Subject:
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Re: Home layouts
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.trains
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Date:
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Thu, 14 Oct 1999 04:05:13 GMT
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Viewed:
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1107 times
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In lugnet.trains, Paul Foster writes:
>
> I'm curious, how many people actually have train tracks set up
> and available at home to run trains on? Some folks, it is obvious
> from the web pages (like Joe D) that they can run trains anytime
> but I was just wondering about others?
Paul,
I started in Lego® trains 2 years ago when I saw 4559 in the S@H catalog and
thought it would be fun under the Christmas tree. I liked how the train ran,
even on the carpet, and the kids loved it too. Last year I bought a few more
sets and expanded the layout to a 4'x7' table in a finished room in the
basement (on top of an existing N-scale layout). Inspired by many of your web
pages I built some custom locos, rolling stock and buildings. Somehow this
layout was moved under the tree for Christmas complete with lighting for the
structures.
This year the N-scale layout is gone and I have a built-in around-the-wall
Lego® train layout of ~140 baseplates in the 11x11 foot room in the basement.
I switched because (1) I really enjoy the challenge of finding just the right
Lego® pieces to make the latest creation and (2) my kids (ages 4 & 2) want to
be in on the fun (Lego® is durable). I really like having the train go around
me instead of me around the train as with the table layout. The turnout
switches are within arms reach and you feel more a part of the layout. The
tabletop height of 29 inches is a compromise between good viewing from a
sitting position for me (knees fit under the tabletop) and eyeball level for
the kids while standing. The top layer of the tabletop is 3/4 inch Dow® foam
insulation which makes for a quiet running surface. The tabletop is faced with
1/8 inch masonite which protects the edge of the foam and, because it sticks up
1/8 inch above the foam, keeps baseplates from sliding off the tabletop. I
also have a painted backdrop, curved in the corners, made from the same 1/8
inch masonite. It is painted with blue flat latex (I tried to copy the sky
blue found on some Lego® kit boxes) and spray painted with flat white clouds.
My wife noticed that the backdrop adds a lot to the illusion that you are in a
Lego® world. The tabletop is painted Lego® tan to better represent dry
Colorado.
In the future a second level in planned complete with a helix-in-a-mountain
to move trains between levels. To anyone planning an extensive layout the
track designer program at Matt's Lego® Train Depot is a mus
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: Home layouts
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| (...) ??? a...muse? a mustake?;-) Don't know what happened but your layout sounds swweet, Jim. Would love, and I'm sure others concur, to see pix:-) I have just started laying out my permanent layout, with track in place. It is an "L" that is 45" (...) (26 years ago, 14-Oct-99, to lugnet.trains)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Home layouts
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| I'm curious, how many people actually have train tracks set up and available at home to run trains on? Some folks, it is obvious from the web pages (like Joe D) that they can run trains anytime but I was just wondering about others? Having just set (...) (26 years ago, 12-Oct-99, to lugnet.trains)
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