ModelRailroadForums.com is a free Model Railroad Discussion Forum and photo gallery. We cover all scales and sizes of model railroads. Online since 2002, it's one of the oldest and largest model railroad forums on the web. Whether you're a master model railroader or just getting started, you'll find something of interest here.
I had time to dig thru some boxes last night and thought I’d mock up where the oil seed plant will go.
The challenge will be fitting it and the tank loading area
into a 20” wide section and stay away from all flat terrain.
I think I have it figured out, where’s my jigsaw...
Rick, thinking along those lines to save space. The grain mill and tanks farms I plan, I'm going to cut the tanks and silos in half vertically 1. to make more room 2. to make more facilities out of the ones I have.
Man you guys and all this room to move around in. Makes me jealous wish I had room to build a nice layout. All I have room for is a 4x8 and it's not what I want. after getting it all laid out and started building it. Just boring now and I want to take it down and say the heck with it.
Jerome I’ll be doing that with pretty much all my industries too, only way to fit everything in without looking to crammed in. Can’t wait to get the paper mill back up!
Geo65 I can relate to the space thing, took years to get here.
Maybe just start small then expand later to keep it going.
A friend just tore down his basement layout and is doing a shelf layout, I’d do the same when the time comes.
George, I have hardboard panels that will go against the wall. Mountain on one level and rolling plains on another.
Man you guys and all this room to move around in. Makes me jealous wish I had room to build a nice layout. All I have room for is a 4x8 and it's not what I want. after getting it all laid out and started building it. Just boring now and I want to take it down and say the heck with it.
What gauge are you running and what type of equipment? You can still do a lot with that space. Use it for experimenting with modeling and such. Once I get my track relaid (I made a serious change in my layout over the weekend) in the same spot, I'll start my building and modeling along the route.
Oh and welcome to the site If I hadn't said so before.
Man you guys and all this room to move around in. Makes me jealous wish I had room to build a nice layout. All I have room for is a 4x8 and it's not what I want. after getting it all laid out and started building it. Just boring now and I want to take it down and say the heck with it.
I'm building a switching layout that is 2x9 feet. I plan to incorporate it into a larger layout later. If you have room for a 4x8 layout, maybe you can do something along the line of this: http://hogrr.blogspot.com/ After all, a 4x8 actually requires a space of 8x12 if you allow for a space of two feet all around it for reach. There are also lots of switching layouts on Youtube that may give you ideas for something that will be more interesting for you.
Thanks for the words of encouragement. I got an idea in mind that just might do the trick. I will let you all know when I start reworking the track plan
Well I finally had some time to start thinking about the helix.
I cut this base from a five by five plywood sheet and had the brackets laser cut for the threaded rod supports.
The outer track radius will be around twenty nine inches and the inner somewhere around twenty seven, depending on clearances. Incorporating a helix into the track plan is the only way to fit the old layout sections into the given space.
George there will be eight to ten inches between the lower staging and the middle deck.
The upper deck is yet to be determined but should be eighteen to twenty two inches at least.
Well I finally managed to get the ceiling done, well sort of.
The lesson learned... don’t try to use different brands of ceiling bits together.
Still trying to decide if I’ll keep the lower staging or just incorporate it into another level.
The LED,s light up the floor nicely, the layout itself will have valance lighting.