Island -vs- Around the Room Layouts

[dochooter]

I am in the planning stages and layed out track for a around the room u shaped layout with a penninsula.  Seems to offer great runs with out the feeling that the trains are going in a circle in front of you and easy to jump from one scene to another.

[custom mike]

 It comes down to room size.  The width of the room is key here at 24' .  Length is not bad at 24'.  With some creative bechwork, dog bone shapes can be pretty interesting you just don't want to get too wide but remember inside the room you can access the layout from both sides.  I know a lot of us are resigned to the duck under due to room size but I tell you I hate to duck under and would avoid it at all cost.  There are swinging type designs where you don't have to duck but at 24' X 24' see what yo can do.  Have fun!

[fifedog]

Check out the Smoky Mountain Trains layout in this months (OCT) Classic Toy Trains, especially pages 60-61. I love how they encorporated the roundhouse and passenger terminal in the area, using the elevated trackage to create separation and a scenic view block.  Just understand, roundhouses (even a small 3 stall) will chew up real estate on any pike. Judgin g from the diagram on page 61, Mr. Cooper's 5 stall roundhouse and turntable takes up approx 8 x 8.

[casconi]

I want to include room for sidings, a yard, and a roundhouse. I also would like to feature a passenger station. I was thinking an island U shape might work well. The main line with multiple levels in the middle part of the U, one side of the U having the roundhouse and the other the yard. What do you think?

[fifedog]

Alllll-righty then. 24 x 24 gives us a lot of real estate to work with.  Is this a bare room, or are we working around a furnace or sump pump, or washing machine.

Let's roll up our sleeves and start plotting. 

If you go the island/walk-around route, your layout will then be approx 18 x 18.  Remember, 3 feet walkways.  Don't skimp there, or an open house will be spent telling folks "That's okay" as they are trying to help you pick up broken picture frames and other memorabilia you had on the walls.  Island style railroads do give you the opportunity to build vertically, with multiple track heights and lots of action.

If you go around the wall, you can easily encoporate a 6 or 7 foot wide peninsula in the middle of the room, with return loops on each end.  This is how I designed mine, and I'm working in a 17 x13 foot space.  I believe around the wall layouts lend more opportunity for industrial spurs and passing sidings as well, because trying to work within the confines of a big loop, remember turnouts eat up table space.

[casconi]

Thanks so much for all the great comments. The room I have is about 24 x 24. I think after hearing all the comments I will try combining both. I am going to sit down tonight and begin planning the empire! Thanks again.

[Anonymous]

Here's a suggestion which combines the best features of both types.  My basement layout is an around-the-room type.  However, there is a space of 18 inches between the outside edge of the layout and the walls, which is just big enough to for me to comfortably walk in.  Therefore, I have a layout that surrounds visitors, but I can also easily gain access to any part of it as well as my display shelves which fill the walls with no need for a duckunder or anything like that.

[jonadel]

When we rebuild in a few more years ours will be around two rooms that connect. The square room will have a big center aisle which I believe will really enhance the viewing of the layout and make it much more accessible. I'll try and post a few pics tomorrow as I need to polish up the bike, it's bike night in the big city and there won't be many more, darn it.
Jon

[cnw1995]

I'd say much depends on how you want to configure your space. This sounds so obvious but hear me out. I happened to have a large raised rectangular space that was not useful for anything 'cept storage or an island-type layout. For the reasons others have articulated, I sure would prefer an around the walls layout - but I'd have a heck of a time fitting into the other not-readily available space.

[fifedog]

Just how big a room do you have?

[lionelsoni]

I'll second Allan's comments about using the space under an around-the-walls layout.  I find that 45 inches is high enough for that, using 1/2-inch plywood over 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 steel-angle framing.

I have also found it useful to concentrate trackwork in the corners, connected by perfectly straight sections of parallel track.  That way you have a hope of moving it to another room or house just by adjusting the lengths of the straight sections.  I also support it entirely from the floor, rather than from the walls, for the same reason.

I am working on a pair of bascule bridges to get across the doorway, instead of the lift-out board that I have been using.  This requires lengthening the bridges and modifying them to lift fully to vertical--a lot of work.  I reshape the ends of the bridge's rails into an inverted V to fit over the exposed track pins of the fixed track, for perfect rail alignment.

[ChiefEagles]

Around the room gives great curves and seems to make the trains disappear.  Then you attach islands off of the around the room layout.  These can be modules that you can change by removing and attaching another one.  

[jonadel]

I do both w/variation. Mine is a peninsula in one room that leads to a long around the wall in the other room. I basically used every square inch in the square room and I love it, very easy access to everything and in the longer connecting room it's up against the wall which is where I have a bar/tv/gas fireplace and stools--it's what works best for me.

Ideally, if I had more room my preference would be around the wall. I don't have any duck unders and never will, just doesn't seem like a good idea for guests or me :)

Jon

[FJ and G]

There are many more good reasons to go around the wall than island. Island is not, however, without a few benefits. Generally, there are no duckunders to contend with or doors, windows to cross shelving with.

If you really really want to fill your room with track and scenery, you could do both. Around the wall with peninsula that juts out into an island. To do this effectively, your room would need to be about 20x20 minimum.

[Anonymous]

My preference would be the around-the-room configuration because it provides for longer (and generally more realistic) runs, permits easier access to all parts of the layout (both above and below), and provides an opportunity to rather easily provide the layout with a continuous and naturally flowing series of scenes or vignettes that allow the viewer to view select areas of the pike without being overwhelmed by taking in an entire overview at any one time.  In other words, much of the room can still be used for living space so the room itself can serve dual purposes.  Space underneath can be put to functional use, such as for a desk, bookcases, display cases, stereo system, workbench, small refrigerator, and the like.  About the only disadvantage I can think of is the need for a duck-under or, as an alternative, a lift-up or drop-down section to afford easy access at the doorway.

Aside from easy access to the room itself, I can't think of any real advantages to an island-style layout, although that is, in fact, the form that I imagine a majority of layouts take because many folks find it more convenient to build and eventually expand using sheets or sections of plywood.

[BigJim]

Around the room also has the the possibilities of larger radius curves.

[Andrew Falconer]

The Duck-Under is what to use in the Around the Room Layout.

The Around the Room Layout in O Gauge or O Scale is almost like a Shelf Layout in HO Scale. It is highly focused on the railroad operations and industries.

The Island Layout can offer a large city or amusement park in the center if you go full out with expensive models.

Andrew

[chuck]

Major issue with a true island is getting power to the island.  Most residents don't have floor mounted power outlets.  A lot of "island" layouts are more like "peninsula" layouts, one side touches a wall.   Another big issue for an island style are access to middle sections as the island gets larger.  Around the wall layouts have problems with turn around unless you have a stairway that drops you in the middle of the room and/or there are no exits to a basement or attic area or choose to do a point to point layout.

[casconi]

I am thinking about which type of layout to build, an around the room layout on the perimeter or an island type layout in the center of the room. I would love to hear a good debate on this and the pros and cons of both.