this is what i was thinking any sugesstions will be appreciated havent done any of the yard stuff yet so it might be a little sketchy it is a 8x8 and thats about all i can do for size unless i convince my parents otherwise [soapbox] lol
ok, i cant figure it out how to post a copy of it on here so i will describe as best i can…
mountain in bottom left corner with a mainline running through it and with a different mainline running elevated along the side.
railyard in upper left corner with 5 spurs like this ----/—/—/—/—/----------_
it has 2 mainlines one inside the other with 1 running through a farm/ranch then through a small farm town
the other mainline (inside) has one small spur and a cut through the middle of it kinda
both mainlines are running opposite directions
thats the best i can describe it is in HO and is set in western theme
the description is sketchy but oh well mabe i can get a copy of it on here soon if i can fugure it out or someone help me lol
You need to use a web based photo hosting site to post pics here. I use photobucket (free), it took about 10 minutes to set up the account AND post my 1st pics. Set up your account, load your pics to that site, to post that pic here just copy the IMG code into your post and the pic will appear.
It all depends on what you want to do with it. If you want alot of round and round running then it should be fine. Best bet may be to picture in your mind the train you plan on running on each loop, run that train at scale speeds (still using the mental picture) for 10 laps. I f you became bored doing that then you may become bored running it on the layout. Not saying there is a wrong way to design a layout but for me I would need some switching in combination with the constant run.
Are you rstricted to 8x8 by the room walls or is it the limits of 2 sheets of plywood?
Have you looked at any of the free track design software available? With most of them you can’t “cheat” on curves or switch lengths.
no im not limited for space reallly i have a big room it is in that is perfect for it but its my parents house and my mom said not much bigger than that but i will talk to her what do u have in mind for a bigger layout ?
Using the 8x8 (2 sheets of 4x8 plywood) footprint as an example you could build a-
4x16 (the sheets are end to end) OR a
U shaped layout 8x12 (a 4x8 at the bottom with a 24"x8’ upright on each side) OR a
L-shaped layout of unlimited dimensions from 2 sheets of 4x8.
the possibilitys are endless.
Going with a bit less width and more length will give some more freedom on track placement. Find the 10’x12’ layout contest in the general forum. I think the original post has a link to the site where the layouts can be seen. Click the link and browse the layouts submitted to see some options.
Looks like you’re off to an interesting start. What I’ve always used as inspiration are layout books and track plans. Atlas has some of the best, especially for limited layout space. Thse best part is, you can also buy all the track needed for whatever layout you like from atlas or some other company like http://www.trainsetsonly.com/
The best thing about layouts is that if you don’t like it, everything is recyclable so do it again! When I lived at home, my parents also limited me to a small space (4x8), but I was able to do some interesting things with it. Think outside the table top…
As James said, consider thinking outside the table top. Here (http://www.layoutdesignservice.com/lds/samples/betterbeginnerlayout.htm) is a layout that takes up the same space as your 8x8 table, yet offers much better operation. It is acheivable for a beginner, especially with some help from your parents, has easier access, and won’t dominate the space as badly.
