Need Help Planning a Bedroom Size Layout

[rockythegoat]

Been a model rail for years, but, have no talent in designing a trackplan. [:I]Anyone care to take a shot? [}:)]

Givens and Druthers:
Modern error, short line lumber/iron ore hauler, similar to McCloud River and CanFor Englewood section. Motive power SW1500/1200. GN run through freights. Would like to have the Walthers ore dock used, 4 tracks wide. Will use (2) Walthers car floats to interchange traffic.

Parameters:
HO Scale / standard gauge

Around the wall, 24 inches wide, can cheat at two corners.

Would like twice around lap, some can be hidden.

Staging for 4-6 (10) 50-60 foot car trains.

Room is 12.5 feet by 11 feet, with a 2x7 closet taking one corner. I plan on the clost being used for an engine service facility. Access to the closet will be via holes cut into the walls.

Door to the room is in one corner and opens in, therefore the section of track there will need to be removable.

I know, I know. Trying to get 7 pounds of "stuff" [:D] into a 5 pound bag, but, I think a man much wiser then me once said, "not to ask, is not to get."

Thanks for readin'!

[cuyama]

Sounds like a fine theme for a layout, but you are looking for quite a lot in your space.

How deep can you widen the benchwork in the two corners where you can "cheat"? Making those wide enough to be turnback loops would give you a dogbone style for continuous running. Hide the back leg of the dogbone, placing your staging tracks there, perhaps.

Then the rest of the around-the-room can be more of a point-to-point, as would be typical of a lumber/mining operation. Many of these lines had switchbacks to gain elevation, which would be a natrual way to give yourself a twice around in going from lakeside or tidewater up to the high timber.

This way you could build a switchback tailtrack or such into the narrow space behind the opening door and get more use out of the room rather than allowing for the full swing in of the door.

It's hard to visualize from your description so far, but cutting holes into the walls for access to the engine facility sounds a little dicey. That's probably an area where you will have to reach all the tracks occasionally.

Regards,

Byron 
Model RR Blog 

QUOTE: Originally posted by rockythegoat

Givens and Druthers:
Modern error, short line lumber/iron ore hauler, similar to McCloud River and CanFor Englewood section. Motive power SW1500/1200. GN run through freights. Would like to have the Walthers ore dock used, 4 tracks wide. Will use (2) Walthers car floats to interchange traffic.

Parameters:
HO Scale / standard gauge
Around the wall, 24 inches wide, can cheat at two corners.
Would like twice around lap, some can be hidden.
Staging for 4-6 (10) 50-60 foot car trains.
Room is 12.5 feet by 11 feet, with a 2x7 closet taking one corner. I plan on the clost being used for an engine service facility. Access to the closet will be via holes cut into the walls.

[rockythegoat]

Byron: Does this help?

I figure I can cheat a little at corners 1 & 2, but, and I forgot to put in my original post, layout height will be around 48-52 inches.

Holes in the wall (**) at each end of the closet will be okay, as I have the doors off now and have my workbench in there. My other bench with spray booth is on the 11 foot wall, exhausting out the window.

I figured to use the car float and staging tracks as the point-to-point, but, I want to have the capability to let them run, while I work on other stuff.

The floats would not be in place all of the time, but, will be movable staging tracks.

1________________11 foot___________________2
................................................................................................|
...............................................................................9.5 foot..|
........................................................................ wall to door..|
................................................................................................|
.10.5 foot...............................................................................|
.wall to closet.......................................................................|
................................................................................................|
................................................................................................| ______________________________ **.................................................................|...........................door
..............................closet...2x7.5..............| ___________________________**|___________||
3 4

[cuyama]

Nope, sorry, just a jumble when viewed on any of my browsers.

QUOTE: Originally posted by rockythegoat

Byron: Does this help?

[BRJN]

QUOTE: Originally posted by rockythegoat

I plan on the clost being used for an engine service facility. Access to the closet will be via holes cut into the walls.

From experience (not my own but listening at family gatherings) I would NOT go knocking holes in walls. This tends to mess up the structural soundness of your house. It also cuts down on future resale value. [:(]

[rrinker]

Although (playing devil's advocate here [}:)]), model-train size holes in drywall aren't going to do a lick of damage to the structural integrity of the wall, and should you move, it's pretty easy to patch up holes in drywall and repaint, no one will ever know they are there if the person doing the patching is good at drywall work. If I could, I would do the same as it would help a lot in trying to fit a layout into my space, but the other side of the only wall is completely off limits. Oh well, I can dream about that center pennisula that would be possible if I could shove the hidden side of a turnback curve over to the other side of said wall...

--Randy

[Anonymous]

Is the layout going to be a woods themed layout? Or a small town, etc?

[Anonymous]

Ever get a plan for this room? Your room plan with the dots isn't readable. If you can't scan a rough sketch of the room plan and upload it to a server, try doing an around-the-room description. Can't visualize what you've described so far.


Wayne

[rockythegoat]

Thanks for the questions so far. [:)] Tried to get a scan in, didn't work well. So, here is a description.

North and South walls are 11 feet wide.

East and West walls are 12.5 feet wide.

Southwest corner has a 2 foot deep (runnng N/S) , 7.5 foot wide (running E/W) double door closet, with doors removed. Access to the closet will be on the closets NW and SE faces. Nothing structural is in the way and fixing it later will be a piece of cake.

Southeast corner has a 32 inch wide door, runs N/S, hinged on South side, opens in.

My plan is to have this be in the woods, with maybe a "wide spot" or two and one town-like area, which I wanted to have a couple of business' and the car float operation. And somewhere, have the Walther's ore dock.

[Anonymous]

See the new Great Model Railroads. There is a bedroom sized layout complete with the closet usage. The pictures look great and the track plan might be a starting point for you. I understand about having no layout design talent! I finally used a published plan and have a layout that is developing nicely. Earlier attempts were NOT satisfactory because of my lack of skill in the design area.

[Anonymous]

My HO layout is 9x13 but will fit your room with smaller dimensions. I have a modified "E" shape. You could put the back of the E along the N wall with the top adn bottom legs of the E along the E&W walls. The middle leg of the E stands out into the room.I put mine on the wall with L girders and the free standing middle legs are doubled 1x3's, glued and screwed. Top is double layer 2" foamboard. Mine has clearance, full width, along what is your S wall. This is where my controls etc are. Height is 54" so I can get under it. The E shape allows you to reach the wall mounted parts for derails or scenery buildng etc. This would also allow you to access both the door and the closet