HO apartment layout

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nissan300ztt

New Member
Hi everyone,
I recently moved to an apartment and I wanna get a layout started. Not the one I would normally mount on plywood, but a wall mounted continuous run. I need some Ideas of track planning software other then RTS it sucks. And mounting solutions, other then lots and lots of shelving.
I have a lot of space to work with and want to do 2 trains running in opposite directions.
 
Check out Iain Rice's book on Shelf Layouts from Kalmbach. He has some really good ideas about wall-mounting layouts, and a lot of interesting approaches to design.
 
Try XtraCad for the software, it's fee, more complex than RTS.

Sounds like you want a 2 track main.

Give us your dimensions, or better yet, post up a pic of your available space including all obstacles ie. windows, doors.

Do you want around the room layout with operatiing in the middle? Do a search for The Heart of Georgia layout.

You probably want to start out with a DCC system?

Do some research. Read books, search online, on DCC, wiring, layout plans, then come up with one that will fit your space. Pick an era, type of operations, scenery, etc. Go to your local hobby shop, ask questions.

Then post up a pic of your layout ideas then we can help you. We just don't provide layout plans for people that ask for them.

Good luck...
 
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Yes I do want a 2 track main. and my dimensions are encompassing my living room dining room and foyer. The dimensions are weird and I want to run the trains no scenery, just above the door trim. I just havent been into HO or N guage in quite some time. I forget how to figure corners and doubling up track when doing a radius. Ill post a sketch with some graph paper tomorrow and then I can see what help I can get. Thank You for some of the ideas.
 
Look up the emporia sub from the priests.
Just start simple,and work your way up.

BTW are you stock? Let me see photos of your ride.
 
This is my planned apartment layout (4½' x 10') with two main line (North bound & South bound routes) Northeast corridor theme. I'm going to be running 85' Amfleet and Comet cars and now getting a sense that the cars will crash into each other running through the turns. The outer loop is 24" and the inner loop 22".

Created using Anyrail. What do you guys think?

Preliminary_Plan.jpg
 
CrashPush said:
This is my planned apartment layout (4½' x 10') with two main line (North bound & South bound routes) Northeast corridor theme. I'm going to be running 85' Amfleet and Comet cars and now getting a sense that the cars will crash into each other running through the turns. The outer loop is 24" and the inner loop 22".

Created using Anyrail. What do you guys think?

Preliminary_Plan.jpg
Click to expand...


Any closets near your sidings? I ran one of my sidings right through a hole in the wall into my closet. It's my staging area.
 
zoegraf said:
Any closets near your sidings? I ran one of my sidings right through a hole in the wall into my closet. It's my staging area.
Click to expand...

No there are pointing out into open space. I was thinking about a future add-on staging area at any of the two sidings but you got a great idea there.
 


CrashPush said:
Can anyone confirm that the 85' cars will be able to clear the curves. :(
Click to expand...

Might be pushing it for 22" radius.



nissan300ztt:

What kind of space are you working with (room dimensions / obstructions), and are you sure it's going to be ok to mount this much gear to the wall? It's typically workable to build an "around the room" layout on legs.
________
MEXICO HOTELS
 
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I did this one in 4x8, with 22" curves. It works better than I thought it would. You can extend everything a little with 4.5x10, it will give you more room for scenery if you want it, or a "buffer zone" if you don't, to keep the trains from falling on the floor in case of derailment:
http://www.layoutvision.com/id48.html
 
Very nice plan. I live in an appartment and came to the same conclusion. I was tempted to build a linear layout. But I settled on two parallel loops like your design.

Have two loops connected by crossovers plus perhaps a third line or oneor two half loops for staging.

My only twist would be why plywood 4 x 8 ? Perhaps use a slightly different top materials for the table, such as a light particle board, or a laminate, which can be broken into 4 pieces for storing, and use aluminum legs.
 
scibiz said:
Very nice plan. I live in an appartment and came to the same conclusion. I was tempted to build a linear layout. But I settled on two parallel loops like your design.

Have two loops connected by crossovers plus perhaps a third line or oneor two half loops for staging.

My only twist would be why plywood 4 x 8 ? Perhaps use a slightly different top materials for the table, such as a light particle board, or a laminate, which can be broken into 4 pieces for storing, and use aluminum legs.
Click to expand...
There's no reason you can't use, for example, a ping pong table. There are also some alternatives to the "Plywood Pacific" using no more real estate, and more operating possibilities here:
http://www.layoutvision.com/gallery/index.html
 
Actually what is small ??
I looked on You Tube and guys with small layouts seem big.

I think the smallest practical is 40 x 72 inch, and that holds just one 18"R loop. Probably 48 x 72 is the smallest. That allows double loops plus some extra half loops.

In an appartment it is good to have the storing option. Something like a pingpong table would be good. No special tools would be needed.
 
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