curve can be 2% after the run-around since I can adjust the height of the top level.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to do a tourist RR. I think that will be the easiest.
My bed frame was delivered a few days ago. My sister was down here with her van so I was able to go get the pink foam board. I just got back from getting from some 1X4's for the slats for the frame.

[Terry Toenges]

Got my bed frame together and the 2x4 and 1x4's screwed down and plywood screwed to it.
Here, the frame is just laying on wood so I can get it sized right and the 2x4's properly placed. I put the wheels in and flipped it over to add the 1x4s. The frame edge was too high to go with just 1x4's. I would have had to notch the frame for the two pieces sticking out. It was easier just adding 2x4's and screwing the 1 x's to them.

Here I have the 2x4's and 1x4's all in place ready for the plywood.

[Terry Toenges]

I put up my notes and the planning and figuring I've been doing for the layout.
http://www.sarget.com/trains/tmount2.html

[Warflight]

I like the idea of view blocking, rather than tunnels. I had plans for my Old West, to have open plains, and a mountain on one side with a tunnel, but the more I pictured it in my head, the more I thought it would be a bit cheesy... and then I remembered the layout I wanted to do back in the 80s... I was reading in a magazine (can't recall if it was Model Railroader, or one of the "how to guides") and the suggestion was to use old broken ceiling tiles. Break them into the right shapes, use a wire brush, and then paint them, and they look REMARKABLY like rock formations.

So now, I plan to do a simple enough track plan, with the "rock formations" hiding areas of track, and have my western town built into the hills, and canyons of the layout.

I am, however planning on a FEW cheesy elements... one of the houses will be the "Munster's" house on one of the mesas... I plan to have a DeLorean hidden inside the blacksmith's shop (I found a Johnny Lightning set that has an HO scale "Doc and Marty" in it) and then maybe... just maybe, in a back alley, have a blue wooden British police box... because honestly, I'm a NERD, that loves little jokes, and Easter Eggs in a setup.

As far as On30... I will always LOVE the Climax... all those moving parts is just awesome!