# Pics of Trains Running on Home Office Ceiling - One Day Project



## jhickman (Nov 30, 2009)

During the height of my recent fun with Swine Flu I decided to get my fever out by getting to the materials in my garage for my home office ceiling project. I completed the project within 1 day. 


The intent of this project was to incorporate my trains into the office, not the other way around, so I have a functional office and can run my trains every single day......... which I have been doing. I have had my LGB collection in and out of storage for over 20 years and considering the ease of this project I will never again have these trains in storage. I would also add that the sound of the trains running is very relaxing. 


You may have a train room, a layout in your backyard, but there is nothing like having a simple layout in a room that you use a lot. 


Things you may need. All of these items were purchased at Home Depot with the exception of the sander: 

1. High Gloss White Paint
2. White Primer for plywood

3. 1/4 inch nails for nailing track down
4. Stud finder (find the studs for support, this isn't HO)
5. Pre-Primed straight white, 8 inch wide, boards (they came in 14 foot sections)
6. .5 inch plywood, large sections for curves (may need to buy a filler for a smooth finish)

7. Skill saw for curves (crude, but was fast)
8. Sander for curved sections
9. 6" X 6" support brackets (supports 100lbs per pair). Made by John Sterling Corporation. 

10. Wall plate (round hole for cable TV)
11. Electrical outlet bracket to insert into sheet rock (this is for running the wiring down into the wall between the track & the transformer). 




Make sure to measure the height of your cabooses and larger engines (don't forget to measure from the smoke stack). I failed to do this and will need to lower my layout by 1 inch (2.5 to 3 hours work). I have numerous larger engines that I am itching to run along with a few more axles  


See photo album below: 

http://picasaweb.google.com/joe.s.hickman/Trains#


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

That is a great looking project.


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Cool, nicely done. When I did this in our back room years ago, I did almost the exact same thing, decorative shelf brackets, 12"w x 6'L shelves, plywood for corners, looked almost the same. I added rubber foam under the track to help cut the sound down, the other thing was to use plastic wheels on the cars, yes you have to add a track cleaner car to the mix, but plastic wheels were far quieter than car with metal wheels. I used the smaller LGB track cleaning brushes, worked while I had it up, but it all came down when we remodeled. Still thinking I could redo it up there, hmmmm.


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## jhickman (Nov 30, 2009)

vsmith, 

How thick was the rubber foam that you used? I did consider cutting the noise down and I suspect that I might install some sort of sound reduction solution once I get over the "new & cool" factor.


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

It was only 1/8" thick black foam rubber padding, I got mine at Orchard Supply Hardware, they also sell a similar thickness felt or cork padding that works too, some use cheap carpet tiles cut down to width. It doesnt need to be very thick. The idea being to just prevent sound vibration transference to the baseallowing it to act as a soundboard, the foam helped cut that off but I still got alot of noise from the metal wheels I had on everything at the time rolling against the metal rails, switching to plastic wheels cut that sound down alot.


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## jhickman (Nov 30, 2009)

vsmith, 

Thanks, I may do that when I lower the layout. I have carpet in my garage, but I may run down to my local OSH to check out the rubber. All of my stuff is LGB that I have never modified so 90% of it is running on plastic, so I don't think I will have a problem there.


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## markoles (Jan 2, 2008)

Nice!! Your early collection looks a lot like my early collection, with the exception of the 2080!


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Very nice!


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## MikeK (Jan 3, 2008)

Joe,

That is a very well done job. Congratulations.


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## Madman (Jan 5, 2008)

Nice job. Clean and simple. Just remember the carpenters golden rule the next time you tackle any work of this type. Measure twice cut once.


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## Richard Weatherby (Jan 3, 2008)

We mounted ours with brackets on top side hidden behind background. Rubber waffle grip under for sound and appearance of ballast. Also added rope light to highlight upper area.


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## work4fil (Jan 4, 2008)

Good looking set-up Joe! How much overhang do you get from cars rolling through your curves? I have been toying with a similar idea with a two or three track loop for my Garage Moment, but need to figure out my right of way width for my material list. I also wonder about derailments at that altitude. Do you know of any fall protection that would not look out of place? All in all, you have done well. Good job. 

Phil


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## JPCaputo (Jul 26, 2009)

Nice setups, i've been thinking about doing something similar in my room. I'm curious of what size curves are you using?


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## jhickman (Nov 30, 2009)

Phil, I' don't have much overhang. If the track is secure I can't imagine having a derailment. Just test, test and test. My dad has setup numerous O gauge for personal and two G gauge mounted layouts for businesses and usually puts up half inch plexiglas. The derailments on the O are usually due to the operator running the engines too fast. Then again O guage is like the Spinal Tap of trains.......... their transformers go to "11". LOL 

JPCaputo, I decided to use basic small curves as all of my engines and stock can run on it. It takes up less space in my home office. For the backyard I like running the widest curves possible. 


I lowered the layout after dinner tonight and now have my Mogul running as well as my large Denver and Rio caboose. I update the photo album and you can see the difference. http://picasaweb.google.com/joe.s.hickman/Trains#


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## jhickman (Nov 30, 2009)

I need to find some cork to reduce the sound. The sound doesn't bother me, but it bothers everyone else in the house it seems. I've searched everywhere, from Home Depot, OSH, hobby shops, ect..... for cork and can't seem to find anything that is thick enough. About the only cork I have found is almost paper thin. 

Perhaps I'm just not using my head here. Is there something obvious that I can use from one of the big hardware stores to cut the noise down?


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Rubber carpet pads. 
Go to a carpet store and ask for remnants, usually at a very good price. A shape blade in a box cutter to cut into strips... I used to get it free. 
Go with the thinner stuff, you just need to interrupt the vibrations from getting to the support boards. 

John


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## SoCalStu (Dec 27, 2007)

For a safety fence here in earthquake country I used 1/4" dowels. I cut small holes near the top and strung clear fishing line through them. The train is parked here when not in operation.


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## jhickman (Nov 30, 2009)

SoCal, 

Considering the earthquakes we have had recently this was a great idea on your part. The whole idea of a "resting" area that is protected is something I think I will do as well. I have a glass desk in my office that runs on two walls and a $1,000 train engine wiping out my desk & computer doesn't sound too fun. LOL 

Thanks for the photos. 

Joe


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

I hear you guys had a shakeup just yesterday.


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Tom, we had a good shake in NorCal and we had a good size one on the Mexican border last week, and two smaller shakers near the San Andreas near Palm Springs yesterday, and here we are wondering whats next, they keep telling us if we get a big one down here it will almost certainly be centered in the Salton Sea/Imperial Valley in SE California, the worry is that if IT goes, it could chain reactions its way all the way to Palmdale....thats not a comforting thought. 

I use galley rail trim on my shelves, hopefully to keep everything in place.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

I like those rails. Couldn't convince Susan to put them. I did like how she built her kitchen, so she must have known something about it


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Let us know what you found to help silence the sound... I would of thought that rubber "bumpy" stuff would have been fine, but maybe it was not thick enough. I think the carpet pad idea is great. 

Regards, Greg


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## jhickman (Nov 30, 2009)

Greg, 

I went in a different direction and got a product from Carpeteria called "Floor Muffler". In my case I was looking for something thin. It comes in big green sheets and you can cut it to fit. They use it under hardwood floors and it completely cuts out the "echo" effect. I'm quite happy with it. 

The trains are still loud as ever though  

Joe


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