when i moved my layout to another location in the house, i changed over to “N” scale for a change of pace and to run longer trains. like all model railroaders i held on to all of my HO locos, cars, track, switches and “stuff”. the N scale layout is coming along nicely and i have been thinking about building a small HO layout to put this stuff to use. i recall seeing a series of articles for a 4x8 layout, with a 16 inch tall back drop down the centre(the long way). it had tunnels on both ends to go from one side(scene) to the other. i seem to remember a track going into a building on one side and coming out of an industry on the other. i have looked through about five years of magazines and havent found it. MRC had one called the Stonega that is similar. anyone recall this or have a plan for a small layout like it.
I know what you’re talking about, but can’t think off hand where I’ve seen the article.
It should be simple enough to replicate without seeing the published plan, though. A 4x8 is only so big, so what you’re really looking at is some variation of a simple loop with 18" - 22" radius curves. To get the industry effect you’re talking about (loads in/empties out and vice versa on the other side), you just have to have two spurs on each side of the backdrop connect to each other through the backdrop. Of course, what you’ve just done now is basically create a reversing section, so pay attention to the wiring there.
The two-sided through-the-backdrop industry thing is a pretty neat trick, and I would like to have something like that on my layout, but it’s hard to pull off successfully on a simple around-the-walls shelf design with limited space [:(]
If you can’t find the article you’re talking about, I’d suggest just going to the Atlas website, check out some of the 4x8 layouts they have there, and modify to suit your needs.
Try this link, thanks HMINKY, it’s not quite a “Board” divider but a mountain or terrain instead and it gives you the in one side out the other type of operation on a 4x8.
You may be thinking of Chris Webster’s On30 layout design in Model Railroad Planning 2002. This uses HO gauge track, so with some adjustment of track-to-track spacing, it could be used for HO scale trains.
As with many HO 4X8s, it suffers from track too close to the edge (exacerbated by the On30 track-to-track requirements). It would be a more practical layout in 5X9 or 5X10, IMHO.
The scene divider is directly across the middle of of the layout, parallel to the long edges. I also personally think that the divider should be angled, or best of all, curved, for better effect on small layouts like this.
The track for the reversing connection passes under a bridge on one side of the divider and passes through a building on the other side of the divider.
One advantage this layout has over other 4X8s is that at least the outer loop uses 22"R curves. But this does bring the track close to the edges, as noted above.
In the same issue, you’ll also find my design for a 4X8 in N scale, which replicates a section of a prototype railroad, Houston’s Port Terminal Railroad Association. This design offers substantial switching, interaction with the SP, and relatively large industries. Interesting to see what’s possible in the same space in the different scales.
If you are set on having a place for the “heritage” HO to run, I’d strongly suggest a 5X8, 5X9 or larger, if you can spare the (slight) additional area. Yes, you’ll have to cut some plywood or ask the lumberyard to do so, but you might well be happier with the layout in the long run. Better still, build the HO layout above or below the N scale in the same “footprint” (if it’s not too late).
