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About six months ago we moved into a new house. From the time I first saw the ledge running around the great room 9-feet off the floor I said to my wife, "You know what would be awesome? A train." Naturally, she resisted at first but as I continued to plan and socialize the idea it grew on her and she finally relented. The goal: finish the train in time for Christmas.
In this Instructable I share the trials and tribulations of the project and hopefully inspire some of you to undertake a train project of your own!
In this Instructable I share the trials and tribulations of the project and hopefully inspire some of you to undertake a train project of your own!
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Signing UpStep 1Planning
I cannot stress enough the importance of planning and prototyping. If you identify potential problems ahead of time, it will save your sanity (and your wallet.)
Upon measuring the room, I determined that I would take about 78 feet worth of track to make the loop. Additionally, the ledge was 3.5 inches wide -- plenty of room for the train to clear the wall.
I visited a local hobby shop and talked to "the train guy" to get some insight into what type of train I would need, what kind of track, and how to power the whole thing. Talking to the expert really helped shape the design of this project. He said that a basic HO train set would suffice, the transformer was more than enough to handle that much track. However, a separate bus line would be required to carry consistent voltage along the entire length. He recommended soldering feeder lines from the bus to the track every 3 to 6 feet.
To facilitate the feeder line, some type of roadbed would be required. The hobby shop carried pieces of track (snap lock) that had an attached roadbed, but cost around $3.00 per 36 inch section which was way over my budget. I decided instead to use 1/2 inch plywood.
I opted for Atlas code 100 flex track in 36 inch lengths. Flex track has one fixed rail which allows you to bend it however you want. This came in handy for the 90 degree and 140 degree corners. "Code 100" refers to how tall the rail section of the track is.
With the basic plan complete, it was time to build some prototypes.
Upon measuring the room, I determined that I would take about 78 feet worth of track to make the loop. Additionally, the ledge was 3.5 inches wide -- plenty of room for the train to clear the wall.
I visited a local hobby shop and talked to "the train guy" to get some insight into what type of train I would need, what kind of track, and how to power the whole thing. Talking to the expert really helped shape the design of this project. He said that a basic HO train set would suffice, the transformer was more than enough to handle that much track. However, a separate bus line would be required to carry consistent voltage along the entire length. He recommended soldering feeder lines from the bus to the track every 3 to 6 feet.
To facilitate the feeder line, some type of roadbed would be required. The hobby shop carried pieces of track (snap lock) that had an attached roadbed, but cost around $3.00 per 36 inch section which was way over my budget. I decided instead to use 1/2 inch plywood.
I opted for Atlas code 100 flex track in 36 inch lengths. Flex track has one fixed rail which allows you to bend it however you want. This came in handy for the 90 degree and 140 degree corners. "Code 100" refers to how tall the rail section of the track is.
With the basic plan complete, it was time to build some prototypes.
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A cleaning car sounds awesome! What a great idea!
Very good, do show us the bridge when it's done.
L