i have a 12 x 13 room that i am wanting to build a shelf style layout in. i like the “around the wall” setup with probably a 2 ft shelf. the problem with this room is it has a double door in the center. i would rather it go all the way around the room but the double door prevents that. 2 closets are on the opposite end of the door, i just went thru the walls there and out the other side. i built this layout once but i dont like the turn-around. i have a 44 inch space to turn the trains around on each side, so radius in not the problem. but running 50 plus cars, it looks odd to me because the train is running beside itself when it turns around. any ideas? have i missed something simple to fix? what would you guys do? oh yeah…the doors open to the inside of the room. i dont want to change them, but i may have to. if they opened out, i could go all the way around with some sort of lift out section…thanks…
You could try changing the elevation as you turn, to get sepatate the scenes in another dimension. And then try to block the view of one elevation or the other at different times to separate the visual feeling further.
I built a U shaped 13’ x 21’ N scale. It turns around on each end. It is one big loop. One end is a yard and is flat. The other end is mountainous. I used Woodland Scenic 2% and 3% foam risers to make my grades. I drew it out on graph paper with a compass and ruler. 2% grade is 1" every 4’, so measure 4’ along your track and put an inch hieght number. You need about 2 1/4" for an overpass. You can also make a tunnel. Lots of possibilities.
Put the back track in a tunnel.
You could diguise the turnback as a tehachapi loop type setup that just happens to reverse the direction of the train (there are other loops around…it’s just the most famous). That would work for one end and the other could be like Spacemouse said,…in a tunnel.
sounds like i need a tunnel…i can do that…and maybe a yard on the other side? are you guys thinking most of the turn-around in the tunnel? how much of the back track in the tunnel? thanks to all…
I’d say, long enough that it hides the part of the train that you don’t want to see.
Uhhh, yeah, that’s it! [:D] You might not know the answer until you get well into the building, it could depend on viewing angles, elevations, other terrain features, and who knows what else. the idea is to hide what you are doing enough to fool someone that isn’t loking for the trick, I think. A tunnel is one way, but you could also be behind a ridge, in a cut, behind buildings, or something else. Or a combination of things.
Another idea with the back track is to do a loads in/empty out operation. Your “tunnel” could be a coal mine/powerplant or some other type of industry pair. At the least, you could set up an Industrial District and have some larger industrial models. Walthers makes some great kits you could use.