Here is a blank page of the space I have to work with in the new place. The dimensions are in feet, each square is 1 foot, and the 2 black dots are steel posts. There is room under the stairs to run under, if need be! It's about 4'-3" high under the landing. Also, the dimensions are INSIDE dimensions, so that is exactly how much room I have to work with. I'm thinking of a single level layout this time, just to speed up the time it will take to get up and running, but I may go to another double deck. -What are your ideas? I've drawn out about 50 track plans so far, I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas that might go in a different direction than what I've come up with. Maybe a different perspective? Thanks! [ March 05, 2006, 12:16 PM: Message edited by: Mike Hagarty ]
WOW. That's a yoooge basement! Definitely lots of possibilities for empire-building there. How about post some plans you came up with? It'll be easier for us to chew on those.
Agreed!!! I am jealous of all that space!!! Will you be following the same theme as your present layout? Boxcab E50
Wow.... I'm jealous too! You could do soooooo much in that space... Double-decking would give you a ton of run, But the layout would never get fully scenicked before you moved to a new, new place! You mentioned to me that you only want to be in this house for a few years--have you thought of going modular? Sure beats destroying all your hard work, and rebuilding from scratch every time! Modular can move with you, and if you have a basement like the one you have now, you can adapt it to any house. For me, moving every 3 years or so, modular is the only way to go. You don't have to do N-trak standards, you can do M-trak, for 'Mike'! Standard corners, 2x4; 2x8' straight sections, etc. You could rebuild a section to fit a specific basement, if it doesn't fit, rather than rebuild the whole layout. Seems smarter, to build modular, at least for me. {plink, plink}
WOW That can be SOME empire.sk has a HO layout about that size.It's a double decker besides. In "N",that's going to be too cool.
All I can say is that the 7 x 8 foot section would definately be big enough for a helix plus other tracks.The rest is up to you.....
Mike, I second what Hemi says.... You know how close you came to getting a boot in the a$$ over this tear down.... Are you going to Kens tonight?? I might bring 101 and some exec cars for a tour... grant
There are only two things that you really really need to design in: No duck-unders, and walk around train operations. To build a huge layout with walk-around (walk with your train) is much better than any other alternative.
Here is one idea I'm thinking of. It is a simple point to point, but the staging yards are beside each other, and could be finished as a real working yard, complete with a switcher crew, wye, engine facility and some industrial. -There is a paper mill west of the staging yard also, a switcher can pull a drag out of the main yard and run through the staging yard, to switch out the paper mill and back again. -The main yard would be 60 feet long, and 2 feet wide. I don't have the track arangement on this plan, that may have to wait until it's built! I would like the focal point of the layout to be the main yard. -I want to have a large grain elevator on the west end of the yard too. That will be another switcher job, to pull and spot the elevator, then a grain train can run east, through the 2 sidings and into the staging yard.
I wish I had so much room to work with. I'd doodle some plans for you but I'm not computer literate enough to do the drawing like you did. My only criticism to the above drawing is do you really want to go in front and behind your WH & furnaces. Think of the heat a possibly repair work on them in the future. Not to mention track cleaning, etc.
The house is brand new, and I don't plan on staying there long enough to ever have to replace them. I have tried lots of plans that stay away from them, but it will cost too much length if I do.
The peninsula that ends in the grain silo is going to be a big problem. If you walk with your train, something that is just about required now a days, how do you get to the other side at the wye? I'd advise to keep planning until you have something where you don't have to leave your train. Remember, a walk around layout does not mean you need to walk around a lot!
That's too bad...I meant on staying there long with such a large train area. Well think about modular constuction so on those very detailed sections you could take with you. other less detailed areas you can just pull up track.
mike here's my idea. a double track main around the loop. service tracks split off between furnace and water heater, leads around the stairs to a peninsula. you could either run thru or around the stairs.
That's much better! You probably won't need the run through though. It'd be really annoying to run around the basement each time you pass this point. Unless you are doing a quaint historical tribute and are also terminally stubborn, no one would start a huge new railroad without the ability to follow a train around. A walk-around layout can be run as a tower operation, but a tower operation cannot be run as a walk-around layout.
