Trying to figure out a lay out need some help

[lad12der]

I am in the process of trying to design a lay out for my basement area.    The shape is sorta like  a large u. On one end the area is ideally 4 foot long and can be as wide as desired.  They the long run is roughly 24 foot long,  trying to make at least 4 ft wide.  The other end of the U will be about 8 ft long and can be as wide as desired.   Want to make a modern times layout.    Any suggestions on layout design?   I want to have a nice yard and a intermodel area.  but need a nice long run area as well.  I know this is a lot and Im sure i have not descibed this properly, but I am stuck.

Thank you in advance

Todd

[cuyama]

I can't follow your description, sorry; perhaps others can. A sketch would probably help. Showing walls and room entrances/obstructions is most helpful.

lad12der

They the long run is roughly 24 foot long,  trying to make at least 4 ft wide.

4-feet-wide will likely be too deep if against the wall. Most folks find that they can't reach more than 30" across a scenicked layout. 

Assuming HO, the end curves of the dogbone will be deeper than this for a modern-era layout, so you'll need access hatches if you can't walk all the way around.

Good luck with your layout.

[lad12der]

Im not sure how to put a picture on here.  Let me try to make it easier to understand. 

Take the shape of a box style U ,  Starting at one end of the table lenght can be 4ft long, and as wide as desired. (there will be access to 2 sides of this section. the end and a side)  then going down the bottom part of the U the run is 24 feet long, and can be aswide as 4 feet, put ideally 2 or 3ft wide.  On the other end of the U the lenght is 8 ft and can be as wide as desired, ( access on 2 sides.  The whole outside edge will be up against walls.    does the make any sense?  hopefully

[lad12der]

[cuyama]

Thanks, the sketch helped. Unfortunately, if you'd like continuous run, the end curves are going to come out into the room quite a distance. Most folks would want to use at least 26" radius in HO (or broader) for modern-era equipment. 

If you can steal a little more depth in the room, there would be space for an interior aisle that you duckunder to get into. (A movable gate is also possible, though requires a bit of engineering.) Here’s a rough sketch.

It would be possible to go twice-around in a little more depth to increase the length of run. Others may have different ideas and suggestions.

Good luck with your layout.

Byron

[selector]

You are getting excellent advice.  For each of us in the hobby, we have to figure things out by trying different ideas, but those ideas should center around a basic concept.  You have the basic concept, but are learning that you will have to deal with some static physical realities, both in the space you have, and its configuration, and in the realities of how trains will run in a pleasing and reliable way for you.  What I mean is that many of us find reliability to be a problem, especially starting out.  We don't realize until later that the large locomotives and trailing cars need broad curves until later (as Byron has suggested just above), or that the hills and grades we envision are too steep for the locomotives to pull much more than themselves up them.  We end up compromising.  The trick is to do this very methodically with a list of what many of us call 'druthers' and 'givens'.  The givens are must-haves, very close to deal breakers or actual deal breakers, a line over which you can't be dragged.  The druthers are nice-to-haves if they can be had relatively easily or in a way so as not to complicate or corrupt your plan based on the givens...if that makes sense.

You have a defined space.  What can you build in that space that meets the basic criteria you have in mind...those six, eight, ten givens?  Byron says 26" curves.  Can you do with a couple inches less, or will you really have to build curves with a minimum of 30" radius?  How would you determine this?

[hon30critter]

Hi Todd!

Just for clarification, what scale are you planning on? As Byron said, if you are modelling in HO things will get pretty tight in the right hand return loop. However, if you were to do the layout in N scale the 4 ft. limit on the right wall becomes a non issue.

Dave

[lad12der]

HO for the scale.   The right end will can be four feet out and as wide as needed.  

[lad12der]

Thank you for helping me!!  I'm gonna draw better idea for my table idea, and post that.  Maybe that will make things easier.  

[lad12der]

Thanks for the advice!!!  Luckly i dont plan to have much in the way of large hills etc,  maybe some slight inclines etc or elevated sections  but ideally i wanna keep this fairly flat.

[wickman]

The idea is to keep  the rail  itself pretty much  flat and raise and lower the terrain.