Suggestions for a 12 X 19 attic space track plan

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
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I am currently looking for suggestion for a track plan for a 12 X 19 attic space. The room has a barn type ceiling. I have looked on the track plan database but the layouts there less than 100 sq. ft are table tops or one wall switching layouts… anybody have a track plan near my size they might be willing to share. I’m in the process of ripping my old layout out and remodeling my house. In a couple months it will be time to began again… any suggestion would be great. Thanks

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Welcome to the forums.

There was an article awhile ago on expanding a 4x8 (or any other plan, even N or O). When you look at a table layout, envision it as though you were operating it from the center and the tracks running on a shelf around the center pit. I am working with a smaller space than you have, but I am looking at other types of layouts and altering them for my space.

At the moment the Lime Ridge & Hercules and Portland & Western RR is the basic plan I am looking at. It has a center operating area, but another plan could be expanded to fit on that benchwork. Not sure if I will use the track plan or not, but it gives me some ideas.

I will have to have some sort of access, am leaning toward a tip up to go in front of the door. If I have the layout set high enough, I am agile enough at the moment to duck under it, but I have friends that will need it opened and some day I may need to use it.

Many of the table plans have a track across the middle, just eliminate it or make it a siding on each side of the layout. One article, the owner had a removeable bridge at an angle, taking his trains from one side to the other across the center.

Good luck,

Richard

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Hi Skipper,

Will the attic be remodeled, as well? While I don’t have a track plan suggestion for you, you may want to consider insulating the walls and ceiling of your attic; for provision for heating & cooling to minimize the temperature extremes to your layout. Otherwise, your newly laid track will be susceptible to buckling and kinking.

Just sayin’…

Tom

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Hi Skipper1071,

Lucky you getting to start a new layout!

A few questions:

  • What scale?

  • What type of layout theme do you want, i.e. heavy industrial, mountainous logging, wide open prairies, urban passenger service…?

  • Do you want continuous running?

  • Would it be possible for you to provide us with a floor plan showing all the obstacles like the door/stairs leading into the attic, where the windows are (if you need to avoid them), chimneys, plumbing stacks etc?

  • Are you willing to consider a removable bridge that might go across the entrance to the attic?

  • If the walls are sloped, what is the actual size of the room at the height that you want the layout to be at?

  • How tall are you? In other words, how far will you be able to reach?

That might help the forum members come up with some suggestions.

Dave

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Dave! Thanks for the reply…

Answers

Ho Scale

Late 50s through early 70s (ish) … some industrial… freight

continuous running would be nice… The layout that’s coming out had a drop bridge over the entrance of the layout room… but… I also had it set up to do switching around the room if you didn’t want to run loops…

the room is a large rectangle… 12 feet wide… 19 feet long… Barn Roof starts at (yuck) 5 feet up the wall from the floor… current layout is five feet… comes off the wall into the room 2 1/2 feet … I also had benchwork that came off the wall opposite the entrance out into the midde of the room with industry for switching - 2ft X 10ft. Some extra benchwork took care of the turns onto the middle table

The entrance is on one end of a 12ft wide wall… the room is 19t deep…

I’m 5ft 9… reach is a 2ft… 2 1/2 with a little learn…lol

I’m looking for a special track plan… I have a cabnet maker who is going to work with me to build the bench work and build storage cabnets under the layout… it will be left open during track building and wire/dcc install … we will also be lighting the layout track lighting as well a a bus wire for lighting building/ect on the layout.

I’m 55 and I’d like to improve on all the mistakes I’ve made in the past… no bad but little things you learn on the journey of modeling… . I’d love this to be a railroad that get the “Wow” when you walk into the room.

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Attic is insulated and has central heating and air… I’ve had a layout in this room … time for a rebuild! … You are correct… it is a great idea to finish an attic space if it’s unfinished… Thanks Tom

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Richard,

The last layout I had in this room was around the room… however I would consider a large table in the center with operation around the outside…??? maybe with a removable bridge that lets trains stage over and down one of the 19ft sides … ??? Interesting… Thanks for your reply

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You should look at the next size up - the square footage size in the track plan database seems to be the overall room size rather than square footage of the layout. Something near to 12x19 will be 200+ square feet. That doesn;t mean a giant 12x19 island with track on it, an around the walls 12x19 layout will be in that size category as well. Look for things slight smaller in one or both dimensions - you cna always expand, or maybe make the main line curves an inch or two larger radius to expand a slightly smaller plan to your space. Trying to cut a slightly larger one down to fit is much more difficult.

–Randy

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Randy! Thanks… I looked and found several… I may take sections of several different plans I saw… a yard from one plan, industrial area from another… I really getting excited. I’ve had my current layout for almost 10 years. I’m ready to start over and use things I’ve learned over the past years. Going for the “wow” factor on this layout.

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To me, its sounds simple ; you already have/had a layout, so you must/should know what you want. Around the room,point to point,dog bone ect.

Then take a tape rule,measure the room for exacty how mutch room you really have. Allowing for head room space to walk/work, windows.

Then build benchwork,lay track. It would be apretty good trick to find a planthat would fit.

Or you could cut out a pile of paper templates buy a doz.rolls of tape,and spend the next year or so playing pin the turnout on the table

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Unclebutch,

The layout I had in the room was started around 10 years ago… we are updating the house…I decided to update the layout room so I’m taking out the Gulf Breeze & Holley and starting over with a clean slate… I do have some ideas but with any blank page I’m taking suggestions and looking to decide just how to re-boot. Imput is always welcome…

Thanks

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Hello, Skipper! You may also want to consider how far the layout needs to be set into the room and away from the sloping eaves. This will give you more vertical space if you’re planning on adding a backdrop and lighting valances.

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Skipper:

You mention the slope starts at 5’ above the floor. My layout is 50" above the floor and I am 6’. Yoy might consider a lower than 5’ layout to allow higher rise scenery elements on these sides.

You probably already know to keep 3’ aisles, so that means a two foot wide peninsula if it runs long ways on.

Dave

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Just thinking outloud: How do you expect anyone to suggest what you may or may not like. We/I donot know you,your likes, needs,wants. Nor can we share your vison of the results.

IMHO.The benchwork comes first, to use any and all usable space,keeping in mind movement and reach. I question the need of a cabint maker, but thats your call. The ''so called ‘’ best plan out there is of no value if it wont fit.

Take your ideas and make them ‘‘real’’.on paper, or use templates I prefer track and turnouts. Putt them where you think they should be,conect the dots. If not, switch them around,keeping your end goal in mind.

I’m on my 4th and last ‘‘no plan’’ layout. Its been up and running for over a year. It does just what I wanted, but over time I found a few spots that I want something else, I have no issurs in tearing them out and redoing,soon as I recover from this flu bug.

I have come to realize that some folks have found yet another level of the hobby,

the never ending planning stage

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Unclebutch,

The reason I’m using cabnet maker… I had a stroke a couple years back… while I can still lay track and build models with no problem… bench work is a little much… I’m going to let him do the “heavy lifting” My aim was to find some cool track plans I might adapt to fit my space… I have found a few. I created my current layout like you… creating as I went along… This time I thought I’d get a track plan, design the bench work… have the really sharp guy that is building some other stuff for me during our house remodel build the bench work and design a storage and work area… so… again I’m track planning now but I will not get “stuck”… this is all going on paper and construction will get under way, I hope, in 2 or 3 months…

Thanks…

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davidmurray,

Yes! … I’m thinking about having a large yard on a center peninsula, with trains exiting to the left and right around the edge of the room… and back to the yard … that’s the current thinking…

Thanks Dave

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You mentioned cabinets under the layout. Sounds good for storage but can be a nightmare for access the the underside of the layout for wiring. My layout is in an area that already had some cabinets and I built over the top of them. Made access very difficult in those areas.

Also, don’t eat up all your floor space with layout. You will need a workbench area. Include that in your plan.

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PED,

You bring up a good point. The layout I’m taking out of the room had nothing underneath. I used some of the area under the layout to store rolling stock boxes and scenery/extra equipment storage. One area had a undershelf I built for the DCC/Program track equipment.

I’ve been thinking about storage. I had these thoughts, maybe you or someone else can improve on what I have in mind.

  1. Design the benchwork and have storage cabnets that would roll under the layout that could be removed to get to the bus wire and drops from the track. This might be a tight fit.

  2. Design the cabnets into the benchwork, after the layout wireing is done then the shelves could be put in and stocked… however… this might be a pain if had to add something later or work on something… you’d have to unload the cabnet as opposed to rolling it out of the way…

This topic is another reason for putting this post out on the forum. Someone might have a better idea or has come up with something better for their layout.

workbench: the wife and I are empty nesters… I have the bedroom that leads to the layout room as a “caboose room” for a work area. I’m having a new work area built in that room along with shelving for rolling stock storage/display. However I’d rather have it in the layout room to keep down on clutter. All those empty boxes take up space I’d rather use for other things in the “caboose room”.

thanks

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You guys are right about a work bench/area. Something I lacked in the first 3, but incroperated in the 4th. Made a real difference, IMO the closer to the layout the better.

As to under layout storage; Once built ,its not often,but you still need to have acess. In my case I found that the back of the bottom shelf is a no man land. Any thing you put down there you will forget,and add the fact you can’t see it, its gone forever.

I found those plastic drawer units on rollers work the best,many different sizes,I got a better chance at finding something, and can be rolled out for acess

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That raises the possibility of having off layout staging and a test track that is connected directly to the layout. All it would take is one little hole in the wall. Check for wires and stack vents before getting out the sawsall.

I’m firmly in the camp that believes in planning your layout first. That includes things like deciding on a minimum radius. I mention radius specifically because, if you were to go with a center peninsula as someone suggested, the radii needed to get on and off of the peninsula could interfere with the placement of the tracks on either wall. Of course it depends on what type of equipment you will be running, but if you can avoid 18" radius curves that would be a good thing.

One question - is the door in the middle of the wall? In other words, how much space is there to either side of the door?

Dave