i am in a bit of a bind. I want to expand my layout, however, I only have about 7ft by 2, and two feet of it is cut off by a 45* angle.
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can anyone give me some ideas or a layout that would work?
My switching layout is working ok, but I’m adding a round the room mainline.
7’ is alot of space for a switching layout. I searched on Google and found a few ideas.
Ken.
I like your atitude, Ken. You did not have much room to work with, but instead of moping and constant planning, you jumped right in a did what you could to run trains.
My layout is not much bigger, and I’m trying to figure out how to have an around the room mainline, too.
That’s a heck of a backdrop, though! lol
Jim
Looks like you got a good start. As a modeler who has had to work with limited space at times I have built about 6 switching layouts. Even now that I have a lot of space I still have an industral park that is based on an old switching layout that I had about 20 yrs ago, I just made it longer to accomadate my longer modern equipment.
My layout started as a switching one. I put together several plans from various books and after much trial and error…more error, I came up with more or less my own ideas.
I have a yard area that is about 7 ft x 22 " and three tracks run parallel with connecting turnouts so the switch engine gets behind or in front of cars. Since I have a similar logistical problem with space…a room that doubles as a bedroom, that has about 9ft by 12ft of space.
I have since built a twin track curve around to go around a 90 degree turn and placed the tracks in such a way that the back curve goes through a tunnel and the front track over a river and then the two back into a twin track tunnel, this effectively breaks the scenes into blocks and on this size RR works to separate the areas. Bridges and tunnels will be places every 4-5 ft along a shelve that I will eventually build to go to the far corner of the room where I will have the two tracks meet to form a return loop.
The shelving will be made from 1" x 6" x 4ft sections mounted on pre-built upside down “L” s and those will be screwed into the wall at stud locations…not many of them in a mobile home as I learned putting up curtain rods. This method differs form my yard section which is the table top method I use. As I have to contend with sliding door closet I came up with a swing-up bridge section that will lift up on hinges and clears the closet door. With many challenges to face, we small layout designers have to stick together. I once met a model RR’er who had plans to make his layout using 16…that’s right…16 4x8 sheets of plywood in his basement…whew !!! what it was going to look like must be something…
I hope I have given you an idea or two…to all of you
johncpo ( yard-dog )
I have a ‘Shelf-Layout’ <10’ L x 16" W and an ‘Overshoot’ on the back-wall that has a ‘Sizzor-Switch’ in the middle of the layout that climbs a 11% Grade-Hill which 19-degree & 21-Degree passing-track -this Mountain-Terrain over my Desk and to an ‘Hand-Made-Bridge’ …This ‘L-Section’ that is 90-degrees from the main-layout is 6-ft. long x 6" wide-double-track.>
The layout below off the ‘Sizzor-Switch’ in the middle delicately-tapers into the yard below to the Left and
one track to the front toward you switches several times into a crossing, split into a one-track engine yard.
In the yard, a double-track near the ‘Grade-Mountain’ goes under a Tunnel that was produced by the ‘Overhead-Grade’. A very-Small Town was installed in the middle of the layout to the passenger station &
Signal-Tower there too.
Comming off the ‘Sizzor-switch’ to the Right, one section comes-off to a ‘Passenger-Station’ and holds
two PA-units & one Passenger car
Off again the top-portion of the Sizzor-Switch goes to a ‘Small-Main’ and switches off a ‘Split-Section’ the crosses over itself which all these tracks hold Passenger cars <8>.
The hill will take a Switcher w/a car or two.
Best to use two or more engines to ‘Pump-something up the steep-grade’.
A heavy unit like Proto ‘Erie-BUilt’ made the grade Easy and w/8 cars <I couldn’t put any more rolling-stock
on>. This layout wasn’t easy to build. several times, I had to 'Rip-up 'the Sizzor-switch and yard track because I glued the Roadbed and track and too much sharp drops & turns. Cost me plenty but it worked!
Hope this Idea helps you some!
The layout which works for you is dependent on what kind of railroading you do. I rebuild brass models of steam locomotives; give me a 7 x 2 space, and I probably would add an engine facility and make a hostler’s layout. Switching is nice if one likes to do switching, but you did not say that up front. SOmeone else might prefer a stub passenger terminal. You have to start with a theme, and the theme should reflect your overall modeling interest.
Yeah sorry about the backdrop, the folks who owned this place before us spent $5000NZ on curtains, not our cup of tea.
Were here for the short term finish fix’n her up and sell, the reason for the wee layout and removable bridge etc. http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=39458
Ken.
I sympathise with the curtains. A friend of mine moved into a flat/apartment owned by an interior decorator, you had to be sure you turned on the light before closing the bathroom door. The entire room including window glass was painted matt black. The I.D was very proud of his design sense and style.
I am currently developing a Nn3’ 6" layout 1800mm by 300mm that will hopefully fold into a size to qualify as cabin baggage for travelling as part of my work. I am restricted to a total linear dimension of 105 centimetres or L48cm x W34cm x H23cm. It will be a through station loosely based on South Australian Railways narrow gauge with train sized turntables at each end. It will also let me dip my toe into the Nn pool.
The station fits on 2 boards 46cm x 30cm, will require 5 turnouts and include a passenger station, stock loading, freight shed and a small industry (possibly the Carolina Foundary from MR). I hope to start construction soon using ‘coreflute’ signboard material. A sort of plastic version of corrugated cardboard.
You could put in an industrial park, a single BIG customer, or an engine terminal. Anything that does not require turning things around. (Unless you like N scale, in which case it will be a turn with a low speed limit.)
If you are in to scenery, build a big mountain and put a ski lift or lodge building at the top.
Look at Mid-Sized and Manageable Track Plans, especially the Gary IN themed layout. Steel mills have to move stuff by rail (because you cannot hold molten metal in your hands, I suppose) between buildings. This may serve as inspiration.
kEN: I would consider putting in something like a mine or logging scene or possibly
a wharf scene with appropriate industries. It depends on what is adjacent to the open space so that it blends in nicely.Or, how about a branchline that terminates at some industry but on the way it runs down the main street of a town with buildings on both sides of the track and perhaps a switch leading to a small stub end passenger terminal served by a gas electric complete with a small turntable. You might also fit in a small team track with a gantry crane for freight action<Marvin aka railroadgun
Waka324;
Here is an idea for you, though you weould have to extend it a little to fit in the space. It is designed for operations using Carcards and Waybills. Though you can use it as an inglenook too:
http://andrews-trains.fotopic.net/p15445207.html
Variation two is here:
http://andrews-trains.fotopic.net/p15477427.html
and another possibility is here:
http://andrews-trains.fotopic.net/p10775277.html
You might have to do some surgery to fit the last one in, but depending on the 45 degree angle you might only lose the one spur on the right top end.
Hope this is of help.
To view my entire layout set drop by the design gallery:
http://huntervalleylines.com/gallery
Update - with the failure of the fotopic.net site you should use the Hunter Valley Lines website mentioned above.
Andrew, enjoyed each of your pics and particularly the Iota Branch. For someone who is new to model railroading, what would be the best way to move cars in and out of the co-op? I am trying to perform the mental gymnastics and have some ideas, but not sure if they would be proper (prototypical). Thanks for sharing. I have bookmarked your website and enjoyed browsing. Plan to visit again.
John
Austin, Texas
John;
Sorry for the length of delay in reading your message and getting back to you. Though I may have done so already, and with old age simply forgotten.
You asked in regard to the Iota plan on my layout site how you would get the cars into and out of the CoOp. My though would be a trailing point move.
If coming from the left then stop on main and detach the loco - making sure that you have cleared the crossing, run around to the back of the train and take the cut for the co-op. Reverse past the switch, and go into the co-op. Pick up any cars due to be pulled. Reverse outplace them on the recycling lead.
Cut them loose and reverse past the switch into the co-op. Push incoming cars back into the co-op.
Cut the loco loose, and reverse out of the spur clear of the switch.
Move forward to pick up the outbound cars on the recycling lead, couple up, pump up the air and then pull back out onto the main.
Reassemble the train - pump up the air and off you go.
Coming from the right - if your cars are in station order, simply pull the cars with you off the head end and follow the same switching moves as before.
It has been so long that I wanted to post the link back the layout plan:
http://andrews-trains.fotopic.net/p10095066.html
Hope that this answers your question adequately. ANd again - sorry for the long delay in answering.
No problem; thanks.
J