Looking for a track plan

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

Hi all,

I’ve been designing a new layout and I’m for lack of a better word, not very “imaginative.” I was wondering if you guys/gals knew of any good plans for my space.

Here are the specs:

  • Maximum layout size of 10’6"x 12’6" (There is no room for negotiation on this one)

  • Continuous running with plenty of operation but not overpowering.

I know that choosing a track plan is a personal choice, but I would just like to see some ideas.

Thanks,

Jake

2

Way too little information in your question to give you a sensible answer.

Here is a list of questions a layout designer asks his prospective clients to learn enough about their preferences to be able to make suggestions:

http://www.layoutvision.com/id13.html

Suggest you review those questions and try to come up with your own answers to them.

Smile,
Stein

3

Sorry for the lack of information.

Here’s a new list of what I would like to do

  • The layout is to be based in 1950’s Appalachia.

  • I would like it to be a moderately serviced branch line

  • The layout must fit into a 10’6"x12’6".

  • I really dont have a preference on what the design looks like (i.e. Modular, peninsula, etc)

  • Would like to look into open grid benchwork

  • I would like an option for continuous running

  • Industries to be served are: Coal Crusher, Log loading/camp, small factories (textiles, flour mill)

  • Will be operated by only one person (me)

  • HO Scale

  • Minimum 18" radius. #4 turnouts.

  • 18" minimum aisle width.

Hopefully this is a little bit better, and sorry for not posting it with the original.

Jake

4

Have you already had a look at the Appalachian Model Railroader web site for possible inspiration?

Btw - observation in passing - going to N scale instread of H0 scale might allow you a much better chance of modeling longish trains running through landscapes that dwarf the trains.

Smile,
Stein

5

I checked out the AMR web site. I never knew that existed and it helped me tremendously. There’s a couple plans I found that I could modify.

And regarding going to N scale, I already have all of the track work and materials in HO scale (plus a $300 bachman locomotive to go with it [;)] )

Jake

6

hi Jake

just a few remarks…i suppose your building in HO.

  1. 30" aisle width is considered a minimum to day…operating your layout have to be fun.

  2. Lance Mindheim wrote two outstanding books about designing a small switching layout and about plans for a spare room. You’ll find them on Amazon Press.

Paul

7

Well, then I at least would try to stay away from 18" radius curves - bigger steam engines for long coal drags tends to be not be all that happy about sharp curves.

One layout that was mentioned (by Byron) in an earlier thread from October 2009 with a similar theme was W. Allen McClelland’s “Muddlety Creek Branch” layout from Model Railroad Planning 1996.

One attempt to sketch a basic plan based on that layout for an 11 x 11 foot room looked like this:

Where it was intended that the branchline along the left wall would go over staging at the bottom wall, with a spur coming bac into the lower end of the peninsula for a mine or some such thing.

If I was going to do something like this in a room that is 10’ 6" instead of 11’, I would have narrowed the benchwork at bottom by a foot, and used 6" of that narrowing to make the aisle 30" instead of 24" - that aisle is really too narrow, but the person looking for a track plan had started by building the benchwork rather than starting by figuring out a track plan.

Paulus also had some track plans in that thread, but something seems to have happened to his image hosting acc