What do you think of this layout?

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

I am working with 12ft x 8ft in HO scale.

Here is a scaled down model of what I want to with my layout what do you think?

Each square represents 3"

The radius on the curves are some were around 28 I believe there is no grade and I dont have any landscape put into it yet.

If you have anymore questions just ask. Also give me some feed back on what you think.

Thanks

2

Take a look at this one. Maybe you could modify it to suit your needs. This is what I’m doing.
(NOT my design. Someone else on the forum did this. Don’t remember who??)

3

Q: What is the purpose of all those crossovers inside the yard tracks? I’ve never seen such a configuration.

Q: What is the goal of the layout? Looks like something that one would build to park trains in the yard, take a train or two out to run loops, park one, and take another out.

Comments:

Basically a simple loop with a yard (4x8 blown up). Lots of straight track parallel to the edges of the board. I believe you could do much better in the space available.

I don’t believe it is possible to construct the yard lead the way it is drawn on the left hand side.

The entrance to the yard on the right would require many curved turnouts. Is this what you really want?

I would really add some industries. Even if you don’t like switching it would give the feel of being a railroad with some place to generate traffic. You could just put the cars there for the effect.

4

The part above the blue line is going to be a steam service area. And the area below is going to be a yard. I am going to add some buildings but it is just going to be a yard full of box cars and reefers. After I got to looking at it I would have to re-do the yard entrence and exit plan.

What are some good ideas that I could do then with that space?

5

As you have it laid out, you can’t really build that yard. The turnouts on the right appear to be #2’s and the geometry appears wrong for them to be slip switches and too close together for back to back turnouts. The ladder on the left appears to be at too steep an angle as well. Your yard tracks appear to be on 4 1/2 to 6 inch centers whereas for HO 2" is normal.

I would strongly suggest you get a copy of John Armstrong’s book Track Planning for Realistic Operation. This is an excellent book that gives you detailed help on determining what will fit into a given space as well as the whole design process.

You could also get some turnouts and track and lay out some yards just to see how it all goes togther.

Good luck

Paul

6

Hi Kyle –

You say you have 12x8 feet available for your layout. Yet the plan you drew presupposes that there is space in the room for you to get to both ends of the 4 foot across yard area - ie it presupposes an available space of at least 12x10 feet, maybe 14x10 feet or 15x10 feet - if you need a 2-3 foot wide corridor on the right or left of the layout to get up to a 2 foot corridor north of the layout, instead of crawling on the floor under 4 feet of layout to a 2 foot corridor at the upper end.

Also, as several people have pointed out, your turnouts look are unrealistically sharp - a real no 4 turnout needs to move forward 4 squares to be able to get one square to the side - ie a crossover from one track to another 2 " away (2/3rds of a square) will take a 2/3rds of 4 squres of length - ie 2/3rds of 4 x 3" = 2/3rds of 12", or about 8" of length.Just a tad under 3 squares of length. For each crossover between two tracks that are 2" (less than one square) apart.

Have a look at this drawing to see where you were way too optimistic about how many turnouts and crossovers you could fit into your yard and still have room for cars:

As you can see from the drawing about - the room shape and size is just as important as the space set aside for the layout - since it aff

7

Challenger,

If you want your layout to look and operate like a real railroad, I suggest you study (1) how real railroads work so you can discern the merits of your own and others’ track designs, (2) study plans of the better track planners, and (3) review track planning primers such as that provided by LDSIG. If you just want a place to see your trains run, revise your plan using using templates to assure what you draw can be constructed. Or do what many of us have done and build a published plan and learn from the experience. Your second, third, fourth and so on layouts should improve over the decades.

Mark