I NEED HELP!!!

[Anonymous]

I live in a trailer, and as you can expect I have some real space limits. I have a room set aside for my future layout, and I have decided to use ho scale. The room is 9ft by 7ft. I know, pretty small, but I am sure that I can build a great layout around the walls, but I am at a loss at where I should start.
Does anyone have any ideas? Should I use UNITRACK, Atlas Snaptrack?
What kind of industry do you think I can squeeze into such a small area? (I am thinking of doing it sectional. 2 by 4)
What era?
The only thing I am sure about is that I want to use the GREAT NORTHERN RR.
Can some one help me!! [banghead][banghead][banghead][banghead][banghead][banghead][banghead][banghead][banghead][banghead][banghead][banghead][banghead][banghead][banghead][banghead]

[ereimer]

since you've already decided on a prototype railroad to base your model railroad on , the best thing to do would be to start researching the Great Northern . this will influence what industries you should include and what loco's and cars you'll need to look out for

here's a place to start
http://www.gnrhs.org/

[ARTHILL]

I built two good layouts on 4x8. Flex track gives good options for creativity. To get a loop you need small engines. To go back and forth with big stuff makes nice dioramas but not much movement. Read MR and decide first what you want to do with the hobby. You can't do everything but you can do anything. Choose carefully. There is a future. What I built at 70 was not what I built at 16.

Good luck and have fun.

Art

[leighant]

I have done a lot of HO in past year but N now-- I am not sure about brands of track, though I would recommend flextrack...give you more flexibility, especialy where you are trying to squeeze things in.
Try to avoid 18" radius mainline curves unless you are committed to running only freight with moderate size locomotives such as GP-9. If you are running ANY passenger trains, 80' TOFCs, 6-wheel-truck diesels or 8 driver steamers, better go to 22" or 24" radius mainline. And yes, around the walls with a duckunder. Probably need to put it up high so the duck is not difficult and leaves room for other living and storage activities. A lot of layout could be done on one foot shelf.

I would recommend NO YARD as such. Single track visible mainline around the room, and some junctions to allow trains to go a two-track hidden staging. Three if you can squeeze them in. Operations would include run-throughs that come from staging and go back to staging, and local switching.
One town with station, passing siding, house and/or team track and an industry spur or two.

You might consider one VERY LARGE (but very flat and shallow) industry that will hide yoour staging tracks. Maybe five or six feet long but only a fraction of an inch thick. One visible mainline at that point and one visible industry siding, plus 2 to 3 hidden staging tracks.
Allowing 2.5 inches between track centers of mainline/siding and the 2 to 3 staging tracks, and 4.5 inches for the space between visible industry spur and hidden stage track (including the building facade) and 1.5 inch from track center to front or back of the layout---
1.5 + 2.5 + 4.5 + 2.5 + 1.5 = 13.5" layout depth for industry + 2 staging tracks.
Add 2.5 for 3rd staging track if you dare, yields 16 inch layout depth.

Also consider industry on the "front" of layout in the aisle, most of structure not modeled but hinted at.
You can make a great layout with lots of great scenes IF almost everything you include is custom fitted for minimum space and lots of trickery.

[rayhippard]

finnius72,

There are many good books with lots of pictures about the Great Northern RR.
also GN traveled through all different kinds of scenery from big cities to flat plains
to spectacular mountains with tunnels and snow sheds. Lots of customers such as
grains, fish, fruits, vegetables, autos, machinery, farm equipment and of course
passengers. Also get a copy of John Armstrong's TRACK PLANNING FOR
REALISTIC OPERATIONS. Everyone should have this book. It is the best. Read and
study it several times and refer to it often. It will give you more ideas and diagrams
than you can use and it will get you thinking of you own ideas and track plans.

Ray ------ Great Northern fan.

[Medina1128]

You needed help, and poof.. it appeared. Keep us posted on your layout...[8D]

[Anonymous]

Thanks a lot guys.

[chateauricher]

finnius,

I, too, live in a mobile home and have a room (slightly smaller than yours) set aside for my N-scale 2-deck layout.

Have you considered N-scale? If you can work with a smaller size, you will be able to get more into such a small space (one of the considerations I had when I was choosing a scale. See my post at http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=39522 for my other HO vs N-scale considerations.)

Leighant is right. Regardless of the scale, you'll find that flex track will give you much greater flexibility in designing your tracks. You can get custom or double curves with very little effort. And easements are far more realistic than with SnapTrak or UniTrack.

However, I disagree with Leighant about a duck-under. Those things quite litterally become a pain in the a--. A lift-out, swing-up, or swing-away bridge is far more convenient and much kinder on our aging bodies. While a bit more challenging to build, they are well worth the effort. A local MRR club had a duck-under; but last year they rebuilt part of their N-scale layout in order to put in a lift-out bridge to make it easier for members to enter the centre aisle. The amount of work they put into redesigning and rebuilding a section about 8 feet long was considerable. Its far simpler to incorporate such a thing from the beginning than to have to rip apart a section of the layout to add it in later.

Since the studs in the walls of mobile homes are not the strong 2x4's you see in traditional homes, consider using a lightweight wood (1x3's on 18-24" centers) "ladder" frame to support 2" (at least) of extruded foam (pink or blue, NOT white) as the subroadbed. You could buy a sheet of 3/4" ply and have it cut down to 3" wide strips to form the ladder frame. The benefits of this are the plywood won't warp, and it might even be cheaper (especially if you can rip the strips yourself and save the cutting fees). Some people will probably suggest a layer of plywood on top of the frame (3/8" minimum; 5/8" preferred); but as long as you incorporate some diagonal bracing, or attach the frame to at least 2 walls, you won't have to worry about it twisting out of shape. The foam will be more than strong enough to support your layout -- just don't plan to stand on it.

[chateauricher]

QUOTE: Originally posted by leighant
...Single track visible mainline around the room, and some junctions to allow trains to go a two-track hidden staging. Three if you can squeeze them in.

A couple of questions for you, Leighant, if you will...

Where would you put this "hidden staging" you suggest? And how would you get to it?
If it were to be on a 2nd deck beneath the main deck, how would you reach it? Consider this: the main deck structure (subroad bed, benchwork, etc) would be at least 4" thick, and, in HO, you need at least 4" clearance. That's a total of 8". A grade of 2% would require a run of at least 33'-4" (the room's perimeter is 32ft). A helix would eat up far too much room. Also, those 8" don't leave you any room to put your hands in to do any maintance or pick up cars that have derailed.

[cheese3]

That is not much smaller than the layout i am building it is 10' x 10' around the walls style. I am using atlas flex track and snap switches. I think you could squeeze a mining industry in some where. Have fun building and planning.