Speed, don't worry about asking a lot of questions, we don't mind. Besides that is what we are here for, to help each other out in the pursuit of the perfect layout. And it's a subject we love to talk about. Joe
If all you want to do is run trains that will be great as long as you can move the layout two feet from the wall. There does not appear to be any industry / switching etc.
@Speedrat So, what are your preferences? It would also be helpful to know what you will be running and how you envision your layout? Scenery? Era? My favorite 'balenced' layout is this and variations on it: https://www.trainboard.com/highball/index.php?media/ceq_101_aaa.36366/full&d=1435985651 Continuous running on a mainline Switching via a short line or branch Yard - Of easily scaleble size Operations - Branch line switcher delivers cars to yard Yard switcher 'builds' train Mainline train drops off and picks up cars I'd suggest a 'interchange' someplace out there with at least 2 tracks. Wish you the best. Edit: And that plan while shown in 2X4 could easily be scaled to 3X5 or 4X8. It could even be used as a point to point.
Since you are a newbie, be careful about biting off more than you can chew! Everybody has wide eyes when building their first layout. You want to be able to complete it rather than be forever in a build state.
@MK Ya, man, I remember my early goes. In fact, I'm sure there are many people here who do as well. That is why I am up to 'Grey and Grandure X'. I've stopped counting the versions and iterations. That is one of the beauties of my suggestion. It can be built simple and expanded when ready. So, cut ones teeth on a large oval, limited switching and operations and then once it takes shape and the skills are developed? The Space is the Limit.
MK is right... Figuring out exactly what you want can be overwhelming. The beauty of Unitrack is you can build it...change it...add to it...subtract from it. You dont even have to tack it down...glue it down...or lay cork trackbed. All untill you have a clearer vision. My THERR is 94% of what i really wanted. To me...thats close enough. It started a lot different than what it now looks like. Spent about a week changing things. Like i said...Unitrack made that chore easy.
I actually came back into the hobby after a LONG (30 years! ) hiatus. I got back into at the time because my 3 year old son like trains. I remembered my "first layout" when I got back in. It was Atlas Snap Track in a figure 8 on a 2' x 4' board. DC, no scenery, nothing! Boy, my son and I had the best of times with that thing! From there it just took off.
I had some energy and time this morning so i did up a 30" x 8' version of the CEQ, (Cheap, Easy and Quick). This configuration is a bit simpler but could be expanded as time and other resources permit. I will be doing something like this one on the GandG X.
I like that as it gives you some industries and things to see and build and places to take cars to and from. You have continuous running on the perimeter and things going on in the center. I'm trying to do something similar... .. with the first part of my layout and who knows it might be the last. Its main purpose will be staging for both ends of the point to point that I'm hoping to build but meanwhile it will give me a place to put a few industries and build trains to go out onto the layout hopefully at some point. Also a place to break-in locos and program them and has a reversing loop. All on a 3' X 6 3/4' piece of plywood and foam.... http://1fatgmc.com/RailRoad/UP Canyon Division/UP Canyon Division-Index.html Sumner
I like it but, for me a bit to crowded and not enough room for scenery. I like mountains, valleys and bridges across them.
Yep, not room for much of that except maybe on the corners and the left end but they will for sure be on the rest of my layout. This is just a staging yard for the rest of the layout with a chance to try some things out and learn from it and use it later as only a staging yard, Sumner
I've been collecting pieces of fleischmann piccolo track over the years and designed the following for a 4'x8'. Plenty of room for various buildings and there is a staging track that runs below the outer perimeter track into the hidden part of the figure 8. The minimum radi for any turn (except coming off the turn table) is 15.5" (39.64cm). Elevations were calculated to allow enough clearance to run double stack well cars so most of the figure 8 grades are 3% Shows only the visible portions of track. 3D views below. You have to fill in the gaps as the topography is automatically generated and I haven't figured out how to overcome that. The main level will actually be at the same height as the rail yard but fixed the elevations so I know how to build from the base 4x8 sheet. The part of the figure eight that drops down and underneath the upper perimeter track will be hidden as you can see by referencing the image directly above. This way the staging yard is hidden all the way to where it connects to the main line and allows me run trains to appear as if they came from another far away location. I will still have access to the lower staging track leaving side openings all the way around. The entire underground staging area will be done with atlas track to keep costs low. That fleischmann stuff is very expensive. Less terrain so you can better see the underground staging yard:
Give serious consideration to removing all 9.75" curves from all your mainlines. There is a world of difference between the reliability of using 11" radius curves, versus using 9.75". Also, the transitions between straight track and curved sections is one of the places where you get a higher chance of derailments - and this becomes more severe if using 9.75" radius curves. So many modern N scale locomotives have body-mounted couplers, while a lot of freight car rolling stock uses truck-mounted couplers. Run this combination over the transition from straight to curved track and bad things can happen, with this being more likely if the curves have a tighter radius.
Elevation is a good way to make a track design more interesting. You just need to keep in mind that you will have potential derailment trouble spots where you have the *vertical* grade transitions - for example where track going up a grade transitions to level running. Kato unitrack does not make this easy, because it does not bend as easily as flextrack or even sectional track. After you decide how steep the grade can be, when climbing or descending, leave extra length at each end to allow these "vertical grade transitions" to take place.
Hey all. Wife dragged me out of town for the weekend so just catching up. Thanks ALL for the fantastic responses! I did make it into a train store and picked up a few more pieces of track, so I plan to give some of the suggestions from ya'll a try. I've actually been toying with this for about a year (I know that is nothing compared to you guys) and still deciding on a plan. No where near ready to start building. Again thanks for all the great feedback. i'll keep everyone posted. I'll do my best to respond to a few of your suggestions.
