Hey Guys, So I finally mounted the courage to post my simple layout plan. I'm sure this is a very familiar Unitrack plan for most of you. My space is limited to 36" x 65" but my wife is allowing me to build in the living room of our apartment and she's offered to help with scenery! So I guess I'm grateful. Actually, we had already started working on scenery when I was inspired by this board to try and get the largest radii possible for appearance and max performance of trains. So I took apart track and i was able to bump curves up a notch from min 11." Now curves are 12 3/8" - 15". Anyway, I was so excited with that 15" curve that I tried to be a bit creative on one of the mainline loops by trying to get some wider pieces of track in there. I'm hoping it works! If not, I may have to just revert to mirroring other side of loop. I also added an interchange and have been experimenting with yard and spur options. I also plan to cut foam again for a girder bridge and a road going through the layout. It's a challenge to defeat the racetrack look on such a small space but hopefully, scenery will be a strength as my wife and I are both artists. Finally, the layout is Unitrack and I'll be running DCC with mostly modern Kato diesels and some Spectrum steam. I welcome any helpful comments or advice you may have. Thank you all so much in helping me get started as this website is a wealth of info and inspiration! I'll be busy over the holidays! All the best, Todd LAYOUT OPTION 1 [/URL][/IMG] LAYOUT OPTION 2 [/URL][/IMG] Started scenery, then decided to widen radii [/URL][/IMG]
Track plam, heck, you're almost ready to start running! Guessing from the era you seem to be doing that you'll have mostly shorter equipment (4 axle diesels and 40' cars) so the radii you're using should be just fine. The aesthetics of, say, 19" are great but it does become a space hog awfully quick. And I also think it's great that the boss is willing to help!
Lots of track in a small space...I like it And its always good if you can get the wife to like trains too....even if you have to buy her a throttle of her own and her own trains to run
I would choose Option 2 I would also put in a Scenic Divider on the diagonal; it'll lose the 'Racetrack feel' and I'd be able to model two different scenes on the one layout. Good luck and have fun.
George, I got a 2-8-0 for me, I mean "my wife" for Christmas because she loves the old steam engines!
Steve, do you like option 2 for the mainline curve looks better or because of the added spur? And I will definitely plan on doing some kind of scenic divider and view blocks to break up racetrack feel. Thanks for the help!
Todd, to be honest I hadn't noticed the mainline curve change until you mentioned it :blush: it was the added spur that I caught my eye - but I do like the curve change as well
