Hey Everyone,
Have a 10 foot wall that I would like to build a switcing layout on. Does anyone have any good ideas. It could only be 10 foot long and 2 feet wide. I would like it to have 24 radius curves and be modern day UP or BNSF. Already have BNSF stuff so BNSF would be better. Have only been modeling for almost 4 years and would be first serious layout. Any help would be nice. I model HO by the way.
Thanks everyone
Welcome to layout building!
“Modern” implies fewer, larger industries and sometimes longer cars (such as intermodal), which can be a bit of a challenge in a small space, But here’s an example of an HO layout with some fair-sized industries in 2’X10’
This is my slight modification of Jonathan Jones’ terrific switching layout from MR May 2001. The version i drew above is 24" minimum radius except for the one tight curve indicated. Turnouts are HO PECO Code 75 Medium or larger.
We discussed this layout in some detail a while back.
http://cs.trains.com/trccs/forums/t/133130.aspx
There are number of other shelf-style switching layouts in my layout design gallery, but this is a fine one that is already the size you are considering.
Byron
The above layout offers some pretty good switching on a point-to-point layout. May I suggest that you use SceniKing sequential 11"x7" panorama, for the background. If you plan to paint the wall behind the layout, you can match the uniform blue color of the tops of the SceniKing sections, or perhaps tack on a 2-3 ft. high background to the back of the layout. Perhaps an urban industrial background of kitbashed industries along part of the wall. Bob Hahn
I am currently modeling a switching layout myself in the modern era. The size is about 64” by 96 “in HO scale “U” shaped. I am not following any particular prototype, but I am loosely basing my layout on the SE Side of around the area. I do have a yard where everything happens. The one big industry I have is a grain elevator. I also have plans for a large lumber yard (transload), a scrap yard and an area to load/unload automobiles. Based on your ideas you will be running many locals and not any through freights. I wish I had a printed track plan for you but I always make changes on the fly. 10 by 2 sounds like more than enough space for what you are doing and the possibilities are endless. Good Luck!!!
hi bnsf 'er,
If you like urban railroading Byron Henderson presented you a wonderful design. Only problem I see is staging; if you build it as it is, you will always have the same cars on your layout. Even worse the cars “you” loaded never leave town. The PRR track and the track directly above it could be fiddled. You take, with your own hands, the cars from the track and place others back on; cars from the PRR on the outer track and cars from the BNSF on the inner home track. (PRR should be UP of course).
Or you could extend the curve at the right side to a cassette; it takes 3 foot extra space (one for the curve extension and two for the cassette) but could be done as a removable part stored elsewhere.
Cuyama is very helpfull, you can ask him how or if he would add staging.
For a more rural look you can find in the trackplan database the Walla Walla. The east leg with its passing siding will fit in a 10x2 space. Some adjusting will have to be done.
one other: Bob Smaus’ Port of Los Angelos layout (also on Byron Hendersons=Cuyama’s webside; home.earthlink/modelrailservices/inspirational layouts) and two websides:
My layout is 10 foot by 2.5 feet switching layout bases on an Ian Rice track plan from a few years back based on a harbor , my layout is freelanced in the 1970’s so I run some larger cars .
Hey Everyone,
Thanks for your help, i’m starting to get an idea of what I would like but I was thinking, do I need a staging yard because I would like to operate it as a real railroad and I don’t know if I could do that. It can be just on the side so the layout would be 10x2 with a 4 foot extension off the edge so it looks like a L. I would also like a industry that takes grain hoppers and one that takes boxcars and containers. This is my first true layout so it can’t be to complicated. I model HO by the way. And thanks for helping me out guys, this forum is a big help.
Thanks Everyone,
hi, without a name
Problem is your input. Cuyama (Byron Henderson) gave you a nice design. The industy at the top (right) could be an elevator complex, all the other’s can take boxcars or containers. A container is a modern box. Or do you want a container terminal; these are uaualy big, fitting in on a small pike can be difficult.
If you can make a L-shaped layout you could hide the staging tracks behind a row of containers. But, your input again, you do not tell how wide your extension can be.
Helping you to a start is made more easy when you tell us what you like or dislike. What do you really feel about Jonathan Jones’ design? Did you really study the websides mentioned? Were there any layouts you fancied? Name them; give us a clou. Did you go through the trackplan database? Or 102 trackplan book? Try to get Model Railroad Planning magazine and Great Model Railroads from the last years. There must a RR of two you wow.
Byron Henderson named cornerstones of a good design on his webside; find them and remember them. My cornerstones are: 1) getting cars to or from the rest of the world (staging and interchange), 2) spurs to load or unload cars and 3) a passingsiding to get cars on or from facing and trailing spurs. Every modelrailroad with these three points in, can be operated like the real thing.
Have fun doing and share the results.
Paul
Hi,
some months ago I started a thread called “Ideas for scenic Switching Layout” and received many valuable answers and comments
http://cs.trains.com/trccs/forums/t/153668.aspx?PageIndex=9
You may find some interesting options there.
My last plan for a switching layout may not fit in the space you have, but it could also act as some food for thought:
Here’s a Bing Birdseye of a “small” container facility in Detroit. You could do a compressed version of something like this along the front edge of your layout, and flip it in order to imply the container lot as being in your aisleway. It will still eat up some space, as you’d want to leave room for trucks and trailers to detail the scene.
I second Paul’s suggestion for considering detachable cassettes for staging, as they can be removed and stowed out of the way when the layout is not in use.
Posting a sketch of your room with door/window/other obstacle details would be helpful, so we can see where other elements can be squeezed in or tacked on.
hi
I reworked Jonathans Jones and Byron Henderson’s plan a bit into an L-shaped plan.
On the new shelf one track is for staging behind a row of containers.
We can only help if you tell us your ideas and your feelings.
Paul
Hey Paul,
That is like exactly what i would like but the part with staging would be just for staging, what I would like is a warehouse, grain elevator, and something that takes tank cars. The wall is 10 feet long and their is no windows or doors to worry about. The staging yard would be 4 feet long and 1 1/2 feet wide, It can be staging where it is not hidden, I don’t know if it’s staging then. Thanks for all your help. Sorry if I have been confusing. Name is Taylor btw.
Thanks Everyone.
Hi Taylor –
So, the space you have available is L-shaped - 10 feet long and 2 feet deep along one wall, and either 4 or 6 feet out from the corner along the neighboring wall - about 18" deep on that wall. It is not clear from how you describe your layout whether four feet is from the wall or from the edge of the ten-foot length baseboard. Which is it ?
In four feet of track, you can have a grand total of about 4 H0 scale modern 89-foot railroad cars. Or 5 60-foot cars, or 8 H0 scale 1940-1950 era 40-foot cars.
Or 7 N scale 89-foot cars, 9 N scale 60-foot cars, or 14 N scale 40-foot cars. Needed length for cars are found by taking car length and dividing by scale factor (87.1 for H0, 160 for N scale).
You don’t have room for staging of long trains of modern cars in four feet in H0 scale. No matter whether staging is open or hidden. If you are committed to the idea of modern (ie longer) cars, looking into N scale might be advisable.
If you don’t want hidden staging (i.e. if it is not important for you to simulate trains “arriving from ” or “departing for ”), you might as well forget all about staging - just put the cars you want onto your layout “having just arrived” or “having been dropped off by a previous train”, and use the space for modelling your industries instead of having an arriving trains drive 4-6 feet totally visible from staging into the main leg of the layout.
I would advise just going with
Hi Tayor,
The design I gave you was intended to let you think. You did respond in way I did not expect; you seem to make problems where there aren’t any and don’t seem to notice where the real problems are.
Stein spelled it out for you, hidden or not is not the issue, the staging track is only three foot long. If you want more staging tracks you need to add switches and you will end up with no length at all.
Using your space well, let the extension do double duty, would be no problem to me unless I had a far larger space. The final choice is yours, of course. Stein used different words: I call his idea’s “on line staging”. Byron Henderson’s PRR interchange track could be used that way, perhaps you can add a track up front on the extension that can be used in the very same way.
Staging is about setting up your trains or cars prior to a operating session. You can do it by hand; so cars switched the previous day are taken off the layout and new “fresh” cars are placed on the layout. This is the ante-session. Only after this is done the real operating can start.
The choice between modern or older is a real problem area as well. Stein spelled it out for you allready. If you want to have a continious run (an oval) also, N-scale would be a better choice. Better change now, then waiting till you have spend a lot of money and regret your choices afterwards.
SPEEDY EXP. CO not only cares for transport but does warehousing as well. Oil facility’s were usualy set aside from other buildings due to fire hazards. Most important spurs are the team track and the interchange facility; never forget those. This was a non problem; but I even designed another flaw in: the radius leading to the intermodel fac. is only 18". Not to your standards.
Does it makes the design ba
Hey Paul,
I pay for all of my stuff except for birthdays and stuff. Sorry for making things harder for everyone, i’m trying hard to get this right. I have a drawing of the room and layout size drawn and where it is going but how do you post it one here. Thanks for your and everyones help. I am also staying with HO because I have trains, Freight Cars, and Buildings.
Thanks Everyone,
Taylor
Sign up for some free image sharing website - e.g. http://www.photobucket.com
Upload picture to photobucket
Under picture at photobucket you find various links, including ones that start with [ img]
Copy that link, paste into your post here.
That’s it 
Smile,
Stein
hi Taylor
You are learning very fast. You have provided a great drawing and you did it at once. Great job!. You have a nice room; big question however is: Are you allowed to use the whole room or is this your bedroom and has the room other purposes to serve as well?
You have allready cars and buildings, so may be you can tell us more about them. It can give an idea where you are heading at. And please tell what you think about the design Byron Henderson gave you. Feel free to do so; the more we know about your “wishes” the more easy it gets, to come up with an alternative if needed.
Staging is a nice example: "do you want whole trains in staging and no hands on the cars " or “no staging at all” or “staging as a small BNSF transfer yard” or …?
And remember: your plan, your wishes and your desisions are making it your ultimate pike.
Paul
Here’s some decent designs…
http://www.huntervalleylines.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=random&cat=0&pos=-3
here is the basic idea i am using for my shelf / switching layout. i don’t remember who the original designer was.
this is what i ended up with. HO scale, 2’ x 10’ with basic benchwork and foam base. i added a spur and a crossing for extra interest. i kept the spurs short trying to make a switching puzzle (Time Saver??) which can be added to the bigger layout later.
close up of coal unloading track.
my wife tells me the pink foam is perfect to get girls into the hobby. so far my 3 daughters have not been interested in watching the trains go back-and-forth.
Hey Paul,
That is all the space I can use. The buildings are a few city type buildings, not industries. The cars I would probably replace since they came in a train set and aren’t very good, I do have a few athearns I would keep though, bnsf covered hopper and ttx lumber car. I would like atleast 3 industries to switch that would keep one, maybe two people busy. Grain Elevator, warehouse, and maybe an oil dealer or propane dealer. 24 radius curves atleast for mainline. Alittle flexible on spurs and staging.
To tell you the truth, I don;t know what the differences in staging are. It could also be used as a yard with some staging hidden behing it, I don’t knoe if that works.
Thanks,
Taylor