We are thinking of making the model RR about 4’ 8’ . do you think that is big enough? I want to be able to atleast run ten train cars without it looking humongous… And I want the railroad to go in many directions, any ides?
Thanks!!!
Do you mean 4’ x 8’ as in a normal sheet of plywood? In z-scale that would definitely be big enough. N-scale not so much. In HO that is about the minimum. O-gauge would probably work if you don’t mind the toy-like appearance. O-scale forget it, one cannot even really get a good curve in that much space.
Without the train looking humongous or the layout? 10 cars is a lot on a small layout. What age of trains are we talking about here. Ten 36’ cars from 1900 is way different from ten 40’ and 50’ cars from the 50’s and way different from ten 60’-90’ modern freight cars.
Once again if we are talking about HO scale or larger 4’x8’ is way too small to do what you want.
Cool, thanks! I am looking at HO scale, and yes, a normal sheet of plywood. If 4’ x 8’ ft. is minimal, what do you think the medium size would be?
I would suggest that a better size for an HO layout is 5’4’’ by 12’. If you have 2 sheets of plywood cut at the 5’4’’ mark, the 4 pieces can be arranged into a 5’4" by 12’ table top layout. This is much better for HO and will allow 24" radius curves and longer trains. This is not much more complicated to build than a 4x8, but you do have to make sure there is support where the plywood pieces butt together.
You could also consider an around the room layout that is operated from the center of the room. This is a little more complicated to build than a tabletop and you have to get into the center of the layout via duckunder, gate, or liftout plus if there is a door it may have to be rehung to open outwards. It also tends to block access to windows and closets. But it does give you more layout in the room.
Enjoy
Paul
What would be a sensible size depends on how big the room you want to build a layout in is, what you are trying to model (era, location, theme), what scale you want to model in and how you use the space.
You can do a perfectly adequate and simple to build switching layout in H0 scale on a 10 foot long and 18" deep shelf. Here is e.g. Peter White’s TIRR (Ten-foot Industrial RailRoad) layout plan, from http://www.shenware.com/layouts/tenderfoot.html:
If you want a loop of track on an island style layout (ie one on a table that you walk around) in H0 scale, 5 foot width x 9 foot length is considered reasonably decent for H0 scale - you can reach from the long sides 2 1/2 feet in to the center to work on scenery, and you can have 26-28" radius (52-56" diameter) curves.But you will need space for aisles to walk in along both long sides of the layout and at least one short side, so your 5x9 feet layout will need 9 x 11 feet of floor space.
Or you can build on shelves around the walls of the room, and get a closed loop by having a lift-out or duckunder at the point you get into your room. This is my layout plan - it is in H0 a room that is 6.5 x 11.5 feet:
Lots of ways to build layouts, lots of things you can choose to model.
Try to start not by asking “what is the minimum size layout I can build” - that woul
hi,
and buy a couple of “must have” books.
#1 is 102 Realistic Track Plans, beside the 102 plans it contains pages about stuff you should know. If not copied from, they are a preview of book
#2: Track Planning for Realistic Operation by John Armstrong.
This webside introduces you to runarounds, staging and why you should design your own layout:
Paul
I have six PDF-books in my personal library. Don’t overlook a PDF-download like “Track plans for a 4’ x 8’ plywood sheet”
Or choose H0n3 !
Trains are smaller and shorter, radii are also smaller.
Wolfgang
Yeah, but there was already the specification of 10 car trains and the trains going in many directions. A switching layout does not meet either of those criteria.
Yes, the simple answer from me would be to take a 4’x8’ size layout and just relax it to fit into 6’x10’’ or 6’x12’; however, one must also consider the space needed around the edges and how far one must reach to get to the center of a large block of a layout. 3’ reach is pretty far. When one considers the isles all around it gets really tempting to do an around the room instead. Much nicer railroad in about the same amount of table space.
Having said all that above I must say, my perspective is skewed. To answer your question directly, to me a medium size layout is something in the range of 24"x10" or 16’ x 20’, but then I normally operate on monsters like this - http://www.gfsm.org/OCE.htm
Really? I’ve found many of my standard gauge HO locos can handle 18" radius curves where all three of my HOn3 require 20" or greater.
I know 
But do you think it is likely that the original poster has ever even considered the possibility of a layout that is not a closed loop of tracks on a table ?
As for the “trains going in many directions” - it is more likely to mean “I want to have several alternate loop paths through the layout”, rather than “I want to use one or a few hidden tracks to simulate off layout sources or destinations for my railroad cars” (ie staging).
So I figured that throwing in a switching layout and a link to Carl Arendt’s site of micro layouts couldn’t hurt, even if it wasn’t what the OP asked for
Smile,
Stein
hi
an exemple of flipping man and train space:
To show you what can be done in a space like that in HO:
paul
Really! [:)]
I’ve tested engines and they handled even less than 18’‘. And the Blackstones have in their instructions 18’', but they will run with less.
Wolfgang
Ineresting, thanks for all the ideas and responses guys! I will measure and figure out more about the room I will be making it in, then I will tell you that, Thanks!
Ok, I have some more information, and this is it,
The room we are going to be building in is very long, and narrow. maximum width is going to be 4ft. and length from 8ft. to 20ft. What do you think? i want it where there is enough track that it won’t get old running it too. Any layouts and length ideas would be greatly appreciated =)
Thanks!
I suspect that what you are describing is not the size of the room, but just is what you think is the maximum size of a layout. You cannot put a 4 foot wide layout into a four foot wide room - there would be no room to work on the layout or to run the trains.
Are you saying that the room is 4 x 20 feet ? If so, the best you can hope for is a shelf layout no more than 18" deep down the one 20 foot wall - that will allow you a 30" wide aisle along one side of the room.
Or are you saying that the room is 8 feet wide (4 feet layout plus two 2 feet wide aisles down the side), or are you saying something else ?
Also, the location of doors and windows and such things are not described. One does need to get into and out of the room, even with a layout in there.
Try again - describe the room clearly.
Smile,
Stein
It all depends on your budget. If you’re starting out a 4x8 will be just fine. You can always expand later if you get the bug. If you