Hey everyone.My name is Tony and i’m from St.Louis, MO and I’m new here and decided to get back into model railroading after 17 yrs ( A LOT HAS CHANGED ).
I am about complete with my bench work for my layout which measures 6 ft wide by 20 ft long. It’s basically a big rectangle ( space constraints and other issues ). I’m running into issues on my track design. I know I want 2 main lines and a small switcher yard ( possible turn table too ), but I for the life of me can not come up with a design for my layout to save my life. Any help would be great. My scale is HO…
I can’t offer much help with your track plan, but will say that six feet wide it way too much for a layout unless it is away from the wall so you can walk all the way around it to reach everything without having to climb up onto the benchwork. And once all of your scenery is in, you won’t be able to reach the back. I think you need to rethink the size before trying to come up with a trackplan.
Our HO scale club layout is built on 36 inch wide hollow core doors except in corners where it had to be wider to allow for wider radius curves, and even built this way there are some areas where we have to use a long grocery store “helping hand” grabber to retrieve derailments. Getting back up onto those areas to modify or revise the scenery is now next to impossible.
Another thing to consider is being able to reach any overhead light fixtures to change bulbs. Our predicament, which we thought of too late, is a row of fluorescent lights that can no longer be reached for tube replacement without building some type of scaffolding straddling the layout. One of the fixtures has a burned out ballast so we just have to leave that row of lights turned off because we can’t reach it.
Yes a lot has changed, the big thing is DCC. Do you plan to get a DCC system?
We need to see a photo posted here of your benchwork, including all doors, windows, and other obstrucitons, and spaces that can’t be used.
You should have come up with a track plan before installing the benchwork, there may be things that need to be changed like reach/access to track. You don’t want any more than say 24" reaches to all parts of the layout, including scenery.
I would try to shoot for some sort of dogbone type layout, with loops at each end. Depending on what era and equipment you want to run, you need at least 24" minimum radius curves. With 6’ at each end, you could go to 30" radiuis loops at each end.
Also, please post more information about what type of layout you want. Continuous running? Switching? How to control the turnouts?
It is over 2 feet away from the wall so I have full access all the way around with no issues ( i’m 6 ft 2’’ anyways ). The layout bench work is 3 feet off the ground. I debated doing it around the wall,but when I attempted it, i blocked off shelving and other issues were presented that eliminated that idea. ( wife had a fit about it )
I have 8 ft fixtures going up around the outside of the layout so as not to have an issue changing lights. Still debating on making a 2 ft wide access area in the center of the layout seeing as I have no plywood or foam down as of yet. How the layout is set up is the only viable way right now that I had to work with anyways.
Yes, I plan to do DCC with working track side lights. My switches will probably all be manual switching so I feel a little bit more involved in the operations of the layout. That way the basement was set up was a huge hindrance to my original design which was an around the wall design. Reaching for me isn’t an issue. I know I won’t have any high mountains. For me, making my layout modular ( the modules are bolted together for easy re-arrangement ) and building it first is just how I am. ADD is a pain in the butt!
P.S. How many posts does it take before it starts automatically posting instead of waiting every time!
Do you mean a double track main line or do you mean two separate mains? What is the purpose of the yard - is there a theme you have in mind. Is is supposed to be for classification? A turntable is a really big space killer. On a layout that side it almost has to be set in the center of one of the turning loops.
There are many important design elements that have not been mentioned. What type of equipment is to be run? That will determine a minimum radius which in turn will greatly effect the layout design.
Then my big question, how can you be constructing benchwork if you don’t know the layout the benchwork is for?
Some people think the big thing is DCC, but since I’ve been using command control since 1981 it isn’t a big deal to me. To me the big deal is the quality of equipment. There used to be very few high quality locomotives, now one can take their pick of several vendors. Likewise for highly detailed cars. They are plentiful. One thing that is missing is the inexpensive cars one could fill a yard with like the Athearn blue box kits for $2.15 each.
Hi Tony, so how far are you from Maryville IL? If you want to drop by and visit you can run my layout and we can chat. Plus I am only 2 miles from one of the best hobby shops around, K-10 Model Trains. K-10 HO layout is 61 feet X 80 feet. 80% of the time there prices are the same as you would find on line.
I’m roughly 25 minutes away in Florissant so not far at all. Been trying to go out to K-10 for a week now,but something always comes up. Love to meet a fellow railroader. Feel free to email me rngdmerkel@hotmail.com
I spent a few hours last night doodling up a few track idea’s and I think I’ve almost got one. People just gotta realize with the space I had to work with. My options were virtually limited to the bench work I have now.
Well Tony I see you know how to use the conversion feature on the site. Looking forward to meeting you. Instead of using E Mail I will contact you by conversion. I don’t check my E Mail very often.
Hey Tony. I’m new at this hobby, and may not be telling you something you know already, but someone told me to get some graph paper with 1/16 ticks. That will give you 3/4" to a foot, with 1/16=1",and go from there. Drawing what I wanted on my 28" X 15’ switching shelf layout was the best idea I was ever given. My layout is set in the 30’s and 40’s, in one of the most rundown parts of the world, with paved roads, most people, have never seen. But I found out that a dirt road behind a building takes up a good 2" at the least!!!
Anyway…I had fun just drawing that out, with the foot prints of the buildings and roads. And fun is what we are all about with this hobby. So if this helps, I hope you’ll have fun!!
If you’re doing “flat top” benchwork (not open grid) I’d maybe try starting out with Kato Unitrack and just doing a big oval for the time being and get things running. Their 31"R curves would work nicely in that space. Then you can add things and move them around over time. You don’t need to come up with a “to the millimeter” track plan right away.
Once you’re pretty sure the trackplan, buildings etc. are where you want them, you can add Woodland Scenics foam risers under the Unitrack to elevate the track a couple of inches. That way you can add features like bridges without having to gouge out your benchwork.
BTW 36" layout height is VERY low, especially for someone 6’ 2" tall !! I’m working on a double-deck layout, my lowest deck is 42" high…and I’m 6’ even. However, the lower layout will allow you to reach in farther. If it’s not too late, you might consider a “peanut” shape, where the benchwork narrows in the middle. I did that on my previous layout, it was 6’ wide at the ends (to allow for broad curves) but narrowed to 4.5’ in the middle.