I have been trying to draw and HO scale trackplan that had a continuse run but i just cannot find somthing to fit my space. does anyone have some ideas for a shelf layout ? I am trying to create somthing rual or semi-rual ( suburban ) and I have a 14ft and a 10ft wall to work with. but the 10 ft wall can only support 4ft of layout, the rest is strictley staging ( because it can only be 6in wide ) does anyone have any ideas ? any suggestions ? I like town sences with stores, but i am stummped as how to fit this on a shelf layout. Thanks !
otn, Have you checked out the Model RR planning 2003, It has nine bookcase type layouts and addresses narrowed depth of the layout such as using the front inch or so of a structure sidings that terminate in to nowhere but have an apperance of going somewhere. Hope this helps.
4x14 feet should be enough room for a nice “dog-bone” type of layout, if you can live with 18" or 22" radius curves, with the second wall being used as a single-ended branch line or heavy industrial spur. The middle of the 14-foot section should be no wider than 30" to ensure good access to the track, or the track should be no farther than 30-36 inches from the end of the layout (the back foot or so can all be scenery if you don’t need to reach it to shove a stalled engine.)
If you went with the L-shaped layout with a 6"x10’ section, you could still use the 6" wide section as a large industrial spur (serving a grain elevator or other large industrial thing that need not exist as anything more than a backdrop or <1" thick building flat) with a passing track to drop off cars. The other end of the L could be an interchange yard, with a couple of assorted industries nearby. Since, as I think I recall, you want to model the wide open Oklahoma plains, terrain would be pretty simple unless you wanted a river crossing or something.
And, please, for the sake of my sanity, the word is “CONTINUOUS.” If that is too much trouble, please just say that you want a “loop” rather than a “c********s run.” “Loop” is very easy to spell and delivers the same idea without irritating us spelling fascists.
Mi traynz loupe continuse, dunt yers.
You could use the Dominoe-style layout, featured in TrackPlanning 2004. That is an excellent narrow-style layout; but a bit cheesey without the scenery. I’m a shelf-against-wall layout advocate, btw.
Dave Vergun
check out carl Arendt’s microlayouts website for some idea’s.
I’d hardly call 14x4 feet a “micro layout”–that’s a fairly good chunk of space!
One more idea if you want to do a town scene–make a trolley or interurban layout! Trolleys ran through the middle of town, in city streets and often out to the suburbs, while interurbans ran between cities through rural areas. I’m not sure if Oklahoma had any interurban or trolley lines, but it might be worth looking into…if you wanted to have a modern layout, you could always make use of contemporary LRV models and create a city with a modern “light rail” system running from downtown to the suburbs!
Another plus of a trolley or interurban layouts is that 4x14 feet is fairly gargantuan space for a trolley layout–3x6 feet in HO is a respectable-sized trolley layout, but you could do a lot more than that!!
Jetrock, I think what he’s saying that the 10 foot wall will only support a 4 foot LENTH of shelf, not a 4 foot WIDE shelf. It will still be 6 inches wide at this point in an L shape overall, with one leg 10 foot long by 6 inches wide and another leg 14 foot long by 6 inches wide.
Ok TrainNut, I would really, really, really, try to go no less that 12 inched wide on your shelf and you will have to insert a larger peice maybe 18 inches by 18 inches minimum (24 " is better) into the corner to allow for the curves. this can be cut at a 45 degree or curved to match the track so it does not jut out into the room and follows the shelf line.
6 inches is to me just too small even for HO, no room for switches or even passing tracks. 12 inches will give you more creative freedom to do sidings and passing tracks, buildings, scenery. A point to point 12 inch wide, 10 foot by 14 foot L shape layout could be quit a good layout and a lot of fun!
Shelf layouts can actually be quite interesting if planned right, i still suggest Carl’s website if for nothing else, inspiration.
Even people with a lot of space can get some very useful ideas from the Micro Layout site. It has a number of small shelf layouts that could be expanded or made a piece of a larger layout. There are good links on the site too.
The trolley layout sounds like a good idea. I think I am going to build this first http://www.carendt.com/microplans/index.html ( the US version ) to get the hang of things ( this is my first layout ) I may try a trolley line with a Rock Island switching line for when I want to run “regular trains” . I do not have 4x14ft I have a 10ft wall and a 14ft wall that can only support 2ft wide sheves. Thanks for all your suggestions !
P.S. on the link click on "starter layout ".
OK TrainNut
Thats a good starter, I would opt for a 12 inch wide shelf instead of the 9 inch Carl describes, keep the track to the front then you have a few inches for a backdrop of building facades or scenery in the rear. good luck!
Okay, then–an L-shaped shelf layout two feet deep, with legs 10 and 14 feet wide? There is quite a bit of operating potential there–more real estate than a 4x8 layout, but with greater realism. A “Timesaver” type switching layout, with more sections added on later, can be a good start for such a project–in fact, it’s pretty similar to what I’m doing.