Ok…For thos e who have John Armstrong’s book Track Planning For Realistic Operation,
I am wanting to go with a combination layout. I have considered my Givens and my Druthers. I like the layout on page 102 (Fig. 8-7)…with a few modifications that I will make in order to fit my druthers.
Q: If anyone has that book…I would be interested to know how big a table is needed for that layout in Fig 8-7.
Mike/Nightshade
Note this must be referring to the Third Edition. have to go dig mine out, only my Second Edition is at hand and there isn;t even a page 102 in that version. Which layout is this, the one he walks through the design of, with the stacked loops and future extension to a carfloat? Or the previous one that’s like a backwards Z shape?
–Randy
This is a pretzel with 5 passing tracks. He is discussing good and bad cutoff tracks.
It’s the layout between his continuous section and his point to point section.
Unless I’m seriously mistaken, that’s Fig. 7-7 in my first edition. Granted that it’s only a sketch, I’d say it should fit on a table approximately 3+ by 6.5 squares. If you can make it longer, sqeezing the center toward the top would do wonders for accessibility (which, as drawn is abominable for anything but a pure island or one end against the wall scheme.)
Adding a yard, engine service facilities, staging, industries… will increase the space requirements, and their location may have a big impact on table geometry.
Chuck
It’s 7-7 in the second edition too. Or maybe that’s the one you have. The guys building a layout ont he nose of the loco is the second edition.
Anyway, I concur with the size estimate. If the radius is sufficiently large, and it gets extended a bit in length - the middle could be left open, sort of like what I have built for now - my layout is 8x12 but there’s a 4x8 open space in the middle because it’s made up of 4 identical 2x8 tables connected together. It’s sort of an ‘old’ way of doing things, with the center ‘operating pit’ but it would work. Just because the present trend is towards narrow shelf around the walls type of layouts doesn’t mean old styles can’t be fun to operate.
–Randy
I was worried about that. I only really have 7’ x 13’ of benchwork space available to me, and 2’ of walking space around three sides of that.
I guess I really only have enough room for a ‘G’ style track pattern, don’t I…
I was also playing around with the idea of a detachable ‘Leg’ off of that space for a small, modest ladder yard that I could store when not running trains.
That’s really all I have until the daughter goes to college and I can re-negotiate for additional real estate! :))
Here’s my issue right now…I look at track layouts and see the Twice Arounds, Pretzels, Out and Backs, etc…but I don’t know what size tables those can fit on. I know if you make the turns as tight as possible (like with 18" sectional curves) you can do a lot, but I don’t want sharp curves like that.
So…anyone got some simple layouts that work in my space that would allow me to use as a starting point to which I can then add my druthers?
Mike/Nightshade
Do you need to retain the walking around space or can you build against the walls? Sounds like the actual room size in 9x15. Leave out space for the door, and the closet door and see what you have.
The first place to start is a sketch of the space, with the obstacles clearly marked. Then you cna start getting an idea of what will fit. If you can go against the walls, you can fit quite a bit in 2 1/2 - 3 walls worth of a 9x15 room. The central areas can be narrow, it just needs to bulge out at the ends for the turnback curves. There should even be room to add a small penninsula for an industrial switching area somewhere in the middle.
If you don’t already have a large investment in HO - what about N scale?
–Randy
I have done the following with very good results: I first find a trackplan, then figure out how much room it would take using some sort of graph paper and a scale to get in in the 85-90% range. Then, I lay masking tape in the area that I know I can use, keeping in mind occasional maintenance access and normal operational requirements.
So, mark out your “space”, as previously determined/negotiated. Then mark out your desired bench dimensions…both of these with a couple of rolls of 5/8" maksing tape. Then, start laying out your critical curves using a yardstick or a string and pivot for radii. Finally, join your curve ends with straight tangents of tape. Stand up often to have a gander at what you have created…any hiccups?
At some point, you will “know” when it all seems right. Don’t forget, though that if you have any grades, you must have previously calculated how much run you will need to get the clearances over any other tracks or roads, or to get up to bridge decks. You need to keep a 3-D image of the whole thing in your mind.
That has worked well for me, and the rest is just plumbing off the tape as you go along.
Thanks for the info.
My space is in the garage. Not a typical garage…fully finished with air/heat. Yes, I have given up my side of the garage for MRR. Now if that isn’t dedication, I don’t know what is! 
My side even has rubber parquet tiles made for garage floors. The land baron’s side has her car. I will need to do an island style layout as I have to roll the layout around (it will have castors…nice ones too)…so no walls are available to me due to cabinetry.
I will move the benchwork over to the wall when not running. That will give me 4 feet of clearance between the car and benchwork…and 2 feet on either end.
Not the best of worlds, but I don’t want to wait 6 more years before my oldest is out of the house and a room becomes available. I was eyeing the spare room but it is for guests, I’ve been told.
Selector…I like your idea. I am using AutoCAD to do my layout. I have a library made up of all the turnouts, crossings and wyes I’d need, plus the space drawn (I’m using flex track for my tangents and curves). I also have the grade issue taken care of. I just need ideas of simple layouts, and then I’ll modify to fit my druthers.
Mike/Nightshade
P.S. I’m also going HO because I have money tied up in it already.