# PORTABLE LAYOUT IN "STEAM IN THE GARDEN"



## artgibson (Jan 2, 2008)

Thie last issue had a good article on building a portable layout. When completed the first four parts make am 11 foot diameter circle. It iis constructed so that straight sections can be added to make it just about any lenghth
you want it to be.
Well I started yesterday on the construction of my portable layout using the plans in the issue. One thing wrong though. I came close to cutting my fingers off this time last year and the spouse says no way are you gonna use the saws. Presents little problem. I called several places here in Houston and one place said yean "Bring it down and will see what we can do for you". I did not ask about pricing for cutting the diameters and
such and just went on faith. Got there early this morning and took the aricle in with me. It was a gigantic warehouse place with tons of building material. Turns out , it is a builder of cabinets and such for commercial
businesses. They have all sorts of computer driven machine. Gentleman from Austria, a "Master" cabinet builder got on the PC. Drew the plans. inputted in cutting equipment and four quadrants came out perfect.
Now for the pricong, Ask the crafstman and mgr what the charge was and the answer "Nothing" "Nada". About an hour of his time and ,he said a case of beer would be fine. As it happened I had enough cash to satisfy that need. 
Got back to house and was able to put to of the units together. Will finish next week. Im 75 years old and the back and knees were getting the best of me.
Who says the world is coming to an end and everybody is out to ------ you. The man spent at least an hour inputting data. They are used to squares and such , not round things
When I get it finished I will post a couple of pics of it.


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## jfrank (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By gibs035 on 05 Mar 2010 03:52 PM 
Thie last issue had a good article on building a portable layout. When completed the first four parts make am 11 foot diameter circle. It iis constructed so that straight sections can be added to make it just about any lenghth
you want it to be.
Well I started yesterday on the construction of my portable layout using the plans in the issue. One thing wrong though. I came close to cutting my fingers off this time last year and the spouse says no way are you gonna use the saws. Presents little problem. I called several places here in Houston and one place said yean "Bring it down and will see what we can do for you". I did not ask about pricing for cutting the diameters and
such and just went on faith. Got there early this morning and took the aricle in with me. It was a gigantic warehouse place with tons of building material. Turns out , it is a builder of cabinets and such for commercial
businesses. They have all sorts of computer driven machine. Gentleman from Austria, a "Master" cabinet builder got on the PC. Drew the plans. inputted in cutting equipment and four quadrants came out perfect.
Now for the pricong, Ask the crafstman and mgr what the charge was and the answer "Nothing" "Nada". About an hour of his time and ,he said a case of beer would be fine. As it happened I had enough cash to satisfy that need. 
Got back to house and was able to put to of the units together. Will finish next week. Im 75 years old and the back and knees were getting the best of me.
Who says the world is coming to an end and everybody is out to ------ you. The man spent at least an hour inputting data. They are used to squares and such , not round things
When I get it finished I will post a couple of pics of it.


Sounds great Art. Looking forward to you first steamup.


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## artgibson (Jan 2, 2008)

I failed to give Mike Simpson credit for the plans for the portable layout that was in "Steam in the Garden" this past month.


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## tacfoley (Jan 3, 2008)

Sir, is this layout something that we could afford to build over here in UK? The last time I got some friendly help from the USA the guys in my local lumber yard took one look at the plans and ordered a mass evacuation to the Caribbean by 1st class cruise ship on the strength of the incoming business... 

I find that plans from your side of the water tend to start with the words - 'Rip 500 baseboard cross-members, each 48x6x3, from any handy piece of 40ftx3ft prime cherry or hemlock you have lying around the yard....' 

tac 
www.ovgrs.org


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## livesteam5629 (Jan 2, 2008)

Noo Tac. Not prime Cherry, hemlock or even clear popular. We call it scrounging over here. Knowing where to look in dumps (illegal dumping ground) Never go to a public land fill . One they will arrest you and two it is usually ground up into mulch. Anyhoo I knew a British exchange officer at Ft. Eustis VA who scrounged 20 to 30 glass windows plus frames from a WWII barracks tear down and timber from the Post dump and built one beautiful greenhouse in his quarters back yard. His wife was my red cross vol. and we ate ripe tomatoes year round. I have scrounged enough 4x4 and 4x6 posts and such to build a raised layout. It is a dog bone shaped box approximately 10 x30. Backfilled it with soil from everywhere. Construction sites, etc. Lumber over here is expensive also and becoming more so. 
N


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## artgibson (Jan 2, 2008)

Terry
I am using 15/32 plywood. !/3 pine for the braces under side of quadrant. Mike used saw horses to set the units on. I am checking on the folding legs used for tables. The price so far for the plywood for the circle and the pine for the brces and screws etc is about 200.00 USD. I am using hardwood pywood. I believe Mike used Exterior sheathing which is about 25 percent less. The sheathing that I looked at was pretty rough stuff.
It will be painted when finished.


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

is this layout something that we could afford to build over here in UK? 
Tac, 

It uses ordinary plywood - I'm sure you can buy that in 4 x 8 sheets (or convert the metric equivalent.) Then there are wooden supports - good old 2 x 4s or similar, which you can also buy or scrounge. He laid out a curve on each and cut the corners to make them butt together. 

The trick Mike pulled, if I remember correctly, is that he cut around the outside of the curve with his saber saw. (I forget what they are called in the UK, but I'm sure you havde them.) A really cheap version can be had by mounting a coping saw blade piece in an old pedal sewing machine istead of the needle. I built a whole complex car track using my mother's machine. I think I clamped a pivot on the open cover. She never complained. 

Your $$ problem is maybe going to be the legs. We have several options, from really cheap folding tables and sawhorse kits to folding legs that you mount on your own top. Try Ikea's office dept.


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By tacfoley on 06 Mar 2010 05:27 AM 
Sir, is this layout something that we could afford to build over here in UK? The last time I got some friendly help from the USA the guys in my local lumber yard took one look at the plans and ordered a mass evacuation to the Caribbean by 1st class cruise ship on the strength of the incoming business... 

I find that plans from your side of the water tend to start with the words - 'Rip 500 baseboard cross-members, each 48x6x3, from any handy piece of 40ftx3ft prime cherry or hemlock you have lying around the yard....' 

tac 
www.ovgrs.org 


Hee hee hee, I agree with your sentiments tac. I also find it disconcerting when I read an article that has somewhere in the list of parts, some critical part that was in the author's "junkbox" that nobody else in the world will ever have or could ever obtain, even on the blackmarket. "Yes, you too can build a ride-on Live Steamer for less that 50-cents from the parts like I had in my junkbox. Let's start by mounting the small thermonuclear reactor to the titianium frame..."


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## artgibson (Jan 2, 2008)

Pete
Does Ikea carry the folding legs. I donot know how to use the quote thing on these threads but the legs are what I have not pruchase yet. Dont need alot of saw horses do not have enough room to store them. Thanks


ete , Never mind I went online and they probably have exactly what I can use and at a very reasonable price. Thanks for the input.


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Never mind 
_[If you use the 'quick reply' box underneath, as I'm doing, you just punch the 'quote' button and a pair of (quote) boxes appear. Just put your text in between them._ 

Ikea has a bunch of trestles in the $10+ range: *http://www.ikea.com/us/en/search/?query=trestle*


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## artgibson (Jan 2, 2008)

I went to Ikea today and got the metal legs that are expanable. Thye do not fold but close to about 18 inches and will go up to35" .Lookto be pretty sturdy. 14.99 per pair. May add a little weight to modules but still not more that 25 to 30 lbs per module in weight. Shud not be too hard to manuver. We will see won't we.


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## artgibson (Jan 2, 2008)

Okay. I was in a hurry when I bought the legs this afternoon on the way to the Mall to run trains for the kids.
As it turns out what I bought was just two legs in each package made for a table the fits on a wall connection. Took them back this evening and got the "Trestle" type which looks to be east to use and light,
but sturdy. Only 27 1/2 high though, but will allow us old folks to sit down while we are firing up the engines.Hah These cost 10.00 each. Adds up when you think about it.


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Adds up when you think about it. 
I think Mike commented that the trestles were the most expensive part. Especially if you get adjustable ones.


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## jfrank (Jan 2, 2008)

Pictures pictures pictures


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## artgibson (Jan 2, 2008)

Pete 
Wjhat I wound up getting were the fixed trestles. 10.99 apiece. I trhink they will work okay. 
And John if it does not rain much tommorow I will set part of it up and take some pics. I will at least take pics of what the quadrants look like and the underside of the box frames. 
Remember , when you buy from IKEA there is some installation envolved and I purchased 15 of the trestles. Patience old "AGGIE" I am moving slower since I put together the first on on the ground and shud have had my Saw horses out. Learning


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## artgibson (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By gibs035 on 07 Mar 2010 11:41 AM 
Pete 
Wjhat I wound up getting were the fixed trestles. 10.99 apiece. I trhink they will work okay. 
And John if it does not rain much tommorow I will set part of it up and take some pics. I will at least take pics of what the quadrants look like and the underside of the box frames. 
Remember , when you buy from IKEA there is some installation envolved and I purchased 15 of the trestles. Patience old "AGGIE" I am moving slower since I put together the first on on the ground and shud have had my Saw horses out. Learning










PS Pete what Mike used were the SAW HOrses that were expanable. I could not see spending about 50.00 for a pair of Saw Horses and then have to buy at least 5 0r 6 pair of them and then find a place to store them. The trest;e I belive I will be able to stack and put an out door cover on them. We shall see.

Tac
For the 11 foot diameter tops and trestle etc. Cost has been less than 200.00 sans track. I plan on building six or eight straight modules of 5 (five) foot lengths. Thats four more pieces of 4x8 plywood and about
6 more pieces of 1x3 pine another 100.00 or so USD. Not toobad I gues so I will have someplace to test and run when John and Steve are out of pocket.


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## artgibson (Jan 2, 2008)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mergib/?saved=1
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mergib/4415501452/


These are pictures of Mike Simpson's portable layout . They were in this past issue of "Steam IIn THe Garden". I hope to have my layout ready for first pictures early this week.


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

getting were the fixed trestles. 
When you get outdoors I think you'll find the ground (grass or driveway) isn't very flat! You don't want your precious loco to take a dive, so maybe a good spirit level and some shims might be called for. 

I'd also find some solid way to level the trestles, besides shimming the legs. Shims under the top are OK but could work their way out and lead to that dive I mentioned. Maybe plastic tie-wraps will hold the shims in position?


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## artgibson (Jan 2, 2008)

I plan on using some kind of shims to elevate the layout. I believe I can attach 2/4's to trestles to elevate and secure the layout pieces okay. I set one of the quadrants on one of the trestles yesterday to test the tresles and they seem to be very secure. Just need a little elevation for comfort. Looks to be about the same height as Tac's in UK. Raining to day so cannot get outside to do more work and no room in garage to manuever.


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## artgibson (Jan 2, 2008)

Well I finished the basic quadrants today. Will paint later this week. All pieces fit together fine. Have to put together some more of the trestles to put all four piesce together. Posted some pics on flickr below of the project. Little filling to be done in a couple of areas that I did not fit perfectly but all fits.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mergib/?saved=1


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## artgibson (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Pete Thornton on 07 Mar 2010 08:58 AM 
Adds up when you think about it.
I think Mike commented that the trestles were the most expensive part. Especially if you get adjustable ones. 

Pete do you know Mike's email address. I need to thank hime for his article on building the layout. I am just about ready to post pictures on painted structures. I want to put one more coat of paint on them.


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

do you know Mike's email address 
Nope, sorry. But I do have Ron Brown's [rbrown54 (at) stny.rr.com] and I'm sure he will forward it to Mike.


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## msimpson (Jan 5, 2009)

Well heck, 

I don't know whether to be more embarassed that someone actually imitated my foolishness, or that he did a much nicer, neater job of it than I did. And took about four and a half years less time to do it. The neat clean lumber photos in the flickr file are Arthur's. The green ones with track are mine. (And sorry, no, I have mislaid the digital camera and don't have any to post at the moment.) 

The comment that storage space is a pain is absolutely correct. Stuff expands to fit the space available, and then some. I went with the saw horses because they are flexible and do not require attachment, but they eat up sapce in storage and were about $35 each. I fooled myself by buying a couple at a time over about six months. I had mulled complicated sliding leg systems for a long time and finally reached for the wallet instead. (Which is why the article did not appear in the 2015 issue of SitG.) 

Well Arthur, call me flattered. Very flattered. I look forward to seeing your layout under steam, maybe even in person some day. 

Best regards, Mike Simpson


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## wchasr (Jan 2, 2008)

Mike, 
Do not beat your self up too bad as the saw horses are at least useable for other construction projects. I too am considering a portable layout and storage is the reason I've not started yet. It is infinitely easier to store teh box of code 250 track in the shipping box right now than on top of a bunch of layout sections that have no place other than outside to live right now. 

Chas


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## msimpson (Jan 5, 2009)

Chas -- 
Why beat myself up? I'm a married man with adult children -- they take care of that. 

More seriously, life involves dealing with stuff. A couple of years ago, I purged the garage of twenty years of Model Railroader and about ten of Railroad Model Craftsman. Stuff can be good things -- trains for instance, but it is nice if you can get trhough life without constantly tripping over it. 

I have a rented mini-warehouse full of paperbacks and old furniture. Time to move something out and most of the portable layout in. (I will keep the corners and track at home, for a "quickie" set-up.) 

Best regards, Mike


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## wchasr (Jan 2, 2008)

Currently my life is complicated with two littel ones and my mother all her many years af accumulations. I am not tripping over "life" I'm wading in it. LOL! 

Still the trains, when I can get to work or play with them, are a pleasant enough distraction that I've not purged them yet. 

Thanks Mike! 

Chas


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## hcampbell (Jan 2, 2008)

Seems to have taken forever, but here's my solution to the storage problem:











It hangs from the garage over the bed of the pick-up. It goes from the rack to the truck and back without needing to lug it around.
Total time from start to lighting up a loco is about 30 minutes plus any travel time. Usually I'm just moving it out to the yard.


Harvey C.
SA1838


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## artgibson (Jan 2, 2008)

Okay Folks and Fellow Steamers.
As Mike Simpson did with his portable layout , so had I.
I was hoping to Steam today at Steve's but his work got in the way.
To satisfy my desire to run steam, I began to take out of the storage builng behing my garage, the Portale Layout that was a copy of Mike Simpsons Folly that was featured in "Steam In the Garden" in the Nov-Dec Issue numer 108 I belicve in 2009.
I had made 10 ten four foot sections and the 11 foot diameter base set up for the layout. Well today I got out the 11 foot track and added two of the four foot sections in my backyard.
Mike said he believed it was a two man job, but I managed to get them set up and ran my Accucraft Three cylinder Shay and my Gordon Watson Argyle 4-4- 0.
If you recal I had dropped the Argyle and had busted the nice wooden can into several pieces. I am not an Artisan, so I just improvised.
Found that the Cab off the Aristo Mikado fits pretty good. Painted pretty much the same color as tender and looks decent. I hope Gordon does not get upset.
I will be posting the video and a few pics real soon. They have been uploaded to youtube and are being processed now.


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## oldgamergeek (Nov 1, 2011)

I will be building a portable Layout this spring for My Church to use during our fall fun house. This thread has been a source of inspiration I am not new to Model RR and toy trains I grew up on O gauge and S gauge mainly Lionel and American Flyer as well some as H.O. and N . I got into G gauge about 1992 and have never looked back.


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## snowshoe (Jan 2, 2008)

That looks great.I just ordered the steam in garden. Not sure if my first issue will be that one. I plan on doing something like that for my steam train. Mines only going to be 6ft and a few straights. Something to play with inside my garage when it rains.


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## wchasr (Jan 2, 2008)

Shawn with the inspiration here I've started sketching mine up finally. Started my own thread here http://www.mylargescale.com/Community/Forums/tabid/56/aff/9/aft/122452/afv/topic/Default.aspx 

Chas


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## artgibson (Jan 2, 2008)

I am having trouble leaving reply.


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## artgibson (Jan 2, 2008)

I Have never had trouble putting video on MLS> Wonder what has happened to my source.


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## artgibson (Jan 2, 2008)

http://youtu.be/7xVG0tNNLdg This video done at the Flatonia Railfan Celebration. Ground was very unlevel but was able to run Shay and some of the Sparkie engines. Had to set up by myself cecause of miscommunication about location of Railfan Site. Learning a lot and will not hesiate to use the layout again. PUt wooden folding legs on it for a lot easier set up annd take down.


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Make Sure you are doing the following and you'll encounter way less problems.
[*] That on the YouTube page you're selecting the "Use old embed code [?] " option for the video embed code.
[*] Then use the "Embed a YouTube Video" button on the MLS editor tool-bar.








[*] Paste the copied YouTube embed code into the yellow area at the top of the dialog.
[*] Left-click in the white video display area.
[*] Change the Width & Height values (if deisred) based on the values available on the YouTube page.
[*] Click the "Insert" button in the dialog.
[/list][/list]


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## artgibson (Jan 2, 2008)

Thjanks 
Been using Youtube and MLS for a long time. Had two sites for Internet Explorer before and was able to open MLS nad Youtube Separtely. 
Art


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

No problem in using two Internet Explorer windows (i.e. MLS editor in one & YouTube in the other). However, the default code that YouTube now provides makes use of the HTML iframe element and the MLS editor doesn't support it, which is why you've got to check the "Use old embed code [?] " option, copy the YouTube text embed code, and then paste that into the yellow field on the "Insert a YouTube Video" dialog.


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## jfrank (Jan 2, 2008)

Art, where did you go? Burns, Gino and I went to Luling for barbecue and when we got back the place was cleaned out and you were gone. We chatted with Caleb and the guy with the speeder and visited the museum in town before we left.


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## artgibson (Jan 2, 2008)

Everybody was leaving after they had their lotto drawing at 2pm. I thought you and Gino had left. Sorry about that.


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