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Building a new toy train layout using some of my dad’s postwar Lionel track and manual switch and my grandfather’s prewar Marx manual switches.

Made part of this in Any Rail 5 and in Photo Shop Elements for my Lionel O27 3ft by 3ft Layout. These drawings are rough ideas and are not to scale. I might change the buildings and not sure the spot to add a road on the layout. The buildings will be printed card stock buildings. I’m leaning more towards card stock buildings since it would be a bit cheaper than trying to find plastic kits.

I will be adding trees in some of the corners of the layout and next to some of the buildings.
The road bed will be painted gray to keep it simple.

I got the track plan from http://www.thortrains.net/ The only changes to the track plan is I added two Half Straight Sections to the old track plan seen bellow. I added them to make it a bit easier to run my dad’s postwar 637 and so I could add in a small bridge as well. The original track plan is 3ft by 3ft however, since adding the half straight sections the base will have to be slightly wider than 3ft more like 3ft 6inches by 3ft 6inches not quite sure but I'll figure that out. I however do not want it to be much bigger due to space limitations

The base will be tempered hardboard and pine board sides making a shallow box with perhaps foam board or something else as the base (any ideas or tips instead of using foamboard). The track wont be nailed down since I want to be able to take it apart for repairs.

Any thoughts on this track plan?

TRACKPLAN LIONEL copy

REVISED O27 LAYOUT

Attachments

Images (2)
  • Old Micro Lionel Trackplan: Old Plan
  • REVISED O27 LAYOUT PLAN: Revised O27  Layout Plan
Last edited by Khayden93
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Originally Posted by 1688torpedo:

Hi Khayden

 

Probably about the only change I would make is to make the oval a bit longer by adding two straight tracks on both sides. This would make it easier to run your father's 637 set as it is somewhat longer than the 229 set with its freight cars. Other than that, you are off to a good start.

It's a thought I might do that

 A few random thoughts:

 

If adding the straight tracks makes the track end up too close to the edges, you could add 1/2 straights instead, or full straights can be cut to length with a hacksaw.

 

For the corner(s), I think I would add a water tower to one of them. Those steam engines will get thirsty. A rotating beacon is another eye catching accessory that doesn't take up much space, and is a natural for a corner or edge of a layout, as it protects the people of the layout from falling off the end of the world.

 

If you are able to add a straight section as Keith suggested, you my be able to add a short bridge at the top side, and have a river "feed" the lake you have.

 

It looks fine as it is; these ideas may or may not make the layout more fun for you.

 

J White

 

Originally Posted by j white:

 A few random thoughts:

 

If adding the straight tracks makes the track end up too close to the edges, you could add 1/2 straights instead, or full straights can be cut to length with a hacksaw.

 

For the corner(s), I think I would add a water tower to one of them. Those steam engines will get thirsty. A rotating beacon is another eye catching accessory that doesn't take up much space, and is a natural for a corner or edge of a layout, as it protects the people of the layout from falling off the end of the world.

 

If you are able to add a straight section as Keith suggested, you my be able to add a short bridge at the top side, and have a river "feed" the lake you have.

 

It looks fine as it is; these ideas may or may not make the layout more fun for you.

 

J White

 

I thought about it last night and I think I will add 1/2 straights instead of the full straights. As for the water tower I think I'll add one as for the rotating beacon I'll see if I can find one it sounds like a neat idea to add.

Originally Posted by rattler21:

Before you purchase buildings you might consider that O scale structures can over power O-27 rolling stock.  Plasticville looks fine, a Walthers dairy building may be too large.  Small buildings look good at the corners of the layout and if you are going to have pine board sides, you can put a 'half building' in the corner, use only two sides of the building kit.  In another corner you could place the remaining two sides painted other colors.  Put a few trees around them and you'll be considered a genius.

John

Great ideas I won't be getting buildings just yet however the idea of using half buildings in the corner is great

What is the diameter of the circle of track?

 

Are you using 027?

 

That would mean that the circle is approximately 27" wide, so there would be 9" of table remaining, if it were mounted on a 3-foot square of table. That would seem to indicate that you would have 4.5" all around the circle.

 

How are you planning to get those sidings and switches arranged to use only 4.5" to a maximum of 9"?

Originally Posted by Arthur P. Bloom:

What is the diameter of the circle of track?

 

Are you using 027?

 

That would mean that the circle is approximately 27" wide, so there would be 9" of table remaining, if it were mounted on a 3-foot square of table. That would seem to indicate that you would have 4.5" all around the circle.

 

How are you planning to get those sidings and switches arranged to use only 4.5" to a maximum of 9"?

Its O27

Mr. Bloom is right unfortunately. The track will barely fit (less than a half inch on each side) in the 3x3 area without the extra 1/2 sections suggested earlier. I assumed that the table was drawn to the same scale as the track. It's really more like 4x4 as pictured. I'm sorry I didn't notice that before.

 

 

J White

 

This little portable layout is 30" x 48" not 36" x 36" but it kind of gives an idea what you can do in 36" x 36". The half size straights may not fit either. 27" plus the 9" or so of the switch will be your 36" as mentioned above. If you can bump out your dimensions to 39" or 40" your track plan could work just fine.

 

Originally Posted by handyandy:

This little portable layout is 30" x 48" not 36" x 36" but it kind of gives an idea what you can do in 36" x 36". The half size straights may not fit either. 27" plus the 9" or so of the switch will be your 36" as mentioned above. If you can bump out your dimensions to 39" or 40" your track plan could work just fine.

 

 

I'm bumping the size up to 42" x 42" to help make everything fit a bit better but not be going into 4ft

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