I took advantage of a recent move to photograph my shelf layout. It consists of two modules, 6 feet wide. Scale is HO, minimum radius 12", turnouts are Peco “Setrack” tight-radius turnouts roughly equivalent to a #3 turnout.
Yard area:
Industrial area:
Operation is by wheel report. The layout will expand in both directions, eventually to fill a 11x24 foot room.
I like it. With 12-inch curves and #3 turnouts, I assume you’re running 40-foot cars and an 0-4-0 or an SW7 or so?
40-50 foot cars, main motive power is currently 44- and 70-ton GE diesels and an S1. 12-inch “curves” is a bit of a misnomer, as the only curve of more than a few degrees is the one in front of California Packing Company. If I use my heavy-duty motive power (a GP9 and a SW7) I usually use a couple of extra cars as a “grabber” as the Geep sometimes has trouble on the curve. The eventual plan is to hang trolley overhead and use Baldwin-Westinghouse and GE box motors, which can handle curves far sharper than 12 inches.
I’ve always liked what you have done in your space. Any more room in the new place?
The new place has quite a bit more room: the train room in thr basement is 11x24 feet, while the old garage was 8x18 feet. Rather than re-draw my old plan, I’m using the same plans but increasing curve radii (min mainline radius will be more like 15-18") and allowing a little more breathing room. I plan to eventually run trains all the way around the room using 1-2’ deep shelves, with a swing-out bridge across the door. The current plan is to use about half of that space to model Sacramento, and the other half to model the area just north and south (Rio Linda/North Sacramento to the north, and West Sacramento/Clarksburg to the south) with the bridge across the door providing a virtual “loop” that will allow departing trains from one direction to become arriving trains from the other direction. It suits my personal railroading style that I do have plans for a loop, but the loop will be the last thing I’ll complete, rather than the first thing.
A man after my own heart. Unfortunately I’m currently constrained to a single shelf. Do post your trackplan when you’ve got it figured out.