Large Scale Central

Ceiling Railroad - It Works, by golly!

Track and Trestles
#1

Okay, so I finished the “sky train” or ceiling railroad I had asked about in another post. I’m truly tickled - the darned thing worked the first time with no problem and I only had to “adjust” one length of track with a hacksaw. Other than that, seamless.

I posted a video to YouTube of parts of the process which you can laugh at here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8oy6NJ_RWk

The part that irks me is the instruction manual for the locomotive that came with one of my starter sets (LGB Model 12012) is TERRIBLE and I’m not sure if I can adjust the volume on the train sound. You also have to run the darned thing at full blast to make it smoke. Apparently it has digital control, too, but I haven’t gotten that far. Yet.

The train is hung with 1" thick pine boards suspended by allthread so that I can adjust the nuts at the bottom to accommodate sagging/changes/whatever. I’m running a double track on the sides of our dining room and a single track at the front and back.

This has been fun and MUCH easier than I thought.

#2

:slight_smile:
Very cool.
Ralph

#3

Welcome Tony

#4

Welcome to the upper class railroad. here is a pic of my upper class RY. I run in my basement. Heritage RY Logging railway in the sky.

(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/paps101line/_forumfiles/shay3.jpg)

What R U ticked about? More instructions that Aristo Craft gives. My LGB 2-8-4 has controls behind the smoke box door. David

Tony Barthel said:
Okay, so I finished the “sky train” or ceiling railroad I had asked about in another post. I’m truly tickled - the darned thing worked the first time with no problem and I only had to “adjust” one length of track with a hacksaw. Other than that, seamless. I posted a video to YouTube of parts of the process which you can laugh at here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8oy6NJ_RWk The part that irks me is the instruction manual for the locomotive that came with one of my starter sets (LGB Model 12012) is TERRIBLE and I’m not sure if I can adjust the volume on the train sound. You also have to run the darned thing at full blast to make it smoke. Apparently it has digital control, too, but I haven’t gotten that far. Yet. The train is hung with 1" thick pine boards suspended by allthread so that I can adjust the nuts at the bottom to accommodate sagging/changes/whatever. I’m running a double track on the sides of our dining room and a single track at the front and back. This has been fun and MUCH easier than I thought.

#5

Dear Tony,

Welcome.

Remember that trains are just derailments waiting to happen.

Nothing like having a LS train fallling and landing on your head from above.

Thought I saw an “S” curve in there, too, which are a source of derailment headaches for longer cars and especially cars with body mounted couplers.

Think about putting in a fence of some kind, perhaps heavy monofiliment fishing line, 3/4" up and 3" up along the viewing side of the shelves…

I’m not sure what to use for fence posts, or how far apart to space them…

Others with more experience and knowledge, please chime in.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik (Raider of the Hidden Easter Chocolates)

Edit: added “or how far apart to space them”

#6

Nice video :smiley:

#7

Pretty Kewl!!! Welcome Aboard!

#8

Thats cool. One day i want to do the same but with my Lionel since I have so much track around.

#9

That’s not the big hand, that’s the 0-5-0 switcher. :slight_smile:

Bob C.

#10

Bob, that’s classic. 0-5-0 switcher.

As for railings, we’re looking at a few options for that but fishing line is the most likely candidate. As for larger cars, I really like the four-wheel shorties that are typical of European railways.

#11

Tony, . . very nice. There was a coffee shop across from the movie theatres in Palm Spirngs that had a very nice ceiling RR running. Haven’t been over there in many years. May or may not still be there.

#12
Narrow Gauge Lover said:
Tony, . . very nice. There was a coffee shop across from the movie theatres in Palm Spirngs that had a very nice ceiling RR running. Haven't been over there in many years. May or may not still be there.
NGL I just noticed your in Desert Hot Springs. I'm getting ready to head back to St. Louis from being in La Quinta all winter. Will have to try and get togather and talk trains next fall when I come back out here.
#13
Tony Barthel said:
Bob, that's classic. 0-5-0 switcher.

As for railings, we’re looking at a few options for that but fishing line is the most likely candidate. As for larger cars, I really like the four-wheel shorties that are typical of European railways.


If you use fishing line may I suggest Firewire fishing line.
That stuffs really tough. Get the most # test you can find.
David

#14

You’re sure that’s the hole story?

#15

Had our first train wreck today! I haven’t put up the fishing line/barrier yet and an elephant on my circus train got cockeyed and managed to knock a passenger car into a dining seat where a guest was just moments before. Ugh. So, fishing line is coming very soon.

But my next question - the tracks are getting filthy VERY quickly. I bought an attachment for my LGB car that supposedly cleans the track but my little 0-4-0 starter locomotives just can’t pull it. What do you guys use to clean your tracks? I can’t be up on a ladder every 2-3 days with Sol-U-Mel and a scrubbing sponge. I wanna do something automatic, maybe with a tank car that wicks down some Sol-U-Mel and automatically cleans the tracks or something like that. Any thoughts?

As you can see, I’m FISHING for ideas.

#16

I’ve got a few ideas here:

http://www.elmassian.com/trains-mainmenu-27/track-mainmenu-93/track-cleaning-mainmenu-272

Greg

#17

Toni;
Glad there were no injuries in the wreck. I hope the cars faired out well.
One thought on the track cleaning is a bigger loco to pull just the cleaning car.
I purchased a PIKO NYC 0-6-0 switcher. That pulls my cleaning car on my upper class RR track.
It has more than enough power. I got it on ebay for about $50.00 (NEW)
Just a suggestion it’s you RR do what you want.
David

#18

Dirty track indoors? Hmmmm

Did you clean with a vac after construction? Follow up with a cloth that is dampened with kerosene.
Are you still running plastic wheel sets? Too much abrasion in the tight curves, dust and dirt accumulates more on plastic wheels and distributes “quite nicely”.
Is it dirt or do the tracks oxidize? The kerosene trick helps prevent oxidization, daily running should keep the track clean - once you got rid of the initial dirt and provided there are no dust-ups in the house. :lol: :lol: