I am a beginner, could you please critique my layout. I wanted to be able to run 2 trains at once with some siding for extra cars and building. Trains would run clockwise.
Hello. Personally, I would not want the U-shaped middle track. Just place a turnout where you have the start of the U now, one oriented with its diverging route going NW, and run a slightly circular track curling north...sort of a switchback. It would be more prototypical than what you have in the absence of any other information.
If you don't plan on joining another module at upper right, I would find it more aesthetically pleasing to curl that spur down toward the south at an angle. It seems out of place where it is.
yes 6x10....considered a cutout in center to reach inside....as far as the center siding it is a 15 deg....I figured it should be okay for shorter cars....maybe my short coal or oil cars.....
as far as running one direction.....not sure....really want to be able to run 2 trains at once....not into one way layouts, I enjoy letting them run for 30 minutes are so, listening to the sound and mesmerized(sp?) by the watching them. Plus my young kids wanna watch them run for a while not sit or move back and forth.
Any suggestions for another layout, I have a 6x8 table with a 2x2 extension in top right.
What size is the space your using for the layout? Have you considered an around the wall design? You could have much more operating potential and still have the reach needed.
A 6x10 is not that portable, but don't know if this layout may need to be moved in the future. If so, I would build the layout in sections or modules. You would be happier in the end.
Modeling B&O- Chessie Bob K. www.ssmrc.org
I presume this is HO scale?
Why do you have the two loops so far away from each other? I would put them much closer like a double track mainline. Depending on how you did that it would either 1. make this beast much smaller (I've seen similar concepts done in 4x8.) 2. Leave much more space in the center for a pop up control cockpit, and whatever that "U" industry is.
Here is the 4.5'x8' condensed version. Obviously it could be made longer and/or fatter.
I would also add a third crossover which also makes a run-around on one side of the layout. This helps eliminate the need to run trains a specific direction.
With a 6x10 space one can begin to do many interesting things, like making the U-track go up hill and put a mine on a hill over the lower curved loop tracks in a tunnel.
In fact the layout below becomes very intersting when expanded to 6x10.