Copyright 2002 T. Sheil & A. Sheil All Rights Reserved
Trackwork: the basic oval has been the most common track plan almost since the hobby's origin. Ours layouts are based on the basic oval. The oval allows for continuous operation, which is why it is a "standard" of toy trains. Scale modelers tend more toward point-to-point than oval layouts.
Track radius and diameter - large trains and small: There are a few "rules of the road" concerning trackwork. The main factor deciding how much room a train takes is not its size, but the tightest standard curve it can use. For instance, HO uses a 36" diameter / 18" radius curve. O27 uses a 27" diameter / 13.5 inch radius curve, even though O27 trains range from 1.5 to 2 times the length of HO. The 38" / 40" size of S makes it more space-consuming than the larger 31" curve size O.
A common practice is for the large scales (O, O27, G and Standard gauge) to measure their curves in diameter, while smaller scales (S, HO, N, TT and Z) measure by radius.
A fact about O and O27 must be explained. They are the same gauge, or distance between the rails. There are three major differences: O27 track is not as tall as O. O27 has a tight 27" diameter curve, as opposed to the wider 31" curve of O. Finally, the basic straight track of O27 is 8.75 to 8.87: inches, while for O-31 it is 10 inches.
O27 Track: the common O27 track was originally developed by Ives for its O gauge trains. In the 1920s, O gauge was standardized only as a track gauge. Matters such as track length and curve diameter had yet to become standard. Ives used a 27 inch diameter curve. Lionel's curve was a little over 30 inches, and American Flyer's was 40. Scale was not even a consideration. Marx adopted the Ives track system, since the 27 inch curve was perfect for its small trains.
Today, O27 track is found packed in some train sets by Lionel. Until recently, it had also been included in K-line sets,. K-line started using its own proprietary O-31 Gauge system in 2001. There are two main sources of O27 track today. Both Lionel and K-line make tubular rail with metal crossties and switches. Atlas makes 27 inch curves, but as of yet does not make a 27" switch. The advantage of O27 is that it permits more action i a smaller space. O27 is best used with smaller train and locomotive types. The current trend is away from O27, but many diehard adherents of the tight curves keep it thriving.
The standard lengths of O27 track run between 8.75 to 8.87 inches long, with a lower track height. For a while, Marx made 10 and 11 inch straights. O27 rails are narrower than O-31. Today, you can get O27 type curves in 27" and 42" diameter. Marx had also made a 34" diameter curve compatible with O27.
O Track: as a general rule, the basic curve of O gauge is 31 inches in diameter. Some brands may vary as much as an inch. O-31 was the preferred track style of Lionel. It is almost twice the rail height of O27. The standard O gauge track section is 10" long ,and curves in the tall O gauge profile have diameters of 31", 42", 54" and 72". Lionel makes 31" and 72" switches; K-Line makes these as well as 42".
In recent years, new versions of O track have been introduced. MTH's Real Trax system is an O gauge track made of solid rails and mounted on a plastic roadbed. Though it accommodates all O trains, it cannot be connected to other O track without a special adapter. The same goes for the new K-Line O-31 Super Snap, an O track with plastic ties, and Atlas O. The new systems attempt to address issues of more realistic track and simpler connections.
Atlas O is unique, in that its curve diameters are 27", 36", 45", 63", 72" and wider types. Atlas makes switches for most diameters from 36" on up.
There is an O track with two-rails. Older tubular 2-rail track was intended for wind-up and battery-operated trains only. Modern 2-rail is different from the three-rail O and O27 in several ways, the most immediate being that its smallest diameter at this time is 72". The wiring for 2-rail O is similar to HO. Because of its wide track curvature, it is outside the scope of these layouts.
HO Track: the standard HO track these days uses an 18" radius curve as its basic size, with 9 inch straight sections. Atlas makes a tighter 15" diameter that is good for very small spaces. Today, there are several types of HO. Regular HO is a set of two rails mounted on plastic ties. Connection is made by thin metal rail joiners. Track ends are pressed into these joiners. Lately, track with a special roadbed has been offered. Bachmann's EZ Track and Atlas True Track are systems where rails are connected by rail joiners, while the roadbed locks into place. The LifeLike Power Loc system is a plastic roadbed with rails atop it. Connection is made via the roadbed, as is electrical contact between rails. American HO standards follow the system introduced years ago by Atlas.
S Track: common American Flyer track is a two-rail system. The modern S-Trax by S Helper service is a roadbed-based track with solid rail that has the same basic curve radius and straight track lengths as tubular track. It can be connected to tubular track with an adapter. The basic curve of S is 38 inches, and its basic straight section is 10 inches. It is difficult to make anything more than big ovals on a 4' by 8' surface. 5' by 9' us much more effective for producing an action-packed S gauge layout. In effect, it requires more room than O or HO, even though its trains are 3/4 the size of O scale models.
G / Large Scale: Technically ,the gauge of track for G is the old #1 gauge of 45mm / 1.75 inches. LGB introduced G in the 1960s, using a 4 foot diameter curve and twelve-inch straights. G is a narrow gauge system. It acts as if the gauge of the track were a meter wide rather than the standard 4 foot 8.5 inches. Thus, you have a smaller type of train. G is attractive and colorful, enjoying the benefit of running both outdoors and inside. Modern makers of G track such as Aristocraft and LGB also offer wider diameter curves, from 5 foot and beyond. G trains use plenty of space, but a good action layout can easily be constructed in reasonable space. Whereas Aristocraft and LGB track can be used indoors or outdoors, Bachmann track can only be used indoors.
Standard Gauge: With a whopping 54mm / 2 3/16" gauge, Standard gauge is very wide but the cars and locomotives tend to be slightly smaller than G. Standard gauge has been re-introduced in recent years, mainly for collectors. The track system's curves are 42" and 72" diameters, and basic track length is 14 inches. Standard gauge takes a little more room, but can be run in a smaller space than G. The Standard gauge trains are considerably more expensive, however, and much less realistic.
HO is the most popular train scale in the world, and enjoys great support. Because HO can be found for less money than other scales, it is popular for starter layouts. Its main strength is its popularity and better realism. Its main deficit is that it is not as sturdy as the larger trains. Higher price for HO generally means more detail and realism rather than increased sturdiness. HO runs on DC current.
Standard Gauge, S, O and O27 are made tough, since they are technically toy trains. Though more costly than HO, they will usually outlast and outperform the smaller scale. The toy trains also have the benefit of longevity. Cost is determined by details and fancy features rather than sturdiness. The starter train diecast steam train is as robust as the fancy collectible. With a few exceptions, these all run on AC current,
Large Scale / G Scale are growing in popularity. They are the largest off-the-shelf type trains. G trains tend to be bright and robust. Children like them because of their size. Affordable sets are common, although some G trains can exceed even O Gauge collectibles in price. G runs on DC, just like HO.
Scenery
Scenery can range from the utterly simple to the absolutely complex. It is a study in itself. By their nature, our layouts can accommodate either extreme and everything in between.
The simplest way to scenick our layouts is to paint the entire surface an earth color, such as green for grass or brown for earth. You can then paint on the roadways. If you want more realism, cover the grass-colored and earth-colored areas with the appropriate ground foam.
An alternate trick is to lay thin green carpet or felt on the surface. It resembles grass. For this, roadways can be made with strips of cardstock, felt 15 or the foam sheets available from craft shops. Use grey for roads, black for streets and roads, and brown for trails and unpaved roads. You can also use grey under track as roadbed.
Some folks want roadbed under the tracks, and some don't. If your track does not have its own roadbed, a simple trick is to aly out track and trace it with a thin pencil. Trace both sides of the track.. Remove the track. Next, paint the areas in the lines a grey to simulate roadbed. You might sprinkle a grey ground foam or fine crushed gravel or grey sand over it. \
Now lay your track. Drill holes in the board for wires to track and switches. Most basic manuals show how to insulate section into blocks.
Last, add scenery. Buildings are easy to find. You can buy pre-built kits for all scales. Bachmann's Plasticville and K-line's K-lineville can be used for S, O and O27. Though these are kits, most of them snap together easily. They are simple and easier to assemble than regular model kits. Pola, Piko and Aristocraft make G sized buildings. Place them where you see fit, making sure they do not impede movement of trains. They must be far enough away from track to avoid being hit by a train. You must add more room on curves.
If you choose to use operating trackside accessories, place them like buildings. You can then drill holes so wiring can be done under the layout. Our plans only show buildings, but you can replace any building with an operating accessory if you choose.
Our plans do not show all crossing gates or signals or lights. You can add these yourself.
Finally, add trees, foliage and people. Trees are available at hobby shops. Hobbyists use lichen for bushes and shrubs. It is available in realistic colors from hobby shops.
Small cars and miniature people, telephone poles, hydrants, mailboxes and the like add to realism. These can be found in most hobby shops. You can buy them assembled and painted . Several companies make them for HO. The most affordable are those from Model Power, Lifelike and Bachmann. For O Gauge, affordable painted figures are made by K-Line, Model Power and LifeLike. MTH makes a slightly more expensive set of painted figures. Plasticville has a set of unpainted figures that come with paint. For G and Standard gauge, LifeLike, Model Power, Bachmann and Aristocraft make figures. You can also use the holiday village figures made by Lemax. They are a good size and have great poses.
Hobby shops carry sets of cars made just for HO. though some people think diecast cars like Matchbox are HO, they are actually 1/76. They are too large. The cars made specially for HO trains are best. For S, 1/64 size diecast cars are a perfect fit. Those doing O can use 1/50 and 1/43 size cars. Standard gauge, G and Large Scale can use cars ranging from 1/32 to 1/24. Diecast cars are excellent choices, and can be found at very good prices.
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