Hello everyone,
Well this is my first post here and I have been reading quite a few other posts and this seems like the place for my question. A little background,
I started building the South Massey Railroad (I used the name Evergreen & Pacific as the working name till I decided on what prototype class 1 was going to run through this little town) about a year ago and was able to operate trains about 4 months later. They layout is an around the walls in a 11 - 12 foot room ( for some pictures go to http://members.cox.net/eprr ). I designed the layout to be continous running double main with a small amount of switching. Now I sit with the layout almost finished and need to tear it down to make room for a new son comming in Feb. I am in no way going to quit this great hobby I just need to make what I have smaller. I am looking into building a 4x8 foot layout in the place of the room sized one I currently have. I am going to make the benchwork so that this layout can be portable. I kow about the track planning books that are available from Kalmbach publishing that have track plans in them but I have seen a few other 4x8 layouts that looked alot more interesting to model and operate. Can any one help me here with track plan ideas or direct me to an online source where I can get some Ideas.
I have most of the “Required Reading” books, I just dont like the 4x8 loops in them. I know that 4x8 is also limiting in what can simply fit in the layout. What I am looking for is the ability to have continous running of 2 trains at the same time and some industry to make this more than just a little round-d-round. I want more than just a loop inside a loop, crossovers are OK inclines are OK too and I dont want the loops to be independant I want to have a switches so I can move trains from one track to the next. I know that I am asking alot but I have seen before layouts like this at shows but I cant find any track plans that display this for me to base my
Try this… a loop on the outside… or close to a loop. Then a figure 8 on the inside… with the figure 8 crossing at a bridge. On the inside of the figure 8 you can place a few industries and maybe maybe and interchange on the outside track
You didn’t say HO but I assumed this was true, since 4x8 can be massive in N.
So you don’t like #24, #28, #29, or #33 in “101 Track Plans for Model Railroaders”? I Think those cover the basic “not loops” possible in a 4x8. I don’t know how much more continuous running variations one can get in that little space.
Below is what I came up with for my son, but it is not two trains at a time. One train must sit in the siding (upper left) while the other makes the loop. That is unless you consider switching the yard as a simultanious train.
Operated as an out and back while making as many circuits as desired before coming back. Usually that is as long as it takes the yard to make up the next train.
Thanks for the suggestions, and yes this is in HO scale. I dont currently have access to my 101 trackplans book it is in my home state of WA and I am in VA but my father is sending it to me. I asked him to when I decided to take the room layout down. I d remember I didnt like most of them that I seen in there but I will take another look at the ones you pointed out. I can see alot of potential in that figure 8 that would suit my wishes. I would like to have 2 trains that could run continously but I could see that siding being put to good use and make for a little more interesting running.
If any one has other plans I would love to see them.
One of the best small railroads ever devised in my opinion dates back to about 1953. IT was a series in MR called somthing like “The HO railroad that grows”. It was either 4 x 8 or 5 x 10 and had a lot going for it. Later it was published as one of Kalmbachs books. You might want to check that one out as it had two levels and looked very good in my opinion.
A 4x8 table will require a room about as big as your current layout, simply because you must be able to get to all sides of it to build/operate.
Is there a chance you could some up with a point-to-point type shelf layout (possibly installed elsewhere in the house) that captures the flavour of your current layout? It might even re-use some of the exisiting benchwork/scenery/trackwork.
One of the best ways I’ve seen to expand a basic 4x8 is to cut 2’ X 2’ triangular corners off one end of the plywood and reattach them at the other end. This will effectively give you a longer layout because the end curves will fit into the two points. You can also tuck one of the points into the corner of the room with the table situated diagonally out of that corner.
I would also add a two sided back drop. This will make your layout seem bigger because it will be less apparent the train is just going around and around. Instead it will seem like it is going from one location to another. You could have two separate towns or one town and one rural area. Effectively it would look like two small shelf railroads set up back to back. You could also use one side to act as a staging area for the other. Add a few sidings and spurs and you have a real operating railroad. The disadvantage of this set up is that you don’t have a reversing section unless you want to punch it throught the backdrop. Not hard to do but a challenge to scenick convincingly. Maybe you could use structures to hide the hole in the center and tunnels or overpasses at the ends.
Yes, I know what you mean. I didn’t mean those plans exactly as presented but the idea for the variations of the continuous loop. So this is sort of thinking out loud, with hopes that it may be of help to you or someone with a similar question.
Basically on a 4x8 with continuous running if one is willing to use 18" curves, the options are:
Basic loop or double track loop - an example from 101 track plans #20
Twice around with either a crossing or a grade - #17
Thrice around with one crossing and one grade - #16
alternate-route - #32
Twice around with a figure-8 on one loop - #37
A double-S - #29
out and back - the one I pictured
twice around out and back
loop-to-loop - #28
a folded dog-bone - no example I can find
It really looks like the basic forms are a loop, an 8, and a reversing loop. Seems the limit is to take a max of three of those elements (or parts of those elements) in any logical combination. I guess there is one way four elements could be crammed in. A twice around with two reversing loops.
Thanks everyone, I think I may have a working idea going just going to try and put it through one of the nice little CAD programs that I have downloaded. If it works I will post it here and gather opinions.
try talking your way into having a narrow shelf around 2-3 walls up around eye level but not at eye level. build some brackets so you can remove the sections and work on them in another room so you do not get the construction dust and mess in that room. make sure everything is equiped with KD couplers… well situated uncoupler magnets maybe a number of the ones you can turn on or off… and lotsa swtiching.
thought about building an N scale layout in a coffee table? glass top on it… maybe with the ends able to come off so you could attach other small modules(ones that get stored under the bed?) to increase operations when ya really wanna play around?
Examples of background down the middle of a layout…
This is most of one side on an N scale layout that is 2x4’. The port scene is only one foot deep. There are two turnouts on this side of the layout, one into the export grain elevator and a switchback off that spur to another dockside area. http://www.railimages.com/albums/kennethanthony/abo.jpg
Other side of layout (not shown) is a small town where there are two more turnouts, one a local spur and one an interchange with a trunkline.
In this case, the background that divides the layout down the middle is a line of tall trees. Layout is 3x7’ N scale. http://www.railimages.com/albums/kennethanthony/aad.jpg
One side of layout is a courthouse-square town on the main line of the railroad. Other side is a lumber mill on a short branch from the mainline. Long lumber mill buildings hide layover staging tracks. Trackplan: http://www.railimages.com/albums/kennethanthony/acj.jpg
GRRRRRRRRRR. I am getting frusterated wit hthis CAD program and a figure 8. I konw it is prolly me but I cant seem to get the cross to line up with both sides of the loops… I have taken the layout that Texas put near the top and remoced the turntable and in its place I put a joining track between the east and west loops to form an oval with an 8 in the middle. I know this is going to require polarity reversing and I got that covered with my PM42. I can see this all comming together easy with 15’’ radius but I want to keep my min raduis to 18’’ . I am using XTrkCad 3.1.4 to make the design. I was going to try to keep rises out of this layout if I could. I decided to go with the little yard over having 2 independant contunous running trains, one should be fine.
YAY I think I finally got it. I am getting the hang of this Cad program a little every time I use it. OK here is a pic of what I came up with let me know what you all think
I would like to hear good and bad about what you guys think. I am still trying to figure out how to get the structures feature to work I am not sure it is supported in the open source version of XTrkCad tho.
Right mouse the bar with all the track sections in it and then select one of the built in libraries.
Select the structure you want and click on the layout where you want to place it. Follow the instructions in the status bar to move and rotate.
The instructions in the status bar for completing the action do not work as indicated. Instead, click on the “Select Tracks” icon; the one with the track and the red arrow in it after placing the structure on your layout.
My only input is that it appears the two tracks above and just slightly to the right of the 2 ft ruler mark are a little close.
Ya I noticed the spot you are talking about Tom and it will not let me change it on the program. I should be able to fudge that a little when it comes to laying the track and make it so everything clears. You guys have been a great help, If any one else has any Ideas to make this layout better please let me know.
I figured out the structure feature, having the “OK” button always dark threw me on if it would work or not. Any one know how to get the acurate footprints on there? I want the ADM grain elevator and I have the kit but that is not the footprint. Same wiht Medusa Cement CO. also is there addons for Atlas kits? I have looked at the website but that looked to me like a list of the stuff that is already there.
