Suspended G - Part 3

Initial suspended track with fenders being installed

Now that the track supports and track are in place, I took time to assess the safety of the arrangement. I wanted to be sure that if the train derailed, it would not fall to the floor and be destroyed. I also wanted to be sure that it would not fall onto the heads of unsuspecting persons below. I could have done this by widening the roadbed and adding curbs along the outside edges, but I did not want to obstruct the view of the train. I devised a simple approach that used clear plexiglass with standoffs from the track bed. The standoffs were set at 2.5" so as to provide sufficient clearance for the train. This left a gap between the plexiglass and the track small enough so the train would not fall through, but wide enough and high enough to keep the train from falling off.

I purchased the Plexiglass in 2'x3' sheets and cut it down using a fine-tooth blade on my table saw. The resulting sections were 2-3/4" high and 36" long. The standoffs were made from 4-1/2" woodscrews and a 2-1/2" sleeve made from silicone vacuum tubing. All of this was from Amazon. I also used finish washers to seat the beveled screw heads and provide a flat bearing on the plexiglass.

A video of the panel assembly is shown below:

Fender assembly

Fender Installation

The fenders are installed all the way around the inside of the loop. Fenders are also installed on the outside of the loop in the corners where the track is more than 4" from the wall. That way, no matter where the train derails, it will be protected by fenders or the adjacent wall.

Now that that is finished, it is time to put power to the track. I always do a continuity test first to see if there are any gaps in the track. I do that by using an Ohm-meter across a separated joint in the track. If there is zero resistance, I know that I have good contact through the track to the joint I am checking. Once the continuity is good, I soldered wires to the rail and connected the transformer.

Now the moment of truth. I put the engine on the track and tested it once around slowly to check clearances. I then added a long passenger car and repeated the exercise. Everything is good. Ready for the train...

Yonder comes the train!

It all looks good at this point.

There is a twist to the story, so look for Part 4 next week.