I’m planning on building a HO scale in a small bedroom (bedroom has a bed a closet 2- shvelves a dresser and a file cabnet) but I can’t think of a small layout size for HO (or N if better) which is still fun to operate with.
well, you could do like i did in my small bedroom and build it around the walls at doorsill level. My room is 10X11 wilth the layout 2 feet wide all the way around. Plenty of switching, im happy
Any size of layout can be fun to operate! For a bedroom, one of the best ways to put lots of layout in the room and still use the room for other things is an around-the-room shelf layout. This can be built in steps (build along one wall, then another, then another) or all at once (with a “bridge” across the door and the closet, which can be tucked out of the way when someone wants in.)
I wouldn’t call that a small layout at all–maybe medium-sized.
Kinda like me. My room is 9 x 11 with a 2 x 7 closet. My current layout is about 2 feet deep and traveres the edges of the room and fills the closet space. The result is an overall 11 x 11 with 3 main lines and not much switching. I’m not one of those “switching is fun” guys. Its designed for watching trains glide around through nice scenery.
And I agree with Jetrock, a bedroom sized layout isn’t small. Its average. Most model railroaders don’t have an ernormous space under their house in which to built a layout. Most of us have our dreams compressed to fit in a bedroom.
I’m 10x7. Very modest. But planned well, it will be enough until that time (if) you can build something bigger. Around the walls about 2ft out. You’ll be surprised how much you can get in a space like this.
instead of messing around with a bridge, i just built my layout right at the doorsill level. Yes, it is a pain to work that close to the ceiling, but my layout is just one piece.