I’ve been sloooowly designing my shelf layout - my first layout in 15 years or so - first layout since I was a kid.
My goals are:
Continuous running and switching possible at the same time
Pretty small - I don’t want to become overwhelmed, and want to be able to walk away from it for weeks at a time, come back, and have maintenance completed in minutes rather than hours.
Ability to run BIG diesels on a tiny layout. (impossible, you say? keep reading…)
Will use handlaid track & turnouts (aside from the “loop” tracks described below).
Ability to pick the whole thing up & take it outside for photography (maybe I’ll one day posess 1/10th the photography skills of some of the pro’s on this forum).
There was an article in MR a decade or so ago about “come & go layout design” - using the layout as just a “stage”, but having other tracks that get the trains on & off the stage.
Not shown in my pics are the loop tracks. As I operate the layout, the loop will go around my back - from one side of the layout to the other. The loop will be unscenicked and removable.
The two dark tracks will be connected to the loop. So I could have one train circling on the “main line” - the frontmost dark track. Then I’ll could make up trains & do switching on the other “not-so-main-but-still-able-to-run-trains” track. Maybe this could be considered a branch or industrial line or something - I don’t know that much about real railroads frankly.
I plan on having a lot of city buildings/flats along the back, with some in-the-street trackage.
Lend me your thoughts fellow MRR’ers! I need some ideas for industries, etc. I’m thinking the couple sidings along the front could be interchange tracks between the main line & branch - the local switcher will drop of cars there, and the train off the main could come pick them up later.
That’s pretty much what I’ve done except no continuous running. I’m having a ball, I’ve got the track done , so now I can think about some scenery etc.
This may be a really dumb question, but will there be enough room, if used entirely on its own (no other track), for loco AND rolling stock to get past each switch and reverse onto another track? I ask this because you seem to want it to go on its own merits, perhaps at a distant locale, or outside for the enjoyment of others if you choose to operate it that way when circumstances permit. So, if no loops outside of the layout area, how will you switch with that depicted 50’er being pulled back down onto the dark track and moved past the closes switch?
Just thinking… more wondering. Aside from that, I really do like the whole idea. Very compact, intricate and interesting, and you can tuck it in almost anywhere. You could take your time and do some truly creative and outstanding scenic stuff on it.
Selector - that’s exactly the type of critiquing I’m looking for.
Yes, I should probably tweak it so that I could always get at least one car to everywhere on the layout with one locomotive in front of it. It would be even better if I could tweak it so that I could get as many cars as fit on the longest spur to get anywhere on the layout without the addition of the loops.
Thanks for pointing that out!
EDIT: After playing with it a bit, it seems I will have to settle for having one locomotive and one 50ft boxcar be able to get anywhere on the layout without the “off-stage” loops.
Therefore, it will be somewhat of a “switching puzzle” when the loops aren’t attached, but will still function without the loops.
Thanks Selector! (I overlooked MRR design 101 I think - make sure you can get an engine and car everywhere - having the “offstage” loops sort of alters the way you think about it, but YES, I want to be able to operate with or without the loops).
NZRMac - looks like we’re in a similar boat. Nice looking layout.
If I recall correctly from an earlier post, your layout is in your office. You could always add a loop around your office if you decided to - maybe a lift-up section at the door, etc.?
I’ve thought about having my layout in my office also (I’ve been working from home for several months now) but I fear my layout will become even more of a distraction from work than this forum!
Personally, I would be quite happy, in keeping with your overall theme of simplicity and portability, to have just one little switcher and that one, soon to be weathered, beaten-up old 50’er trundling down any part of that layout.
I am pleased that I was able to assist you to get the most out of your layout. There’s hope for both of us in this hobby, yet!! [:)]
Just as I suspected, another small layout fan…I am building an "almost -around-the-room " layout in HO and started with an 8 ft section of switchyard and " run the train track (s) " as well. All my switching is done in the yard and then the trains move onto the main tracks with SD -40 series tunnel motors, ’ cause there’s tunnels ahead and proceed to the area in front of a sliding door closet.
The track will be placed on a swing-up bridge arrangement, and proceed around to Window City…( the only window in the room ) and on to a turn -around loop. All of this in a room approx. 8’ x 12’ usable space as the room doubles as a bedroom, or hobby room depending on my wife’s viewpoint. I also work in plastic models as well under the main benchwork table.
The main yard is about as simple as one can get without becoming boring and I have my grandaughters run the yard without so much as my blinking an eye as they are all very good at moving cars around in switching games I set up for them. The youngest, almost four, had the switching down to a fine art without me so much as showing her where to place the cars. That is why my extended yard is my favorite.
From all appearences it would seem you and I share a similar goal, to have a “funtional” layout, one that simulates the real RR and at the same time won’t trip the circuit breakers in the house or our heads for all the realism that one could pack into 96 square feet !! So from " Yard dog" ( our dogs run the trains on occassion ), but only under strict supervision ’ cause they love to highball.
Read my “forum” input if you care to, it’s all about simple details.
Yes, it sounds like we have similar interests. I seem to fall into the “small snapshot of a railroad” category. With just a small snapshot, you can have engines as big as you want, and kind of rolling stock, etc. I dig it!
Bob Smaus’ Port of Los Angeles layout back in 1990 or so was along these lines - he had thes Three-diesel lashups of 6-axle diesels on a 2.5ft by 6ft module. I’m taking that concept and adding a loop.
There was a canadian club featured in MR around the same time where a member did exactly what I’m talking about. I’m pretty sure it’s the same club Bob Boudreau (posts on here) was/is? in also.
CARR -fan,
Thanks for the reply, always happy to help a returning modeler and in your case someone who has been out of the hobby for a while.
I have slides and prints of the latest devolopements, let’s see if I can get them to you soon.
Maybe I don’t understand what you are talking about with the one car and engine. From what I can see, by using the runaround, you can get a car to any place on the track and that is only using the main showing. Which track do you two perceive a problem? The only place is the two main stubs on the left side of the track. Okay, I see the part about big diesels. Okay, tweek a little. Even so, it would take an extra move or two but you can get er done as is.
Looks good… I’ve wanted to do an urban switching layout for years. I’ve always liked the packed with buildings, street running type stuff. The businesses at the top of my list for a layout like this, would be small, but interesting, and also versatile… Metal scrap yard (possibly one that specializes in rail stuff, like Larry’s Electric Truck). Maybe a small mini mill. A truck to transfer siding… That could involve all kinds of different commodities. I also like waterfront stuff, and I’ve had a car float resin model stashed away for years. I had the idea to have a two shelf layout, where you could transfer cars from shelf to shelf by putting them on the car float. Those new Atlas MP15s would be great for that.
Mouse, I was mostly worried about the bottom left corner of the first view. I know what you mean by keeping the foam or plywood where it is, and sliding the track to the right about 2-3". That MIGHT be all it takes, but I think that you might end up displacing the problem to the upper right that way. Really, what CARRfan might have to swallow is finding a way to add the 3" to either end of his main surface.
This all depends on how things measure up when he mates whatever loco he uses to that 50’er and tries to get past any one of the switches he intends to place on the layout. If he misses even one switch, he’s hooped…he loses the rest of the layout beyond it.
The shortest lengths of track are now about 19.5". This should be enough for a 6-axle diesel and a 50ft boxcar.
Any other advice?
These are the removable unscenicked loops - most likely the track will be laid on styrofoam - probably atlas code 100. May put a passing siding in there as well just for the heck of it…
I can see no other problems at this point. You should be good to go, assuming that there is a point to the whole scheme. These switches all permit you to do ‘something’, and it should be apparent to educated eyes as soon as they see the layout. Have you worked out a purpose for this yard?
I really like the idea promoted by tony Koester of “in-the-aisle” industry. Just model the bit of the industry next to the tracks and imply all the rest ofg it exists where the aisleway is, off the edge. Liekwise you can have a track disappear off near the backdrop with an indsutry pictured on the backdrop or implied behind a hill.
I’m about to embark on a round-the-room in a 10x10 study, above the desk, computer and workbench (just as soon as I demoli***he old layout downstairs and build a small N scale one for my son [:)])
I want to be able to see the train running, so I’m being a bit more ambitious with around the room trackage. I also need to do messy woodwork and plasterwork elsewhere (as i guess you do) so all trackage will be modular, or more correctly: sectional.
