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MikeH posted:

George, you're getting after it!  It will be interesting to see if there will be much sway.  Do you have some sense of that?

I ran the engine about a foot each direction. The layout moved about a half inch, but settled down. I won’t really know if I need to add bracing until I’m able to try a curve at speed.

George

You likely will need bracing, centrifugal force is strong.  In hvac /mechanical applications; hanging units, water tanks, wire loom racks, light-med trolley beams, etc. we often used oposing wire cables for bracing, 30° min, pref. 45° or more. Similar to an elevated lines firming up more than one might expect; I'd guess 4-8 points concentrated around the curves will be all you need. I'd start running a cable set inside the loop's curves and see what i have before adding any to the outside edge (pulls loop together this way). (ask an hvac shop about spring loaded cable stays for one end at least to make it easier than the normal stays.)

If you make a slice down the 2 short walls of the channel only, it can be bent to give a solid channel brace that wont easily bend and two connection tabs (each end) can be bent to the angles needed for mounting.   You can also pound the ends of conduit/metal tube until flat, bend flat end into a tab, drill the tab(s). The end may even seam split while pounded but will still be usable most of the time. Cut off bad one and pound again.... bracing lengths and angles can usually be "fudged" before an attachment point is actually made.

There is no swaying. There is a little movement, but not really an issue. I am a couple of brackets short, and there is one spot where the track dips a little. I plan to put a piece of conduit in there to stabilize the track. I still need to paint the support braces I installed between the joist. The only issue is the four brackets on the middle of the curves are a touch too narrow. I get a very slight touch on the 50' car on the inside rod, but the front overhang on the GP7 won't let me move the bracket inward any further. I should have made those a little larger. 

George

I thought it would all stabilize itself.  I have to reposition track every so often on my part against a brick wall that I hung from joists.  I can't screw the O gauge track to the wood shelves because my basement ceiling is so low, to get it above the doors I don't have much clearance to work on it. The other walls have wood paneling and I just used metal shelf brackets to hold that up.  It was a literal pain in the neck to put it up, but it was all I could do when the kids were still in the house.

Yes, I used the zip ties in a couple of spots.

I may try laying Fastrack on it to test using it for O Gauge. Would need to find a matching curve. I think O and Standard Gauge would require a base on the hangers. Although, Gargraves flex could work if you put Electrical tape on the hangers for insulation. I did this in a few spots where the hanger was at an uninsulated track joint.

George

George S posted:

Yes, I used the zip ties in a couple of spots.

I may try laying Fastrack on it to test using it for O Gauge. Would need to find a matching curve. I think O and Standard Gauge would require a base on the hangers. Although, Gargraves flex could work if you put Electrical tape on the hangers for insulation. I did this in a few spots where the hanger was at an uninsulated track joint.

George

I checked, I don't have Fastrack that will fit the curves. I used R2 LGB track (15000) which is about 61.4" diameter (I think that is the outer rail). So, I would need O60 track, which I don't have. This would have only been a whimsical test, so I don't plan to go out and buy any. I'll enjoy what I have. 

BTW, this setup cost me less than $100 in parts, including paint. It was a lot of time. I was cutting and assembling pieces for about three full days. I bought a 10" metal cutting disk for my compound miter saw to cut the steel rod and shelf brackets that I used. Price and availability for the parts was best at Menards.

When I cut the rod, it had a rough edge that made it difficult to thread nuts. I would get a nut threaded on one end and then run it down the rod to back off the other end. The nut would straighten the threads. I used my Dremel cut off wheel to take off any burs. 

George

RSJB18 posted:
JohnnieWalker posted:

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

Have you seen this flexible track for metal studs?

https://s3.amazonaws.com/finehomebuilding.s3.tauntoncloud.com/app/uploads/2016/04/09140542/021144110_1-main.jpg

 

No I have not . I will have to look for it and check on how sharp of a curve can be made .  

Mallard4468 posted:

Really enjoying this thread, and getting some good ideas.

My sweetie has been after me to get rid of my small stash of LGB, since it hasn't seen the light of day for several years.  Now I'm contemplating a loop in the living room.  She hasn't said no yet, but then again, I haven't mentioned it to her...

Yes, I had to find a way to get the USA trains out of their boxes. I have a few more cars too. The LGB trains come out at Christmas. I found that the USA trains aren’t worth much used, and I didn’t want to give them away. 

Do you ever say when you finish a layout, “I could have made that bigger.”?

I just realized that I could have run the loop into the other part of the basement. I have more track. Well, I don’t have permission for that side yet...

George

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