Building my first layout as an adult (2ft x 12ft HO shelf layout)- finally out of the armchair (pics included)

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
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I have been planning and talking about building a layout since my interest in MRR’ing was sparked about 5 years ago. I’ve been hanging out here on this forum, getting really excited about finally getting started.

I have always had a pretty strong feeling about the type of layout I’d like to have, and it has been reinforced by reading my favorite authors/modelers articles in Model Railroader.

I had a couple HO 4x8’s as a kid, and a 2x4 N scale layout, none of which got beyond plywood and maybe some white plaster. All had terrible track plans that I came up with myself.

I’ve decided to create a shadowbox style shelf layout, a couple modules really, that will enable me to recycle the shadowbox, and all of the benchwork in the event I decide to scrap my work and start over. Also, the best space I have available for a layout is in the garage, and quite frankly, it’s a mess in there. It’s a very old garage, and will eventually need to be rebuilt. The shadowbox style layout will enable me to cover the layout completely when not in operation, keeping it nice and clean. I could even go to the extent of making it somewhat air-tight. Not really air-tight of course, but enough to keep dust from entering.

The two modules, when put together, will be a total of 2ft x 12ft. The actual “real estate” for the scenery, track, etc. will be about 20inches x 12ft (due to the dimensions of the shadowbox structure). With these dimensions, I could fit both shadowboxes into my truck, and they’ll sit next to each other between the wheel wells.

So, there are 3 major types of components to this construction: The benchwork “carts”, the “shadowboxes”, and the “modules”, which are removable from the shadowboxes.

I don’t know if I will prefer Railfanning, or switching, so the layout will contain a line running through the module, and will also have various spurs for switching. Continuous running will be provided by an unscenicked return lo

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The bench looks good, glad to see that you didn’t overbuild. I see a lot of benches built with enough 2x6’s that they could support a truck.[(-D]

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It looks good, and I like your concept. But just a suggestion. I don’t know how much room you have. Could you flip your return loop so that it goes behind the layout instead of in front of it? That way you don’t have to duck under and get inside to run your trains.

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Thanks SleeperN06. I’m actually a mechanical engineer. So if I were to overbuild the benchwork, I would sort of be embarrassing myself! [:)]

jguess733, Yes, I did actually think of having the unscenicked loop go behind the layout (that was a very likely possibility while thinking about this layout style over the past few years). However, the space I have for the whole thing is about 6.5ft x 17ft - so there is really no way to have it go behind.

I neglected to mention, however, that rail height is about 55" (4ft, 7in), so the duckunder will be more of a “nod-under”. I’m 5’9" tall. The layout depth is pretty shallow. Whenever I’m watching a train on a layout, I find myself kneeling down to get the train at my nose height, so I’m pretty convinced I wanted a fairly high layout. This layout is basically “armpit height”.

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Have you considered making it a dogbone or waterwings trackplan rather than an oval?? You could have two extension modules, one on each side, to allow the track to loop back around for continuous running, but still only use 24" of space where you have the two modules - the track that you show looping around into space would be in the 24" shelf space, either in view or it could be hidden behind scenery. No duckunders needed.

If you’re using 18-22" radius curves, it would be 4’ wide or less so should be doable in your space.

Dogbone!!

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Hey, if it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing. [:D]

Benchwork looks nice. Do you have a trackplan for the shadowboxes, and what area/era are you modeling?

The shadowbox concept is a real neat idea.

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wjstix,

I have considered a dogbone, but it actually takes a lot more room to turn the train around. With a loop, you only have about 2 to 2.5 feet of linear length of the layout taken up with curves. With a dogbone, it’s more like 6ft or so (I’ve drawn it all up, don’t have the numbers handy). So the duckunder is a sacrifice to get as much straight length of track as possible.

Packers,

I’ll have to get my trackplan posted that I’ve got so far. I’m modeling the modern era. Either present day, or maybe 1998 or so, so that I could keep some beat up SP diesels rolling though the layout! Locale - Santa Barbara, CA. In actuality, there’s no industry here to speak of, but there was a long time ago, so I’ll have to pretend there is still some railroad industry here now

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This was an interesting thread to follow, as what you are proposing doing, is extremely similar to what I’ve dreamed up, as the only type of “layout” I can get away with, at my desert condo (not a lot of room, in other words.)

As I’ve found that one should set things up to please THEMSELVES and forget what you think other people may like, I’ll be interested to hear how you find the HEIGHT issue, to work out for you.

I was thinking of having my 16 inch deep, 96 inch wide shelf slash diorama layout, be at CHIN height…so that a slight stoop gets things at eye level. And, it will be done on the theory that the lack of train movement in such a confined arrangement, could be offset by tons of little lights, and maybe lots of things that twirl and sparkle, and all that…allowing visitors (if any are really interested in the thing) to tweak little buttons and switches to make the stuff move or make sounds, etc.

You’ll no doubt finish yours before I even get STARTED on mine, so please do a follow up description, would you? Thanks.

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I have now built the two 2x6 foot “modules”, have flourescent lighting installed, and hope to build the return loop next weekend. Then I need the paint the whole thing, and begin laying track.

Alright, Here’s the trackplan I’m leaning towards for my 2x12 foot layout.

The idea is it would be primarily for “railfanning”, but I would also be able to do some switching. I have two little boys (with a 3rd baby on the way). “train time” will often likely consist of 10-15 minutes of watching go-round, with a little bit of switching. Maybe I’ll get interested in operations, and be able to slowly do a one-man operating session over a bunch of 10-15 minute sessions.

But the primary goal is to create a realistic setting for watching HO trains (with sound!!!). This is why there is not a ton of track, I want to keep it simple.

As mentioned earlier, when I realize my first modules aren’t up to snuff, I’ll toss them out, and drop in two new ones. They are totally unattached to the shadowbox, and come right out.

trackplan

layout

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I wonder how many of us factor in how much actual TIME we’ll be able to spend, with a completed layout, when doing the planning for it. And yet, that will end up being one of the MAIN aspects to the whole thing! When I describe to anyone who’ll listen, what my plans are, for the nice big room I have in Canada, they ask just when it is that I’ll be DOING such a giant project. I sheepishly admit: “When I have a spare 100,000 hours or so.” Sigh.

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Roggie,

I totally hear you. When I see these huge layouts in MR, and especially in MR planning (which often has the REALLY big ones), I cannot understand how people have the time / money to build those layouts, let alone operating them.

For kicks, I am keeping track of all of the expenses on my layout. It will be interesting to look at them, then have a good reference point to be able to figure out how much the huge layouts cost by scaling up my figure.

I’ve been interested in this hobby my entire life. But with family, work, and my other hobby (drumming), I know for a fact that a huge layout isn’t for me. I’m proving it by taking a long time just to get this one built!

Yet, I want to be able to fully enjoy the hobby, and fully be a part of it. So the answer for me is a small layout, but one that will be able to run the big equipment : )

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Uh-oh: another drummer, huh? In my last house in Canada, I told the contractor to just leave a big pile of gyproc 4X8’s in the UNfinished basement, so it could be ME who did the finishing…I had all sorts of plans of a track running around the walls (the ones that didn’t exist, just yet.)

On Saturdays, I’d whistle my way down the stairs, and start in on doing the 2X4 studs where they needed to be, to accept those wall sheets…listening to really loud music, as I worked. Only, every time a good song to DRUM to would come on, I’d stop sawing and nailing and run to the drums, to play along.

An hour later, I’d be BEAT, and have to go back upstairs to rest and eat or something. Ten years later, when I sold the house, the pile of gyproc sheets had only gone down about 20%.

But I had “Good Times Bad Times” by Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham, down PAT, at least!

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Why not at the back of your loop have a siding or 2 for staging?

David B

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SBCA

I’m not sure if I understand the plan or not. [%-)] Could you put the front track on a drop leaf for storage or to lift up andclose the front of the box?
Just my thoughts.
Have fun
Lee

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Yes, I might add staging on the return loop.

The return loop currently depicted is pureley representational. It doesn’t fold up, but will be static - going over the top of a workbench and other garage junk. I’ll have to build a relatively thin strip of benchwork (like maybe 3" wide) to support the loop.

Then if I get ambitious, in a year or two I may create a second set of modules just like the first to replace the straight section of the return loop.