Show me your Hollow Core Door Layout

Well after many month's of putting it off, for some strange reason I chose today to start working on my layout again. Maybe it's because we had some rain pass through last night and it cooled us off by at least 10 degree's. It's been smoking HOT lately in the South. So I need some ideas from people that have N-Scale on a hollow core door. I am hoping people will post so I can grab some ideas. I'll take an updated picture of mine in the next few weeks. I striped it completely down to work on it and started glueing some road bed on again.

Last time I glued road bed on I used carpenter's glue and it took awhile to dry and I had to use clamps to keep it in place. Today I used white glue and it worked like a champ even on curves. Must admit you only have a short period of time before it dries, but that is what I wanted as I had the area's outlines already and knew where I was going to put down the road bed.

Show off those hollow core door layouts!

 

I can't let a good hollow core door thread go by! :teeth:

Mine is now parked permanently with a skyboard:



This is the best picture I could take and get the whole thing in. 30" x 80". I'll probably take it down later this year to make room for the new ROW.

 

Here's a pic of mine. I need to get some new pics downloaded, this is rather outdated. I have a lot more done now.


David

 

Come on, I know for a fact there are some other proud door owners out there! We showed you ours...

 

We are looking at a house that has a decent sized attached garage. Ive made mention to my wife that it would be an excellent place for a new layout, 2 doors in a L shape with the possibility of making it into a U shape, which means a LOOONNGGG mainline run and more fun for me:thumbs_up:

 

Didn't reply to this message originally because I model in HO, don't have a digital camera, and if I did - wouldn't have a clue as to how to post the photos to "Trainboard".

That being said, I'm working on my third hollow-core door layout, one in N (about 30-35 years ago) - a single door. This is my second multi-door layout in HO and as I mentioned in another post - will never build another layout with dimensional lumber, too many problems, work, and sawdust.

And, I'm not certain that dimensional lumber is that much cheaper (never mind the value you put on your labor). If you can find doors "good one side only" - it becomes even cheaper.

Think I planned this one right, the doors rest on, and span - some cheap, but strong 42" x 48" book cases, which currently hold approximately 30 years worth of MR, RMC, and other assorted magazine sized books. Not to mention ~100+ unassembled kits - and I've still got room left!

The only "fly" in my particular ointment is the dreaded "duck-under" - but initial measurements show that a short stool with rollers will give me head room for a fairly easy, though inelegant access to the center of the layout.

 

Whats the street price for a hollow core door?

 

Anywhere from free to maybe 25 bucks? Mine was a cast-off, covered in stickers.
You can buy "good on one side" or even damaged ones for a song. I see them regularly around here on Big Trash Day at the curb.

 

Whats the optimum size: 30 x 80 or 36 x 80?

 

I'm sure traingeekboy will post as he has a pretty good layout started on a hollow core door that I gave him for free. I got mine from the house that my wife and I bought. They were the flat sided doors perfect for model railroads. Well, luckily, my wife wanted to switch over to raised panel doors. I had 4 usable doors to use. Unfortunatly, the rest of the doors were damaged pretty badly and had to go to the dump. Of the 4 usable doors, 2 went to other home projects, one is what my layout is sitting on, and the last one went to geeky. So ours were essentially free.

Steve's right about the current cost of around $25. If you can find a damaged one on one side you may be able to get a discount.

Eric

 

Depends on what you want to do with it. For me 36' was too wide as it would have difficult to reach back that far.

Eric

 

Whats the best radius for large motive power?

 

Here's mine. I really need to take and upload a newer pick as alot has been done since this photo was taken.

 

Hey man, your hollow core door is made of foam! :teeth:

How much is cost is foam(enough to make the base), in comparison to buying a door I wonder?

Tim

 

The larger the better. If you do a U shaped layout will you have access to both sides of one of the legs of the U? If so, a 36" or larger door could give you large curves. Most large diesels will handle a 14" radius curve so you could use a 30" door. Buy you may want to consider hiding that curve with scenery or buildings as the large equipment wont look as good.

Eric

 

If you don't have a door, I would advise a 36" (if you are doing a continuous run). I WISH I had that extra 6". It will ease the 180-degree turn on each end. My radius on a 30" ended up around 13.5", which I consider a pretty tight curve, and I even run a lot of 4-axle. It doesn't leave much room to the edge, either. IMHO.

 

A portion of my 30 x 96 door. There are also 2 sections with 24 x 96 doors.

 

My door is a 36" x80" that I purchased at Lowe's brand new for about $20.00. I tried to post the plan from my rail images account but had issues for some reason. Might be because I am on the old rail images account. Not sure.

Anyway, I had asked this a long time ago about glueing the track down with white glue and how easy it was to get up. I can't remember the response, as I am ready to commence a glueing

Also, for those of you that have hundred's of pieces of Atlas old track from 30 years of purchases like me, do you use those small pieces of track like 11", 19", 9 3/4, or do you try and bend the long straight track for less pieces of track and less problems. Remember it is just a door, but there are still alot of pieces of track I have on the layout.

I also noticed that when I go to the hobby shop I buy pieces of track and then find a bunch of them have already been purchased when I actually start looking through the boxes I keep my extra train stuff in I must have hundreds of those little yellow, (now blue) Atlas packages of track.

Well, gotta go to the hobby shop and buy more track... later!

 

I do not have any recent photos, But here is a example of what happens when someone donates a door panel to your layout attempt. (thanks Colorado50!)



I had originally planned for a very sparse looking layout with less track, but as I got involved in the idea of having a realistic operating session, the track plan grew more complex.

My plan is for a dense urban area. It is set up to run as a point to point with the long spurs on the outside of the oval representing various farawy cities, Chicago , St Louis, Detroit. Inside the oval is my ficticious town where all these trains arrive and get switched out for new trains. Hopefully this will provide loads of fun running trains. If that doesn't work, I still have that double oval of mainline to play on.