Need some HO layout insperration

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

You know I did not think i would have much of a problem coming up with a plan for the new layout. But at this point I am stumped. I have some books ordered from my local Library, hoping I can find some inspiration.

I have a good sizes room, at 19 X 26 foot. But it sure starts to seem small when you start throwing in 36" turns.

Any sires that have larger layouts diagrams?

I am open to either a Duck Under or a Lift Up section.

What I want

1 4 Main lines, 2 high speed mains and 2 short line.

2 Turns for big Steam and Diesels Prefer 36 max down to 24. Will go smaller for spurs and team track

3 Elevation up to around 6 inches

4 Bridges where the lines can cross each other.

5 Small Town Passenger Station spur that will hold 10 cars

6 Small town, around 20 buildings

7 Coal Mine (have the Walther)

8 Grain Elevator

Would be nice if I had

1 Room for my good 6 stall engine house (it will sallow a Big Boy)

2 Area I can store 6 built trains with around 20 cars. Can be on a lower deck, hidden or none hidden section.

3 Some switching, I mainly rail fan.

For those that might be that might be inclined to doddle here is a drawing of the garage. Each square is 1 foot.

Good, seems to posted as a bigger picture this time. Now for the tour so to speak.

At the very top, I subtracted approximately 3 inches to clear the braces and tracks of the garage door.

Left side starting at the 10 foot mark. That is where my window A/C unit is located. I marked out a 3 X 3 section so I can get to the A/C unit for when it needs work. I am thinking of doing a lift out hatch so I can get to the A/C or build that section extra strong If I

2

You’ve got everything but a purpose for your layout to exist. Without a reason, there can be no track plan. Ask yourself: What am I hauling? For whom am I hauling it? Where am I hauling it to and from? What is the topogrophy through which I must build this railroad? What towns and industries am I building a railroad to in order to serve them and make money for myself? When you answer those questions, the track plan will draw itself.

3

How about having your mine on a penninsula? Depending on your plans for numbers of people during operating sessions (needing wider asiles), it could be a single line going out to the mine and any other small industry/town on the way to the mine. It could also be double sided with a divider down the center, extending the length of your branchline. Youre desired mainline radius would be a bit large out there.

Go for a ride in your Cuda Ken and clear your mind.

Good luck,

4

Round house with turntable or in-line? Those always consume sooo much space.

5

Guess the first thing is to let you folks know I am a rail fan, I just like to watch the trains. Some switching would be nice but it is not the main roll of the layout. All so why I want a new layout, I want 4 mains so I can run 4 trains and if I get distracted they won’t run into each other.

99.9% I run the layout by my self, when I do have company beside Simon, his two sons around 10 and 12 years old.

Far as industries, I would be pulling coal and grain mainly. There is all so a Beer Warehouse, Small Metal shops and a General Store. Plus your normal down town business.

Far as topography, I will have large hills / mountains with some grades. Want to keep the grades below 2.5% and prefer 2.0%. I all so want some bridges.

Far as the engine house, it has 6 parallel doors and at this point no turntable is planed.

Ken

6

hi,

you’ve given us a lot to think about. Lack of inspiration often come from a false start. How to get a 36 radius in?

I do not know if your familiar with the John Armstrong term “square”; your radius plus 6 inches. Such a square would be about 42" x 42" . For a station you’ll need the length of your trains plus space for turnouts. Add two end-curves and the length of your layout has to be 8 squares, about 28 feet; the long wall to the left is 23 feet long. All other walls are much shorter. Do you want to much?

What do you mean by 4 mainlines? Just like HorseShoe on the PRR? A four track mainline will ask for very complicated and above all long rows of switches, unless all are operated separately. You have not enough space for a central peninsula with an end loop, it would be a great place for a switching district.

A twice around main, with underground staging, and a junction to a switching district. This could mean 2 times 4 tracks on the lift out section. The junction can be the place for an engine terminal and a classification yard. In 102 Realistic Track Plans you could have a look at # 46, the Ozark Lines Division Point by Andy Sperandeo; though on a 1 track main. Are you asking to much?

I would start by making an other drawing of your room, where at least the outlines of your empire are clear. I will try to make a drawing tomorrow.

Paul

7

Paul, I have been rethinking the 36 inch turns. I don’t need that big of a turn to handle the Engines and rolling Stock I run. Plus, so far most of the turns will be view from the inside so over hang will not show that badly.

This is the Doddle i have been playing with today.

The turns are 32, 30, 28 and 26. The turnout mess in the lower left corner is me trying to fit in the Walther New River Mining Company. Atlas RTS 8.0 only gives you one turnout sizes and I am guessing it is #6. I will be using a Peco 3 way switch to get into the mine and #4 Atlas’s to get out of the mine.

Section of track that runs by the A/C would be for storage. It would be covered by a lift off hill.

At the top, for the two inside lines. Might places my town there using a 5 X 9 section. Would be a out side loop using 22 or 24 inch turns.

Far as running the 4 lines separate, I have thought about it. Right now I have 39 turnouts on my bench. I use 2 of them about ever other day. 4 more about ever other week. Rest pretty much sit there. Today I have ran three trains for a few hours, have yet to throw a turnout.

Thank you for your time and advise! I am still in the thinking stage, thinking Z Scale! [:D] Just kidding.

Ken

8

Ken here is what I came up with for my 24’ x 15’ room. I had three doors, a fireplace, a five foot opening into the room and a rather large window to deal with. The track plan is not nearly as crowded on the final version as on the trackplan. It is probably nothing like the vision you have for your space but it might give you some ideas of how things might fit. It is nice to have the space finally.[:)]

Brent

9

This is a diagram of my 23’x23’ garage loft HO DCC layout. This would be comparable to the area thst you have available. My layout has 110 turnouts and 260yds. of track. The layout is a freelance, that was preplanned, but constructed in 4 phases over 8 years. There are 6 reverse loops and three wyes, so that 4-6 locos can move independently over some 18 different routes. The theme of my layout is the transition from steam to diesel,and has industries such as lumber, coal mining and delivery, and a 3’x5’ Ashland Iron & Steel complex (including 2 ore carrier boats, on two harbors, a limestone quarry, and coke and gas retort facilities. There is also a stock yard with meat processing plant. Two towns are connected with a Faller Car System roadway. One other industry is a lumber mill. The mountains have a canopy of 650 trees. Follwing are several views of portions of my layout. Click on photos to enlarge them. Bob Hahn

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This is a diagram of my 23’x23’ garage loft HO DCC layout. This would be comparable to the area thst you have available. My layout has 110 turnouts and 260yds. of track. The layout is a freelance, that was preplanned, but constructed in 4 phases over 8 years. There are 6 reverse loops and three wyes, so that 4-6 locos can move independently over some 18 different routes. The theme of my layout is the transition from steam to diesel,and has industries such as lumber, coal mining and delivery, and a 3’x5’ Ashland Iron & Steel complex (including 2 ore carrier boats, on two harbors, a limestone quarry, and coke and gas retort facilities. There is also a stock yard with meat processing plant. Two towns are connected with a Faller Car System roadway. One other industry is a lumber mill. The mountains have a canopy of 650 trees. Follwing are several views of portions of my layout. Bob Hahn

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Batman, thank you for the plan. Would it be possible to get a better picture of it pleas. I have admire your work for sometime now.

HHPATH56, I stole your plans sometime ago. [:D]

I have all so found the other turns outs in the RTS 8.0, I was not looking far enough to the right.

Just picked up 6 track planing books from the Library to see if I can get the creative juices flowing. Took a quick look through John Armstrong’s Classic Layout Designs and saw a few things I liked.

Ken

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Steamtrayn, yes that was inspirational.

(I watched the videos he has linked at the bottom of his post)

May I ask what grade you are running and your average radius is?

All so picked up a few books by John Armstrong and one think stuck me. You don’t have to have big radius to have a fun track.

Ken

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The first thing to do is define the space that you have. How much of the room can you use? Do you need to have a workbench in the same room? You will get more running track if your layout is along the walls with a peninsula or two sticking out toward the center. The longest that you can reach things is about 24 inches. Thus quite a few folks make their benchwork 24 inches wide. The peninsulas can be wider because you will have access from both sides and the end.

What I do for layout design (have done so far) is define my area and benchwork first. Next I decide on a theme. (Mainline running, with a branch line(?) or other special interests.) Then I put in a mainline. I am fond of twice around the room types divided by scenery and grades.
Since I have gotten into operations, I also have a staging area of some sort, whether it is a lay-over for entire trains, or a yard that simulates an interchange yard. One track in staging is a through track for continuous running. If I put cars on it, the layout becomes point to point for operations.
Next I try and determine how many small towns I can have, and possibility one city with a yard and loco facilities, without them crowding one another. Usually small yards and facilities unless I have the room for larger ones. I will try to fit in a way-side industry or two just for variation as long as it won’t crowd things.
Then I go looking at plans for modular railroads. I look for ones that would make good towns or cities because their track plans are usually fairly compact, and most of the way they will be switched is already determined with a good track plan themselves.
Because I freelance, I don’t worry about town and city names etc., but if you want to model a specific prototype, you can name the towns as the railroad you are modeling would, and build or plan you scenery to suite the area you want to model. Also, some of the industries that may be recog

15

Actually, Ken, in my previous post I was trying to show you a diagram of what i did in a similar (though smaller ) space as yours, but i think I figgered out how to do it.

Although our givens and druthers are not exactly the same, you still might get some ideas on which to build your plan . My layout has a double track mainline about 180 feet long in a continuous loop with two grades, a staging yard that will hold four 30 car trains, and curves ranging from 26 to 44 inch radius. The tighter curves could be widenened by expanding toward the left aisle and adding a duckunder.

I could also add a wye to the curve in the botton right corner and a branch line around the heating unit, but since this is just a temporary “practice” layout, I doubt that’s gonna happen.

Like you, I also prefer a railfan-style layout, where I can pick a location and just watch the trains roll by. There is an engine terminal where trains can change power and a small yard where the local can pickup and set out cars, but that’s about it - I get enough switching at work.

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Ken,

I would try to do something similar that Brent (BATMAN) has. That would be a perfect layout for railfanning. With the grade on the outside main you could create some cross over bridges. Also, I would rethink the 4 mainlines, I don’t think it will come out right, might need more space. With 2 mainlines you could run 2 trains on each mainline. With the size of your space, that would be very entertaining. Also, do you want to be able to turn your trains around? Maybe throw a Wye or Reverse Loop in their somewhere.

I would also at least have a minimum radius of 28". That would be a happy medium and all your long passenger cars would still look good on the curves.

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Again I want to think all of you for your times and thoughts on this post!

Steamtrayn Thanks for the answer on your turns, I thought I saw at leas one 40 plus radius. What grades are you running?

Elmer I saved your file sometime ago on making a lift out section, for the last year or so I knew this layout had ran it’s course. Far as the room being ready, need to paint the walls and that is about it. One of the reasons I jumped on this house was due to the fact the garage was finished. It all so has a gas heater and the window A/C.

Far as building the bench first and then coming up with a track plan. Hum, few years ago I seen many post that said come up with the plan, then build the bench to fit the plan. With good planing I guess either way well net good results.

All so Elmer, what is your grades?

Far as reach, I am thinking 30 inches depending on how high I go with this bench. I need to make a mock up of different heights and see how they feel to me.

Micheal If don’t add two more mains there is no reason to tear the current layout down. I all ready have two mains and the track

18

Ken,

Yes I have two different places on my layout that have a 2% grade. I used the Woodland Scenics pre-made flexible foam riser kit. You don’t want to go any higher than 2%.

OK I didn’t realize the main reason for a new rebuild on your layout was to get 4 mains. By all means go for it, that would be very cool. You just might not have any room for a yard or anything, but then again you don’t want much switching. So I think you can make a nice interesting 4 mainline layout with plenty of scenery.

For your cross over bridges, you can do something like I did with my figure 8 loop. I have a 2" foam layer, and I dug down into the foam in order to get the 3.5" clearance on the bridge.

19

Ken, You asked about my grades.

Well, I am a bit of a maverick at times. My grades are a little steeper than a lot of folks like. On the lower modules I try to stay 4% and below. On the track that leads to the upper level, well that one is 5% and requires double heading which makes operations more fun. (If you are going to run multiple engines, you might as well have a real need for them.)

On the benchwork first thing, what I was meaning was to draw your benchwork first, then draw the plan to fit on it. There will always be some adjustments to the benchwork, but at least you can see where it will need to be modified.

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Dang Elmer 5%? You have bigger ones than me! Guess I could use the Big Boy up front and use the Y6 b as a pusher. [:D] How long have you been running the layout and any regrets of your chose of grades?

I made some more room for the layout and playing with a Mountain based on 40 inch turns. The track will cross it self so I may have a steeper grade than I want. Have not done the math yet to see if it can be done or not.

Well I do have plenty of inspiration now. Need to do more doodling.

Ken