Hi all,
For those with more imagination than money (and isn’t that all of us) what is the ideal size and shape for the room that houses your layout?
I guess it depends on how many people you have, whether for home or club or exhibiting and how much money you have to spend. Here in Oz there are now quite a few exhibition layouts that are long and skinny, nice to admire the scenery but pretty boring when single tracked and a train only come past every few minutes. (and I don’t know where they set them up when they’re not at an exhibition).
For me a spare room 15’ X12’ with doors and windows all in the wrong places has become my train room. My layout is around the walls with an (Ouch!) duckunder to get to the controls.
I’ll come back in a few days to see what everyone thinks.
Alan
I would like about 30’x50’ with no support columns and a 10’ ceiling.
Enjoy
Paul
Does the phrase “larger than I have” or “bigger than I can afford” come to mind? I’d like to have a room large enough to have a fair sized layout, but also with a “comfort” area to relax in with friends and a separate workshop area close by where I can work on RR kits and things then turn around , take two or three steps and enter the layout room to put the kit or engine or what ever on the layout. Like Ironrooster, no columns wold be nice, but I have seen some creative use of structural members incorporated into layouts so it’s not a big deal for me.
You pretty much said what I was thinking. A fantastic double decker with a few pennisulas would work nicely in that space.
Each railroader is different. Some like 4 X what ever table, while others go for narrow, shelf type layouts. I personally went with a 3 X whatever table because it makes it a lot easier to move if I should ever have to move it - again…
Tracklayer
11 x15 with four swing ups. What size would I really love to have. Its kind of like buying a new boat, one should get one two feetr longer then needed, boats fill up with stuff fast,
I think even if I had an aircraft hanger, i would eventually think of extending it for a longer yard…LOL…John
I think a 20’X40’ room would be nice!
That’s the interesting thing about model railroading. It doesn’t really matter what shape the room is (within reason) as a layout can be built to suit the room. As far as I am concerned, shape does not matter.
I personnally use a 14’ x 8’ rectangular size room for an N scale layout I am building which is a perfect size for me. As far as I am concerned, bigger isn’t always better. Remember that there is a lot of work that goes into a large layout.
Shape rectangular-- but room width in multiples of 7 or 8 feet (3 foot aisle with 2 foot layout shelf on each side of it)
Vertical entry- stairway into room so there are no doors.
Alantrains: Do these exhibition layouts break down into segments about 1.3-2m long? Those are modular layouts, and normally several members of a club will build one or more modules and store them at home–it is a popular way for people who don’t have much room for a layout (or for clubs who don’t have room for a club layout) to own a piece of a large layout. Kind of like a time-share for model railroaders…
Indeed, though, a rectangular room with a minimal number of windows is best. One reason, perhaps, why basements are popular layout spaces is because basements are often accessed via stairs in the middle of the room, meaning that potentially all four walls can be free for continuous around-the-wall/through-the-room operation with minimal duckunders. Of course, basements aren’t that common these days, and are positively rare on the West Coast–but we can use our garages, since we don’t have to store our cars there in the winter.
For those without basements, attics or garages, the joys of shelf layouts pop to the fore. For that, one or two unobstructed walls (ideally three) works fine.
good to see another queenslander… personally a 2 car garage would work for me but that aint gonna happen… where abouts in Qld are you?
Well the room I have is 25 x 75 with an office off to one end that is 15 x 25. The basement has nothing in it but the support posts and the steps come down outside of the basement area in the office space. I have the basement filled with a HO multi-level layout with 2700 feet of track so far. I am doing the CR Lowgrade line from Dubois to East Brady, PA. Plans are to add more shelf layout in the office area. The office area also acts as a crew lounge. But I really could use a little more space!
BOB H - Clarion, PA
Thanks everyone,
I wish I had the time and money to do what you’re doing Bob H!
Hi Jetrock,
I’m not a member of any of these club layouts but I assume they break down into transportable modules. Some are obviously usable by themselves but others are definately only meant to go together in one way.
James,
I’m in Brisbane at Riverhills,
My layout “East Coast Railway” is a freelance set in 40’s -60’s Australian location running US locos and wagons. Rationale for this is a private railway that bought surplus US rollingstock. It’s about 10% completed.
Of course, the guy with a 4x8 wants a bedroom, the guy with a bedroom wants a garage, the guy with a garage wants a basement, the guy with a basement wants a warehouse, the guy with a warehouse…[:D]
Enjoy
Paul
Something with 4 solid walls, dry, high ceilings, that’s NOT open to the elements. (I have 3 of those 4.)
Tom
a 30’ octagon would be cool. As long as we’re at it, make it even bigger. How about 50’? Around the wall layout, imagine how much track you could have in there!
Greg
Ideal for me would be a 70x120 pole barn with poured concrete floor and no large doors. That, and of course, the ca***o fill it with a 20-scale mile long HO mainline layout!
I’ll settle for the 14x25 I’ve got in my basement, however.
Any one have a Warehouse for sale! NO! Make that a C5A hanger!
BOB H - Clarion, PA
Since we model in a multiplicity of scales, each with a multiplicity of standards, I’m going to fall back on John Armstrong and answer in terms of ‘squares.’ (For those who haven’t met the term, a ‘square’ has a side dimension equal to the minimum mainline radius plus clearance to a second curved track outside the first plus the clearance needed for rolling stock overhang outside the second. 24" minimum radius produces a ‘square’ 27 inches on a side in HO.)
For a walk-in with central peninsula, I would like a space 5 squares wide in HO, wider in N or Z (Trains scale down, people don’t)
For a pure island, I would like three squares plus 4 feet, the latter for aisle space.
For a nice long division point yard I would like at least eight squares of room or island length.
Of course, reality has left footprints all over my dream world, which is only 3.75 by 7.2 squares.
Hey Bob if you want a C5a hanger why not put it in the C5a and have a portable layout?
I’m making do with a 12 x 8 shed and garden layout at home. All my grand schemes are as part of the club I belong to, which is why I model in 8 scale / gauge combinations! It’s never enough!