i am thinking of putting a 4 by 8 layout in my room. does anyone have a small layout like that?
if you do can u sent me a pic so i can see how it looking.
ryab
Small ? ? SMALL ! !
yes i know it is small but its the only free speace i have right now and i sign up with a club, there track is 127 feet by 37feet. i go there also but i want a track for me room.
ryan
Ryan,
My small layout is a 4 x 8’. Click on the link at the bottom of this post to see some pics. It’s my first layout so I’m still working on the design aspect of it. Using the extruded foam board has made trying ideas a lot easier. Hope that helps…
Tom
Small?? Since when is 4x8 considered small? Small by who’s standards? I would guess if you think a 40 x 75 layout is normal then anything out there is “small” I’m sure a lot of people out there do not consider their cherished 4x8 layouts small, I would assume there are far more 4x8 layouts than all the other combinations combined.
I agree with tatans 100%. Most layouts are 4 X 8…
You’d be amazed at what some people can do with that amount of space-especially if it’s in N scale.
One of the most basic rules of model railroading is to use what ever available space there is. I’ve known people that cut holes through the walls of their houses so they could expand their layouts…
trainluver1
Read the book “Small smart and practical track plans” it will make you look at that space where that 4x8 completely different.
I have built two four by eight layouts and am now working on a 7 X 8 layout that actually does not take up more room when a few things are considered. On my 4 X 8s, I had to leave a 30" aisle around the layout so I could reach everything. On my 7 X 8, I am in the middle of the layout so all parts are accessable from the middle. Two of its four sides are against the wall. On my old 4 X 8s, the control panel was on one side so I had to have room for it and a chair to sit in. All things considered, the 7 X 8 actually takes up less space than the 4X 8 and the room needed AROUND the layout. On my last 4 X 8, I had a heck of a time working on the middle of the layout without damaging the parts I had to lean over. It is also much better because if a train has a problem or derails, with my 7 X 8 I can reach it from the middle. On the old 4 X 8, I usually had to walk around the layout to take care of a problem. Because the middle is open, I don’t have 56 sq. ft. I have about 40 sq. ft. That is all usable easily accessable 40 sq. feet. The 4 X 8 layout offers 32 sq. ft. but with the space needed around the layout, actually took up more of the room.
I have a website discussing my 4x8 layout and optimizing the 4x8 in a 10x11 room.:
http://www.pacificcoastairlinerr.com/4x8/track_plan
the mainsite is:
http://www.pacificcoastairlinerr.com/
Thank you if you visit
Harold
I’ve got a 3.5 by 7 layout. im just starting so its great to work on. not being to intimidating.
My HO scale layout is a 4 by 8
here is the link www.freewebs.com/skeeter3/
www.atlasrr.com has some good track plans for a 4 x 8 layout
I’m in the 4 x 8 camp, as well. Good planning can result in a layout that will bring you many hours of enjoyment. I was able to design on with a 3 track yard and 10 industries, without it looking overly crowded. In addition to the atlas website, check out some past issues of MR, RMC, and some of the other magazines, as they have had several track plans over the years for 4 x 8.
Mike
Hope your room is big enough
I recall some track plans I liked in one of Linn Westcotts planbooks, that had just enough operation and not look so loop dee doo.
I’m beyond 4x8 stuff to do some modeling the way I want/need to do and 4x8 don’t cut it.
Shelf modules small enuff to move and carry to new locations and I want need to tear it down if I gotta move.
Now now, this person is new and there is no need to give them a hard time based on the actually rather widespread idea that every model railroader should have a basement empire–and, therefore, a basement to keep it in. There was a discussion on the Small-Layout-Design Y-group a while back about the archetypal layout for various countries–while most Europeans are fairly open about the teeniness of their layouts (shelf layouts are the rule, rather than the exception) they assume that every Yank has a Gorre & Daphetid downstairs.
The 4x8, as poor an idea is it may seem to the advanced modeler, is the average sized layout–if only because so many people have them.
My layout covers half the space of a 4x8–1x12 with a 2x2 “island” sticking out of the middle. So to me, 32 square feet is where I’m heading eventually–it just won’t be in the shape of a 4x8.
a 4x8 is one of the easiest to get going because of the easy to get plywood sheets, lay down your track and your off and running.
Other common sizes are 5x9.
The reason I stay away from it is portability issues.
I put some work in something only to sometime tear it apart.
Size isnt everything darlings…but seriously,we all cut our cloth according to our means,and if that gets you 4x8 and that works for you-end of story…WVHagan touched on a point that seems,by and large,to have slipped past you guys. Here in the U.K.,the solid 4x8 is a rare beast indeed. The prefered option over here has always been the hollow square. Take Your 4x8,cut lengthways into 3x16" sections,cut one of these in half crosswise. you now have 2 @ 96"x16" & 2 @ 48"x16". when suitably braced,these can then be re-assembled as either a 66" x 8 square or a 94" x54" offset rectangle–a couple of extra operating advantages that this method confers are A: the train passes behind you,which makes it easier to sustain the illusion of distance travelled B: the whole of the exterior of the layout is available for “wrap around” staging just by moving the backscene in a few inches and using flat or shallow profile instead of full depth buildings…think of the extra trains,no more “blind” interchange sidings,just a couple of thoughts,-Whatever works for you really–just bear in mind,what looks good on 40" radius at the club might look a wee bit strange on 18" radius at home. best of luck,keep us posted!!! regards nick
Hi Ryan
I am building a 4 X 8.
My track plan looks like this:
If you’d like more details, e-mail me
Happy MRRing
I’m building a 4x8, if I get the pictures link working I’ll show you my layout. I have two oval tracks, one inside the other, with three sidings. It’s not a whole lot, but it is all there is room for now. (I’m still living at home, going to college, and that’s all the room I’m allowed[V]) Maybe someday I’ll have a big layout, but if not, a 4x8 is plenty. [8D][tup] Good luck!