Anyone have good ideas or plans for a 2x8 layout. I already have my plywood/foam on shelf brackets against the wall, can’t think of a good layout!
Don
2x8 isn’t a lot of room for running long trains even in N Scale. You might consider an urban, water-front layout where trains come in from “offstage” and deliver cars to several industries and piers. A car-float would provide interchange opportunities. This would provide good switching opportunities, a reason to run all kinds of freight cars and a destination for passenger trains.
Here’s a 2x8’-6 plan that I never built.
http://www.northernstudio.com/mcrr/images/mcrr_waterfront.jpg
It was to be fed by a helix and serve as one end of a point-to-point layout. It served a large depot and a smaller one at a ferry dock. It has a freight station and some coal docks. It was inspired by the early Roundout area of Kingston, NY. A small yard serves to turn trains.
Wayne
Wayne
This is a great size if you want a switching layout. It is possible to have curves, but it would be a tight radius, like 10".
What you might want to consider is finding some urban port area and model the industries and yards and piers and such. You could even shave 6 inches off the back to make two 6"x4’ staging wings, so your trains would have places to go to and come back from.
Go to Mike’s Small Trackplans page. He might have something you could adapt.
m
Here’s a thought that I did. I put a 32" dogbone at each end to allow for the possibility of continous running. I also later added an L section but if room is a problem the dogbone opens your possibilities. Dave