I am working on a small layout for indoors until i can get the large area outside ready. The indoor area is L shaped 14 feet long by two feet wide. With the short leg about 6 x 2. I have a fleet of mdc big hustlers and. A lgb porter. Along with small ore cars. I figure a mining line would work. Just not sure how to lay it out. Any track plans out there that could be viable starting points?
Couple questions.
What is the life expentancy of the indoor layout? Will it be torn down after the outdoor track plan is finished? Will it be permanent place to exercise engines. Are you looking to have “tracks on plywood” or some scenery?
The 2 foot width will limit operations to point to point with a 3 or 4 track stub end yard at each end. A 4 track yard will eat up 5~6 feet of space at each end.
Working from the corner, as the track transitions from the curve place a turnout at each end. One track moves to the front edge and the other to the back. A small 2 track stub end yard at each end, one on the back track and one on front.
2 sugestions. (1) Do a google search for “point to point track loayouts”. (2) stop by your local hobby shop and look at their track plan books. Don’t worry about the scale of the layout, you are looking for a concept.
If you are able to double the width for short sections at each end and can add a 2 ft x 2 ft x ? triangle on the inside of the corner you could easily do a continious loop with stub end yards inside the loop at each end.
Also search for “timesaver” and “switching puzzle” layouts. Greg
Good catch Greg. I was trying to think John Allen’s Timesaver but had a brain cramp.
[quote user=“ttrigg”]
Couple questions.
What is the life expentancy of the indoor layout? Will it be torn down after the outdoor track plan is finished? Will it be permanent place to exercise engines. Are you looking to have “tracks on plywood” or some scenery?
The 2 foot width will limit operations to point to point with a 3 or 4 track stub end yard at each end. A 4 track yard will eat up 5~6 feet of space at each end.
Working from the corner, as the track transitions from the curve place a turnout at each end. One track moves to the front edge and the other to the back. A small 2 track stub end yard at each end, one on the back track and one on front.
2 sugestions. (1) Do a google search for “point to point track loayouts”. (2) stop by your local hobby shop and look at their track plan books. Don’t worry about the scale of the layout, you are looking for a concept.
If you are able to double the width for short sections at each end and can add a 2 ft x 2 ft x ? triangle on the inside of the corner you could easily do a continious loop with stub end yards inside the loop at each end.
It will be permanent. I have some small scratch built equipment that will work well on that small of a layout. It will have scenery. The Equipment is stuff like a chain drive engine and modified MDC big hustlers and such. So tight radius is also doable. I am figuring on using some European track planning tricks like selector plates to deal with the tight space. My latest thought was something like a large industry where it is the in plant railroad.
Google “John Allen’s Timesaver” and have a look. A bit of expansion and this could make for a very interesting industrial area.