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New layout is going into a new room which is about 8.5 ft. by 20.5 ft. This is the idea I have come up with. Basicallyu looking to maximize mainline run with a point to point kind of operating ability. Industries and stuff will be added later. At top right the main line continues back into the originating yard at top in order to allow continuous running while working on the layout or just to watch trains run. I would be really open to any ideas off of this theme or completely different as I have only designed one layout before and quickly tired of it.
I would try to figure out what the industries would be before the layout. Your current idea is a good start but I think you'll get bored pretty quickly since it's basically a large oval. You have plenty of room to work with.
Second you should consider that there should be room to move around in the center of the layout at a minimum. Say you have a derailment or need to work on something. Can you reach it? With an 8.5 ft wide layout I'd say you cant. Consider designing in space towards the center even if it's a crawl in hole to pop up.
i should have mentioned that the pink area is not all layout. The benckwork will be designed so that it is not much more than two feet wide at any point for the same reasons you stated. I jsut don't know how to draw it with Atlas Right Track. Right now the aisles are about 24-36" In areas this will be a little smaller to accomodate industry and scenery.
I am currently looking around at the prototype for the industires to go into the layout. Part of what I am looking for is ideas for how to fit as much mainline into the space and meet the requirements of a realistc point to point that can also accomodate continuous running. The tracj allowing the continuous run like the bit in the upper right will probably be hidden for realism sake. Not a whole lot of railroads that go in circles.
I did notice that you have only1 crossover from one track to another, i think that it can be usefull to add atleast 1 more to the mainlines for a better a eaasier operation. just a thought
Sometimes it's easier to draw thick lines for benchwork edges in RTS rather than mess with defining the benchwork shape.
You have a lot of room to work with and my favorite layout style is an around the walls (or donut) with a continuous run option and staging like this. You might want to consider making the entrance to the peninsula a Y so trains can enter from either direction.
I agree that's it's easier to plan your industries now rather than try to fit industries to a trackplan.
