Can you guys take a looksie over my plan I need to be sure that I can do some if not most of the stuff on the plan. it's a plan for a 4 x 4 layout utilizing peco code 55 track, the home road is SP&S. one side is vancouver and the other is some where along the "hi line." I've figured the ratio for trains is 5 cars per loco for passenger service and 6 cars per loco for freight service. there may be 4-6 locos on layout at any given time. I'm using DC, I don't have DCC yet. the largest steam operated will be a GS4 4-8-4, and the largest diesel will be an SD90 but these will be rare occasions. Is this a feasible design? what details will I have to add or Omit? https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/1504153_591908754196716_1839497580_o.jpg https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/1487871_591910314196560_1830980723_o.jpg
Call me a pessimist, but I can't see your getting that much in 4x4, even with curved turnouts. Even two double-ended sidings for passing/ runaround would be a squeeze. Just my top-of-the-head opinion. I haven't measured it.
Using a scenic divide is a excellent way of creating a believable scene in a small space. In n scale, you can fit large radius curves with a 4 foot width, no problem running longer locomotives and freight cars. I'm just a beginner myself so seek advise from more experienced modelers for the operations potential of your plan.
First thing you need to do is acquire and learn to use a model railroading CAD program. There's at least two that are FREE and pretty good. Sorry, can't remember their names, but I'm sure somebody will chime in and let you know. I use Cadrail, and I'm very happy with it because it allows me to see EXACTLY what my track plan is going to be in the space I have. There's no doubt as to radii, turnout angles and I can modify the hell out of my drawings very easily and keep my originals. I can use Kato Unitrack, Atlas 80 or 55, Fast Tracks specs and Peco 80 or 55, ME #6's...or my own...even old Shinohara code 70. If you were using 24" radius as your mainline minimum, the centerline of your mainline track would be on the edge of your 4'X4' square. Also, a "square" layout format isn't the best from a space utilization aspect or from a design aspect. What would be better would be to construct two 4' sections that would clip together to form an 8' long by 12" or 18" wide main "layout" with a run-around track in the back that would be 6" to 10" deep for a fiddle yard, train storage or to simulate directional traffic. You could curve your mainline on each 4' long section back to the setup yard, or make curved add-ons on either end if you've got room and permission to do that. If those pieces were 18" wide, you could fit a 16" radius curve on them easily. If your main two 4' sections were 18" deep and the removable yard behind the skyboard was 10" deep, that'd give you a width of 28" so you'd probably have to decrease your 16" curve to what Dave Vollmer did on his Juniata Division layout to 13.5", or increase the width by a few inches. Of course, I might just be blowing in the wind here if 4X4 is all you have to work with as far as space is concerned. If that's the case, I'd plan what I wrote about in the preceding paragraph, but build it a section at a time, then set it up for a day or two once or twice a month to have an op session, and to allow the parents to see what a masterpiece you're making and the skills you're learning. Maybe they'll let you keep it set up longer, or if not, you could take it to shows and run it there. If I were running a show, I'd sure as hell let a young model railroader bring his stuff to set up! As a plus for the rest of the family, what you'd be working on would be much smaller than the 4'X4' version and intrude into available space much less. Hey, I just got another "hit" as far as design is concerned. What about two sections 4' long and 2' deep, back to back with a divider running down the middle, that could be separated easily (hold them together with big C-clamps or bolts & T-nuts with folding ends that hinged on the bottom of your benchwork and folded down when you aren't running or working on it????? You could easily get by with those folding "wings" being 24" long and do an 18" radius around to the other side. Or, you could make them longer too depending on your railhead to floor height...up to a 24" radius would be fairly easy to accomplish!...or a lesser radius with some small straights for variety. They'd fold out, with one or two legs on the ends with carriage bolts in T-nuts for height adjustment. Easy as pie actually. That'd get you out of the 4'X4' format, and allow you to work on each smaller section until it was finished enough to bolt together. If 4'X4' is the ABSOLUTE maximum size, then take the thickness of the benchwork into consideration and make the two main non-folding sections proportionately narrower, so that the length with the two "wings" folded down was exactly 4'. Interesting problem, but maybe we've come up with a solution to your space problem???? Hope so... Maybe I'll pop out a quick Cadrail drawing just to make it clear what I'm envisioning. Stay tuned. Cheerio! Bob Gilmore
Ok, thank you for the input. the yard can go, it was an optional feature just a.... well I'm not sure what it was but I would've liked to try and make a yard. I'd like to keep the Gravel facility as those new SP&S hart ballast hoppers were just too cool to pass up. I can shrink the radius a bit as I just need my nitpicky MTLs to run on it, would 15r work? Bob thank you for the input, My benchwork I was hoping to do something like that a folding layout or two seperate 2 x 4 sections for easy storage, as I'd love to take this layout to a train show next october. if 4 x 4 isn't big enough I'll see if I can negotiate trackage rights for a 4 x 5 or 4 x 6 layout, my only problem would be benchwork as my original 2 x 4 layout was a seperate board with no benchwork. I figured I'd ask here as I can get more help to ensure I'm not Cramming track into a tight space.
For free track planning software try AnyRail. (http://www.anyrail.com/index_en.html) It's easy to learn and includes most - if not all - of the popular manufacturer's track. Be aware though, the free viersion is limited to 50 sections of track. However the full version is only $59.
SP&S, I use AnyRail and really like it. I bought the full version. The basic problem with the layout that you drew is that the reality of the track will not fit in the 4x4 space. Take a look at http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine...ng-an-HO-layout-for-my-nephew-Please-Critique. Being HO, the minimum radius is much greater than N but with out putting in too much track, it is workable.
It's not to scale. Bob I forgot to state I have Xtrack Cad. Paul, that's why I asked for help, but I'm confused as why post yard removal most of the track would not fit? Let me take another photo of an aerial view of board 1.
SP&S, Since you have Xtrack Cad, I would suggest you do your layout in it and then with all of the correct geometries, you will see what fits and what doesn't. Xtrack should be able to export a jpeg that you could then share with us.
About forty years ago, there was an article in Railroad Model Craftsman about building an N scale layout. Smaller than 4 by 4, seems to me it was around two and a half feet by 3 feet in size. Anyhow, what I recalling of it, certainly a good amount of activity can be incorporated onto 4 by 4.
Ok, so I was working with xtrackCad, and found I could use an outside radius of 20" the inner rail with passing siding was 19". The gravel/ballast facility curved turnout can utilize a left and right hand # 4 switch with the flex sitting at 10 inches. Is there a way to measure out radius with a ruler?
Dave what are the radii and switch sizes? It looks for the most part doable, I'm just worried about cramming too much track into the space.
Minimum mainline radii are in the neighborhood of 15-16"; siding curves are down to 11-12". Straight switches are all #5, and there are seven curved switches. I totally agree about cramming in too much; I more or less did this as an exercise to see just how much of the original plan could be included.
Ok, thank you dave. Well, I've omitted the yard as I have a spare 2 x 4 board I could use as a separate yard area for trains moving on and off layout reducing oh-five-oh handling.
If it were me, I'd do something more along these lines, using the philosophy that less is more-- The stub-end yard and single-track engine facility actually give you more to work with, and a single passing siding with opposing freight sidings will provide a fair bit of switching work. BTW, minimum radius is 15" throughout, with far fewer switches--especially the space-eating curved variety.
that's pretty spot on, I'm curious how I will work my two currently possessed layout industries will work in there. Thank you again Dave, hmmm I'll save the picture to my laptop so I can use my on hand track to do the first board.
I agree with the "simplified method" offered. Last year, I designed a track plan (42"X72"), using Railmodeller (Mac laptop) software, with 2 running lines using Bachmann "N" scale EZ Track. As I moved the plans out to the layout, I had all kinds of clearance issues as well as grade problems. After 5 or 6 RE-design attempts, I got it down to a one track operation, and eliminated about 50% of my original track plan. Works pretty well, now. Looks better, too. I have learned a lot of lessons in the last year, and will design a 2-track operation next, on a 48"x 96" layout. From the looks of the posts above, that is a very doable layout plan. Not "congested" or too busy. Enough room to enjoy it, and run it. Have fun! N-joy!
