i got a 16x4ft traintable w/5x2 add on on the left… i don’t know what to do really and i am limited on supplies(because there isn’t a hobbie shop here)… can anyone give me some ideas of what i could do?
You might try going to www.atlasrr.com. You can download Right Track Software for free.
Tom
thanks it help me out
Pretty much anything you need is available online. I have no hobby shops within an hour or so of me (that I know of) so almost everything I’ve gotten has been on eBay or through an Internet dealer.
Once you get the software, post your plans on the layout forum and people will give you some advice and ideas on how to improve what you are doing. A good book to get right away is Track Planning for Realistic Operations by John Armstrong. It will give you the fundamentals to work from.
ok thanks i will do
First of all 4’ wide is much too wide unless it is in the center of the room becasue you can’t reach that far. I am 6’5" With a 38" sleeve and can just reach 36". If you can keep it away from the walls put a scenic divider (backdrop) down the center and you have just doubled the usable railroad with a 24" reach on both sides. Curve the mainline so you have some room inside and outside the main for industries and switching. Basically look at some plans and steal what features you like from each one then doodle a lot at first. Invariably you will try to put too much track in and it won’t fit so go back to the drawing board often and have fun.
yah it is in the middle of the room…ok thanks… i will give it a try
If I was building an HO layout in the described space, I would go for an older era like the roaring 20’s with a town or two on each side of the 16’x4’ section and a small fiddle yard on the 5’x2’ extension. Mostly small 40’ cars and whatever branch line locos you like. A single track main line with runarounds in each town and a passing siding or two as long as your longest train. Dividing the 16’ length down the middle also allows a loads in empties out operation from one side to the other. Some foam hills inbetween towns with tunnels to break up the run and you’re in business.
ok thats great… i like it… i think about
I am in the same boat with no local hobby shops. The best two sites I have found as far as price and selection are www.internettrains.com and www.tonystrains.com.
Another idea for you is maybe an industrial railroad that could snake it’s way in and out of city streets with small engines like the 44 tonner or 0-6-0 . Best of luck!
Besides the two online stores mentioned by holderca1, there is also:
http://www.walthers.com and http://www.discounttrainsonline.com/ . I’ve used them both and they are an excellent source of stuff.
Not that its the best idea but I have the same size table. My layout is an oval loop around two over-under figure 8s. I then put a second oval directly on top of and three inches above the first loop. Then using the figure 8s I connected the top and bottom loop. One 8 connect the lower loop to the upper , the other 8 connects the upper loop to the lower. My idea is to run passenger service on the upper loop and freight service on the lower. The connection is so the passenger train can connect a yard to one end, But I plan on using at least 4x4 for that.