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I have a space in my basement train room for a suspended ceiling layout. The space is about 13' x 9'. I would like to suspend the layout from the bottom of the floor joists by about a foot, maybe 15" at most. This would be a simple loop. I might consider a double loop, if I have enough track. I have LGB solid brass rail track and this would be a G scale layout. This will be in the middle of the room, not up against the walls.

I haven't figured out how to suspend the track yet. There used to be a system called InterRail that I had always dreamed of using. It wasn't cheap, but it looked great. Now, I can't find it anywhere. What I liked about it was that it was open grid so it didn't block the view of the trains. It had wire guard rails to prevent the trains from falling. It had a solid connection to the ceiling. I still see it used in many restaurants around northern IL, and they have it installed in the Chicagoland Hobbies store. It was maroon colored plastic.

Anybody have any ideas on how I can build something that would suit my purpose? I have considered electrical conduit, but haven't figured out how to join cross ties or suspend it. I looked into acrylic sheets, but the cost is very high, and I still need to suspend it. Wood doesn't seem like a great option because of the look and the bulk. I'm afraid it will block the view of the trains. I want this to be a little more modern look, not rustic.

George

Last edited by George S
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Good luck with that project . I am still experimenting with using different products for different projects and have found that using  a metal stud base channel is great for standard gauge track use .  If i remember right it comes in 12 foot lengths  and can be bought at either big box hardware store , $12.00 I think . I will be helping my buddy install a 12 to 14 foot bridge, elevated trolley line on his layout using this channel. I mention this channel because it is light weight and very ridged . I haven't figured out the curves yet.  Still thinking about that issue.  My buddys trolley line will be a straight back and forth run and we will be using old junker tower bases to support the bridge as seen in my floor  test bridge.   Maybe this idea will help you solve part of  your issue , IMG_6568IMG_6567

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JohnnieWalker posted:

Good luck with that project . I am still experimenting with using different products for different projects and have found that using  a metal stud base channel is great for standard gauge track use .  If i remember right it comes in 12 foot lengths  and can be bought at either big box hardware store , $12.00 I think . I will be helping my buddy install a 12 to 14 foot bridge, elevated trolley line on his layout using this channel. I mention this channel because it is light weight and very ridged . I haven't figured out the curves yet.  Still thinking about that issue.  My buddys trolley line will be a straight back and forth run and we will be using old junker tower bases to support the bridge as seen in my floor  test bridge.   Maybe this idea will help you solve part of  your issue , IMG_6568

That's a great idea! I might consider turning it over and using the flat side for the track. I could cut corners from sheet metal and put some pieces of channel underneath for support.

I really like the piers that support your channel and the bridge! Are those piers from a Lionel beacon tower?

George

Hi George , Yes they are . My buddy and I have been buying them over the years for just this reason , to make an elevated rail line .  Just last week at a show not far away he picked up 4 more , each being only a dollar !!   I myself have 14 of them waiting to be used one day . They make for very sturdy supports and are tinplate to boot .   I did experiment with a short piece of the channel trying to make a curve . What I did was cut slots down one side and across the bottom  every inch or so , this allowed the channel to be curved . I never pursued riveting   the overlaps in place to hold its shape , Another project came along , then another and another .  If you do go this route , make sure you buy the base/top channel and not the studs . There is a difference in shape , and the studs have large irregular holes punched in them for running wires  as well .    

George, you may have seen this.  Someone posted this in a different thread this week.  It's a video of Jack Black's ceiling layout.  It appears to be all-thread with blocks at top and bottom.  That's a good support frame but it doesn't solve the problem for a see-through base.  Starts about 5:45.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1wefUWxWOw

Last edited by MikeH

As Mike says above the metal framing track doesn't have the lip on them like the wall studs. And the track is also usually made of heavier gauge metal, quite a bit sturdier than the wall studs. 

The hangers shown in the video, from threaded rod and 1x2s or 1x3s would probably be the least expensive for hangers.

A few years ago I saw a video where a guy had made hangers from copper pipe for his hanging layout. Ran all over the house as I recall. That was really a nice looking system, but was probably pretty costly too. If I can find it again I'll post a link.

Well, that was pretty easy to fnd, I'd forgotten about the glass (or acrylic) tubing that was also used. Thought the copper might look good with your tinplate trains. Here it is:

Just watched this again. Yikes! Kind of scary with just open track and no fall protection between the train and the floor 7-8 feet below, There was some kind of acrylic or something on the sides in a few spots. You could still see the train and also have some safety from falling to the floor. But I'm sure that's also probably expensive.

Last edited by rtr12
rtr12 posted:

As Mike says above the metal framing track doesn't have the lip on them like the wall studs. And the track is also usually made of heavier gauge metal, quite a bit sturdier than the wall studs. 

The hangers shown in the video, from threaded rod and 1x2s or 1x3s would probably be the least expensive for hangers.

A few years ago I saw a video where a guy had made hangers from copper pipe for his hanging layout. Ran all over the house as I recall. That was really a nice looking system, but was probably pretty costly too. If I can find it again I'll post a link.

Well, that was pretty easy to fnd, I'd forgotten about the glass (or acrylic) tubing that was also used. Thought the copper might look good with your tinplate trains. Here it is:

That's really cool. Looks expensive! I found a company that would make and install a system with acrylic. That would be awesome, but the price starts at $6000. That's twenty times more than I want to spend.

George

From the looks of that house, there was probably no shortage of funds for that one either? That's way above my pay grade for sure!

I think your picture of the conduit layout looks just fine, very nice they way they did that. Conduit would definitely be inexpensive, maybe the most cost effective way to go? Would be easier to bend than the metal studs as well. Looks like they used some type of thin metal bars for their trapeze hangers. I can't see well enough to tell what they used to fasten their conduit to the hangers? 

In place of the 1x lumber (might be too thick?) Home Depot and Lowes have 1/4" thick strips (1-1/2" to 2" wide) of poplar, oak, and a couple of other hardwoods that might also be strong enough to support a train. Spacing them similar to the way they did in the conduit layout. Those hardwood strips are pretty sturdy, especially  in short lengths.

GVDobler posted:

You would be surprised how much dirt falls through an unfinished ceiling.

Which can make a mess unless you are looking for gold like in the movie Paint Your Wagon.

That decision was made a long time ago and it's a done deal. I spent weeks cleaning, prepping and spray painting the ceiling. Most of the dirt you see is from when construction occurred. The carpet in the room above has a premium backing and the padding is pretty stable. I have had my layout up for a few months with felt on the table top and cars on the track. Everything has stayed pretty clean. I have a vacuum and duster, but only need to used them when I am making the mess. Like the rest of the house, I will need to keep the basement clean.

George

Today I found a 3' section I was testing some time ago .   The open grid work nut & bolted to the bottom is a section of tile edging that was in my shop .  The holes you see in the channel , I put those there , to secure it to the Lionel towers I was using .  Again good luck and keep us posted on what you come up with.IMG_2419IMG_2420IMG_2421IMG_2422IMG_2423

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MikeH posted:

Whoa!   I'm digging that tile edging as a guardrail.  

Thanks , but that is actually the bottom side of the bridge . Now one could use them as guardrails if one wanted to .   I think there is enough guardrail by placing the track inside the channel but that's  just my opinion .  I added the tile edging to the test section to see how it looked and to see how much stronger it would be .  

Hi George,

Another George here! I have an inter-rail layout in my home in N.H. located in a large finished 3rd floor attic room. I purchased it from Lantz’s train and hobbies in Horse-head, NY about 13 years ago. I think they’ve since closed The inside track is O and uses sectional Gargraves plastic tie track made specific for the interail layout system. The outside track is Aristo G scale track. The layout measures 12’ wide at one end and 6’ wide at the other by about 18’ long. I do have a S curve due to the rooms geometry, that adds interest and has never given me an issue I just can’t run large steam engines thru it.  The Interail system does have a clean finished  look which I like. I didn’t install the guard rails wires and have never had a train fall off but I guess it could happen.

The toughest part was putting The plastic sections together and I had to wear garden gloves to snap them together, then plum bobbing it with the ceiling, that was no easy task. It’s held up for many years but one could easily pull it down. Inter rail I believe is out of business, a big distributor of it was Jules Toy trains. Inter rail I believe was out of Pennsylvania. Good-luck, I have seen your Standard Gauge layout posts, it looks great and keep us posted!

0A225A49-9150-4078-B837-214B568399BD

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Last edited by Seacoast
Seacoast posted:

Hi George,

Another George here! I have an inter-rail layout in my home in N.H. located in a large finished 3rd floor attic room. I purchased it from Lantz’s train and hobbies in Horse-head, NY about 13 years ago. I think they’ve since closed The inside track is O and uses sectional Gargraves plastic tie track made specific for the interail layout system. The outside track is Aristo G scale track. The layout measures 12’ wide at one end and 6’ wide at the other by about 18’ long. I do have a S curve due to the rooms geometry, that adds interest and has never given me an issue I just can’t run large steam engines thru it.  The Interail system does have a clean finished  look which I like. I didn’t install the guard rails wires and have never had a train fall off but I guess it could happen.

The toughest part was putting The plastic sections together and I had to wear garden gloves to snap them together, then plum bobbing it with the ceiling, that was no easy task. It’s held up for many years but one could easily pull it down. Inter rail I believe is out of business, a big distributor of it was Jules Toy trains. Inter rail I believe was out of Pennsylvania. Good-luck, I have seen your Standard Gauge layout posts, it looks great and keep us posted!

 

Thank you. I love it. I saw a post you made several years ago about this. I waited too long. Lantz was a great hobby shop online. I bought stuff from them. Another one bites the dust...

Don’t expect anything too soon from me. I design stuff in my head and don’t always release it to my hands until I have thought through 80% of the construction. Plus, even making the hangers from scratch will take me time. I don’t have a fully functioning shop. Also, I expect each part will need to be painted. That will take as much time as making the parts. Installation will be relatively easy. I’m still mulling the easiest approach for the money. 

One option I am considering is wire shelving. However, I think the LGB track ties will fall through the grid.

George

Iron pipe can be used to suspend the track.  Attach a flange to the ceiling joist and thread in a ½ inch pipe nipple of your chosen length.  At the bottom, you can thread on an elbow and another nipple to hold whatever you are going to place the track on.  This wasn’t my idea.  GRJ was planning to use this method.  He got a bunch of flanges and pipe nipples, but never got around to it.  I took the stuff off his hands when he was clearing it out of his old house.

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