What Direction Does Your Layout Run?

[dbaker48]

wrmcclellan

Hey Don B - man I am surprised by some of these posts. Most of the toy train friends I have are also NASCAR fans and our layout main lines predominately make left turns, so counterclockwise!

 

 

Roy,  I would agree with you normally.  But I think the most overwhelming factor is whether the train room is a left room or a right room.  As my room is a left room the trains need to be primarily going clockwise, otherwise you would not seem them approaching very well.

[Plate Rail]

I incorporated 2 reversing loops into the layout design so that changing directions without reversing the train was simple.  One loop is roughly 50' in length and tends to get used as staging track for 3 or 4 trains.  They start from there going clockwise, eventually changing direction on the other loop and finally run back onto the tail end of the first loop.  I suspect operations will change somewhat when I start adding signals to the single mainline design.

Bruce

[ChiefEagles]

Which ever way I want them to go.  Sometimes, opposite direction.  Sometimes, same direction.  Meeting and go into siding to wait for one to pass [that makes it interesting].  Depends on the time I have to spend.

[robmcc]

I'm typically in the "one goes this way and one that way" group as well. Although like Roy, if I'm only running one train than it's to the left!!

[Phoebe Vet]

As I stood watching the escalator and wondering what they do when the basement gets full of stairs, I decided my layout should run both ways.

[fifedog]

I'm also a sailor, so it's Red Right Running.  

 

[Firelock76]

wrmcclellan

Hey Don B - man I am surprised by some of these posts. Most of the toy train friends I have are also NASCAR fans and our layout main lines predominately make left turns, so counterclockwise!

 

Interesting.  I never thought of that.

Hey, how about Martin Truex getting the Cup this year!  Jersey boy makes good!

[wrmcclellan]

Hey Don B - man I am surprised by some of these posts. Most of the toy train friends I have are also NASCAR fans and our layout main lines predominately make left turns, so counterclockwise!

[Toy Trains FTW]

For my christmas layout I have a standard gauge rectangle on the outside of an o gauge ractangle.  The SG runs clockwise(at the 12 o clock postition its heading west) and the O runs counter-clockwise heading east at the 12 o clock position.

 

edit: if you are facing south thats the direction they are heading

[dbaker48]

LL675

One goes disaway, and the utter two go a data way

Love It!

[phrankenstign]

I guess they usually go clockwise.  However many times I add reversing loops, so the trains change direction whenever I want.

[LL675]

One goes disaway, and the utter two go a data way

[JamesP]

I do run trains both directions, but mainly clockwise. The classic Marx windup trains are actually set up so the body is offset to the inside of the loop when running clockwise, which means that they stay on the track better when running that direction. It shifts the center of gravity slightly to the inside of the loop, similar to a motorcycle leaning into a curve. Depending on how sharp the curve is, and how fast the train is running, the windups can be a bit prone to rolling over in the curves! Some of the Marx instructions for their mechanical trains even state "Train works best running clockwise". Who am I to argue with Marx, right?

[8ntruck]

Typically clockwise, though the last temporary layout I did at the Depot museum had both loops running counterclockwise.

Guess I don't have a standard direction.

[Major]

I like trains passing one another going in opposit directions,so my layout has trains going both clockwise and counter clockwise.

[Penny Trains]

On the bedroom layout I run the outer O31 loop clockwise and the inner S gauge loop counter clockwise.  If I run them the other way, somehow they sideswipe each other and derail inside the tunnel at the back of the layout!    The Disneyland layout runs clockwise because that's how they run at Disneyland. 

[Firelock76]

I've got three loops, the innermost loop is the trolley loop, that runs counter-clockwise, next one out for trains runs clockwise, the outermost one runs counter-clockwise.  I find with the three loops running in opposite directions to each other I get a bit of a "fool the eye" effect that makes the layout (4x8) look bigger than it is, the viewer's eyes (mine included) don't concentrate on any one loop.

Unless I've got two engines on the outer loops that have a habit of smacking each other as they pass on turns, in just the right spot and at just the right angle, then I run them both clockwise.

[arkady]

My 3rs layout goes counterclockwise. The Marx/Lionel tinplate layout runs clockwise.

[rtraincollector]

Well when I had a layout, I ran them counter clock wise. I just liked the idea of them coming out the tunnel towards me instead of on the back side of the layout. 

Edit: I did have a shelf layout back then also, and it ran clockwise.

[KRM]

Nice question,

 Lets see, my main loop goes both ways depending what train I run from the 6 spur switching and parking yard. Same for the 3 parking pull aside spurs on that loop. Some are pulled into the spurs and some are backed in. The trains are not kept in the same spurs so it is always changing.

 The top loop is a reversing loop so both ways. The log yard is clockwise and the kids loop is also clockwise. And the # 50 gang car track is point to point.

[cnw1995]

What an interesting question! The current layout was set up to run clockwise from Ivor's shed out to his branch line but of course, there's no run-around track so he goes 'out' clockwise and formally returns running 'backwards' - though the layout loops back. My layout's past configurations (with multiple trolley lines) ran in both directions.

[Nationwidelines]

I am an American, they have to go the correct way!

http://www.simpsonsworld.com/video/311758403950

[dbaker48]

Just a question of curiosity, do you run your trains Clockwise, Counter-Clockwise, or Point-Point?  If both directions which is predominent?

 

Mine is Clockwise.