So I have this room


Davidfd85

Davidfd85

Member
So I have this room that I am using for my layout. A 4X8 with a 4X4 addition on one end in an L shape. Well I am thinking about dumping the current layout and starting another one. I have been looking at some layouts but haven't found anything I really like or like enough to modify for what I am thinking.
So I'm wanting two mainline full runs all the way around, maybe elevate one across the end (10' side), maybe one or two tunnels and a yard and I think I can place the town and industries from there. I and not good at designing layouts at all since this will only be the second one I have ever built. If you have any ideas or a way that I can build this I guess I'm just saying go for it and lets see what comes up.
The area in red is currently a work desk and a couple storage units that I can move, I can put the storage units under the table and pickup about another 18". I also forgot to tell you this is HO scale.
Thanks
Theroom_zpsdfd22270.jpg
 
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If you're OK with tight radius turns then you could probably do a loop-to-loop style layout with one loop next to the door and one loop next to the workbench area without having to rearrange anything. But 3'6" is kind of tight to turn a train around in for HO scale.

If you move the workbench area to the center of a long wall and build the layout through/over it then you could have the layout follow the wall all the way around the room and do a duck-under at the doorway. Then your minimum radius could be huge - like 48" or something, if you desired.

10'x14' even with a workbench taking up space is still a lot of space for a layout. Good luck, and I look forward to your updates.
 
I'm a little bit off on the door opening, it is right at 48" and just open to a hallway, no door swing to worry about. So I can impede into that area a little bit if needed. With the layout I have now I have been limited to 57" and under car and 4 axle engines. I wouldn't mind staying with that if I need to and also it will all be freight, no passenger service. If I can get the turns big enough to handle 6 axle engines that would be great but not a deal killer if I can't.
 
I've seen six axle engines make it around 18" radius turns - it's not pretty, or quick, but they'll do it if they have to. If you can get out to 48" deep then you could have 22" radius curves and that would be very helpful.

If you really wanted to get freaky with it you could do a nice long climb around the room, maybe double back for another climb and end up on a second deck. But that's a lot of construction ;)
 
I see a double level loop to loop with a town at the bottom of the lower level and a coal mine at the top of the upper level. It would be a single track twice around with center passing sidings in the middle, top and bottom.
You could operate it as a point to pint with the coal mine in the center of the upper loop with 3 or 4 tracks in the center of the loop. You can do the same at the bottom in town, with a small yard in the center of the loop.
A couple of sidings with lineside businesses will give your locals something to do.
 
How about an around the room shelf layout with a lift out bridge for the doorway? It could be a duckunder if high enough. I would suggest a shelf about 12" deep and near shoulder level so you can eyeball the action. The shelf need not be against the walls at all times, it should undulate in and out to the middle of the room as long as you have a wide enough walkway for operator(s).
 
So I have been reading the suggestions and doing some thinking about what I might be able to do and I came up with this in my head. It is just a possible concept no mesurements at all as I am at work and can't really do to much.
So I would move the storage units to be placed under the table later on and gain a little more room. The basic plan (In green) is a duck under with an open center, control panel will go someplace in there. Mountains across the back (10ft sec) with both tracks over each other, lower track in what I would say is one heck of a long tunnel and the upper track in and out of possibly up to 3 short tunnels, yard area in front of that across that end. If you can see what I'm thinking about anyways. I'm 6'3" tall and have a pretty good reach but I'll check that for sure when I get home. Like I said can't do much right now until I get home and put pencil to paper and figure things out more.
Let me know what anyone thinks. So far so good or to much?
 
That is basically how my own layout is configured. I have a closet in the area where you have the work bench.
 
timlange3 said:
How about an around the room shelf layout with a lift out bridge for the doorway? It could be a duckunder if high enough. I would suggest a shelf about 12" deep and near shoulder level so you can eyeball the action. The shelf need not be against the walls at all times, it should undulate in and out to the middle of the room as long as you have a wide enough walkway for operator(s).
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A typical layout is 48" high and a typical desk is 30 inches. You could go right over top of that desk with out impeding your ability to work. The area under the layout could used as storage (use that one with your significant other.)

If it was my space, I would create a layout 24-30 inches wide around the walls. I'd have a lift-out bridge near the door and a peninsula in the area where the desk isn't. You would have to reduce the width of the layout around the peninsula to provide walking space. You have plenty of room for a nice layout.
 
Well I did some more planning and am totally lost, I really stink at track planning. This is what I came up with so far as to the way I would like it but from there I am just drawing blanks. I'm not even sure if what I have there so far will even work or not.
The table will be 42" high and I can reach 32" easily, can reach to 36" if needed with a little work.
I hope what I have can be understood and if anyone has ideas for which way to go from here I really need the help I have no idea.

Thanks
 
The types of questions you should be asking yourself are:

What road do I want to model?
What era?
What location is the railroad (what is the terrain like?)
What are my physical limitations?
What do I have to have on the layout?
What would I like to have on the layout?
Do I prefer watching trains run or do I prefer operating them--or something else?

You may want to do a little research to flesh out your ideas. When you get fired up about an idea, the track plan will start to emerge.
 
I have one layout already, a 4X8 with a 4X4 over lapped addition in a basic L shape and just want to make a larger one, Its going to be Santa Fe, 70's to 80's, mountain with tunnels across the 10' end, a yard with engine servicing, 2 stall engine house, small mid-west town light industries and the quarry/loading area in the corner as shown. I'd like to have two mainlines all the way around with crossovers to switch trains between both lines, the yard and some spurs for the industries and quarry area.
I just don't know how to plan it all. The first layout I made I more or less looked at a bunch of plans found one something like I wanted, changed it up so I had some what of an idea but really didn't and just laid out track until it fit and it worked.
I just don't think that approach will work for this kind of a project. I haven't found any plans that are this kind of shape.
 
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Davidfd85 said:
Its going to be Santa Fe, 70's to 80's, mountain with tunnels
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That would put you into Raton NM, Cajon CA, or the Tehachapi area in to LA.

a yard with engine servicing, 2 stall engine house
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Yards and loco facilities on both sides of Raton.

small mid-west town
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That certainly doesn't fit the mountains and tunnels. Now the Mopac and Frisco had some tunnels and mountains in the Ozarks.

light industries and the quarry/loading area in the corner as shown. I'd like to have two mainlines all the way around
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Santa Fe was double track from Newton Kansas all the way to Chicago in that time period. Plus many double track segments south into Texas. What sort of quarry? There was lots of limestone in the Midwest. Marble in the mountains.

I just don't know how to plan it all.
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Start by deciding which element is the most important. Do you want long main line runs as the important thing, or the yard, or the loco facilities, or the industries? You didn't mention storage/staging at all.

Once you choose the important part put that in first, then fit in the second important part and finally what is left gets what space is left. You are going to run out of space in a 10'x12' area really quick.
 
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I'm not sure how you're coming up with the awkward table space you've shown a couple times, but the design that choops shared is definitely the way to go for the basic dimensions. You'll get the most layout and the most reliable track arrangement. It also gives you plenty of space to adjust and customize the trackwork to include industries and yards.
 
I agree with Choops plan. No duckunder (a right PITA). There is room for sidings/industry within the loops and also yards/sidings along both walls. Lots of action in a small room.
 
Well I thought about going with a drop down/liftout instead of the duck under. I down loaded scarm and started playing with it and this is what I have done so far.
 
There ya go, now you're getting somewhere! Thats lookin pretty good. It looks like you'll have room for a decent sized yard on the right side.
 
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