looking for suggestions....

[domdad]

I am planning on putting a shelf around the perimeter of my son's room, about a foot from the ceiling (we have 10' ceilings).  Is a "G" scale train the best to see from the floor?  I was just going to purchase a Bachmann set, and some extra track, and throw it up there.  Am I getting in over my head?  I have never done this before.  Am I going to have to oil the trains every so often?  Any help or suggestions in getting me started on this project would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you.

[SteamGene]

How old is your son? 
If you can beat the window problem, you might want to lower them a bit more just to make viewing easier as well as some maintenace.
The locomotive will need lubing from time to time - with the time depending on how much its run.  In addition the wheels and track will need cleaning with this varying for all kinds of reasons.   
A G scale would be best, probably, though you might want to check on the large scale board and get their opinion.  Another option would be On30.
I think I remember people saying that the Bachmann G scale is good, but the track isn't great - but that may just be for outdoors.  Again, checking the Large Scale board might be a good idea.
Gene

[domdad]

thanks gene.  my son is 3, so he enjoys any kind of train.  I don't mind climbing up a ladder once a month to clean/lube, plus I have 2 windows that i have to put the track above. 

[Mike]

The elevated train is a great idea. I have built and installed systems for a couple of families. Large scale works well, and so does O scale. The Bachmann large scale track works fine indoors. Something I would recommend you look into is remote control. Others on the forum can probably recommend manufacturers. The O scale unit I put up was an MTH with remote control throttle built in. It worked well, but a throttle speed limiter would have been nice. With the Bachmann large scale, I doubt that the speed limiter would be an issue. One thing you might want to look into is wider radius track. The 4' diameter (2' radius) Bachmann track might limit your future equipment options (but it is fine for the set trains). Also, I built a guard rail all of the way around the inside of the overhead loop using 1/4" pegs with HO scale rail threaded through the top ends of the pegs. The pegs were pressed into holes on the wooden sub road bed. That way, any derailment didn't have to end in catastrophe for either train or operator! If you'd like more info, feel free to contact me off line. ENjoy the trains!- Mike S.

[Mike]

One more thing... the windows don't necessarily have to be below the track. One unit I put up had bridges across the upper part of the windows. The trains looked great passing by in front of the windows, both from inside and out!- Mike S.

[domdad]

Mike, I appreciate the help.  one more question...I have been reading about how people have problems with power on a larger layout.  The room is 14' x 18', so I am going to have a lot of track.  Do you see a probelm using the power supply that the set comes with?  Also, I have read people talking about splicing the power wires and soldering them to the track on the other side of the room.  Thoughts?

[SteamGene]

I'm not Mike, but yes, you will need to run wire to your track at several points.  Wire transmits electricity much better than track does. 
What you do is run a fairly heavy gauge wire from your power pack  around the track.  This is your buss wire.  Then you run feeder wires from the buss to your track, soldering the wire to the OUTSIDE of the track.  The feeder wires can be smaller than the buss wire. 
I don't know the size of your power pack, but there is a good chance that it will work for one locomotive if you use buss and feeders.   If you have a feeder about every nine feet, you should be in fairly good shape.
Gene

[jsmvmd]

Dear Friend,

Please check with "TOC" a forum member who installs battery powered remote control systems.  He can fill you in about all this.  I use Bachmann track for my indoor running of G scale stuff.  For a planned garden railroad I will use Aluminum track.  Llagas Creek track is American made.

Best Wishes,

Jack

[foureyes]

M The room is 14' x 18', so I am going to have a lot of track.  Do you see a probelm using the power supply that the set comes with?  Also, I have read people talking about splicing the power wires and soldering them to the track on the other side of the room.  Thoughts?

Not Mike either.  The starter set power supply will work fine, if you're only running a single locomotive and you connect the pack to more than one location.  If you hook it up with a single connection, and the train slows down halfway around the room, you're a candidate for a second power connection.

If you're going to use the Bachmann starter set track, I'd use a couple of points of electrical contact, 180 degrees around the room using a heavy lamp cord.  Steel rail is not as good a conductor as aluminum or brass, so it's cheap insurance.  I'm not sure how to attach wires to the steel rail, but soldering or clamping will be fine.  Be careful not to revers the wires from connection to connection.  Some lamp cord has a ridge on one conductor.  Make sure the ridge stays inside to inside or outside to outside rail.

[Craig]

Large scale is indeed your best bet at that height. Furthermore, a lighted passenger set makes a great evening show. If you use a power pack (VS battery/remote) I suggest you mount a switch at your son's eye level to control power to the power pack, but have the power pack well out of reach with a preset speed you determine. Your child may then be the boss of his railroad without any worry of excess speed or accidental reversing. If you cannot cut a wall box in and fish wire, check out Wiremold surface mounted conduit. I have an around-the-room, Large scale Bachmann layout and I agree that, using that much track, you'll be well served to employ multiple feeds.

You might want to put a lively border up first or have an "artsy" relative/friend do a mural behind the track locale.

[Mike]

Domdad- A few further thoughts... You might want to purchase a power controller that has a momentum feature that makes for gentle acceleration and deceleration. Also, the multiple track connections is a good idea. For most three year olds, the idea of setting a maximum speed on the controller and then placing the controller in an access-restricted box with a simple on-off switch would substitute well for a remote control. However, with my kids, when they were young, I just placed a small strutcure near the track and/or placed a small semi-stable container on one of the cars. We then made a game out of stopping and starting smoothly enough to prevent spillage... and stopping and starting right at the structure. I can honestly say that we never had problems with high speed derailments. In fact, when any of their friends tried to run the trains in a rough manner, my children chose to not invite them back to play with the trains. Happy railroading- Mike S.