Layout designs

[Big Walnut Railroader]

So just for fun and what not I'm designing an around the walls hi-rail layout. However I'm a little lost as how to begin. Any advice that you guys have to share would be helpful. Thanks.

[csxt30]

Glad to hear you're getting started !! That's my kind of layout, sort of !!  You may want to make it just wide enough so as to reach everything comfortably, 2 or 3 feet wide or more. Also consider the heigth . Will you have an island in the middle ? One thing I did, was to make a huge mountain, but a few feet away from the corner walls. In the corner itself, I left it open. I can go around back & clean track & wire & take care of anything else that could happen back there, standing up !! I made one before where the mountain was huge & the tracks were next to the walls in the corner, 2 levels & I had to duck under to get inside to work on everything. Just some thoughts I had for you, & hope it is fun building !! There are lots of threads on layouts here on the forum !!

Oh, on building benchwork, this is a very good book !!

Thanks, John       

[raymans]

yes I agree on the book, it is what I used for my around the walls layout

 

I didn't want legs everywhere so tried to make use of ony wall brackets wherever possible

 

Computer drawing of planned benchwork and where it would attach to existing studs

 

progression of building actual benchwork

later addition

still a work in process

good luck and enjoy the process

[dwiemer]

Check with Frank53, he has a great wall layout.  He has a site too that you can check his photos, etc.  I am sure he has some good tips.

Dennis

[PostwarMan07]

www.lionellines.net

Frank's work is amazing! definately take a look at his layout and the links to other sites as well.  welcome to the hobby.

[Prairietype]

I think you're going about this right. Around the walls is both efficient and has advantages.

I approached mine a little differently-it is off the walls, but around the central trunk of a stair well to my basement.

I did not want legs, so it suspends from the studs, with one massive beam running through at one point that is fully 16 feet long. There are others.

As for the design of the layout I use tubular track, and because it has defined lengths and curves I laid this on the floor around the space I would use, experimenting with directions and spacing, and switch placement, cross-overs and everything. Once I had a fleshed out the idea, I began to construct the framing and beams above the tracks, put plywood in place and then progressively moved track up, onto, and into place. Began this project last October and had the first circuit running on Thanksgiving. I can run mutliple trains now and am still fine tuning the layout. Some scenery is under construction, but the main thing is operations and I have fun with it every night. I know that I will eventually finish refining the track plan, and then it will be serious layout decoration time. Eventually that will be finished and then it will be play time, which is all I really want to do anyway.