I've been away from the hobby for a while now. I returned to Trainboard to see how things have been and after a couple weeks, I got the itch again. Unfortunately, all of my N scale is packed in boxes and I don't have a whole lot of room to build a layout. What I do have is a space in a corner of my bedroom with about enough room for a 2' x 4' layout (once I get the boxes out of it!). I'm a big Western Pacific fan, but a 2' x 4' layout just wouldn't do it justice, so I started thinking. And reading my WP books. And more thinking. In my collection, I have Tidewater Southern RS1 #747 and a TS 50' boxcar. I also have one of Micro Train's WP wood cabs and for something different, a WP VO-1000, and enough WP equipment to stuff a small layout into inoperability! The Tidewater would fit just right in a small layout. The trains were short, the trip slow and it would still give me a chance to run some, if not most of my WP equipment (my CZ will have to stay in it's box). I haven't decided yet if I want a oval or switching layout, Atlas code 55 or Peco. On my old layout, I was using Kato Unitrack, but the Tidewater isn't so well groomed. Any ideas or suggestions? Comments?
Remember in the movie "Chinatown"? ... "She's my sister; she's my daughter; she's my sister AND my daughter!" How about a layout that is both an oval AND a switching layout. A large layout or maybe even a medium sized one can be designed to operate as a point-to-point, but with a sneakthrough oval connection. Not as easy with a layout near minimal size. My Navy blimp base layout was designed with an oval NOT as a mainline but as a switching circulation route aboard the base. Note, no passing siding to use as a runaround. The oval loop IS the runaround. One track is the interchange connection to a trunkline. I can handle cars to and from the trunkline connection to any of the spurs on the base. However, when I feel like it, I can just run an engine and cars round and round and roundy round. The same scheme could be used for a circulation loop in an industrial area or down near the docks and inside a large industrial complex that has its own switch crew. This layout by the way is 2' x 3'. You can do a lot more with a 2' x 4'. Of course, allowing the layout to be even 4" wider-- 2'4" -- can provide a lot more.
Here are two good sources for small layout ideas. Micro Layouts for Model Railroads Mike's Small Track Plans The first site in particular is very inspirational. I'm currently laying track on a 32" x 48" N-scale layout. Increasing the depth from 24" to 32" made a huge difference in what was possible. Kenneth: Your layout is a great example of what can be done in a small space. - Jeff
Welcome back to TB John. The Kato website has some very good small track plans that you might find helpful. http://www.katousa.com
Hi Here are a couple links to a 26 X 48 inch layout http://gregkopp.com/Portals/0/blog/uploads/2006/06/Layout 6-5-06.jpg http://gregkopp.com/Portals/0/hobbies/Layout 08-23-08.jpg Gary
Hi Kenneth, That's a great design for a small space. Here's a link to a real railroad that is similiar....dave http://members.trainweb.com/bedt/indloco/ht.html
So far, some very good food for thought! Kenneth, I've seen your layout before and I think it's ingenious! What brand of track did you use? Jeff, I've been on Mike's site in the past. I could combine many of his ideas into something for my layout. Do you have any photos of your layout? Thanks, PSG. I wish I had the room you do for a layout! lol Gary, I like that layout a lot. It gives me the kind of insperation I need! I remeasured the space I have (it's between a dresser and a wall and a TV stand and a wall) and find I have about 3' 6" in width I can use (between the dresser and the wall) but the max length is 4'. The TV stand butts up against my computer desk which butts up against a wall. That extra width gives me some room for a little broader curves and a little more scenery. I remember Tony Koester wrote an article about a 4x8 layout with a hidden staging yard and one town for switching. hhhmmm... Thanks for all of the awesome comments!
Since yr "up against a wall" (two, actually), you also should think about REACH. A solid 42"x48" rectangle is not going to allow you to reach all the way into the back corner. Unless yr Dr. Fantastic, Mrs. Incredible or Wilt Chamberlain. SO, I'd think about an "L" for a switching layout. Something in the shape of: I have about the same space in the corner & I can almost comfortably reach into the back corner, & I made sure not to have any large / fragile scenery in the forground. You can also extend one leg to 24" if you have to, but not both. There are many excellent switching layouts around. Especially check out Byron Henderson's site: http://mrsvc.blogspot.com/ But what kind of railroad are you interested in? Urban? Mining? Logging? A specific city? A specific time period? If you have WP stuff, that leaves you lots of options. I'd focus on a town with industries or you could break up the "L" into two scenes normally vastly removed from each other by either overpass, clever bulding or a mountain /tunnel. It's fun to focus on a small layout! Good for planning challenge, technique building, & the realization that it can be as big or small investment as you want it to be. Have fun!
Just last night, I laid the first track on my 32" x 48" N-scale Cheshire Rail layout. It's the first model RR track I have laid on more than 40 years! As you can see in the track plan below, there are only 10 turnouts in the whole layout, but 6 of them are in the lower middle section that I laid last night. I learned the joys of cutting small pieces of flex track. The track plan is based on John Allen's famous Gorre & Daphetid. I don't expect ever to approach Allen's high standards, but I can pay homage to his creation in my own way. I'm building the layout from blue foam, using the cookie-cutter method. And because I'm a certified geek, here's a small video of the first run on the newly laid track. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKkHpIhJ0E4"]YouTube - Cheshire Rail -- N-scale Model Railroad Layout[/ame] - Jeff
Actually seeing work getting done and models running in videos is going to get me off my rear end and start working. Envirodude's door layout is as well. He's doing some great work. m.c., you have a point on reach that I hadn't considered. If something does go wrong in that back corner, it's going to be a bear to get at. I guess that kills the ides of a hidden rear staging yard. But, it's better for these things to rear their heads now than when the layouts built and it's too late!
Have you looked at the project layouts on here? All can be redrawn for N scale Small HO Scale Model Railroad Layouts with Track Plans | Gateway Central Train Layout and might give you ideas
Shame you can't get a little more space to accomodate a hollow-core door layout. That way, you could have mainline running & switching, and even a chance for your CZ to stretch its legs. However, the 2 by 4 plans look pretty good. Building something based on the TS should be fun.
Before I moved into the apt. I'm in now, I had started a 3 1/2 x 6 foot layout. I got the frame done and had a track plan somewhat finalized. I still have the frame stashed on it's side in the very same corner that I'd like to put this layout. Unfortunately, it won't fit in the space I have available if it's in it's normal position. I'd set it up in the living room, but see...I have this cat. He's not the brightest creature on this earth and I can just see what would happen if he had free roam of my N scale trains while I was at work!
My last small layout I made a plexiglass cover to keep the cat off it. If you don't have huge mountainous terrain on your 3' x 6' you could make a cover and use it.
I'm thinking of rearranging my bedroom to see if I can indeed fit a HCD in or at least get something a little bit bigger than a 2x4. Keep your fingers crossed!
See if you can build something that would slide under the bed and kick the cat out of the bedroom. :tb-tongue:
Bill isn't allowed in my bedroom. I work at night and if he was in my room, he'd be dancing on my head the same way he'd be dancing with my trains. I have a trundle bed (?), so there isn't any room under my bed for a train. I might try turning my bed 90 degrees to the wall so I can put the layout next to it. I was digging through my boxes and found...tahdah! my trains! lol Finally. I know this with get me really going and get something planned!
