I work with the Australian Defence Force and am looking for a track plan for a switching layout. I will use it as a stress release for myself and soldiers who come to pay me a visit in my office. I was thinking of a size around 8 foot by 18 inches. Possibly in two scales HOn3and a half and HO. I know that MR put out a track plan and I was wondering if there was anyone out there who could tell me which year and month it was in. Also for dual guage track, which is the best to use.
Our local club has a switching module that is 2 feet by 6 feet based on John Allen’s “Timesaver”. If you are not familiar with this, it is actually a “time waster”, since the layout can be run as a puzzle. The sidings are of a specific length so it makes switching the carws around quite difficult. You can “formalize” the game, by randomly picking your starting positions for the cars, and seeing who can switch them to their correct positions in the fewest moves.
The club layout (warning - this site has pop-ups, and is on two different free sites, and is incomplete…! Don’t say I didn’t warn you…):
http://www.cyberus.ca/~g_knowles/sld/sld_index.htm
Here are a few links to switching layouts, including info on the Timesaver:
http://www.wymann.info/ShuntingPuzzles/small-layouts.html
This site has Nscale plans that can be converted to HO, although they might be a bit bigger than what you are looking for:
http://www.naisp.net/users/mfischer/m_train2.htm
If you want some really small layouts, check this out:
http://www.carendt.com/
Doing a switching layout in two gauges (standard HO, and HOn3 1/2) may be really complicated, since you will have a lot of turnouts to do, and two sets of rolling stock. You might consider modelling part of the layout as an interchange between two railroads of different gauges, but maybe not the whole thing…
Good luck, and whatever you decide - let us know!
Andrew
Check out the Atlasrr site. They have an HO and N scale track layout pamphlet that has a few switching layouts. Also give google.com a few clicks.