@brianel_k-lineguy posted:To answer Jerry's question - which is not entirely clear - if he's looking for other brands of tubular 027 track, YES they are out there. MARX, K-Line and Williams by Bachmann would be the brands. The other possibility is Gargraves, which matches in height tubular 027, but Gargraves minimum curve in sectional track is 32 inches.
Basically as long as the diameter of the curve fits on your particular door, you're good to go. But you might not be able to design as complex an operating layout. And the larger track height of either tubular 0 or any of the road bed track types, I find visually distracting on a small layout surface like a hollow core door. And in the case of road bed track, it also takes up more space in general, meaning less room for buildings or scenery.
Okay, over the years, I've built at least a half-dozen layouts on hollow core doors. All have been with 027 track, many with all Lionel switch tracks (though I have used MARX and Lionel from differing production periods). All the layouts have had track configurations you should supposedly avoid, including "S" curves, and I've never had any problems.
The key to that is you either keep your trains short (ie: only a few cars), or you do as I do, and remove the typical rivet that holds the trucks to the car body. This loose rivet mounting will be the number one cause of derailments on tight 027 curves, especially when backing up a train.
Some other pointers on door layouts, all learned by experience.
- To reduce the unavoidable rumble noise cause by the hollow core door, I make track ties out of brown foam such as can be bought at Michaels or Hobby Lobby. I also use a short piece of self-adhesive insulation striping on the underside of each metal track tie. I use only enough screws to secure the track in place, but the foam insulation below the tie also helps to absorb some of the noise transfer from metal screws.
- Older hollow core doors seem to be made of more durable and thicker materials. That's my preference. Either way, it's a good idea to add some bracing to the door to prevent bending. A lot of N-scale guys build layouts on hollow core doors, but their trains aren't as heavy. Anyways, I use Liquid Nails, a few couple screws and attach nice straight 1x4's to each side of the hollow core door for some added support. It also enlarges your door width by 1-1/2."
- Smaller sized traditional or 027 types of trains (like the MARX plastic 3/16 or the K-Line 5000-series) look better on a smaller layout. As do smaller sorts of engines. So while most non-high end Lionel GP-9's will negotiate 027 curves and clear switch box housings, the Lionel NW2, traditional Centercab switcher or Alco FA look far better on such tight curves. But I do suppose that is also a matter of personal preference. K-Line made a bunch of traditional locos like their Alco FA, MP-15, S-2 switcher and RDC Budd Car that are good bargains price-wise and look good size wise.
- There are plenty of lower cost engines out there on the secondary market that will run and look fine on a door layout with 027 track. The KEY POINT is what you are powering them with. Many of the engines with truck mounted DC can motors DO RUN FAST with a typical Lionel transformer, because most have a minimal 6 volts to the track. You can either rewire the motors to series, or use a transformer that puts out a lower minimal voltage to the track. The Lionel 1033 can't be beat for this: A choice of two voltage settings to the track, with one working better for postwar/MPC and the other works great for the can motored engines I just mentioned.
- Another side point to these lower cost can motored engines is that they were made in LARGE quantities with universal parts. In the case of K-Line, they're out of business. So if you end up needing parts and you can't find them, you can always find a second unit to cob for parts. Same goes for Lionel. There's instances where you can buy a used starter set Lionel 4-4-2 engine for less than the parts you might need for another one.
I could write a book about tips and pointers for making door layouts. Like anything else, there are compromises. But in lieu of not having a layout at all, I find hollow core door layouts can be the compromise answer. And if you're on a budget to start with, then using 027 track is definitely keep you in check as many of the newer (and expensive) more scale proportioned trains aren't going to make that tight curve.
A final pointer: Lionel is not exactly honest... maybe it's just oversight... as to what will and will not run on 027 curves. If you look a pre-FasTrack Lionel catalog, you'll see a good many engines (including the FT diesel) that came in starter sets with 027 track, BUT NOW have minimal curves listed as 031. Now, Lionel is not making tubular 027 track, and that could be the reason. Except for the little fact that rolling stock in the same catalogs will be listed as 027 minimal curve.
K-Line says that their MP-15 was a scale engine.
