ho layout

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

howdy, Could ya’ll tell me what is the best way to build a ho layout. my room is only 12 x 15 and has lots of furtinure in it. I was also wondering what would be a good era as well? Texas and Oklahoma are tried for first place as the greatest state in the union. Razorclaw

2

12 x 15 sounds like a large bedroom to me.

3

Go around the walls

4

I agree with the last post. A shelf layout around one or more walls will give you the longest length of run while leaving as much of the room as possible free for other uses and access. A 1ft deep shelf can give you three or four parallel lines (as in a staging or switch yard), a 6in deep shelf can give you double track mainline. Add deeper boards for yards and other scenes and you’ll be able to fit plenty of railroad into the space. Hope this is of some use!

5

Sounds like it is a first layout so I would suggest the following:

  1. Look at some plans for a square or rectangular layout SMALLER than your space. Most of us take a plan that is too big for the area and try to fit it in finding out that doesn’t work well
  2. Find the area of the layout you like the best and build it as a module. Chance are you will make some mistakes and need to redo some things. Welcome to model railroading. you will be doing that the rest of your life
  3. Once the module is working right and the scenery is all in place you can build the next section until it is done.

That way you don’t get in over your head. You can control costs and it isn’t overwhelming.

6

Around the walls on shelf brackets above the furniture. Go as wide as you can to allow for buildings, scenery, etc.

7

Thats a pretty good area space for a model railroad. With that size, you might be able to get away with no duckunder. I didn’t really have a choice, in this 9 x 11 room.

If you go with around the walls w/duck under , you maximize your total traveling distance.
And it will be plenty deep enough for switching .

8

My layout consists of a couple of 4x8’s in a 12x20 room. I wish I had joined this forum before I started, because going around the walls has got to be the best method to maximize your space. With furniture in the room, the train would add good atmosphere for entertaining your friends. The only other recommendation I have is to have as wide a curve as possible, 20 inch radius just can’t handle many cars or locomotives unless your track is perfect.

9

There several ways you can approach this.

  1. go out and get a couple of books on layout plans. Kalmbach has a couple of excellent plan books.

  2. you could start out with a 4x8 with room to expand later or you can plan big. Personally I would start small, perfect your basic skills and then attack the hobby with al you got.

Many of the Forum members are on their 2nd,3rd, 4th etc layout and have learned by their mistakes.

Take your time, read, dream, plan then execute.

Regards
Fergie