Bookcase/bookshelf layout planning

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

Hi all,

I’ve been looking at building a bookshelf/bookcase layout for my apartment. I can go up to 2’ deep and, ideally, stay around 6’ long, with temporary space for up to 4’ of plug in staging on one end, and a 1’ tail track for a run-around on the other, temporary for operations.

I want to stay in HO so that the rolling stock and structures I make I can carry forward with me, but luckily my prototype will be doing 36’ or shorter rolling stock, a bobber caboose, and a small 2-8-0 or 2-6-0 for motive power. Using steam is definitely tricky for such a small layout, but I anticipate I can make it work.

Right now, I am starting from the MR Thinbranch extension to the Virginian, from 2013, as it has a runaround, mine siding, and operational interesting with the switchback, but if anyone else has some favorite smaller layouts of that size give me a shout for inspiration - this is still very early stages of planning.

Anyways, here’s the Givens and 'druthers:

Givens:

HO scale
Copper Range Railroad 1920s or 1930s
Copper Mine Serviced
22’ Wood Ore Cars, 34’ or 36’ Wood Box Cars, Short Steel Coal Hoppers
Operations potential
18" Minimum Radius
#5 minimum turnout
DCC
Built on bookcase
No more than 2.5’x7’, maybe L-shape but L-leg no more than 1.5’ deep 3’ long
Plug-in fiddle staging, 1 track, no longer than 4’, plug-in lead track on other side if layout is 6’ no longer than 1’ long, up to 1’ if L-shaped
All electronics, plug-in components, etc. fit in space behind bookcase

'Druthers:

22" Minimum Radius
#6 minimal turnout
2’x6’ plan
Coal unloading for mine boiler house
siding at shafthouse for loading lump copper onto flat cars
mine supply dryhouse for unloading boxcars and flat cars
Hand-laid track, probably manufactured turnouts
Sequence or event deck opera

2

#4 turnouts will work fine with those size cars and in fact 40’ cars will look and run fine with these and 18" radius curves. You can speed things up using flex track and there are tricks you can use to make them look hand laid such as cutting the web between ties and angling them slightly and leaving uneven spacing or just handlaying a few ties in spacing between flex track ties.

3

Thanks for the advice - part of the reason I want to go with handlaying is to gain experience with it, I am wondering whether or not I would want to handlay a full layout and this seems like a manageable size to give it a try on - if I hate it I can always stop by my local hobby shop and grab some flex track after work. I want to maximize my hobby time, and that includes layout construction, so if hand laid track gives me a longer time to build, that may make it worth it.

4

Messed around with some track planning today, with the 2x6 size. The top one definitely fits more in, but feels very rigid. The bottom has a much better flow, and feels less rigid, but does not fit everything I’d like.

5

Excellent, I enjoy seeing new small layouts getting off the ground.

Your sketches bear a bit of resemblance to the old Gum Stump and Snowshoe track plan, I wonder if a variation of that (or taking elements from it) might allow you to fit more of your wants in while still keeping the track lines flowing? The rising switchbacks would also fit your mining theme.

Handlaid track is a blast, and if you really want to slow down the process, handlaid turnouts are great for that. [swg]

Have fun, I look forward to watching this space.

Phil

6

Well, I had to go look at it, and it is quite an interesting layout! I sketched it up to get a feel for it, and we’re looking at 7-9% grades (the original article said 10% grades - not sure if that was an estimation or just slightly different layout)
It definitely gets a lot of layout into a 1x6 - it gets me down to an 18" minimum radius and a pretty steep incline though.

My main concern though is the tail track on the switchback - at only 12" long, and with me running steam locomotives with tenders, that seems a bit tight.

So, I expanded it to a 7’ x 1.5’, with that extra 6" only occupying the original 6’ space. This gives me gentler slopes - the max grade is only 7% now instead of 9% - and most importantly an 18" tail track on the switchback. This also gives me a runaround on the mainline with #5 turnouts, and an extra spur.

It is still very tight, but it gives it more operations potential, a more reasonable tail track length, and some gentler slopes.

My biggest concern is that the two turnouts for

7

Okay, a bit more messing about with absolute minimum (trying to see if I can get under that 1’ deep mark) and I think I have something here.

#4 switches and at times 18" radius, but it is only 12" wide (I’d probably build 13" or 14" for safety) and can be split into two 3’ sections - meaning I can fit it into the back of my car easily.

Additionally, no need for a forward tail track because there is a good amount of space ahead of the runabout. The biggest issue I foresee is the switching crossover - it seems to be a common element on many layouts but the geometry with premade crossovers wasn’t working right, so that may need to be experimented with.

This gives space for the three main sidings I wanted - mine, coal drop, and mine supply/team track, and a fourth siding which I plan to make a small machineshop/blacksmith for the mine. I’m still mulling over it, but it is definitely a lot of operating potential in a relatively small space, especially for HO.

8

That right hand turnout at lower left corner does not seem to be of any practical use.

9

That’ll be the connection to the temporary staging track, which will act as the lead for the turnout for runaround moves. I know it’s kinda cheating to say I’m making a 1x6 and then having another 3’ of staging track, but it’s hard to do much in a tighter space than that.

10

Almost seems like the original time saver by John Allen to me.

11

That definitely is an inspiration that bled through - the HO Scale Thin Branch from MR is basically a bender Time Saver after all - but I am trying to strike a balance between a “puzzle” and an operating layout - I don’t want it to be something gimmicky that necessitates repeated moves and weird actions, but I want some operating interest - I am trying to get the amount a small industry or town will have, and I plan to spice it up a bit with event cards (additional rolling stock needing to be spotted etc.)