Layout around room, door gap challenge


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refit88

New Member
Hello!

Long time lurker first time poster.

I am looking for some suggestions or recommendations on how to best bridge a gap in a room where the HO scale layout is going to ring the room. The room entry door gap is 90 degrees from a 48" double folding door closet which is where the challenge comes.

I was thinking either some bench build on casters might work that could then pivot, or potentially a double hinge swing up or down setup on each end and then somehow coupling in the middle.

Anyone have any great ideas or suggestions?

The drawing is of the room with the dotted lines representing the to be added shelves. The door and closet are in the upper left corner.

Also attaching the scarm layout in case anyone has any recommendations there as well to make the layout more enjoyable! Scarm layout is oriented the same way as the drawing, keeping the simple track in the complex corner.

Thanks in advance, fun Thanksgiving weekend project ahead!
 

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Do the doors swing in or out? What type of door is on the closet (sliding, bifold, paired regular)?

A rolling segment won't work well on carpet. It's too large for a drop leaf or hinged up. It will be really difficult as a hinged section. You would almost have to build a sectional layout, like modular set ups, that you would install and remove every time you wanted to operate the layout which would be a real pain.

An option would be for the layout to cut the corner, put a curve in the middle of the top corner and go diagonally across the upper left corner to the bottom edge of the room door on the left wall. Then you could put a smaller, more conventional lift out, lift up, swing section in the middle of the diagonal portion.

For a bit longer run and more entry door clearance you could build an L shaped layout with a 180 degree turn in the lower left corner and and almost 180 degree curve in the upper right corners a 90 plus degree curve in the middle of the room. That would give you a little longer of a run.

Black is the room, blue lines are doors, green is a lift out, red is the track.

Room.png
 
I like both the cut corner and the L option, both leave room for the doors plus add interest to the track plan.
As an added bonus it leaves a viewing area so visitors don’t have to duck under or move a bridge.

This is my duck under that used to be a swing bridge. Not the same room arrangement as yours but you’ll get the idea anyway. It’s at a height that’s comfortable for me and what’s left of my spine to get under.
PXL_20231002_142930519.jpeg


S'cuse the mess… I’m shuffling the shelving.
 
Thanks for the replies so far.

Right now the majority of the room is going to be shelve brackets with wood mounted to the top to keep the layout a little more "narrow" in the room.

The main entry door on the "left" swings into the room, towards the larger closet panel doors. The closet panel doors are bi-folding doors, so one slides on a track and folds to the right, the other slides and folds to the left.

Given the shelf arrangement for the majority of the room, I was thinking how to build out into the room, likely would be "benchwork" layout at that point with a duck under or such as noted.

My other thought was using some heavy duty hinges and using foamboard as the base layer and making it a double hinge, so the right side of the closet would hinge and meet about in the corner, and then similarly from the left side as well. Then if you want to go out of the room, you only unhinge one side, but then not only do you have a single hinge point, you essentially double the potential issues.

Thinking the L or slight cut might be the way to go. Working with Bachmann Eztrack as we have a lot of it currently, and trying to keep some larger radius turns. I'll play with the layout a bit more to think on this!
 
dennis461 said:
How often do you need to get into the closet? What size stuff is kept in there?
I think 48" is too long for a tilting bridge, it might hit the ceiling?
Maybe a vertical elevator section?
Click to expand...
Not using the closet all that often being honest. With the right layout we might to put the boxes/extra nonsense in there. Nothing huge, just some storage shelves and the usual "spare bedroom stuff" gets tucked in there :)
 
My vote is for either of the two options that Dave showed in post #4. The removable bridge needs to be as short as possible and either option allows that. The cut corner option allows for a peninsula switching area or yard into the center of the room from either the right or bottom side.
 
I use a swing down & mine is 36" long & a double track main. I've done all kinds of tilt up move from the side & many others & the swing down is the best. I use "piano hinge" for the hinge & I ordered mine from Amazon. I use 2" flanges for screwing down the hinge. If it is a swing down you have to put the hinge on the bottom. If it's a lift up you have to put the hinge on the top. Don't use wood for the bridge. Use steel or aluminum & then screw the wood to the top of the bridge. Make sure the bridge has flanges on both sides for strength. I used Pins for the other end to hold the bridge in place. If you need a picture I will take one for you & post it.
 
Appreciate everyone's insight and input here! We ended up doing a cut corner layout design and basically made it a duck under. I think it turned out really well and am very happy with it!

Attached is a picture of it largely completed (excuse the mess on the floor didn't have that cleaned up yet. 1/2" plywood as the base all around and then 1 1/2" foam board on top of that. The duck under bridge is just a cut in piece of wood using mending plates on either end at this point to provide a solid mount point and support. Won't support a ton of weight, but more than enough for a couple trains and the eventual bridge structure.

Thanks again for the recommendations, still have a lot more to do, but was a nice weekend project and we had trains running Sunday morning! :)
 

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NorthBrit said:
Going for a duckunder!

Pad the underneath. It hurts if you do not duck low enough. How do I know? All together now, "Been there."
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Two words: "Pool Noodle".
Cut a slit lengthwise in the pool noodle, and slide it over the horizontal support board. One for each board, the bright colors should catch your eye and remind you to duck. If not, the noodle is soft enough you won't get a concussion.
 
jward said:
Have you considered legs under the benchwork at the ends of the duckunder? That looks like an awfully long section to be unsupported.
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It's about 36" at this point. I think the angle makes it look a bit longer than it is as I look back at the pic. Used 2x 12" steel mending plates on the under side on each end, so they extend 6" in from each side providing support. If I press down with my weight the board will flex. But just running a couple trains and some scenery on it, it's not even slightly flexing.

But, yes, I am also considering the possibility of adding a peg leg under it in the middle to provide additional support, especially if I start to notice any sagging.
 
refit88 said:
But, yes, I am also considering the possibility of adding a peg leg under it in the middle to provide additional support, especially if I start to notice any sagging.
Click to expand...
Best to put the support in now before you get any sagging of the board, as the sagging will cause problems with your track work, which would then probably end up with you having to replace that entire section.
 
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