I will be starting my layout soon in my new room, currently in the planning stages. I was planning on building a modified New York, Ontario & Western Ry, as seen in MRR. I was planning on stretchihg it to 40ish " x 8 ft. The room is 10 ft wide but I wated to leave room for a 2x4 ft test/programming oval. I was wanting to use 15" radius, mainly for passenger equipment, #4 & #6 TO. Would it be better to mount the 2 sides to the wall and then build out or just build a free standing table? Would 2 freight diesels and a Mike be enough to handle the freight duties? For the passenger train I was planing on a baggage and 2 coaches pulled by a AA consist, E-6 or E-8.
Gary
I am working on a 8' x 11' N Scale layout in the form of a U -shaped folded dogbone mainline. After reading what all the N scalers recommended I tried to stay with 19" curves with only a couple branchlines going down to 15" and am glad I did. Will you ever have to move? Freestanding tables would make it possible to relocate some or all of it if worse came to worse. I built three free standing tables and then bolted them together. In addition I drove a few screws into wall studs every couple of feet which gave me rock stable benchwork I can climb on if I need to. I built quite a few shelves under the benchwork to hold RR lanterns etc. and also my large book and magazine collection. If you are going to build any kind of storage space or shelves you may want to think that out before you start to build your benchwork. If you build freestanding tables I suggest the legs be set in from the edge of the benchwork so you can have 4"-5" toe space (kick space?) all around. In other words when standing up to the edge of the fascia you need an inset for your feet.
I used #6 turnouts on the mainline and only #4 when I had to on some of the industrial spurs. Again, I am glad I followed this advice.
Best of luck, don't get too overcome with all the planning at some point you just have to start building!
Mike B.
What you propose sounds pretty good.
For my own 10x15 N scale layout I went with a 17.5" minimum radius after years of smaller curves, and I couldn't be happier. I actually only have one 17.5"r curve on the layout as the rest are all 20"r or larger. Turnouts are #7's and #10's on the main, and #5's on the banches. As I run only steam, those bigger curves really help. My layout (still under much construction) is a two level layout with staging under that. It's an around the walls setup with a large penninsula into the room, with the helix to go in one corner.
Since you're an Old & Weary fan, you might like a shot I took on my layout of a loco I bought to repaint. Since I protolance, this was obviously before the repaint.
Keep us posted on your progress, and don't forget.......The only stupid question is te one you didn't ask!
Thanks for the replies.
The room is on the small side- 10x9 ft. I have to also put my computer in it and some storage room for my stuff. I was considering building a free standing table with caster wheels on it. I thought if I needed to work on the back side, I could just roll it out a little. I was planning on using 1x4 for the framing and using 2x2 for the legs which will be braced to the frames.
I would like to go with 18" radius but 48" width is about the max and I would like to have a continous loop. I will be using Kato Unitrack, that is why I didn't have any turnouts larger than a #6 and I have a decent amount of the stuff from my utility room layout. I know sectional track has some limitations but I believe I can work around them.
Mike, I will be sending my first house payment in tomorrow, so it will be pretty permament. Unless something just falls in my lap.
Not a Old & Weary fan (actually Southern), I liked the way the track was laid out and thought it was a good starting point.
I would leave it an island and put some viewblocks/backdrops down the middle or so to help create some different scenes Gives you more of a feeling of going someplace. Don't be afraid to make the benchwork kinda high 48-55" above the floor. Gves a much better viewing angle.
Dave H.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com