i would like some input, please. I have been drawing layouts plans for over a 1 1/2 years now and can never seem to settle on what I want. Sometimes I try to put together something small, then I throw out that idea as not being able to get enough into it(4 x8, 4 x 8 x 6,). Then my wife said it would be ok to take upa wall and then some in the family room(25 x 6) and I started drawing that and realized it was too big(it will be my 1st layout, and I think I need to cut teeth on something a little smaller) I've come up with a smaller 9though still decent sized 12 x 8 benchwork which would fit the room and allow additional activities. My problem- I want continuous running and decent radii(24"). Those 24" radius curves really eat up a lot of space and hamper what i am able to put in the space. My question- How would 21" radius curves work out? I currently own an 0-8-0 riv and a 4-6-2 mantua. I'm not interested in any long passenger cars or much larger locos(maybe a 2-8-2 or 2-8-0 added to the roster down the road) mostly 40' steam era rolling stock. Will my trains look bad on 21" curves or will I be ok? I have sketched out a rough plan(actually about 5 or 6 rough plans) and I can really get al ot more in by just reducing my curves those 3". Any input would certainly be appreciated. Jeff Coggins Valparaiso IN
Think quality, not quantity... By sticking with the steam era stuff, the smaller radii will be ok. I run some similar stuff to you (Pacifics, 0-6-0, with shorter (max 50') rolling stock), and find that the 18" radius curves are OK, but not what I'd do if I had more room. Any chance for more details? Location? Industries? Other features? How about putting up that track plan? Andrew
Masonjar, As far as any details, I don't have a lot. It will be free lance. I would like to have an interchange with a real road(B&O, the pacific is a B&O, my father gave me as a gift, and I saw a lot of B&O diesels on the Pere Marquete line across the street from my house as a kid. It was probably not PM at that time though).Location will be free lanced also, a mountain to hide some staging and return loop. I have J Armstrongs book on track planning and it has several featurs I like for staging and return loops. Industries-I was thinking a coal tipple with the actual mine not modeled(behind a mountain), a river waterfront with say a coal dealer, some piers and maybe a brewery. I have recently downloaded the right track software from atlas and will get some thing put together soon(I'd like to get the thing roughed out by pencil 1st). Thanks for your help. I was worried about 21" rad., now with your input, I feel pretty comfortable even sliding in some tighter radius curves on some of the spurs. Jeff coggins Valparaiso, IN
Well, that's not exactly what I meant... If I had room like you, I'd drop the 18" curves. They are functional, but not really the best. Tighter curves (down to 18") are, as you pointed out, probably best left for any industrial trackage/spurs. Are you going around the walls in that 12x8 space? I am looking forward to your drawings/plans. I am sure you will get some good input from the people here! Andrew
No, I am sticking with the 21" curves on the main line(on the return loops only. out away from the loops I can easily get in 24" curves). My current plan is to have the 12' portion along a wall with a 4' x 8' peninsula angled away at 90 degrees. The peninsula will have acces down both sides. I will get one of my sketches drouyghed out in the next day or so and have one of my kids help me scan it in, and post it(figure that will be quicker than waiting for me to get the Atlas program figured out). The 12' leg will be about 2' wide except for the return loop. Let me get back to the sketch pad and see if I can get it finished tonight. thanks again. Jeff Coggins Valparaiso IN
Hiya Jeff My soon to be layout is in a 12x8 bedroom. It is HO and is a continuous round the room with branchline. Take a look at the plan that was posted in the HO forum, it may give you a few ideas: http://www.trainboard.com/ultimatebb.php/ubb/get_topic/f/8/t/001114.html Cheers Bruce
I use 22" rad curves and I also run 2-8-0s, and 2-8-2. They work and I don't mind the look of the 2-8-0s on the curves. You can to to my railimage link and web site below to see pictures and a track plan.
I have a rough sketch of the layout. It has the main line and a couple passing sidings drawn in. How do I go about posting it on this site? I have scanned it into my computer and have it saved in my image editor. I'm sorry I'm just not real comtuter savvy. Jeff Coggins
Jeff - go to: http://www.Railimages.com Do you have an "account" there yet? If not, contact Colonel (Paul) via e-mail and he'll set you up. It's free. Directions are in Railimage's page. Print them out and follow them from there. If you have any problem posting an image to Trainboard, contact Paul or me and we'll get you onboard.
you have to upload it as a JPG to a web space. If you don't have one you can get a free one with www.railimages.com . Once you get the photo uploaded (easy to do with railimages) you just open the photo at railimages, right click the photo and pick properities, highlight the address (the whole address), come back to the trainboard post and do a reply to this message. If you look below the reply area there are some buttons and one says image, click it and paste your photo address in the pop-up box. Paste over whatever pops up in the box with your photo address. That's it. Good luck.
I e-mailed railimages this morning. As soon as I get that set up I will get my sketch on. I thought there may be some way I could copy and paste from MS word, since I hadn't heard back from railimages yet.
OK, I think I've got it now. Here is a rough sketch of the layout I have in mind. Go ahead and voice your opinions on what I have. I have thick skin(and my wife would say a thick head), so don't worry about hurting any feelings(Idon't have any). I really am interested in what you have to say, if I didn't, I would not have put this on here. A couple things I am interested in is, 1-I would like to be able to have a continuous running. 2-I would like to have a tunnel, and would like to set up some sort of hidden staging in the tunnel(and maybe along the top, if the mountain were continued along this side). 3-industries to switch. possibly along a water front, although an industrial downtown would probably be ok. 4-I know I may be pushing the envelope here ,but, I would also be interested in a yard/ locomotive servicing area, though if it doesn't fit in, I can wait until I build a larger layout(after the kids leave the nest maybe)Like I said in an earlier post, this is a 1st layout, not my final one. I have reduced the size from 24' to 4 x 8, and then up to this 12' x 8'. I want to get my feet wet on this, but, don't want to just watch trains go around a 4 x 8 loop. I would like to thank you in advance for all of your input. Jeff Coggins Valparaiso IN [ 19. February 2004, 14:18: Message edited by: Hoss ]
Also, I purposly left off all ind. spurs, except for the one near the mountain where iI had in mind to put a coal tipple, with the mine "over the hill". This is certainly not set in stone. Neither is any of the mainline. The passing siding is also up for modification(in fact I was thinking I may need to move it further to the right. Jeff Coggins
Jeff, I posted the picture in your post for you just to make it easier for everyone to see. My thoughts on your layout are that it looks pretty good. You've got lots of room for scenery but still enough trackwork to keep things interesting. Just be careful with S curves. I only really see one, but those can cause problems for you if not done correctly. Also remember to give yourself some kind of access inside the tunnel. Chances are that's where your trains will derails (simply because that's the hardest part to get to).
Jeff, See these pages: http://www.trainboard.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=ubb_code_page (Displaying Images) and http://www.railimages.com/howtopost/ for help on doing that. Charlie
Certainly. When you find the picture you want to post, right click on it and then click on "Properties". In the properties window you will see the URL. Highlight that and copy it (right click and hit copy). Close that window. When you come to Trainboard to make your post, there is an image button ( ). Click that and another window will pop up. Paste the URL from the picture you want in that window and hit okay and you've got it made. EDIT: Or you could go to the links Charlie gave you while I was typing up my lengthy response.
Hoss said: When you come to Trainboard to make your post, there is an image button ( ). Click that and another window will pop up. Paste the URL from the picture you want in that window and hit okay and you've got it made. Corret info Hoss .. but to find the "image" button, ya has to first click on "Full Reply Form."
It would be interesting to see all those proposed spurs and so on, with industries in their proposed locations. Would make it easier to give feedback. In any case, here are a few thoughts I have. It is a really long reach into the upper right corner to work and/or correct any "incidents". Is there any chance you could open this up to a complete loop, and go "around the walls" (even if there isn't actually a wall)? You could reduce the depth to 24 - 36" to make it easier to work on and operate. Rather than have the track come out of the mountain at A-8, move it further along to, say, A-2, or even B-1 to avoid trains travelling in opposite directions through the same scene. I know there will be vertical separation, but it's something to consider. One other thought I had is to build part of that eventual empire. It might come at the cost of continuous running (at least at first). Alternatively, you might want to at least add a track that would connect this layout to "the rest of the world". This will also add some realism to the proposal to have interchange traffic. Good luck, and keep us posted! Andrew
