I’ve been googling for a while now and just can’t seem to find these easily. I’m sure there’s sites with tons of track plans sorted by size. Does anyone have any resources? Thanks.
atlassrr.com is a big one as far as I’ve heard.
You might try this site AllGauge - it has lots of track plans for all scales. Just scroll down until you find N and HO Scale.
Also check out Chip’s (SpaceMouse) beginner’s guide.
Before you get too hung up on a 4x8, you might want to give this a look.
There’s probably a couple of thousand on this site, though they arean’t all 4x8’s.
There are also many smaller plans here that you could string together to form a layout.
There’s also this page that has a lot of plans, though many of them need to be tweaked a bit to make them into workable track arrangements.
Lastly, I’ve had the pleasure of working with some folks on some designs that I can show you.
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j319/pcarrell/Track%20Plans/4x8HOScale-1.jpg (This could use a better yard setup, ut it’s not too bad given the space)
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j319/pcarrell/Track%20Plans/Alexs4x8Revised.jpg (Same here)
And here’s a few variations on a 5x9 I worked on. Small loco’s are the order of the day here.
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j319/pcarrell/Track%20Plans/acu.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j319/pcarrell/Track%20Plans/acr.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j319/pcarrell/Track%20Plans/act.jpg
Hope that helps!
If you’d like to design your own, I might be able to assist if you’re interested. I don’t often work in HO scale, but what the heck, variety is the spice of life, no?
Thanks. I did some measuring and realized I have a decent amount of room for 4x8 in my office of my new house. I’m trying to avoid doing my layout in the garage due to climate changes and spending money on heaters and a/c units for one room. The garage, however, would give me more room. It’s a 2 car garage that only my wife in her SUV uses on one side. Both of our suv’s won’t fit nicely in there unless I want the little one opening a door and putting dents in the other car.
My ideal plan is two ovals or something like that side by side at least on the long sections so I can run a freight and passenger train at the same time. I’ve purchased enough track to do a simple double oval as of right now. I’m hoping to buy benchwork materials next week.
Here’s a few on this site http://www.trains.com/mrr/default.aspx?c=a&id=603
and the NMRA http://www.nmra.org/beginner/consist.html.
If you have the room for it, a 5x10 is actually better because you can use larger curves/turnouts. You can use a 4x8 plan changing the 18" curves to 22" curves and #4 turnouts to #5.
Enjoy
Paul
Let me repeat an earlier post and strongly suggest you read this.
If a train makes eight laps a minute and you run your train around your oval for 1 hour per day, you will get over 350,000 laps in one year.
No one I know ever made it to 1000 without being bored to tears. I’d take the time to design something that will provide more interest. A 4 x 8 can do that, but you really have to work at it. There’s good info in the links the people above have provided.
JJ
The others have tried to gently suggest you reconsider your plan for a 2 oval HO track plan on a 4x8. SpaceMouse points out how boring it is likely to get.
I’m going to approach from a slightly different tack. Your vision is quite normal for small layouts in Lionel or similar “toy-like” trains. I went down the same route. I built an enlarged version (about 5ft x 13ft) of the Atlas Grand Eastern Trunk (HO-25), a 2 track oval 4x8 with a passing siding and yard. Never got beyond getting the track laid and wiring working because 1) I couldn’t see any way to put in effective scenery that looked anything like what I saw in magazines; 2) after a short while, it was even more boring to watch HO trains chase their tails than the Lionel I had previously. At least the Lionel had the animated accessories to keep my interest.
IMHO, a 4x8 in HO is not capable of looking good running or modeling modern railroad operations. Train lengths and curve radius just aren’t suited for the large cars and engines of modern steam or post 1960s. Some of the better 4x8 plans work reasonably well for earlier era operations - see Harold Minkwitz’s Pacific Coast Air Line Railway (http://www.pacificcoastairlinerr.com/) for a great example. I have successfully used 1920s era and earlier small steam on a 4x8 following the TH&B track plan published in Dec 1967 Model Railroader. But because of the reversing loop-to-reversing loop design, I would only use this plan in conjunction with DCC. Another good 4x8 track plan IMHO is Atlas #33, the Plywood Summit Lines. Phil Carrol’s plans he linked to are also quite interesting. Almost all 4x8 plans are much improved by adding an extension on, such as was done with the Model Railroader project layouts like the PH&C (1962-1963), the Jerome and Southwestern, and the Turtle Creek Central.
THe 4x8 is a challenge. I see it as a oppertunity to “Fatten” up into the more space I have and to “Escape” via a branch to the other corner where there can be actual operation.
The “Heart of Georgia” plan has to be the top dog when one considers how to break the 4x8 foot chain. That 26" radius can pretty much run within reason. Much better than 18-22 inches.
I too have a 4X8. I modified it from the 4X6 Morgan Valley RR plan and i’m currently happy with it. I would plan ahead and maybe have adjustable benchwork that allows you to add more stuff later. Thats what I’m doing. You may want to try a switching layout, Mainly one that has alot of puzzles to work out and industries to serve. These usually hold the attention longer and avoid the boredom of seeing the train chase itself around a loop. Another thing is dividing the scene with a backdrop. This can usually get the most out of your layout because you can have the ability to model two scenes at once.
My suggestion: go with switching.
You know, it is a whole lot more interesting to run two trains at the same time on a single track main line. That way they are constantly taking the siding and waiting for the other, or if they are running the same direction the freight eventually has to pull onto a siding to allow the passenger to pass. Of course one gets back to the limitation of a 4x8. A 6x10 works much better, and one could squeeze in three passing sidings instead of two.
As for loops. One operational feature it seems that many people overlook is keeping on time. One sets a schedule for the passenger train where the engineer must make the stops and starts smoothly without spilling the soup in the dining car. Get a stop watch, and make a set of event cars to add random variations. A momentum throttle makes this more interesting, but also should be set so that the train can’t exceed a normal prototypical speed. These old Tyco’s & Lifelike’s capable of running 250 scale miles per hour make it too easy to make up time. It is also more interesting with a car that beeps if it gets accelerated or decelerated too quickly. With all the electronic speedometers available these days it could even be more interesting.
In junior high school, all I had was a simple loop. I worked at running on schedule until I got so I could leave the station make the appropriate number of loops and pull back into the station exactly on time (remember one doesn’t want to be early either). All someone had to do was tell me a distance and a time to get there (I also had a set of schedule cards for solo running). It has made me one of the best throttle jockeys at the club. If someone else thought it was easy or boring, I would just let them have a try at it
With respect to those who I know will disagree with me in a fairly vehement manner, John Allen’s Gorree & Daphetid is 7 X 4 according to Westcott’s 101 Track Plans. 101 Track Plans has several 8 X 4 plans which look like they could keep a single operator busy for some time.
The Westcott plans are from a different time–when “bowl of spaghetti” track plans and large tables were the norm. Modern layout design has advanced beyond those concepts.
Thanks for helping me make my point.
Modern layout design has advanced beyond the caveman concepts and into the 21 Century. Be careful those of you who just want to have fun. The wrath of the modernists will be wrecked upon you.
While I imagine there are those that gain excitement from such things as watching cheese mold, most people tire of the same old loops on a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood. This is unless of course the loops have a function necessary to the operation of the model railroad. There have been many successful 4 x 8 layouts, but there have been more that get ripped up not long after they are buildt.
If you build someone else’s design, chances are won’t catch their vision of what it was meant to be. Someone above suggested reading my “Beginner’s Guide” (clickable from signature). It takes 5 minutes to read but it will help explain what I’m talking about.
Here’s a 4 x 8 plan I like. Charlie Comstock built this.
You can tell from the photos that he had vision. He built a railroad, not a toy train track.
So, do you want to build a railroad or a toy train track?
A few choice quotes
Sometimes it is fairly easy to spot a thread that may be headed for locking. It is perhaps time to back off a little, guys ?
- It is perfectly okay to build a 4x8 layout if that is what you want to do. 4x8 designs can support both railfanning (watching trains run by) and operations (picking up and dropping off RR cars, waiting in sidings etc).
- If you want a beginner’s layout, you would probably get a more optimal use of the room with a layout in the Heart of Georgia style (see above), since a 4x8 typically needs room around the layout for walking and reaching, and thus may take up more floor space than an around the walls type layout.
- No matter what layout size and style you eventually chose, you decides how you want to do your layout, I decide how I want to do my layout. It is not a personal affront to me if you should decide to do things in a different way than I would have done, and it should not be taken as a personal affront to you if I chose to do things in a different way than what you would have done.
Whatever you decide, good luck with your layout !
Smile,
Stein
My statement is factually accurate.
If it makes a difference, I meant no offense to anyone, although it does sound glib when I reread it.
But if we go by the original poster’s timetable, he’ll be into benchwork by now and in so doing has really decided that despite many warnings he’s going to co-opt someone else’s plan.
This is therefore now a intellectual pursuit.