In the October 2010 issue of MR, I really like the N-Scale Glenwood & Sierra RR. It is listed as 7’ 6" by 13’. I woulld like to model this one but with scenery changes.
My layout room already has two modeling desks and a 4x8 HO layout for my grandson. Consequently I can’t use this layout as designed becausse of what is there already.
I have three walls that are available that are 14’ by 14’ by 7’ which is a letter J design.
My problem is that I am a very poor at designing and re-designing layouts. My question is: Can this design be changed to fit my available space and if so, would one of you design genius’ please do it for me?
The short answer is, no, noone but you can design your layout for you. Taste and preference are individual attributes – only you can satisfy your own.
I’m sure that very soon you will begin to get suggestions on how to modify that layout to suit your space.
More importantly, though, I’m curious as to why you would make the statement above. Maybe you just don’t like to do it, or maybe you don’t give yourself enough credit, Having a track plan that is pretty close to what you want, you should be able to selectively compress or stretch it at certain points to fit your own space.
Take a shot at it yourself, then ask for advice. It’s really not nearly as hard as you’re trying to make it.
the best start is to make a drawing of your room. In 102 Realistic Trackplans Andy Sperandeo explains why and how.
A concern about the plan you fancy: its a rather complicated and big one. Do you have the skills, experience, money and time to build it; and the crew to operate it?
One of the very best sources for planning still is John Armstrong’s famous book “Track Planning For Realistic Operation”
Most of the track-planning geniuses like to see or hear your ideas first. How To Design A Small Switching Layout by Lance Mindheim seems beside the point, it contains however some very good and deep thoughts about all the issues you should have in your mind before even starting to draw.
You could start this part by describing why you like Glenwood & Sierra so much. The lovely pics, the way it is operated?
You’ll find a lot of help on here, the first steps are yours.
Is in the track plan database, if you are a subscriber. N scale layout. Folded dogbone along three walls of a 7 1/2 x 13 foot room, with an extra continuous run path along narrow duckunder across the doorway.
Fairly deep benchwork (36" deep along most of one wall and parts of another wall) up against walls, narrow aisle (18-28"), corners look fairly inaccessible (except perhaps if standing on a small chair in the narrow aisle, supporting yourself against walls).
Lots of tracks. 8 track yard, turntable, big roundhouse, three track double ended hidden staging under landscape by wall 3 feet in from the aisle, another three single track hidden staging yards under an extension along the one wall.
Looks like it would be fun to run (as long as you don’t need to reach anything at the far rear or want to get more than one person into the room), but pretty challenging to build and maintain. Not your average first layout.
I have no clue what the Original Poster (OP) means by “I’d like to model this one, but with scenery changes”, what aspects of the track plan the OP has fallen in love with, what the OPs room look like (beyond the room having a number of walls, three of which are respectively 14, 14 and 7 feet long), or how the other things the layout will have to co-exist with is located in the room.
In short - as Paul pointed out - not enough data to make a sensible suggestion.
Thanks all. The reason I asked is that I am not good at designing layouts. I work better by taking parts of established layouts and putting them together to come up with one I like.
I like the Gleenwood and Sierra for the mainline, yard and engine service facilities for both steam and diesel. I want a layout around 1950 to 1960 so I can use both steam and diesel. A bridge route so that several different railroads may be seen.
I just wanted help as to where to break this one so it might fit the space I have if it will work.
But how is that not designing a layout? A lot of what passes for “original” work in our culture is in fact adaptation of previous work, consciously or unconsciously.
Anyway, most of us, as subscribers, have access to the track plan. What we don’t have is enough of an idea of what your available space, with all its restrictions (doors, windows, outlets, utilities, etc.) to be able to help you adapt the layout.
Can you put a scale drawing together and post it, or even give us a more detailed description so someone can sketch it for you? Lots of people are willing to help, but the bulk of the effort will have to come from you. If you want an idea of how this process can work, read the “New to hobby…layout suggestions please.” thread by 80ktsClamp, also located in this forum: http://cs.trains.com/trccs/forums/t/178909.aspx
Notice how, in that thread, the OP is doing most of the idea generation.
Sorry I am having trouble posting a diagram of the layout room so will try to give as much info as I can.
room has carpet throught;
no polls or wall posts;
no windows;
no furnance, water heater or other utilities in the way
electrical outlets approximately every 24" to 32" all the way around the wall.
two standard size doors.
Walls are approximately 7’ tall
Looking what I call the north wall; it is 15’ 4" wide with two bookcases and two desks that fill this wall.
Looking to the right which will be the east wall; it is 16’ 9" long. It does have a standard size door 2’ 7" from the corner on the left wth the north wall.
Along the south wall; it is 14’ 9" long.
Along the west wall; goes 7’ 4 1/2" to the right to an indention of 7" then continues another 7" 10 1/2" to 2nd door.
This is why I was thinking of a layout in the form of a J along the east, south and first part of the west wall.
I am trying to model a free lance railroad but has operating rights with other railroads so that other types of trains and rolling stock can be present. I prefer the 1950s to 1960s so that steam and diesel inter-mix. I like a double track main-line, double ended yard instead of a back-in yard and a engine servicing facility to service both steam and diesel. When I say change the scenery, I am thinking if the layout was a spring setting, then I would change it to a fall, etc. If I am thinking about adapting another layout, I may not even use the complete track plan but probably reduce the amount of track. I like Peco turnouts and flex-track. I would like to use DCC but haven’t decided on the brand.
If you have a scan of your diagramme that is in jpeg format, you can upload it to railimages.com or to photobucket, as examples, places where you get storage and a gallery for free. Limited, of course.
The server here, and at most sites, won’t allow you to upload stuff from your PC/laptop due to security and storage issues. Instead, find a host like the two I mentioned, register, upload your images, get the URL for any one image, and then past the URL here in a textbox with the brackets immediately in front and behind the URL. In the first pair, type img, and in the second, /img. When you post your URL with those img tags, the server here knows where to find your file and will display it in real time.