dear fellow modelers,
im looking to build a layuot but im stuck any ideas?
it needs to fit in a 10’ x 8’ space. im looking for one that is a continuous loop with sidings etc. and has two connected levels.
PLEASE HELP!!![%-)]
Question, Is it a box? Can we cut holes where we want? If not please post a drawing of said space with notes as to door and window locations, along with anything that can not be moved. Your asking a lot and not giving any information other then it’s a 10’ x 8’ space. Is it a shed? Does it have power of some sort? Is it inside out of the weather? Is it in a pool?
Basically a 10x8 space could be filled with as much or as little as you want. A basic layout would be a three foot oval so you could watch your train chase its own tail.
Or hire someone to build it for you.
its just a 8’ x 10’ rectangular table oh and i was thinking for period and theme 1950s coaling with a city and passenger train
and i cant hire someone because im only 12
Thank you.
Now you should get some really nice answers.
Hmmm…A lot of questions come to mind.
You’ve given 2 different dimensions - one for a table that’s bigger than the size you give for the space. A table wider than 5 or 6ft is impractical because you can’t reach the middle.
But before you establish a size for the layout, you really have to answer the resource questions, especially in light of your age.
How much time do you have to put into the layout, with school and other activities? Will you have help building the layout? How skilled are both you and your help? Do you have access to power tools for building benchwork, and do you (or your help) know how to use them?
Have you and a parent built a layout before? Any experience with train sets in the past? How much money are you (and your parents) prepared to spend on the hobby in the next year? A train set on the proverbial 4x8 with just a little expansion of the track (lengthen the oval, add a passing track and 2 spurs), a couple of extra cars, and a few buildings is going to add up to $500 or more if you have to buy all of it.
If you and a parent are building this as a team, and money and time are not as big a constraint, then something like the Heart of Georgia (http://www.layoutdesignservice.com/lds/samples/betterbeginnerlayout.htm) would be within reach. But if you are pretty much on your own, you probably need to start smaller - the proverbial 4x6 or 4x8 with a train set to begin with. Then expand as your money, time, tools, and growing skills allow.
All this assumes parental approval, and at least assistance in getting the necessary supplies. You need a plan (not just a track plan!), complete with projected costs, and expect
You also need to decide which scale you want to model in, N, HO ect…
the layout can be big because it will be a floor layout with very little or no scenery. you know, like something you would set up just to play for a few hours but more serious. at first anyway. eventually i would make it more permanent, add scenery, etc.[(-D] and its HO scale i already have the track its Bachmann EZ track
and my mom and stepdad dont really care for the hobby, my only big supporters are my grandparents. Theyre also into the hobby, they are building a garden railway
Caboose Hobbies has some track plans that you might like:
bump
I don’t have a 10x8 table layout, but I have a 10x7 room (295x210cm) in which I’m planning a H0 shelf layout around the room. I have made several plans (still not completely satisfied, working on yet another plan), if you PM me with an email address I can send you some JPG’s of my track plans for inspiration.
Regards, Svein
Maybe I’m reading too much into your post… You say something you would set up just to play with for a few hours (which, admittedly, is pretty easy with E-Z Track), and you say your Mom and Stepdad don’t care for the hobby. Does this mean that if you try to set up a permanent layout that you’ll be fighting with your parents over it?
Model railroading doesn’t tend to be a hobby that lends itself to being put away between uses. Yes, there are ways to manage that issue, but personally, I almost always have a “work in progress” spread out over half the basement. Fortunately, my wife is willing to roll her eyes and express her exasperation with my hobby, and leave it at that. So, before you do anything, you’ll need at least the consent of your parents, if not their support. OTOH, if it’s important to you, I would hope that they would be supportive, even if they aren’t into it themselves.
So, here are some ideas to get you started:
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Go to a train show and look at other people’s layouts. They’re a great source of inspiration. Maybe your grandparents will take you to one?
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Go to your LHS (Local Hobby Shop, if you’re new to this). In addition to seeing what’s available, you can get a book or two on model railroading, books of track plans, a copy of Model Railroader magazin
yeah dude, i was in your position. i’m 21 now, but I was reading Model Railroader by the time I was 8 or 9, and was already planning my 49 x 281 foot 4-level basement spaghetti-bowl goliath. Now that I’m back into it, i realize how much I really didn’t know back then. It seems easy to build a layout, because it is. Its just hard in that it takes time and effort. Its not something you can get done in a week, unless you work at it 8 hours a day every day without stopping.
if you really want to get a layout up, find a project layout in any of the past runs of MR and follow that. Or buy a book about building a basic beginner 4x8. trust me, when you get to it, building even a 4x8 is a challenge, and takes time.
what you could do is buy a ton of eztrack and then you can take it out even in your room and create all kinds of track plans. they make switches, so you can figure out what kind of design you like best and THEN begin an actual layout
A 5x10 or 5x11 WALK AROUND layout is resonable. It’s only a maximum 30" reach from anywhere.
The same size layout against a wall could be another thing. The 5 foot side against the wall is feasable. 11’ side to the wall, then you have issues.
Will your parents allow the space to build a table?
A floor layout is not going to work. Someone WILL step on it. The dog WILL kill a loco. The cat WILL steal people and park benches. The little brother WILL trash the whole thing!
A floor layout is ok for a bare bones trainset for couple weeks around the Christmas tree, but for everyday use, it’s not practical.
I hope you can get a layout together. Good luck!
Rotor
Dude,
You have two posts up looking for someone to give you a magic answer that will create your perfect layout.
There is no layout genie.
You have to set your butt down and start thinking about what you want. You have to close your eyes and see the trains running and get in touch with what you are looking for.
Then you have to get some books, go on line and research your options. Then and only then can you either draw your own layout or pay someone else to draw it for you.
But a pro won’t take your job until you’ve already made your decisions.
Yeah, good idea. I should have thought of it. The catch is that you have to be an MR subscriber. That goes back to idea #3 in my earlier post (a 1 yr subscription to MR Magazine).
Other people have made the point, but I’ll reiterate: start drawing a plan. Decide what you think you want (you CAN change it later, it’s just harder).
IM NOT LOOKING FOR A LAYOUT GENIE
I JUST SAID A SIZE AND ASKED IF ANYONE KNEW OF ANY NICE PLANS WITH A FEW OF MY IDEAS
A thought that comes to my mind is to consider modules, maybe 2’ X 4’ each, with 2’ X 2’ corner modules. A lot of clubs do this, but you can do it on your own. The idea is that you assemble the modules together when you want to run trains, and put them away for storage. It also allows you to work on one module at a time without having to get the whole layout out. I suggest starting with a 2’ X 4’ panel of 1/2 or 3/4 inch of plywood and building one module, then another, and so on. This will give you a taste and not cost a ton of money.
It also makes it somewhat portable.
I was 12 when I started, and the frustration for me was that I could never take my layout when we moved, so I was frequently tearing down and starting over. Modules might help with that. My folks were supportive, but lacked the money and space to do much to help. My dad is a great guy, but model trains aren’t his thing (he’s an airplane guy), so he couldn’t do much for me in terms of technical stuff.
My school library subscribed to Model Railroader magazine, so that’s where I learned nearly everything (reading back issues).
One thing about unitrack, it’s not intended to be repeatedly assembled/disassembled/reassembled. The rail joiners get loose and electrical issues crop up.
If you’d like more detail along these lines, PM me. I’ll be glad to help.
My mistiake. You know what you are doing. My apologies.
Sounds like you been taking no-nonesense lessons from Dr. Phil, Chip [(-D]
Dr Phil Says, “That Dog Won’t Bark”
Dr. Chip Says, “The Train Won’t Chuff!”