Things to have in a train room?

Based on my poor progress in the Barn:

Insulation, Track Lighting on it's own power circuit so you can focus light on the areas that need it (possibly with multiple switches / dimmers), Plenty of Amperage in the circuit running the trains. Seal up the Car Door to avoid excess dust entry and heat / cooling needs.

Run a conduit around the perimeter on its own circuit and install several wall outlets.

.....

Dennis

If you're doing a custom environment, I'd say a master kill switch for the entire layout.

I knew a guy who had one, and he made a very well-executed box that said, "self-destruct" like in the James Bond movies. But it came in real handy when a lightning storm popped up and started blasting the area around him. He hit the switch about 5 seconds before lightning hit the building. Could have fried everything if he hadn't.

Heat and AC…….

Just finished the basics.  Ran 8 outlets around the room, on their own circuit.  Then put up track lighting also on its own circuit.  I'm ready to build.  

This is the best thing you can have in your train room

If possible, put down some rubber flooring or carpet.  When installing lights, remember that you will need to replace bulbs - make sure that you will be able to reach them after the layout is in place.

Hope you are sealing off those garage doors and definitely Insulate

You need good electric.  At a minimum two dedicated circuits for trains.  More would be better, but two at a minimum.  Good lighting.  Your preference as to kelvin color, but daylight will be very good for intricate scenery and towns.  Heating and AC, of course.

Then you must have (1) TRAINS, (2) TRACK () POWER SUPPLIES.  A good imagination, and you're off to there races.  Good luck.   Bob S.

I installed a combination ceiling light/exhaust fan to help remove smoke to the outside of the house. Simply connected it to pvc and right out the side wall. Best of both worlds: let the trains smoke without filling the room.

When the time comes make the table high enough that you can move around comfortably  under it. Lying on your back to do something under there gets old real fast.

Quoted for truth.

I have seen several layouts over the years, most of them HO, in buildings that had neither. They have a local tour of layouts in my area and I went on it last year. One HO layout was in what seemed like a former farm building. No heat in there, everyone was huddled up in jackets.

That's why I went with a much smaller layout than I could have done in an out building, because it's in the house, with all the comfort that goes with it. The room invites me in there and motivates me to work on the layout far more than I'd feel if it was in a unheated or AC'd building way off in the back 40 somewhere...

Plus one on the track lighting.  Run the track down the center of the layout.  If you are going around the room place it over the center of the benchwork.  If you have room add the can lights with a dimmer.  You need a lot of light when your working, but not so much when your running.  My room is 28 X 15 and the layout is a walk in around the walls.  I have track lighting on one side and recessed fluorescent on the other side.  I have already added additional lights on the track lighting.  The other side is a little dark and I wish I had put in track lighting along that wall.

All of the above sounds very good but you also need a sink and running water.  Scenery is much easier if you don't have to tote water or run to wash up a brush or bucket.  Hot and cold ideal but cold only will do.

A utility mop type sink is good with a simple inexpensive faucet.

Also don't forget a door for materials to come through.  Make it a outswing so the layout can go across it if necessary.

George Lasley

Repeated from above : fire extinguisher 

- Fire & Smoke Alarms

- Cable or Sat Service

- Phone Jacks

- Security Camera/System

- One Way Film on Windows

Decide what to do with the floor - epoxy, carpeting, vinyl, whatever you want - and get it done, because that will be the hardest to retrofit. Insulation has been mentioned, and I agree with track lighting. Also think about ventilation. What you do with that depends on your climate, but think about it. If you have a lot of humidity, central a/c and/or a dehumidifier. If you're in a hot, dry climate, some sort of nighttime exhaust fan may be a useful option. Also think about daytime illumination. Do you want skylights? I have them in my train room and I like them a lot. Along the same line, consider ceiling fans. 

All these are just ideas and suggestions. It's your house, make it fit your lifestyle. 

From my experience in construction, pay now or REALLY PAY LATER. When I built my, 20'X 32' trainroom twenty plus years ago. First above all else would be your power needs. DO NOT SKIMP, place outlets every eight feet. You're going to need at least 60 amp service.

Seal and install vapor barrier on the floor. Install vapor barrier in all walls. It's best to install a half bath with hot water. It's much cheaper now. I could go on and on. It would be pointless since I'm an old man who knows nothing.  LMAO

Extra lighting: I have three portable clamp-on LEd lights I can move when I am taking pictures of videos.  

Fridge: beer, etc. 

Fire-extinguishers.  I have three: one at the end of each of my two-dead-end aisles and one at the entrance near the power supplies and all.

We should start making them with railroad logos on them.

I would recommend a floor creeper to work under the layout. Here's a hi tech one.

I found this video on Speed Societies Facebook page of a fantastic looking creeper but could not find any info on it. Sorry for the poor quality, its a video of the video because I could not link it from Facebook.

https://youtu.be/UVKxygwvZX4

franktrain

A decent sized separate work bench area if you have the space.  It's nice to have at least an old desk or table where you can service engines as needed while still being close enough to the layout to test run them.  even my conventional stuff needs a good cleaning and oiling every so often!

Shelves.  Lots of them.

Thanks all.  This is great.  I will literally print this thread out and show it to the contractor.  I guarantee he doesn't have to think about some of these specific issues very often.  I agree it is best to do it right the first time.

Ben

I think all the suggestions are good.

It may seem odd but over the past two years rebuilding my lay out a internet access device was very important. It seems like I came to this forum searching for a answer to one dumb question after another.

It just happen to be a large source of reference materials and is very useful.

Larry

Banelson,

We used dricore tiles for the subfloor in our basement train room and they work great for keeping the room dry. They give you a small air space between your floor and the concrete, and also work as a vapor barrier. They're easy to install too. www.dricore.com

For insulating the walls, we used Roxul insulation.

For humidity control, we also purchased an EZ-Breathe ventilation system:

www.ezbreathe.com

In my opinion, this is far better than a conventional dehumidifier as there are no water buckets to empty, it's quiet and it uses a lot less electricity than a dehumidifier. It improves the overall air quality in our entire home too.

The smoke alarms might go off rather often courtesy of JT Mega Steam !!!

I agree, when stuff just doesn't work.....  Beer is needed

-A bathroom

-A workbench

-Don't overcrowd the room with the layout, leave some open space for having visitors over

-Carpeting

-If you are going to have a layout you can walk around, having floor receptacles hidden under the layout is a big improvement over cords running from the wall that can trip people

-Drop ceiling with sound absorbing tiles

-skirting around the layout, hide your boxes and reduce layout sound.

You can't beat having BEER!

If not a tapper refrigerator, as shown above, at the very least a small fridge to keep bottled beer cool in.

Ben, there are times I think you are more focused on beer than trains! LOL

     ben when I built my layout I put the support legs 1ft. back from the edge. that way visitors won't be kicking the legs when walking around. Choo Choo Kenny

More money than you wanted to spend. I have a garage layout always, something to improve on.

You are correct on your first step.

1:  Seek advice and you came to the right place.

Brent

Have a mind set to keep the room neat and clean. It will have a huge impact on your enjoyment.

Romiller

I have my layout in my garage and I fully agree I have a refrigerator directory across from it and beer quickly in hand. No train room is complete without it.

1 - floor - sealed, no dust 

2 - insulated

3 - HVAC

4 - Light; general and track about 18" out from the layout. Dimmers on both. I use LED

5 - Power; two circuits on the same phase switched by the door. With good grounds.  Another circuit for vacuum cleaners and power tools.

6 - cooler for cold beverages

7 - place to get rid of excess/used beverage. (you only rent it)

8 - seal cement to keep moisture out and dust down.

9 - floor covering, comfortable for feet and keep noise down.

Dan

TRAINS!

Don

PS all the other suggestions are good too.

Kids, big kids, little kids, old kids, young kids. After all you will need someone to enjoy all of that non digital stuff that you haven't touched in a long time. When they get to understand it all you will have a fan for life, and your world,will have been enriched. Rich

DUH!!  I was wondering how long it would take for someone to realize something important was missing!! 

Very sound advice, especially #7. For lighting, invest in warn-white LED-based lighting as the florescent lighting tends to cast a yellow pallor over everything and incandescent lights generate a lot of heat.