First proper O scale layout - Build Thread

A name can come later but right now it sure looks like the two of you are having great fun building it together and that is what counts the most. The two of you are doing a good job of building it. It's going to look great when finished...............Paul

You are establishing great memories between the two of you!!!

          VERY COOL 

Congrats! A milestone day!

Looks great!  Keep having fun!!

A week passes  - and I think I'm making a major change..

I am just not very happy with fastrack - the sound level, and the expense are a major detractor.. plus its not very forgiving and I'm having lots of slowdowns in sertain areas, even with multiple feeds and making a DIY cleaning car and running it for about an hour.

After looking at options and agonizing for several nights - I think I'm going to pull this up and go with standard tubular track and O22 switches.. I really want to run a dual mainline with reversing and sidings - and at $100 for a switch, fastrack is killing me.

I also think I'm going to compress the depth in the center a bit so I have better reach.  Possibly remove a foot or two of bench to make a large U.. 

So - I'm going to do some rail modelling tonight and get a rough idea of what I want in tubular track and I'll start ordering.  Watch this space for big changes to come!

I think you'll be happy you ditched the Fastrack.

ESCHER I can assure you it isn't the Fastack giving you problems with slowdowns.  I run a 17x11 around the room with no power drops at this time due to an expansion.  Not a single problem ....  

Jim

Screwing any track, especially Fastrack, to the wood structure of a layout increases noise levels. You do have nice thick foam, but do the screws go all the way to the layout structure? Fastrack is probably the noisiest track around, to add to the issue.

May I recommend GarGraves and/or Ross track? It is a nice steel track, like the tubular, easily and durably joined, wooden ties, on the quiet side, looks much better than Fastrack or traditional tubular, less fussy than Atlas or MTH, and is available in pre-curved sections as well as flex-track (I don't bend curves any longer; pre-curved is worth the money). It does need painting (they ALL do), but spray paint before you lay it does that in a hurry.

Actually - after a bit of research here on the forums - I'm planning to use Menards O42 and O31 radius curves and straights as well as used O22 switches...  Seems to give good results at drastically lower prices.  My hobby budget is not very much (actually you could call it nil as I'll be selling other items to fund this) - so price is a HUGE factor. 

The other nice thing about the standard tubular track is that I've always had a fondness for it and have wanted to use it.  I jumped into fastrack, thinking it was not as espensive as it is and not realizing the noise level...  typical noobie learning curve stuff - now I know better.

As to using more prototypical track - I had looked at the other brands (incuding the ones mentioned) - and the price factor is still there.  I do like the gargraves a lot...

To answer the question about screwing into the layout - upper level is straight into OSB, lower level is only into the foam..  Both are very loud.

Regarding the slowdowns - not sure what to say other than - I'm glad you don't have issues!  I've swapped track and tried a few things... but in the end, I really want to just solder the connections - and I'm afraid that with fastrack, I'll end up melting the plastic.  Not an issue with the tubular stuff from what I've read.. I guess I'm just a "get a bigger hammer" guy.. lol!

I suppose the final thing I should point out - we plan to move in 2-5 years... so this is *truly* a learning layout for us.. When we move, one of the criteria will be a more open floorplan basement (hopefully a full size ranch with finished basement) - so I can run track around three walls..  When I do *that* layout - I'll likely go with the higher end track - unless I completely fall in love with the traditional tubular stuff in this learning phase.

Id try to figure out the problem.   You've got enough power there to run a whole fleet of trains with about any track!  Are all your straights 30 inch or 10 inch pieces?  Lionel says to run a feeder at every 3 to 5 pieces of track regardless of length.  You can connect batches of Fastrack with .110 female spade connectors the slide directly to the track and make jumpers.  And you can use an adapter track to add to what you have and just add tubular.    Id hate to see you not use all the track you have.  Especially if it only has to last a couple of years.   

Jim

Edit: With that being said if you are going to be upgrading it 5 years.   And still plan to replace what you have.   Why not buy the Gargraves and Ross switches now and then you will have them when you build the next layout?

Ohhh you guys know how to make a guy think... haha!

As to feeders - on the lower level I have one on the front side and one on the back side, and also one on the switched loop.

On the top I only have one feeder...

I had forgotten about the adapter track...

To further the discussion, may I suggest buying used track? You will save a lot of money and still maintain a little more realism. I agree with the others, there is something else going on with your layout. No matter what you do I would figure it out if for no other reason than you will learn from it.

I personally find O22 switches a little bumpy for some locos.  The cost of quality switches is a major deterrent- there's no getting around it.  But I agree with D500- I would use Ross track, most or all of your problems will be solved. 

I've been bugging the heck out of Steve to offer his mainstream switches in O36.  That would make them a drop-in replacement for your Fasttrack.

Check out the Tinman, Forum sponsor for reconditioned tubular track and switches.

https://www.tinman3rail.com

Joe - yep - his ebay stuff was what got my thinking originally.  and it seems like a lot of folks like 022 switches.  Plus - I am only  running 50+ year old postwar engines which were designed for the stuff..

Ok - for sake of argument.... let assume I'm starting from scratch... (which I likley will as the currently layout is frustrating me for a multitude of reasons).

First here are my dislikes of my current setup:

1) Reach - I can barely reach the back of the layout due to the depth - the second level - while cool, exacerbates this issue greatly.

2) I want a dual mainline - minimum 2 trains able to run at once - better would be 3 (I know - probably a pipe dream with my space issues)

3) I also would like to build a small 2-3 foot extension for a couple of sidings where I can park trains or build up trains wihtout stopping the layout.

4) As mentioned before - sound level... I love the layouts I hear online built with Tubular track - fastrack is much more high pitched and "white noise" like..

5) my upper level closed off a lot of the lower level - basically I only see the trains down there for

1/3 of the layout space.. 

Lets look at this as a blank sheet of paper..

So - I have a 4x12 foot space..

- I want 2 mainlines and the ability to have a siding/small yard that I will add on to one side of the layout (say another 1-2 feet x 4 foot extension on the side)

- Future sidings inside the loops to give the trains a place to "go".

- If possible - I'd *love* to cut a foot of depth out of the middle to improve reach - forcing sort of a dogbone shape

- From the pics above you can see I only have access on 2.5 sides (front, left and partial access on the far right (about a foot to the wall)..

- I'm not opposed to a second level, but as I found out with the current setup - I closed off so much of the lower level that you barely see the trains down there.  I'm not interested in doing a grade up to a second level at this time...  Second level - if used, would be a completely different mainline / town.

So - I'll open it up to the group - what would you recommend?  Has anyone see a layout that hits some of these points?

I found this layout along the way as I was searching - and it hits a lot of my desired points, if I change the crossover to some sidings and add a extension for a yard on one side.. (Apologies if

this is one of yours - I can't remember where I found it, it could have been this forum even..)

@Ken-Oscale recently made a similar design but was able to sneak some more features into it.

Thread is here: https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/...4-5-outside-diameter

Very nice..  I started with this type of layout and started playing with how much I could fit.. 

Yes I went a bit crazy.  Playing with Rail Modeller.. and came up with this if I only use O31 curves and Switches:

This would use 10XO22 switches, 24XO31curves, and 54X10" straights...

I would probably start without the sidings (4 less switches) and add those down the road..