Dad's Lionel O27 Layout w/ Double Reversing Loops (Video)

Very nice layout and video. Thanks for sharing this and the track plan and I'll check out your other video's.

Very nice layout Max!!  Thanks for sharing it with us!

Loved it.  Thanks for sharing

Thank you for sharing your excellent layout with the rest of us. Years ago, 027 track was sort of the Rodney Dangerfield of the train world (never getting any respect). Your excellent layout and well done video show all of us what it is possible to create with 027 track and switches. Once again, thanks for sharing and keep up the good work.

This is one of the three best O27 layouts I've seen (can't pick a favorite since the other two  are also forum members' layouts). The decor and landscaping is awesome, and so many interesting operating accessories! I'm starting literally TODAY to lay track on a new basement layout, all O27 track (though nothing smaller than 42" curves). Your dad sets the bar high for me!

Couple of questions if you don't mind.

1. Anything your dad or you would do differently with the layout (not track selection, etc.) if you had to do it all over again. Two elements I've incorporate in past layouts and plan for in this one are (a) an elevated level and (b) longer sidings to store engines and trains. The problem is that those take up a lot of real estate.

2. Are the layout's curves 27" diameter? Are the switches 27" diameter?

3. Approximate size (square footage, etc)?

Thanks for posting.

Looking at the great layout and its impressive scenery and buildings and in 027 scale no less brought back memories of my first Lionel train set that came with a switcher engine AND 027 tracks. I was about 7 in 1950 when I got the trains which I still have and just may have been the best Christmas present I ever go. 027 scale gives you a flexibility of putting trains in spaces they normally won't go.

John

What a great looking layout. Who says 027 tubular track isn't realistic.

@raising4daughters posted:

This is one of the three best O27 layouts I've seen (can't pick a favorite since the other two  are also forum members' layouts). The decor and landscaping is awesome, and so many interesting operating accessories! I'm starting literally TODAY to lay track on a new basement layout, all O27 track (though nothing smaller than 42" curves). Your dad sets the bar high for me!

Couple of questions if you don't mind.

1. Anything your dad or you would do differently with the layout (not track selection, etc.) if you had to do it all over again. Two elements I've incorporate in past layouts and plan for in this one are (a) an elevated level and (b) longer sidings to store engines and trains. The problem is that those take up a lot of real estate.

2. Are the layout's curves 27" diameter? Are the switches 27" diameter?

3. Approximate size (square footage, etc)?

Thanks for posting.

Probably the biggest change I’d make would be the quality of the benchwork on the original part of the layout.  I’ll freely admit I didn’t know what I was doing and made mistakes that I didn’t repeat when doing the benchwork for the three additions. In a perfect world I’d have scrapped the original section and rebuilt it correctly but, I was never able to find the motivation.

In the 31 years since I built the original section; I’ve never regretted the inability to park additional trains on the layout. As you note, that burns a lot of real estate.  Additionally, I change out the trains on my layout every Saturday as, after 1 week, I’m bored with what I have been running and want to look at something different.

All curves and switches (except for a single 0-42 in the “yard” area) are 0-27. It shows up in the video Max posted but, to allow myself to run some larger equipment I removed the switch covers from the 0-27 switches.  This allows me to easily operate engines intended for 0-31 as well as some scale flat cars and covered hoppers. I’ve had people ask if I regret using 0-27 curves and switches. There have been times my answer would be yes but, the constraints imposed by the 0-27 curves and switches has served to place a practical limit on what engines I can buy and, by extension, how much I’m paying.

Square footage calculates out to roughly 124 square feet.

I’ll close by saying thank you for the very kind comments from you and the others!

Curt

Thanks for the presentation.  Love ACL purple and silver.  It had class!

Enjoyed this very much.  I run large curves BUT it's amazing what you can do with the smaller curves.  Thanks for sharing!

@juniata guy posted:

Probably the biggest change I’d make would be the quality of the benchwork on the original part of the layout.  I’ll freely admit I didn’t know what I was doing and made mistakes that I didn’t repeat when doing the benchwork for the three additions. In a perfect world I’d have scrapped the original section and rebuilt it correctly but, I was never able to find the motivation.

In the 31 years since I built the original section; I’ve never regretted the inability to park additional trains on the layout. As you note, that burns a lot of real estate.  Additionally, I change out the trains on my layout every Saturday as, after 1 week, I’m bored with what I have been running and want to look at something different.

All curves and switches (except for a single 0-42 in the “yard” area) are 0-27. It shows up in the video Max posted but, to allow myself to run some larger equipment I removed the switch covers from the 0-27 switches.  This allows me to easily operate engines intended for 0-31 as well as some scale flat cars and covered hoppers. I’ve had people ask if I regret using 0-27 curves and switches. There have been times my answer would be yes but, the constraints imposed by the 0-27 curves and switches has served to place a practical limit on what engines I can buy and, by extension, how much I’m paying.

Square footage calculates out to roughly 124 square feet.

I’ll close by saying thank you for the very kind comments from you and the others!

Curt

Thanks. Great insight. I built my first layout in our basement about 16 years ago, but as my 3 eldest daughters (now 27, 26, and 22) got older, they wanted the basement for socializing. Then, in an unexpected twist, we added a 4th daughter now 13, and we need additional basement space for a child's playroom, so down came the layout around 2011.  Finally getting my basement back. My benchwork is done, and it's WAY better than the original. Learned from my mistakes!

I really like what you've fit into just 124 sq. ft. Nice long run for a train with the city scape separate from the industrial setting. I've got roughly the same amount of space, about 150 sq. ft., and have finished my track design on RR Track, but have wondering if I should forego some siding space for more accessories and/or landscape. Your video this morning made me reconsider even more.  Going to do the mainlines today and see how it looks in reality rather than just on screen.

Adding onto this conversation I would like to ask: How much space is required for a reversing loop using tubular track?

Thank you

@Tranquil Hollow RR posted:

How much space is required for a reversing loop using tubular track?

Very Little.  Here is 27" x 77"

This is one of the nicest 027 tubular track layouts I have ever seen. IMO, the track plan is interesting and the scenery and structures are beautiful.

Watching the video gave me some scenery-related ideas that I might be able to incorporate into my own O Gauge tubular track layout. My track plan is different mainly because my layout is long and narrow, but what is similar is that I also have double reverse loops for continuous operation.

Thanks for sharing it. Arnold

@Tranquil Hollow RR posted:

Adding onto this conversation I would like to ask: How much space is required for a reversing loop using tubular track?

Thank you

Using 031 curves and 022 switches, I estimate that my reverse loops require about 40 inches of width and 60 inches of length.

I will make some precise measurements and follow up, hopefully by tomorrow night.

@Double Check posted:

After figuring out how to go back and read YouTube comment notifications, I noticed that a lot of people wanted to see my dad's (juniata guy) layout again, as well as a track plan. So today I took a bunch of clips and compiled them into the video below. Feel free to click the link in my signature to see other videos of his layout, along with my own, and videos of real trains too. Enjoy

What an awe-inspiring layout. Even for 027 track, which a lot of it seems to be larger radius? I've seen a few people who really prefer 027, because if they do something to obscure the 3 ties per section, they claim that the 027 low-profile gives trains a better look. 027 can be bought in larger radius, too.

This is why, even if I had all the room in the world, I'd stick with traditionally sized engines and rolling stock.  This layout shows that when all items are of a "scale", everything looks great.  To my eye, O Scale 1/48 looks okay on layouts with O-96 or greater curves... while "selectively-compressed" looks phenomenal on O-42.

What an inspiring video!  Makes me want to tear everything out and start all over!

Jon

Thank you Arnold

Thank you for sharing that beautiful layout. Nicely done and so neat. Please take care and stay safe.

Just checking in and spot this! Wow, Truly motivating for us tubular rail  postwar enthusiasts! Nice colorful scenes and free seamlessly running , tie it all together so well. Very entertaining!
thanks for posting.

@Virginian65 posted:

What an awe-inspiring layout. Even for 027 track, which a lot of it seems to be larger radius? I've seen a few people who really prefer 027, because if they do something to obscure the 3 ties per section, they claim that the 027 low-profile gives trains a better look. 027 can be bought in larger radius, too.

Everything on his layout except for one switch (near the forklift loader) is true O27. That one switch is O42 and it’s only because when he built the addition they didn’t have an O27 so he bought the O42 instead.

Beautiful. Thank you for sharing this gem.

Beautiful layout! A pleasure to see.

What a superbly designed layout.  Great scenic effects and a very interesting track plan.  When I started out with my first home built layout I used 027 gauge with 027 curves and stuck with it for years.   Later I decided to grow and dropped my 027 track and switches.  After watching this video I wish I was thirty years younger so I could start all over again.   This video proves there is a heck of a lot you can do with 027 if you just use your imagination.   Great job!

It is neat to see a layout with many operating cars and buildings.  Adds to the fun.  Thank you for sharing.

Superb layout. Well-done trees and other scenicking.

Don't get me wrong, I don't want to give up my 072 curves and my 4-6-8-6-8-2's, but this layout looks like I wanted my childhood 027 layout to look. It didn't, of course.

I mean, how many 027 - it's not even 031 - layouts have working scale position-light signals? My 072 layout should look so good.

An underrated aspect of O-27 is its low profile.   It just blends in with the scenery instead of overpowering it.   Very nicely done!