I am stuck trying to decide what to do in my small room, a typical 4x8 table is wall locked on 3 sides with access from one side only. Around the wall shelf style is a challenge due to two doors that open into the room both in the same corner(one each wall at that corner of the room). Continious running is desired, so we are back to the 4x8 that dominates the room. I had started to build a fold down table, but took it back down. I am thinking of putting it back up. The hardware is still there, I used reused some of the frame to make a shelf set up. I have paired down my G scale collection, so I can reassemble the wall mounted frame. Just need a new wood frame for the fold down portion, along with hinges. I used 1x6 pine for the wall mounted frame. This allows some buildings, trees and such to be mounted to the table. Of coarse all the rolling stock and engines have to be put away before closing up the table. I am going to use Kato HO unitrak. I like it over anything else with built in roadbed. Railroad modeled it up in the air right now, its between the IC in the final years before the CN merger or the NYS&W Utica branch in the late 1980s with Alco C430 power. I have locomotives for both lines. Mike
A 4 by 8 loop accessable from both long sides with shelf type switching extensions that come off of the loop is a very viable and play-friendly track arrangement.
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-Kevin
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Hi Mike,
That sounds like a real conundrum![^o)]
I have a few questions:
Can you post a drawing of the room with dimensions including the exact width of the doors?
What scale are you working in? If you are in HO would you consider converting to N?
Do you have the space to put in a dog bone with a 90 degree bend in the middle on the two walls that don’t have doors?
Would it help if one or both doors were converted to an accordian style? They’re not great on appearance, but could you live with them for the sake of the trains?
Just some thoughts.
Dave
Hi Kevin,
The OP mentioned that he can only get access to one side of a 4’ x 8’ table.
Dave
Hi there. I had a 4X6 pike for a few years, in a room that I knew I had to move out from a few years down the road. So, a few years later, I sub-divided my workshop and built a room that is 7X11, with a door entrance.
I opted for a wall-mounted plan, with a lift-up bridge for the door. I closed the loop last summer, and let me tell you, it is way more fun to operate than my previous 4X6. The scenery will come soon, but I am sure it will look better than the small loop I had (which even had a scene divider). The lift-up was a bit intimidating to build up-front, but I took my time and it works great. My locos NEVER derail on it. I built all my woodframes first (open-grid), and built the lift-up last. The system shuts-off when I lift the bridge, so there are no risks for my locos. I often catch myself trying to run a loco while the bridge is up… I can be so absent-minded! I think the effort is worth it.
Simon
I also think a plan view of the room with the dimensions and locations of the doors is in order. Otherwise it is back to strong consideration of switching to N scale, which may end up being the case anyway.
Simon,
Quick thread hijack, have you written up a description of your lift up bridge and included pictures? I would love to read your approach!
Mike,
A 4x8 can be fun (for a while) if you have access to all four sides but around the walls gives you far more options in designing the layout and a better us of available space. Perhaps you could you use the lift up bridge as Simon suggests. Pocket doors are a possible solution for eliminating space losses due to inward swinging doors. Good luck!
Sharing room dimensions and locations of the doors would help others help you. Rehanging one of the doors to swing in a different direction might help.
This 8X8 HO layout is designed for a room where a 4X8 wouldn’t even fit, but one corner is open for the door swing.
Good luck with your layout.
Byron
My room is roughly 9’ by 9’ square. Scale is HO and no, going to N isnt an option for me for a few reasons. The closet door could be dealt with in one form or another, but the door into the room I am stuck with. And its right in the corner so any type of removable section would be curved. So a 90’ curved, drop in section would be needed to bridge the door swing area. A duck under is not allowed per my wife who needs in there from time to time(file cabnets are under the layout). I can manage with a 4x8, I just keep turnouts and such at the rear to a minimum. I more like to just sit and watch a train run and enjoy my brass diesels. If I stay with the IC theme, then I need 22" radius curves for my SD70. I tested it yesterday at the local shop on thier Kato Unitrak loop and it ran flawleslly. If I go with Susie Q, the C430’s will handle down to 15" radius industrial cuves ok. So a 4x8 will allow both engines to run. Right now I am leaning toward the IC, since I can actually railfan that line on a day trip from home. A loop around the table, small town at one end and a large grain elevator and Co-Op to give me a bit of switching. It would also be a bit of a scenery divider if I go with the modern Walthers one with silos on both sides of the headhouse. I will have to make some changes to the wall frame so the layout shuts only 3/4 of the way to give room for the grainery. Here are my two reasons i am staying with HO, OMI IC “Death Star” SD70 factory painted and lighted.
Byron, I do like that track plan, but I would have to put the benchwork very high up as my work bench is in that room as well, and 18" radius isnt going to agree with that big SD70 pictured above. I am trying not to restrict myself to 4 axle diesels if possible, been there before and hated it. And even the Susie Q has big units. But right now, the IC theme is leading due to being able to railfan much of the line thru Illinois in person, not so much the Susie Q as its so far from home.
Yes a challenge. Tony Koester (editor of Model Railroad Planning) has often said that while the “good old” 4x8 is time honored in the hobby it is actually a very poor choice in many ways even for beginners who like the ease of just buying the thing and framing it up. Why? Well one thing: you can’t reach across it, because the practical limits of reach are about 30 inches and as a realistic matter, there are things which require dexterity like soldering feeder wires which are impractical at the outer limits of those 30 inches. 20 inches is more like it. As a consequence, you need access from all four sides. Unless it is on wheels and can be rolled out easily I suppose. Otherwise it has to be in the middle of the room which actually leaves a great deal of square footage that isn’t even needed for aisles. Wasted space that could have been used. Not to mention electric cords from the wall that create a tripping hazard. That was my first layout in the basement.
You do not mention the actual size of the room, just that it is small. I think I can visualize the door situation, which is actually maybe a good thing – if both doors are in the same corner then at least you have contained the area of door interference. Doors more widely spaced would be an even worse problem from a planning perspective. Perhaps there are windows or closets that also interfere? If everything else is available I th
Here is a good discussion on the topic:
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/11/t/272349.aspx
Mine does not involve a curve, but it is doable as shown by Wayne. And as noted by others, a wall-mounted design brings in more possibilities with respect to curve radius. Mine is only 22" radius, but I could have easily gone to 24 or even 30. I just did not want to sacrifice the space (I also have plans for an HOn3 loop in there, and an HOn30 mine operation - a short one!).
Simon
I am well aware of how hard it is to reach across a 4x8 table. This is one reason the rear track would be simple and straight from one end to the other with NO turnouts to keep derailment chances to a bare minimum. My room is rougly 9’ by 9’, but also has a work bench and file cabinets in there that have to stay. My need for 22" curves about locks me into either an around the walls shelf set up with the nearly impossible (for me) to build corner lift out curved section, or the 4x8 hinged at the rear to fold closed against a raised frame on the wall. Any layout in this small room dominates it and leaves little room to walk, no mater what I chose. I am looking at a very basic track plan, 22" curved loop, small country town at one end with a large grain elevator switched from the front of the layout, passing siding along the front as well. Mostly a layout to just watch a train go around, which is what I enjoy anyways. Mike
Thanks for the link, very helpful! I like the idea of a lift-up but it would need to be rebust as it would be used many times during an operating session. I’d also have to lag the layout to the concrete floor to keep things aligned as that part of the layout would not be against the wall. Thanks again.
A found one of Cuyama layouts that has the same radius and footprint of your room.
Although it doesn’t show switches, town, and industries. Replacing regular turnouts with curved ones. It will be a starting point if the workbench area works out.
Take the doors off.
I could do that with the closet, but not the hall door as we dont want our 4 dogs in there when we are not home. The benchwork that is in place right now, supports 15" radius and 18" radius curves. I have been trying to secure a second Alco C430 in NYS&W yellowjacket colors. If I could pick that up, I would stick the big SD70 on ebay to recoup the cost of the 4 axle Alco. This would give me three 4 axle diesels to work the line. If I go this route, the layout would have flavor of the Utica branch of the Susquehanna in the late 1980’s/early 1990s just before ditch lights were installed. If the C430 falls thru, I do have a line on a GE 8-40B, which I know will handle the tight curves ok as I used to have one. So bit of a holding pattern right now while I see how the motive power shakes out. If I proceed with the IC layout, then a fold down 4x8 set up will have to be built to support the 22" radius curves. But this time I will make the fold up layout table out of lighter material(wish they made 4x8 hollow core doors!). Last version was a tad heavy to fold up to the closed position. Mike
Can you re-hinge the dog-out door to open out instead of in?
We tried that before and it didn’t work well. I did manage to secure the needed Alco C430, so I am going to try to use the benchwork that is up now. Tight curve not withstanding, some scenery work will help hide that part a bit I think.