New 13x7 Indoor Live Steam Layout,Ready to secure Astroturf and G Scale Track

[Rob1962]

Almost finished with my non-scenic indoor Live Steam G/Guage & HO.I will adhere my Astroturf and lay down tracks.Could someone tell me the Exact Screws i need to go thru ties Astroturf and Hardwood planks.This one day will all be disassembled to another location because my table was a modular custom build.What I would like to know is what size brass screws/type. And placement for the 13x7 Indoor Live Steam Layout and also inside the G Gauge will be HO Oval inside that. If you could recommend the exact type/size that would be much appreciated.

Thank you.

FullSteam Ahead..

 

[Zerogee]

Some photos would be great, Rob - not only because we'd all love to see how your layout build is progressing, but also understanding which screws you're asking about might allow for some more useful answers to your questions? Do you mean the size of screws best suited to securing the track to the baseboards?

Jon.

 

[Rob1962]

Thank you here is the New Layout.

 

[GAP]

I use these https://www.thefastenerfactory.com....tton-stitching-screws-8-15x20-monument-1000pc
Pressure spread over a wide area, I paint the heads to blend in; for joins I put one either side but 1 tie away from the join. Just have to be careful not to overtighten I use a low torque setting on my driver drill

 

[Rob1962]

Almost finished with my non-scenic indoor Live Steam G/Guage & HO.I will adhere my Astroturf and lay down tracks.Could someone tell me the Exact Screws i need to go thru ties Astroturf and Hardwood planks.This one day will all be disassembled to another location because my table was a modular custom build.What I would like to know is what size brass screws/type. And placement for the 13x7 Indoor Live Steam Layout and also inside the G Gauge will be HO Oval inside that. If you could recommend the exact type/size that would be much appreciated.

Thank you.

FullSteam Ahead..

 

[Paul M]

use a low torque setting on my driver drill

I really wouldn't use a driver drill, its bound to damage something.

 

[Zerogee]

Just a couple of little bits of advice, Rob - I understand that you're trying to get as large an oval of track onto your available baseboard width as you can, but I'd be concerned about running your track right up to very edge - if the worst should happen and a loco takes a tumble off the rails, it could prove expensive with a heavy and valuable live-steamer; also, don't forget that you need to leave some clearance at the back of the layout (especially if you're fitting a backscene) to cope with the overhangs of rolling stock as it comes in and out of the curves at each end - if you run your track too close to the back of the layout, you may find some stock (especially longer bogie items) will foul on your back-board.

I would leave at least several inches between the edge of the board and the edge of the rails, all around the circuit, if you possibly can!

Jon.

"All advice freely offered, and worth exactly what you paid for it..."

 

[Paul M]

Reaching to the far side may cause problems too, 'cos we all know when the steam will run out!

 

[Rob1962]

True it would actually be the back against the wall,Paul Your correct any suggestions.

 

[GAP]

True it would actually be the back against the wall,Paul Your correct any suggestions.

How about a "thunderbird"?
A battery powered loco that can go out and rescue a stranded steamer have to be heavy but not pretty just functional

 

[Nodrog1826]

I don't want to put a dampner on things, but is astroturf flame retardant, just that live steam which involves heat and the confined space shown in the video, could be a disaster waiting to happen. Just saying.

 

[Paul M]

Reaching to the far side may cause problems too, 'cos we all know when the steam will run out!

Usually an operating well in the middle

 

[Rob1962]

Usually an operating well in the middle

The table i have is modularlegs are all over and in the center of my G Guage trach there will be an inner Oval
in HO Guage also Live Steam,While im here would you know of a source for those Real Wood logs for one of my cars.

 

[Rob1962]

How about a "thunderbird"?
A battery powered loco that can go out and rescue a stranded steamer have to be heavy but not pretty just functional

Good idea are they still produced i never heardn of the Thunderbird/

 

[Zerogee]

Good idea are they still produced i never heardn of the Thunderbird/

I think it's a Gerry Anderson reference (Thunderbirds - "International Rescue") which would be much more obvious to UK residents, especially those of us of a "certain age".... what's being referred to, I believe, is the use of any suitably heavy/powerful battery-powered loco that can be used to go round to otherwise inaccessible areas of the layout and shunt a "dead" live-steamer round to a point where you can get hold of it....

Jon.

 

[Gizzy]

I think it's a Gerry Anderson reference (Thunderbirds - "International Rescue") which would be much more obvious to UK residents, especially those of us of a "certain age".... what's being referred to, I believe, is the use of any suitably heavy/powerful battery-powered loco that can be used to go round to otherwise inaccessible areas of the layout and shunt a "dead" live-steamer round to a point where you can get hold of it....

Jon.

Often on the real railway, a Diesel loco used to rescue broken down trains....

 

[maxi-model]

Oh to be 9 years old again. And here are those rescue vehicles that gave their collective name to railway rescue locos, some named after characters in the series. Very much aimed at the US market, we didn't have colour TV in the UK till 1967.

Or even 8. Both were favourite programs, from the Gerry Andedson stable. This intro, like Tunderbirds', always got me going Sunday tea time.

 

[Zerogee]

You've got a few years on me, Max - I was 4 when Stingray was first on, and 5 for Thunderbirds! Loved them all, deeply etched in my childhood. I do have some VERY vague memories of Fireball XL5 and even Supercar too...

When you think that everything was done with traditional model work and slowed-down film (for the water effects, because you can't "scale down" water!) - no computer-generated special effects here...!

The Thunderbirds title music must be one of the greatest TV themes ever.

An old friend of mine takes a Stingray table-top game along to some of the Wargame shows, you can chase and shoot Terrorfish with a Stingray-class sub (there are three on the table, for three players - Stingray itself, plus Tiger Shark and Barracuda) with the eventual objective of blowing up Titanica.... he even has the Captain's hats for the players, plus the control panels with the helm wheels!

Jon.

 

[GAP]

Good idea are they still produced i never heardn of the Thunderbird/

The term thunderbird is a railway term;

Railway Rescue Locomotive (UK)

• Definition: A locomotive kept at a key location on the network to quickly rescue failed passenger or freight trains.

• Origin: The nickname comes from the 1960s television show Thunderbirds, which featured a high-tech rescue organization.

There was an article years ago in garden railways about a person buying a loco for that purpose on his live steam layout it was heavy which why he used it.

 

[Paul M]

Often on the real railway, a Diesel loco used to rescue broken down trains....

Quite often used at Brambleton, for those who suffer the shame of running out of steam in the farthest reachesvof the line and don't want to do the Walk of Shame pushing the loco back to the steam up area