I have looked around the site and its resources, but there is a ton of links and areas to look into to search for something like this, and I can’t see any yet.
Haven’t had a layout since I was a kid. Now I am ready to get back in. Unfortunately, I am now (for the next few years) in an apartment. I would be very grateful to any member who would provide me with a link to, or who would email me directly a drawing or plan for a HO scale “mini layout type of thing”…4’x8’ or less, even one that can break down to slip under a bed etc. if such things exist![8)] Perhaps this is an anathema to purists, but one does what one can.
I’ve just purchased a nice new set still in the box…nice 2-5-0 locomotive…that needs 18" radius minimum.
Thanks very much for anyone who takes the time to respond.
If you want to run trains in a circle, consider building an around the room domino layout. Build 18" wide x (48" to 72’ long) dominos and bolt them together. An around the walls layout will sill allow you to use the room and you can operate a larger radius. When you move, you can take the dominoes with you and incorporate them into a new and larger layout. JIM
“2-5-0”? Hate to say it, but there ain’t such an animal…unless it’s a 4-10-0 and you’re only counting the wheels on one side, or it’s a 2-6-0 and one of the drivers has fallen off.
thortrains.net has some cute little 4x6 track plans, but they’re not particularly good plans. If you want to see some REAL ‘mini layouts’ check out the Carl Arendt mini-layout page at www.carendt.us although some are a bit more “mini” than you can do with a loco that needs an 18" minimum radius.
One big difference between American model railroaders and their European counterparts is that Americans tend to consider a 4x8 to be a dinky, miniscule, microscopic-sized layout, while Europeans consider 4x8 to be gigantic. Many European model railroaders do just fine with a shelf layout maybe a foot thick and 4-6 feet long, representing a small switching area or end-of-line yard. That sort of layout can be a lot of fun, are easy and quick to build, and give you a taste of model railroading without breaking the bank. This sort of layout works well with apartment living: they can slip under a bed, into a closet, or sit comfortably on top of a bookcase in your living room or fold away into some sort of container. They can also be used as the beginning of a larger layout if you ever move to more extensive accommodations.