Layout depth

Should I do away with the peninsula,and add depth(36 inches) all the way around the layout instead.I am just trying to figure what will give me the best use of my space.Thanks alot
Jelvis

 

Layout space

Yes,I have 24 inches all the way around the room.The room is 12x14.I also have a 3x7 ft. peninsula I want to model Ho scale mosern era equipment.I am intrested in a industrial switching layout with a mainline or possible 2 for continuios run.I will give you sketches later on.Thank you much.Jelvis.

 

Well, you could do what I did, but it will limit the scenery options for back drop. The room availible to me was 13x13 I made mine in an kind of U but not a full U. But I can axcess the full layout from all the away around the layout which left me 2ft ish asiles, except in the middle. I used a 4x8, 4x7 and a 4x6 sections, which BTW will make it super easy to move. I can run long trains and big engines on the outside track only, but that was my plan to start with.

 

I would not go continuous around the room at 36"
I would use a maximum of 30" you could of course have bumpouts along the way that are deeper.

 

BoxcabE50,
My present depth around the walls is 24 inches.I have 5 ft. at each end of the layout for curves.My layout runs along the walls through the closet.I was wondering if I should make it a continuious run around the walls,or should I use the 5 ft. ends for curves,and use the closet for a staging yard.Looking for a good track plan for my space.I wanna be able to run a fairly good sized train(modern era) on the mainline,but also alot of industry switching.With this size of space I have would a all out switching layout be best for me????Thanks alot for your help,I really appreciate it.I will get you some pics of my benchwork soon.

 

I need a picture of the space to give you better advice. Are you planning to have a duckunder at the door or is this going to be dogbone style where it turns around at either end?

I think with your space you could do modern equipment albeit shorter trains. I've seen plenty of plans for modern using that type of space.

 

Layout depth is secondary to your track plan. Also, it should be modified to accomplish what you desire your layout's "theme" to be. Unfortunately, we are limited drastically to the lengths we can justifiably expect to model, but...many times...the depth of a scene can almost be prototypical. However, a human's arm is a pretty standard length, and making a scene deeper than you can reach is bothersome at best, disastrous at worst. A 36" depth is about as deep as you want to go...especially for any switching maneuvers or complex scenery that would be up against your skyboard.

However, you are in HO and want to run modern equipment on it, which means long cars, extended couplers, and long, modern C-trucked engines. So...your minimum mainline radius should be as broad as you can make it...especially where it's visible. You can go less in areas that are not visible, but your equipment still needs a decent radius to operate reliably.

One of the bad things that many model railroaders do is construct the front fascias of their layouts to be arrow straight. From an appearance standpoint and a "display" standpoint, this is a real no-no. Layout front-edges should not follow the outermost track path exactly unless absolutely necessary. I guarantee that your layout will look much better if you vary the depth of your layout depending on your track plan...and it will also give you more aisle space where you need it, and only cramp you up at certain points where the big minimum radii are needed.

My friend Lee Nicholas' layout in his basement, the UCW, has many very long narrow scenes that are less than a foot deep, but look very good because they are well-detailed and have an excellent scenic backdrop painted by Rob Spangler. Other areas are much deeper, but equally well-detailed...but with more than a single track running through them. His fascias do not directly follow his outermost track, and it is very aesthetically pleasing.

What I would do if I were you is develop your track plan first. You know what your maximum layout depth is...it is 36"...but attempt to build industrial areas and yards in narrow scenes, since your eye is drawn to the work you're doing...and when you're switching a local at a big plant, or making up trains in a yard...you are really not concerned about the scenic depth...only if it's too far away to re-rail a car that derails.

Also, layout height usually means that lower heights benefit more from a lot of depth...and higher scenes require less of it. Sometimes higher scenes require hardly any depth at all, since your angle of view is so restricted, the horizon that is on your background can look 20 miles away when it's only 8 inches away in reality. Extra high scenes also mean that you cannot reach second or third tracks very easily...so, they should be reserved for mainline runs between destinations.

Hope this helps...

Cheers!
Bob Gilmore

This scene in N scale is about 30" deep. In HO...it'd be 60" deep.

 

Consider also the type and placement of your turnout controls, what type of uncoupling you'll do, and what type of scenery you might have to reach over. I prefer to throw switches by hand and uncouple manually with a hand magnet, so that puts some limitations on how deep I want my benchwork and I have to think about what industries I want between me and a pair of couplers when I'm reaching over.

As a side note, a lot of people like skinny benchwork because it's faster and cheaper to add scenery than a really deep scene. But that's a matter of personal preference and available budget.

 

Reviving an old thread - I've been diddling with a temp shelfie until I get around to finishing another train room (DW wants my train room and the new area will be larger anyway. ).
I had been building 18-in deep but dropped to 14-in deep. I always felt 24 was too deep for me. Now though, I think I'll go back to 18. 14 is just a tad too shallow and I can rip 3 18-in wide from a 4x8 sheet of foam with no waste.