Hollow core door layout in HO?

Anyone try it? Im thinking a minimum would be 2 36 inch x 80 inch doors. Thanks

 

I'm using hollow core doors for my complete layout, a combination of 24" x 80" and 30" x 80". Currently, both sides are 140" (2 x 30 and 1 x 80) and the ends 104" (1 24" + 1 80"). Unfortunately it will require a "duck-under", but since it's built on 48" book cases (5 in all), a low seat on rollers should handle that.

The doors are attached to each other with L-angle and straight brackets and friction seems to hold the doors quite well on the book cases.

The scale is HO and the primary road is SAL, with quite a bit of a Southern/ACL branch line. Using various thicknesses of foam and Woodland Scenics risers have the S.A.L. main line on an approximately 7' long embankment past a salt pond, some marsh, woods, and farmland.

 

I was at a train show and saw one in person. It actually was a nice little kidney bean shaped oval with some spurs. Definately worth trying one.

May want to do curves with 18' radius at the start and 15" radius pieces in the middle section to gain more space along the edges. But I see that you want to do two doors so maybe side by side and you have the width for a big radius.

Years ago in MR and also Great model railroads, there was a guy doing SP on doors. He was using a flat land prototype so he didn't need any big sceneru relief sections.

What caught my attention most about it, is the potential for On30 layouts on a door panel. You could easily do a small layout with a divider down the middle and focus your attention on scratchbuilding train cars and houses after that.

Here is a link to thors website. He has some HO layouts on here.

http://www.thortrains.net/marx/drlayho1.html

 

I currently have a 4 x 8 plywood setup: 2 mainlines and a 3 track mini-yard, including a programming track. Curves are 18 degrees, cork roadbed, Atlas Master DCC, no scenery or structures. I have been seriously thinking about switching to N scale but I hate to get rid of it:sad: :sad:

 

If your 4x8 is working, why not just expand into a yard or industrial area?

N scale is pretty cool, but as far as steam is concerned I think DCC with sound in HO would be more rewarding.

 

Ok, just had a thought. I could move the 4 x 8 up against the wall but Im still gonna be pressed for space...when I get out of class Ill take some pics and show ya....thanks for the advice as well:thumbs_up:

 

Well if space IS an issue... I would say to try the light side. Build a small little n scale layout. See how you like the Bachmann connie for instance. Get a feel for how working with the smaller trains feels.

A door panel in N scale is huge. I plan to run double headers with ten car trains on my layout. I could run longer trains but my staging is limited to about twelve car lengths. I have a double track mainline, a yard, a reverse loop. Lotsa space to move lotsa trains.

HO is cool. I have plenty of it in boxes. But no place to run it. So I ended up going N scale.

 

You can build a decent layout in HO using two 80x36" door panels.


Stay cool and run steam.....

 

I know exactly what one you are talking about. He was featured in MR atleast a decade or more ago. He also wrote an article about using unpowered steam engine helpers. More recently in GMR. It was a SP prototype layout with some really nice structures and a convincing hand painted oil refinery backdrop.

 

I'm building one on pieces of a hollow core door. I cut some 80" x 30" doors to 18" wide and put them together in an L shape. Had to stop work on it about 3 months ago to prepare for moving. Just now getting the house listed and looking for another one. More pictures are at my website listed in my signature, but here is an overall shot:

 

My layout is a hollow core door. With folding legs. Makes for a very nice stating layout.