[acomisp]

Hello Guys,

I am finially in a position to build my dream project of having a model train that goes around my living room on a suspended train railroad.

I sure could use some advice on the creation of it and where to get the train and tracks from.

The room size is 17ft x 17ft

I like passenger trains instead of freight trains.

Should I go with O scale instead of HO scale?

Can the brackets that suspend the tracks be bought somewhere or should I build them my self?

Any other advice you can save this newbie from making mistake please share.

Thank you
Sidney

 

[DennyM]

Welcome to the forum. If you mean by suspended the track is near the ceiling than O scale in easier to see. There are some members that have shelf layouts. If your going with O than it has to be able to support the weight. You can buy everything thing you need from Home Depot or Lowes.

 

[Guest]

17' x 17' is a nice size space. Bigger trains are definitely better for a ceiling layout. G scale trains work well because they are big and easy to see, plus they are very reliable but they are expensive. O gauge is about half the size of G but still big enough to be easily seen and there is a wide variety of passenger trains available. If you go with a lower shelf layout, say 5' above the floor or less, then visibility isn't an issue and any size trains will work.

I agree with Denny, you should be able to get everything you need to build the shelves at a home improvement store like Home Depot or Lowes or Menards if you're lucky enough to have one where you live.

 

[Lehigh74]

Don F has a suspended layout on his back porch.

https://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=62377

https://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=111993

There is at least one other guy with a suspended layout, but I can’t remember his username.


John Will was planning to make a suspended layout using threaded pipes and flanges to suspend it from the ceiling. He got the pipe but never got around to building the layout so the pipe and flanges sat in his garage for years. When he was clearing out his old house, he gave me the pipe for scrap. I decided the pipe was too good to scrap so now its sitting in my garage and probably will be for years.

 

[batstang2000]

This is kind of a blurry picture but I used pipe and fittings and Dakota pre-finished shelving turned upside down so the "good" side shows.