O27 Trolley Layout Designs! (2024)

Over the past few years, I've been coming up with ways of modeling various prototype and other traction layouts using O27 track and switches. Here's a sampling of some designs!

Frankford and Delaware Ave loop, Philadelphia:

Inlet carbarn, Atlantic City:

Portland Ave loop, Ventnor:

Douglas Avenue, Margate, NJ:

Longport Loop, Longport, NJ:

Willow Grove Terminal, Philadelphia:

Broad and Olney Terminal, Philadelphia:

A butterfly Grand Union:

And finally, a freelance modular layout:

Hope this inspires someone!

Mitch

Mitchell,

Have you tried the O27 to O27 crossover that you show here?

How do your trolleys negotiate that S curve?

Originally Posted by BillP:

a) Yes.

b) Mostly nicely. More lightweight cars such as the Williams Peter Witt and Lionel Birney have some difficulties, but MTH PCCs/bump and goes, Bowser/Pittman Brills and so forth have no problems. More a matter of weight, I think.

'Course, I do tend to push the envelope and do things with O27 that God and Lionel Cowan never intended...

Mitch

Originally Posted by BillP:

I wonder how the Western Hobbycraft brass trolleys would fare...

Ran a New Orleans WH car across, nil problems!

One caveat: The switches need to be in very good nick; what I do, for example, is make sure they're precisely straight, and I polish the points with a Dremel and grinding wheel to make sure they're flush with the rail...

Mitch

I like what you are doing here Mitchell.

Here are a couple of photos from our Christmas layout from 2011.

Mitch - Good to know, thanks!

Phil - Wow I really like what you have done there.

- Do you have any photos of the other end?

- Are the trolleys block controlled for simultaneous operation?

Mitchell,

I really do like your sketches, especially the free-mo setup!

Are those grid lines 1 foot?

Also that 90 degree corner seems like O27 with O42?

Originally Posted by BillP:

Bill, No blocks on this one the Trolleys could go into town around the loop and back out on the main line. The town house buildings you mention are the cookie tins that come out around Christmas time at Wal-Mart/Dollar Store.

Mitchel,

Have you ever thought of running your tinplate trolleys off powered overhead? I have thought of doing this. You would have to put a scale operating trolley pole on the roof of your cars. And erect overhead. Could run on tinplate track or handlay using code .172 rail if you could find some.

Originally Posted by BillP:

1) Thankee!

2) I believe so, yes.

3) Yep! Incidentally, O27 gives one 13.5" radius curves, which is just right for O scale traction.

Originally Posted by Nortonville Phil:

Eventually, I'd like to do a combined scale/tinplate trolley layout with working overhead; most of my projects and trolleys are set up with working poles that will operated on overhead.

If only Atlas would make O27 curves and turnouts in their premium 3-rail line...

Mitch

Originally Posted by Bill Robb:

Have you paved any of your track?

Nope, but then again I haven't built a permanent trolley layout, either.

Back in the days when I did HO trolleys, I used spackle over flex track, carving out flangeways before the spackle set.

How well this would work over O27 tubular track, present deponent knoweth not.

Mitch

If running overhead wire isn't a big interest, we can always claim that we're using the stud contact system as used in some cities back when.

This magnetic switch system supplied power through studs between the rails, sorta like Marklin, but sometimes horses and people were electrocuted by a stuck stud contact here and there....... let's just say these systems weren't around very long.

http://tinyurl.com/nmxk2p5

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stud_contact_system

Mitchell,

Thanks for trolly layout ideas for my next Christmas layout, I appreciate what you have done. Not quite sure what I want to do for my Street Car track addition yet, I do have a couple of new 036 FT Command Control Switches I plan on using on the Street Car line.I have not even tried the new 036 FT CC Switches with the MTH P2 Street Car yet. I am hoping the Pittsburgh Street Car will run thru them smoothly. I will definitely keep your fit up techniques in mind, while designing and building the street car line.

Your stuff looks great!

PCRR/Dave

Originally Posted by Firewood:

Not to mention conduit, as your link mentioned above. In addition to London, NYC and Washington, DC had extensive conduit streetcar trackage, with the cars switching from conduit to poles on the outskirts of town (and I suspect that working in the trolley plow pits at such a switchover point would be prime fodder for Mike Rowe's "Dirty Jobs" show!)...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...t_current_collection

Originally Posted by Pine Creek Railroad:

Thanks, Dave! Do you have the Pittsburgh Brill? If so, you can hear my mellifluous baritone announcing the station stops...

Mitch

Originally Posted by M. Mitchell Marmel:

What I was thinking of was black foam-core illustration board. With O27 track like Atlas you have a black center rail and black foam board. This material is often used O gauge to make grade crossings.

Originally Posted by Bill Robb:

What I was thinking of was black foam-core illustration board. With O27 track like Atlas you have a black center rail and black foam board. This material is often used O gauge to make grade crossings.

H'm.

http://www.atlaso.com/images/T...stuff/3rail/6050.jpg

Yeah, I could see that working...

Mitch