Bob S

Trainlover, beautiful detailing! Honest Tom, yes rabbit warren is an apt description. I did change one aspect, making a go-around siding on top. Here’s an update photo. The spindly support towers will be replaced with permanent support now that I know clearances are adequate.

Hi Edge! Yes, that is yours. It fits perfectly, nearly clicks into place. Can hardly see the seam. Took about four days from order to delivery. Good stuff.

Very nice! Speaking of locomotives, I bought the Bachmann “Rheneas” and did a quick conversion. Sacrilege I know to Thomas fans, but I changed out the smokebox door with a part found on Shapeways.

Hey Chris! I really like your second picture. Tell me a little; radius of the curve? Is that one of the Bachmann 2-6-2’s?

Software and reality don’t always coincide, so the next step was to test curves, grades and overhead clearances, so I assembled a partial trackage segment. I’m using Woodland Scenics inclines to maintain a consistent grade. 5% was indicated on Anyrail, so I took a 3% and a 2% incline and combined them. My test vehicles were a Bachmann Rheneas and a Peco freelance Brake van, and a MinitrainS Gmeinder Diesel and wagon set. All worked well, each engine pulling 8 of these little cars. All slipped under the overheads with room to spare. Encouraged by this, the remainder of my trackage is on its way.

I’m in Southern California, so there isn’t much of an OO9 community to run to rely on, so the internet and YouTube are important sources of info for me. Anyrail can produce 3D renderings of a track plan. The vertical dimensions seem exaggerated, and the track width seems small, but this is its interpretation. I’m using this layout to practice hills and rocks modeling techniques, but it won’t be as extreme as this image.

I’ve built layouts in a number of scales; HO, OO, On30, N, but I always like making the smallest layouts I can get away with! When I discovered the range of products for OO9, I was hooked. I’ll try to share my progress in this thread. All observations are welcome, just be gentle! I decided to use Peco settrack to have curves compatible with a lot of rolling stock. First step was to use my Anyrail design software to see what size board I was going to need for my concept. It measured out at 24” by 44”.

Thanks Paul. Interestingly, in the US there are NMRA clearance standards. For narrow gauge, it recommends a standard “classical” clearance, meaning 1800’s like the 4-4-0 American, etc. This would accommodate the nearly full size rolling stock. However, I’ll be Festinog and Talyllyn type right of way, and the NMRA clearances are way too huge! So, custom dimensions it is. Thanks!

Oops guys, I’ve found my answers embedded in other threads; whatever fits! I’ll go for that, but any opinions would still be appreciated.

Greetings from California! New member of this forum. I’ve been Modelling in OO UK and ON30 for a while now, and have recently started an OO9 micro layout. It’ll be on a 2’ by 3’ board, with a track elevation of at least 6”. I’ve been doing some grade and clearance tests to confirm the viability of my plan. I’ve run a MinitrainS Gmeinder and a Bachmann Rheneas, and both easily handle a 5% grade on a 9” radius curve pulling 7 minitrains shorty rolling stock. Coaches and vans will be heavier, but that’s the restrictions real railways had to deal with! I now come to my question for you good folks. Is there an accepted OO9 clearance standard for tunnels and bridges? In the US, height is 2 3/8” and width is 1 3/4” . Trying it on my test track, it looked much larger than necessary. Particularly, if I can make the height less, I can reduce the grade to 4%. I note that Bachmann sells an OO9 tunnel portal. If anyone has one, what might it’s dimensions be? So guys, thanks in advance for any advice you can share.