This is meant to document the build of my next layout. It will be built on 8 2’x4’ sections entirely of 1/2” plywood and arranged in an 8’ x 12’ rectangle designed to be operated from the center 4’ x 8’ isle. It will consist of two independent main lines that can also be run as a single longer route. One route will be “ground level” without grades and the other will run up a 2% grade from ground level to a point 2 or 3 inches higher that will generally follow the back drop with some crossing back and forth of the lower line. I’ll have a shared yard, a city scene and a few industries (most likely a large paper mill). I generally want to just watch my trains run, so that’s the primary goal. I don’t have a final track plan yet, just a bunch of ideas that probably won’t be finalized until I can start laying track. Setting is Maine-NH-VT. I run Maine Central, Bangor and Aroostook and Boston and Maine. These are the roads I grew up with and the entire layout will be designed to evoke the flavor of the time rather than copying any specific locale. All that said, thanks for taking a few minutes to read all of that and I hope you’ll follow along with me.
Era, locomotive choices, etc.? I know you said your childhood, but when was that? There may be a few around here that were kids when steam was still running, at least on some roads. Steam era facilities (roundhouses and turntables, ash, coaling and water facilities, etc.) could be still used, standing, abandoned or all but gone. I gather that it will be convertible to twice-around? Then there's the steam driven MOW shovels, snow plows, etc. DCC/DC, signals, switch control, etc.? Inquiring minds want to know; and this sounds like fun!
I just noticed something... Did you actually mean "isle" (island), or rather "aisle," as in "lane", which can be walked into? I would discourage an island into which you cannot walk. You could provide walking access by a lift-out module*, or swing/drop/draw bridge, etc. If the layout height is sufficient to merely have to duck under it to enter the "operating pit", that can also work, but will get more difficult and tiresome as you age. *depending on how you arrange your end 2'x4' modules in your 8'x12' (outside measurement) loop, and assuming you would enter at one end: with two modules, across the ends of the lengthwise modules with a single 2x4 module between the lengthwise modules If you choose the latter, the single end-module could be designed to lift out, thus opening access to the middle of the layout. But reliably aligning the tracks across the module boundaries takes planning and precision. The N-Trak modular layout standard uses Kato Unitrack expandable track pieces to join their modules' tracks together, since they can be inserted and expanded to join up with adjacent modules' fixed tracks ending short of the module ends.
Yes, I meant aisle, not isle. Although, the thought of putting my aisle on my own isle sounds pretty good. That’s a good point about access. I’m planning on layout height being 50” so I was thinking I would just duck under, but eventually that may not be a great idea. I had planned on 2 modules on each side of the layout, so making one of those a lift out may not be too bad. It should be light enough to take out and put back in without too much trouble.
A rail height of 50" would probably mean a maximum clearance underneath a module of 46", or less than 4'. Back in the day, that would not have bothered me, but it certainly would now. Some vendors offer modular hardware that provides accurate, inter-module alignment. Another user here, forgot his name, has posted his efforts using one brand. It positively aligns the modules accurately enough for simple butt joints in the track rails between modules, which allows tracks crossing between modules non-perpendicularly to the module boundary.) The Kato adjustable length Unitrack section can join tracks across module boundaries at any angle. The use of RR trestles (bridges) could also connect the removable module into the layout, at right angles. Having the seam between the adjacent modules lie at the bottom of a brushy ravine would also hide the seam. And don't forget wiring connections for rail power and any signals, switch motors, occupancy detection, animation, etc. Bus-oriented accessory control systems, such as LCC, Loconet, or even DCC itself (perhaps on a dedicated, separate bus from the track,) make for much easier inter-module accessory wiring connections. Naturally, DCC control for the track/locomotives will be much easier to implement across multiple modules than multi-block analog DC control.
