My current one is 4 1/5 ft. of straight snap track for the HO engines and cars. The one I'm considering will be in a bedroom. There's 10'x10' area with off one corner a 3'x4' space that would directly attach. There is only one window on the middle of the U shape. It will have an AC in the summer. The only issue, besides financial, is the long wall with the small extension is between me and neighbor lady who isn't fond of me. Then the choice will be N gauge or HO gauge that I all ready have. Steam switchers. Rich
My N Scale 2’ x 4’ and I have another piece same size to make an L shape when I want. Built brand new bases this year, and in process of completely starting over on it. It’s a mess right now. Also working on my first 12” x 32” diorama. Mainly to learn things for main layout. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
@BNSF FAN I really like the backdrop. Can you give us a frontal view and where you got it or did you paint it?
Those are from a company called Realistic Backgrounds. They have two different city scenes. Here's a shot I took a while back. That kind of what you were wanting to see? Thanks guys. Here's a shot from Sunday morning from approximately the same location.
BNSF FAN thanks for sharing. I will not be needing your layout plan as I have found the posting "JPT SUB - my new layout project" March 14, 2019. With the layout plan, how you built it and what was used. And more. I see I didn't make any comments then but it was a very bad time for me. The Doc's had me on a lot of meds that I have found very unnecessary. Thanks again and I am sorry I forgot. It is an interesting and possible layout. With some mods of course. Rich
Glad you found it sir. It evolved a little over time but still tried to keep it simple. Hopefully you weren't bored to tears while having to search that thread for it before I could get back out from under my rock to post it again
Actually someone else founded it while I was looking. It's just that I remembered it from the past. I'm thinking of putting it on a workbench made with hollow core doors and a plastics legs kit with 2x4s. But thinking I may have enough room to add on another 13x80 door sideways at one end for a yard and business. Thanks, Rich
Cool Rich! Here it is again with I think all the revisions. I was originally going to build this on a 36" x 80" hollow core door but just expanded it a little to fit a 4x8 sheet of plywood. The one mistake I made and only recently realized it is that the crossover with the red arrow pointing to it should have been going in the other direction. May fix that someday, maybe. All is all, it's a fairly simple plan and it entertaining for me at least. Has a few switch opportunities and two mains where I can just start some trains rolling and sit back and enjoy if I want.
Thanks again. When you posted it I remember seeing and having interest in it. I'm thinking I would like some more little changes. Like in stead of the center divider I would build a feature that is common here is glacier made country. They are called "Hog Backs". Moraines are made by debris falling through holes in the ice. Hogs Backs it fall through long cracks. So it's like a long snake like hill covered in Oaks. There's usually Kettles (depressions) and Moraines all around. I also may make it a little shorter and add another 12"-14" door along one end and run a siding onto it. To make a switching yard. If space allows. All so did you use flex track for the long sweeping curves? And I do agree with correcting that crossover. Thanks again, Rich
I could see doing a "Hog Back" in place of the center divide that I used. Would probably look good. All the track is Kato Unitrack and thus far, it has performed flawlessly. Turnouts are all #6 and the one double crossover. What made me notice I did that crossover wrong is that I was thinking of adding a small door to one end that I could set up and take down easily where I could stage a few trains and run them on and off the layout for some added entertainment. That will have to wait until I decide to correct that crossover.
I think a hog back center divider would take too much room (too broad) and prohibit much of the beautiful urban/industrial structures and scenery in the middle of BNSF FAN's layout. Confined layouts are always a trade between this feature and that... A hog back could look really good if you were modeling an old mountain town like, say Eureka Springs AR, in a narrow valley. There are no 4-way intersections in Eureka Springs AR: not enough flat room for them. There is a famous multi-story hotel there, where every floor is a ground floor (it is built up against a steep slope, so every floor is 'ground level' at the rear of the hotel.)
Hogs Backs get formed where the mountains used to be. Being forced to live in the city is not my choice. I prefer less concrete and noise. A smile for you today. Rich