designing new layout

Hey all,
It's time for me to start designing my new layout and need some ideas.

Here are my room sizes
18 feet and the layout can come out at most 4 ft from the wall. I can make a "L" shape layout with the layout looking like below:

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The side wall is 10'10"

If you have any ideas, please let me know. Thanks

Matt

[ 15. October 2003, 03:26: Message edited by: UP_Challenger3985 ]

 

You could do a folded dogbone with fairly wide radius turnback loops at each end.

Where is the door to the room located?

Martin

 

Martin,
There will be no wall confining the layout so that means there won't be a door. I am only alotted so much space. Thanks
Matt

 

Hi all,
If this would help you at all, I have rendered the rough drawings of the room and posted them on the internet. They can be found at
http://www.internetmill.com/basement1.jpg
http://www.internetmill.com/basement2.jpg
http://www.internetmill.com/basement3.jpg

Thanks for your help!

Matt

 

Hey Matt, Looks like you have a nice space to work in! I would watch coming out 4' from the wall though, it gets a little rough reaching over to try and re-rail a car or do scenery work.

 

Matt. I agree with Andy. Be careful of that 4' width. Unless you have at least a 4' long arm and even then the corner will be further away.

 

You could design your railroad with turnback loops at each end, and keep the railroad narrower in between. That will help keep most of your railroad within easy reach. Since you only have a four-foot width to use, you're probably going to be limited to a 22" radius, or less. Still, there have been a lot of railroads built with this tight radius. Sounds like you've got a good head start on your design.

Pat

 

Hey guys,
Thanks for the replies,

As far as the coming out 4' goes, I would still be able to reach everything from the perpendicular side. If you look at either pic 1 or 3 you'll see what I'm talking about

Thanks

Matt

 

You have a 10 feet by 2ft.10ins island in the center of this room, after deducting four feet aisles around the room. Is that what you are saying ?
Or am I misreading what you say? What kind of layout you want controls whatever you do, and you do not tell us , for example, if scenery and dioramalike detail is a central element in your minworld. Does 'operations', defined as faithfully mimicing real railroad procedures, control your view? Does watching trains run turn you on, and having contniuous runs an imperative? Do you like to switch cars more than anything else? Do passenger operations and trains mean a lot to you?
There are more questions of a similar nature that need answering, before you go out and build an entertaning layout. What entertains us at this site, or any others , is NOT what you should be interested in. If you don't know what really matters to you , then go off to the clubs in your area and watch and see what are the various options. The scale or gauge they use does not have to be the ones you use.
Another good place to go is the Scale train shows in your area. Talk to the people operating the layouts about what they are about. Concentrate upon those that appear to make you feel best .

You should also consider joining an area modular club. The scale doesn't matter there , although their are some 'N Track' types who only seem interested in running gagantuan trains , the experience in hands on building is worth the effort. The companionship and information you gather can only help you do a better job on your permanent home layout. Again it does not have to be a 'HO' scale experience, since regardless of gauge, the information you will gain is applicable to any scale.
That is enough for now, except that using a shelf layout ( and one with islands off the shelves) should be considered since it frees room centers and eliminates accessibility issues while maximizing the trackage on a layout. So considering it is worthwhlie.
Good Luck, PJB