Has anyone built a layout over a bed?


A

Albie44

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I am trying to use my guest bedroom to double as my train layout room. Has anybody built a train that would have a pull out bed underneath it? I would be interested in any ideas that members could reply with. I don't want to put layout on pulleys and heist up to ceiling. I have not started building the train table yet, so I welcome all suggestions. Thanks for your interest. Albie44
 
Your room must be small if you have to put the bed under it. Sounds like the room I am using. Its a 3rd bedroom, very small about a 9x9 with a corner closet. I have my layout as a shelf around the room that the lowest part of the benchwork is 55.5 inches. I have a work bench and a paint desk underneath. A bed would work easily under mine.
I also saw a plan in an older magazine of a layout in a student's small dorm. Bed along one wall and the layout across the bed foot area.
 
Train layout over bed

Thanks Trucula, Yes my guest room is about 10 x 10 but the closet is in the wall. I would love to see the one you mention in the dorm room, sounds like something that would work for me. Do you remember what magazine I could search for and the approximate year? Thanks for the reply. Albie44
 
Was Model Railroader or Model Railroad Craftsman and I'd say it was in the past year or two. It was basically a 4x8 above the foot of the bed. You have enough room for a 4x8 or 4x10 which would leave a 6x10 area for the bed. A staging yard would fit over the head board giving you an L shaped layout if built that high. The higher you go, the shorter your reach becomes to the back of the layout. Widest area on mine is 27" and lowest is 16".
 
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Thanks again, I will search the net for those. I was hoping to have the train layout high enough to hide the bed underneath. Have a curtain attached to the train table and when the bed is needed, then the curtain is opened and the bed is pulled out. I really don't need to use the train and the bed at the same time. I guess I was not clear on that. Anyway, I appreciate the advice and I am going to look for the article. Albie44
 
Back when I was getting started in HO in the early 60's, I built a 4'x6' layout on casters, that stored under the bed. For an operating session, all I had to do was pull it out, place it on the bed, and put the equipment on the rails. That was a long time ago, when my MRR goals were much simpler than today.

I believe that the plan mentioned was in a Model Railroader, a couple three years ago. The plan may be accessable on the MR web site, if you are a subscriber. The layout is built around the bed, and other bedroom furniture.
 
Thanks Wojo, I will probably use casters on both my layout and the bed. Then I can get behind the back of the layout when I need to. You guys have been a great inspiration for me to get going. Albie
 
Have you considered an around-the-walls modular layout on shelf brackets? Might give you more operational and / or scenic possibilities than a XxX rectangle and you can take down whatever sections might interfere with guests.

I might do something like that once my youngest is off to college and he no longer needs his bedroom aside from visits home / summer break, assuming he's like I was and stays at school way more than he's home.
 
Hi stationmaster, thanks for the suggestion. Most beds these days have wheels on them and I will make my table high enough to clear the bed. I hope to be able to lay on it and do some wireing, as long as I don't fall asleep under there. LOL.
 
Albie44 said:
Hi stationmaster, thanks for the suggestion. Most beds these days have wheels on them and I will make my table high enough to clear the bed. I hope to be able to lay on it and do some wireing, as long as I don't fall asleep under there. LOL.
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If you happen to fall asleep, have the better half take pics to post. We would all enjoy the laugh. I have fallen asleep under cars before. It can happen.

Bob
 
I'm going to throw this out, if it's a guest bedroom, have you thought about buying a sofa bed for a 'guest' to sleep on and dedicate the room for trains. Figure it's your house and your hobby shouldn't be decided by guests that come over.
 
tomustang said:
I'm going to throw this out, if it's a guest bedroom, have you thought about buying a sofa bed for a 'guest' to sleep on and dedicate the room for trains. Figure it's your house and your hobby shouldn't be decided by guests that come over.
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Yeah, What he said, or don't have guest over!...LOL:p
 
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