Reworked the tracks, now I have a max of 2.4% incline, and a minimum clearance on one spot of 76mm which is about 3" on onter spots the clearance is 81mm (3 3/16 inch) or more. Top level is at 90mm (3 35/64 inch), bottom at 0.
Minimum curve radius is 19" (500mm)
It took me alot of work to do this without losing the track I just love to see in the layout. Tomorrow I will share the pictures, for now I say good night y’all [zzz]
Thanks for this great info, I will incorperate this in the real deal.
Change the plan a bit, and made an 3D artist impression (raw) of the layout, with the aid of AnyRail, AutoCAD, Sketchup and Vue (this last for the 3D rendering), included the attic aswell for a good picture.
Starting Picture, AnyRail Layout track plan (final)
Render picture 1
Render picture 2
Render picture 3
Render picture 4
So after all planning and designing of the layout is time to start working on the attic, need to insulate it first, drywall the walls, and when that is all finished I can finally start the benchwork, timeframe? Well we’ll see 
Now I have to study on DCC and things.
Ohw, one questions (for now pops in to my mind, how are you laying your tracks, damping with cork, nailing the track or… give me some tips please, thanks.
Hi Gerard,
welcome to the wonderful world of model railroading US-style!
Just a few remarks which come to my mind when I look at your layout idea:
There are some serious reach issues incorporated into the design, the most critical one being the station tracks behind the town. You will not be able to reach it unless you crawl underneath the layout and get there from behind, providing the sloping ceiling allows you to somehow get up.
The same problem exists on the other side of the layout - the hidden staging tracks are more or less inaccessible .
Over all, the layout has more of a European flavor to it than an American.
I think you will be better of simplifying the design, avoid hidden tracks as much as possible and reduce the depth of the benchwork.
MR´s Trackplan Database has some nice layout proposal which could fit into your space of roughly 9 by 11 ft. One of my favorite designs is the “Lost Island Bluffs Railway”, which was featured in the May 2010 edition of Model Railroader. If you are a subscriber, you can access tha database.
Here is a sneak preview:
A more complex design is the Abingdon branch of the Norfolk & Western RR.
Or the Lake Nipigon Northern RR, featured in the April 2013 edition of MR.
These are just three examples out of many.
May I recommend to get the book “Track Planning for Realistic Operation” by John Armstrong? It´s a “must-have” for all those aiming at building a layout with prototypical operation.
Not at all, I started this thread to get ideas and to pin point problems with the layout, so every comments I will take into consideration, thus far I implemented most of the Ideas that were given to me.
Your concerns about the reachability left and right I tackled, yes I have to reach the back by going underneath the benchwork, but I don’t see this as a problem, I will have enough space on eihter side.
Regarding the plan it self, maybe because I’m European, my style of designing a layout is different from what is done in the US.
What I like in layouts is the possebility to have plenty of play possebilities, but I hate unnatural turns to be visible. Since I have plenty of time to design a layout I will look into the given examples, I see some interesting things in the examples.
That is certainly something we share!
After 55 years in the hobby and numerous layouts built, I am back to where it all started, when I got a Marklin starter set for Christmas. The layout Iam building is only a very small one, but I just love to play (and not operate) with it.
I really suggest you buy the book I recommended. It will help you to design a layout which will fulfill your needs and wants!
I’m not sure I have, how can I become a subscriber?
There is a button on the upper right corner of this page which say “Subscribe”. click on it and follow the menu.
I think it is worth it. The monthly magazin is a valuable source of information, loaded with inspiration and “how-to´s” for your own work. I think the subscription is still reasonable, when compared to the magazine prices here in Germany.
I feel the layout “flavor” is more European in the scenery and building layout than the trackwork–the town, especially. But that is easily fixed. At least at an early stage of construction.
I think the bridge at the entry does not HAVE to be a model bridge. It could be a “black bridge”. That being a span of wood painted black–it does not exist in the model world. Thus the sections of track on the layout itself don’t HAVE to be a continuation of the bridge. Though I do like those sections–bridges over water are interesting. The bridge could be “mixed”–a black bridge between two real bridge segments.
Consideration could be given to replacing the last foot of the bridge at Coldwater Town with a track switch. It could curve inwards to a freight house/team track, something quite often near a town’s passenger station. Or it could supply another industry or two. American towns have been known to mix industry and housing.
Ed
Thanks Ed, indeed the town is far from what I have in mind. It should be a little town/village in the era I want (mid 40s, early 50s) I just have to find the right ideas for the town. The plan is that all (most at least will be build from scratch, so I’m not bound by kits (told you allready, I’m more a scratch builder than kit builder).
So I will look up in google some interesting small towns.
So a track or two for some small industry beside the station, hmm like the idea, and is common, also here in Holland, see picture below, on the right side is a small freight house, you may see the tracks.
Below same stationhouse, in front you see the tracks that lead to the freight house (this must be between 1950 and 1955).
(by the way, this station I build from scratch, unfortunatly it got destroyed during the move last year, 2 years (not non stop) of scratch building down the drain 
I build it from original A0 format (copies of course) blue prints, using polystyreen, the real thing was taken down late 70s, shame but to exspensive to maintain.
What place in the rather large and varied United States are you considering modeling?
Ed
Hmmm good question, not sure, my plan was a non fictional town with small industry in a US fashion, like a rural theme, forests (like forests), bit of water (that’s wy I choose the name of the town to be Coldwater.
“non fictional” means “a real place”
That may not be what you were trying to express, but it really is a better choice. That is because it is harder to invent a place than to recreate a place. I know. I’ve done it. Thus, if you copy a real place, your work will be more believable.
Well then. You can forget about most of the Southwest. And much of the midwest and upper midwest. And lots of Florida. No forests.
You’ve still got almost everything west of the Mississippi. And the Pacific Northwest.
The trackplan is pretty un-specific, so you could build that. And wait to decide. But it’s still something to be considering.
Ed
Indeed Ed, non fictional was not right indeed. I like Colorado, Durango & Silverton. Years ago I bought a video of the Durango & Silverton narrow gauge loved it. I had even made plans to visit it, but thus far it never happened.
I was extremely fortunate to be able to ride the narrow gauge rails to Silverton, when they were still operated by the D&RGW back in 1974 - a once in a lifetime experience for someone living on your end of the Big Pond, Gerard. Blackstone makes some of the steam locomotives, as well as some freight cars and passenger cars in HOn3, but they don´t come cheap.
The State of Colorado has (outside of Denver) still retained some of that “Old West” flavor we “Europeans” quite often connect with our thoughts of the USA.
Modeling a short line in the Colorado Rockies is certainly an interesting and rewarding theme for a layout. Howver, you need to gather lots of info on that topic. A big help can be the book by Dell McCoy “The Crystal River Pictorial” which you can get here:
The book contains not only pictures, but also track plans to help you design your layout!
Thanks again guys for your comments, very helpfull.
Well after much thought and browsing for examples, pictures, actual models, alot of videos etc. I decided to leave regular H0 and will switch to H0n3.
Why, well I just love it, love especially logging themes and of course the Durang & Silverton line. There is however a drawback, I haven’t got the hight to do large mountains, so I will try some moderate hills, and hopefully the rest with backdrops.
The name Coldwater is still there, in a small early 1900s town, yup that will be the era (I think ;). I have Coldwater Junction, a larger switch area, and loading/unloading but not only logging, a small passenger station will be there aswell (I also want to simulate the Durango line).
Levels start at 0 and go up to 3" and at Swanhill Junction at 3 1/2" At Swanhill trans go or come out of the mountin which will hide the turns.
Also at Swanhill there is a staging area.
A big threstle brigde on left. An uneven junction top mid and the rest I will fill in.
