Yard vs. Loop to save room. Does it work?

[hokkmike]

Well, I am the annoying new guy here. I am negotiating with my wife for space for a layout. I am stuck between HO and O27.

To save room, and still use the larger size I was thinking about maybe a yard instead of a continuous loop. I was wondering if any of you had insights into this?

I could paint some background on the wall behind the layout. Have a few tracks in the back primarily for storage and display. Maybe run a few in front with a few switches, spurs, etc., and jockey some cars around.

A little switcher diesel would fill my engine needs.

I could still work on some detailing but I might get bored soon. It would also cut out and passenger operation. That would come later anyway.

Any thoughts to share? Please feel free to tell me if you think my idea is whacked!

 

[Secondhandmodeler]

Welcome to the forum! If you are going to go with a yard area, you may get some ideas from this guy.

http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=2703

It's not a yard, but it is a great use of a switching layout.

Personally, I'm a roundy rounder!

 

[Rico]

Welcome aboard!
I love switching and can do it for hours, but I also like to run something down the line.
How about a yard that goes out to a loop and comes back?
I have just about every scale but the main layout is HO.
If you post your available space I'm sure you'll get lots of advice.

 

[Selector]

Welcome to the forum. I enjoy using a yard...you can get a lot of railroading with just four parallel lader tracks, some crossovers or double-slip turnouts, and some servicing track for your rolling stock and engines.

But that's all you'll be able to do on a small layout. The smaller the space, the more problematic any one scale becomes. The smaller the space in any one scale, the less workable is a loop-type plan of any configuration. It quickly becomes a personal choice of "Fish or cut bait," type of thing.

It could be a good investment in time, track-laying skills-wise, to work on a yard module, get good at making a yard work well because of your knowledge and skills, and then get something else when you really have a strong desire, or incorporate your successful module into a larger layout at some point when you can marry it up with a larger loop trackplan.

It turns out that I am mostly a roundy-rounder who enjoys watching and listening to my steamer(s) chuff around the main in my modest space. When I tire of that, there is always my small engine turntable and roundhouse facility built into my small yard.

But the smaller the space, the less you, "...can have it all."

 

[PartsMan]

I had thought about a long narrow point to point with passing sidings one each end. A 12" shelf the length of the room wouldn't really take up much room. Maybe even widen out on one end for a little yard.

 

[UP2CSX]

I have to agree with the shelf idea. You can do a surprising amount of scenery and trackage in 18" of width and your switcher can get out on the main to service some industries. If you can get a few extra space of width at one end, you could have a small yard even in O-27. With two four foot square sections at each end of the shelf, you can have a loop with 22" radius curves so you can just let the train run or do switching as you please. I think having only a yard would get boring pretty quickly unless you have trains coming in and leaving. Just shuffling cars from one track to another in a yard becomes pretty pointless after a while.

 

[riverotter1948]

What about (a) Point-to-Loop with the yard at the end of the line, or (b) Loop-to-Loop with the yard between the loops? Either one could be done shelf-style (except for the loops of course).

 

[PartsMan]

This is what I was talking about. A little switcher or a pair of diesels back to back. Go to one end, get your load, switch engine(s) around to the front of the cars and haul it back. About as real as a little layout can get.

 

[UP2CSX]

PM, nothing wrong with that plan at all. It would do just what you want, as long as running the switcher back and forth satisfies you. Looks like it would be easy to expand if you get the urge and room so it's a good start on bigger layout if that should ever come to pass.