I need some ideas for a small layout


S

SoCalTrainGuy74

New Member
I've managed to secure a small area in my home for a shelf style layout. I have a 2 foot wide by 5 foot long area available to me so obviously N Scale is the way to go with such space limitations. I'd like something simple yet not too boring. I'm probably going to concentrate more on scenery since that's my favorite aspect so creating something with yards isn't feasible. Perhaps a siding with a single industry and maybe a structure or two. Definitely want a loop so that I can just have a train running endlessly.

Can anyone offer some track plan ideas or at least point me in the right direction to find them? :confused:
 
I have always did my own track plans. That said, I do get ideas from books etc. You could squeeze in a double main-line into 2ft wide. Then you could have a passenger train running on the outside while a freight train ran on the inside loop as well as have a couple sidings (inside track). You could maybe have a small passenger station and small downtown as well as industry. If you could add a couple inches to the 2 ft width it would help give you more flexibility.



My secondary table I has a oval outside, a over & under figure-8 inside that and a very tight about 8" radius circle inside one end of the figure-8. The outer oval being the base elevation, the figure-8 elevated some and the small circle is elevated higher yet. The largest practical radius will be 11 inch on the outside loop.

I like to think on paper, graft paper works well for me. Look around here and elsewhere and note what you see and like of what others have done or are doing.

Another thing you can do is get some sectional track and PLAY with it, to see what fits/works. What you want to model will likely be a big factor for you plans for the space. You might want to consider allowing for trackage to expand beyond this starting point in the future. It will be easier if you build in track etc with the idea of being able to expand on it later.

These are just some of my ideas & thoughts, you should do what-ever works for YOU!

JD
 
My first layout was on a card table and was 5 x 2. Couldn't really run passenger stuff or modern gigantic rail cars. Keep the trains small and the rolling stock to a minimum. The smaller the rolling stock, the larger the layout will look. I had a double loop with the inner loop as a "branch line. I put a small divider "mountain" at an angle down the middle. It was only about 5" tall an two feet long but it was a good scene break. the was a small town/industrial three track stub yard on one side and a small two track stub Life Like Blue Coal Depot on the other. I actually did a lot of work on that layout, learning all about wiring, lighting, scenery etc. The largest thing I ran on it was a five car GP7. It was great fun. I did that in 1984 and had the buildings until the flood here in '08 and still have the three locos and some of the rolling stock. It was great fun because it was manageable and finished.
It was similar to 2x40013 .
 
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How about a switching layout? For that space you can do HO or even O (short engines and cars). If it is just turnouts and sidings you could pack a bunch in that space, say an urban setting with a lot buildings and docks close to each other. You would never be just watching the train, you would be operating all the time.
 
SoCalTrainGuy74 said:
I've managed to secure a small area in my home for a shelf style layout. I have a 2 foot wide by 5 foot long area available to me so obviously N Scale is the way to go with such space limitations. I'd like something simple yet not too boring. I'm probably going to concentrate more on scenery since that's my favorite aspect so creating something with yards isn't feasible. Perhaps a siding with a single industry and maybe a structure or two. Definitely want a loop so that I can just have a train running endlessly.

Can anyone offer some track plan ideas or at least point me in the right direction to find them? :confused:
Click to expand...

If you have any way to squeak out 30 inches width instead of the 24 inches you state, you could easily adapt any 4x8 HO layout to n-scale in that space. It would certainly open up more possibilities for you.
 
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