O scale on a door?

txronharris Feb 8, 2010

  1. txronharris

    txronharris TrainBoard Member

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    I'm coming overfrom the N scale forum and wanted to ask the experts.

    I've got a K-Line set that I'd like to set up for my 2 year old who's nuts about trains. A door size layout seems like about the right size. The set has an SW1500 for the power, so smaller radius curvse shouldn't be a problem. Would I be able to fit a figure eight and maybe a siding or two in this size of space? Is there a site with O scale trackplans that might fit on a door?

    I'm used to working in N scale as I said earlier, so trying to plan in O scale is all new for me. Whatcha think?
     
  2. Stourbridge Lion

    Stourbridge Lion TrainBoard Supporter

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    EEK!, I don't know if I have ever used anything smaller than a 27" curve so a door would likely be too small even for a simple Figure-8 or loop setup. My dad would just let me use the floor as long as I picked it up when not in use...

    :tb-ooh: :tb-ooh: :tb-ooh: :tb-ooh:​
     
  3. gmrcguy

    gmrcguy TrainBoard Member

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    Door Layout

    Like Darren said it may be a problem trying to use a door. You can try O-27 but you may not get away with it. You may want to try a floor layout. Lionel and MTH make special track such as Fastrack or Realtrax which is meant to be used on floors and put together and taken apart frequently. I use Fastrack as a temporary layout and it is great. It fits together nicely without seperating and you can step on it without problems as well. You would be able to get set up with a figure 8 for maybe $100.
     
  4. Stourbridge Lion

    Stourbridge Lion TrainBoard Supporter

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    Just a quick look at some Starter Sets I didn't see anything using O-27 that was smaller then 40" diameter and to make a Fig-8 I believe would take a length of 60" so a 4x8 plywood layout would be more what you would be looking rather then a door.

    Truly, I would look at getting down of the floor with a 2yr old and just toss out track and have a great Father-Son time and then take it a part when your done for the day. That way, you are not limited to anything other then floor space and it's at his level to enjoy. Use the chair/table/etc. as your tunnels and mountians.

    http://www.lionel.com/GettingStarted/ <-- Check out the "Is Your Child Ready?" section

    :thumbs_up: :thumbs_up: :thumbs_up: :thumbs_up:​
     
  5. Stickboy

    Stickboy TrainBoard Member

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    I had a play in railmodeller...

    This is in a space 36" by 78" ( 3ft by 6ft 6" door)

    [​IMG]

    Using the Lionel O-27 railset

    Any good?

    Phil
     
  6. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    O-27 is a 27 inch diameter. So it should fit on a door. Many sets, including a couple I owned as a youth, came as a figure eight track package. Which, again, should fit. Just get this widest door available. Thirty six inches if possible. Or if there is anything even slightly wider?

    Boxcab E50
     
  7. Stourbridge Lion

    Stourbridge Lion TrainBoard Supporter

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    Granted, I'm just suggesting that if the layout needs to be fixed that a 4x8 gives a bit more flexibility then a door and the starter sets I quickly looked at suggest they require 40"x60" (even as O-27) and possibley more to have a Fig-8 setup.

    My simple X-Mas setup using O-27 track on a 4x8
    Train Set plus some extra track used

    [​IMG]


    [​IMG]
     
  8. Greg Elems

    Greg Elems Staff Member

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    When my boys were little, I bought a standard hollow core door that was 36" wide. It took a standard 90 degree crossing and O27 track just fine with room to spare on the sides for a figure 8 layout. Later we put an oval on the door and used two O27 manual switches for sidings to switch with. The engines my boys used were the GP7's, NW2 and Alco FA2's. Later my oldest recieved a 4-4-0 General type engine and it ran on the O27 layout just fine also. Lego's became the building material of choice for loads and buildings. They got a lot of play out of that layout. The nice thing was when they were done, we covered it up with plastic and stood it on end in the garage. I bought my door at a big box hardware store, a return for a real cheap price. Get one, play with the track and have fun.
    Greg
     
  9. Lee Willis

    Lee Willis New Member

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    As demonstrated, at least if using traditional track you can easily fit a layout on a 30 inch or 36 inch wide door. In fact one could argue that is what it was intended for:
    When I was a child with my first layout, my father told me the reason that Lionel "invented" or went with 0-27 in the first place (when he was a child) was that it a full 180 degree half circle would fit within a 30 inch width, which meant a layout could be built that would slide completely under a child's bed. Given all the illustrations in ads that show something like that, I tend to believe it. (And among other things, I think there is one like that that Jimmy plays with very briefly in the 1950s (and only good) version of The Day the Earth Stood Still.

    Anyway, my first layout fit on a 32 inch wide by bed-long slide out layout that was under my bed.
     
  10. txronharris

    txronharris TrainBoard Member

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    Thank you for all the replies and the layout plans and options. I know a door isn't ideal by any means, but as stated, it gives me a way to store the layout under a bed or something (my first HO layout was on casters and rolled under my bed when not in use).

    The problem with putting it away is that he's a train NUT! I think I'll be pulling it out every day and he'll want to run trains. I know he's a bit young, but I think allowing him to have his own layout will keep him from experimenting with my N scale stuff which has been a problem because he just wants to play and doesn't understand the wheels and roofwalks aren't meant to come off.

    Thanks again for the direction. I'll let you guys know what happens. I'll probally give him a corner of my layout room so he can play trains while daddy works on his layout.
     
  11. Stourbridge Lion

    Stourbridge Lion TrainBoard Supporter

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    Don't forget to post some photos now and then...

    :thumbs_up: :thumbs_up: :thumbs_up: :thumbs_up:​
     
  12. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Cool! I hope you can keep that fire stoked! :tb-wink::thumbs_up:

    Boxcab E50
     

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