I've received a request from some of my grandkids. When they are here for Christmas, they would love to play with my electric trains. This has been all the motivation I needed to do something I've wanted to do for a long time. I started by designing a couple of different layouts, one for my HO-guage set and another for my O-guage Lionel set. Then I checked to see what parts I was missing (sections of track, connectors, etc.) and ordered some odds and ends. OK, maybe I went a little overboard, because I decided to put together a couple of more intricate layouts. Kathie actually encouraged me by saying it was OK if I wanted to use up some more of our basement space for tables for the layouts. So, I set up one 4x8 sheet of plywood for the HO set and two sheets (an 8x8 arrangement) for the O set. Here is what the O table looked like a few days ago. I was staging things on it while working on the HO set.
I made a control station for the HO set which you can see here. The diagram in the upper left corner shows the track sections and switches and numbers everything so that you can determine how to route power to the trains. On this layout, you can operate two trains at the same time. There is even a reversing wye and enough sidings to do some interesting things. I have four different HO engines—one steam locomotive and three diesel locomotives. Two of the diesels are models from the Alaska railroad, and I have Holland America McKinley Explorer passenger cars like the ones we rode when we visited Alaska last May. The other engines have various freight cars to pull. I can keep two locomotives idle on sidings while operating the other two.
Here I am wiring the bottom side of the table where the wires from the switches and track sections come through.
After routing those wires to the edge of the table, I created two wire bundles with connectors to the control station. (I listen to books on my iPod while I work.)
Here is the more-or-less final result for the HO layout. I invited the grandkids to make little paper buildings to decorate the layout. We'll see what they come up with.
The O layout is still a work in progress. I intend to set it up to operate two trains simultaneously as well, unless I run out of time before everyone gets here. I'll be sure to post more pictures when the grandkids arrive. OK, it is true that I'm playing. Who is having more fun—grandpa or the grandkids? I'll never tell.
2 comments:
Good for you, Bill. I didn't know you were a modeler. I began in the hobby in grade school with an HO layout. My older brothers had American Flyer trains but I preferred HO. When I got older I began collecting HOn3 brass engines (Colorado prototype, of course) and now have approximately 25 in my collection along with lots of rolling stock and structure kits. But no layout. We have a good friend who has never been into the hobby but recently started a huge Lionel layout in his basement for his grandchildren Watching it progress has made me consider doing the same thing, for my grandsons, of course. I still attend all the local model train shows and love the hobby. Someday I'd enjoy seeing your layouts.
Is that the Robbie-ma-Tron?
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