I just moved my office into my home and I plan to work from home. As part of this move, I am building shelves in the corner. Now I have the stuff sitting around to build a N-scale layout, but I can’t build one that takes attention like a switching layout.
So that means I have to be able to turn the trains. But I can come out too far into the room or in no longer looks like a shelf and it defeats the purpose–and risks veto from my higher authority. So figure I’m running a modern NS mixed freight and a modern Amtrak, what is the minimum radius turn I can negotiate–not that necessarily looks good, because I can disguise that.
Folks may toss 9.75" or 11" at you, but if you’ve got passenger cars and 6-axle diesels, you praobably need to go 13". That’s not just for looks… My old layout had 11" radius curves and my 6-axle E8 and E7 locos would come close to binding in those curves. Forget it completely if you consider someday to run steam. I’d say for peace of mind, not an inch under 13".
Others may disagree. But since switching to N scale in 2002 I’ve hit it pretty hard, trying to fit large steam and 20-car trains on a hollow-core door; I feel confident I’ve tested the limits of N scale.
How much room do you have? You will probably need to run 15" radius curves for the passenger equipment. My passenger coaches make it around 12 3/8 radius curves on my layout and it ain’t pretty. But those coaches are 79’ 8" and no skirting around the trucks. My diner car don’t make it, it is 83’ 2" long with some skirting above the trucks. The skirting keeps the trucks from turning far enough to make the turn.
That’s the problem. I have 53" from my desk to the wall in one direction and 60" on the other. If I go with 15" radius turns, then I am looking at coming out from the wall 32" minimum leaving 21" clearance desk to layout. I have to get my chair out from behind the desk to be more intimate with my clients when they come over.
Having a 12-18 inch shelf is one thing, 30" takes over the room. This is a professional office not a den. It would have been cool to set a train running on one shelf though.
I think you can make 13" work, with easements. It looks like that would fit in you space. Or, perhaps run four axle stuff and call it a branch line, so you coud still be modern.
No the desk would fit. It’s just that the power, network and phones have been run to the other side. My wife would not let me tear into existing walls.
Place the desk between the large door and the fireplace, place your layout where the desk is shown in your drawing and run your cables ON the layout disguised as oilpipe lines or similar.[swg]
No, it’s an exterior wall with the pitch coming straight down on top of it. It was bad enough pulling the cable to the center wall. It took four of us. Besides, having just spent the money to pull three cables to where it is, my wife would shoot me if I decided to move it.
What is the mantle elevation in relation to your target layout height? If close perhaps run an additional narrow shelf above the mantle and over behind the desk for that “out in the boondocks” customer. Won’t give a continuous running operation but would extend the travel time.
Which is exactly why I’d reconsider a layout in there. Not so much for not looking like you’re a kid playing with trains (which is what some of your clients WILL think for sure), but also because it could be a major distraction. (I know for me, this forum is a bad enough temptation throughout the workday, I couldn’t possibly imagine dealing with a layout in the office too!)
