my new and first layout

[Anonymous]

I need big time help in designing my lay out in the construction part of building it i am not a carpenter i am and engineer for u.p. my layout size is a room 27 feet by 29 feet . What i want to do is come around the room at about 72 " above the floor for 3 walls and then come down to the lay out size of 52 " off the floor . I can use l brackets for along the wall but how do i do the sweeping curves i will need in three places one of them willbe over the room doors which i switched to opening out so they dont inter fear with the lay out. Help Please !!!! Gary Emmert.

[Anonymous]

I need big time help in designing my lay out in the construction part of building it i am not a carpenter i am and engineer for u.p. my layout size is a room 27 feet by 29 feet . What i want to do is come around the room at about 72 " above the floor for 3 walls and then come down to the lay out size of 52 " off the floor . I can use l brackets for along the wall but how do i do the sweeping curves i will need in three places one of them willbe over the room doors which i switched to opening out so they dont inter fear with the lay out. Help Please !!!! Gary Emmert.

[Jacktal]

I certainly would like to help as many other modelers I think.However your question isn't quite clear.I think you should add a few details like:
Is the whole room available for the layout(29X27 ft. is great) or the layout has to be confined to the peripheral of the room?Is the room used for other purposes?
What scale is to be modeled?If the layout is going to be peripheral(shelf type),then how wide?
Why so high?Windows or/and doors in the way?
Can the layout be a permanent installation or may have to be moved?
Sorry for that answer,but anybody who may wi***o help you will need a much clearer idea of what the parameters are.I also am wondering why you want to build so high,6 feet is quite high and unless you are very tall,you will have to do all your work standing on a bench.Not too practical I might say.And then having the layout come down to 52 in.(a 20 in. drop) makes for a very steep hill to climb for a train unless the difference is spreaded on a rather long part of the layout,like about a thousand inches for a nice 2% grade in your case,meaning that about 84 feet of your layout would have to be inclined.I would like to come up with suggestions but don't have enough data...sorry.

You say you're not a carpenter,so why don't you first determine what you want and then just hire a carpenter who will build a sturdy benchwork for you?This is no big deal for a pro and it would probably be a well invested buck here.

[Jacktal]

I certainly would like to help as many other modelers I think.However your question isn't quite clear.I think you should add a few details like:
Is the whole room available for the layout(29X27 ft. is great) or the layout has to be confined to the peripheral of the room?Is the room used for other purposes?
What scale is to be modeled?If the layout is going to be peripheral(shelf type),then how wide?
Why so high?Windows or/and doors in the way?
Can the layout be a permanent installation or may have to be moved?
Sorry for that answer,but anybody who may wi***o help you will need a much clearer idea of what the parameters are.I also am wondering why you want to build so high,6 feet is quite high and unless you are very tall,you will have to do all your work standing on a bench.Not too practical I might say.And then having the layout come down to 52 in.(a 20 in. drop) makes for a very steep hill to climb for a train unless the difference is spreaded on a rather long part of the layout,like about a thousand inches for a nice 2% grade in your case,meaning that about 84 feet of your layout would have to be inclined.I would like to come up with suggestions but don't have enough data...sorry.

You say you're not a carpenter,so why don't you first determine what you want and then just hire a carpenter who will build a sturdy benchwork for you?This is no big deal for a pro and it would probably be a well invested buck here.

[Anonymous]

Sometimes the answer you get is not always the one you want, and I never like to spoil anyone’s dreams for their layout, but I can tell you from experience that you do not want your first layout to be 27' x 29'. There are many reasons including cost, and time, but the biggest reason is that you will loose interest in it before it is done. You'll spend 6 months to a year on just the track work. The best advice I can offer is to take your train room (keeping your "Big picture" in mind) and build a small section, and when it's done add a little more and so on. To give you an idea of cost I have 2 layouts that together would equal what you are trying to build, and I have about $12,000 in them and still going by about $1000 - $3000 a year. I know you would have rather heard "OH MY That’s Too Small Build It 100' x 150' " (my dream, sorry) but for the first timer, its best to build small. Everyone I build I get better at it and I rip it apart because NOW I KNOW HOW, and the process repeats itself over and over. Build a small one or two so you can learn your own little tricks on how to get the look you want without having to rip apart a half built 27' x 29' layout that you have allot invested in.

I was gong to put in my two cents and ended up with about a buck fifty, sorry.

[Anonymous]

Sometimes the answer you get is not always the one you want, and I never like to spoil anyone’s dreams for their layout, but I can tell you from experience that you do not want your first layout to be 27' x 29'. There are many reasons including cost, and time, but the biggest reason is that you will loose interest in it before it is done. You'll spend 6 months to a year on just the track work. The best advice I can offer is to take your train room (keeping your "Big picture" in mind) and build a small section, and when it's done add a little more and so on. To give you an idea of cost I have 2 layouts that together would equal what you are trying to build, and I have about $12,000 in them and still going by about $1000 - $3000 a year. I know you would have rather heard "OH MY That’s Too Small Build It 100' x 150' " (my dream, sorry) but for the first timer, its best to build small. Everyone I build I get better at it and I rip it apart because NOW I KNOW HOW, and the process repeats itself over and over. Build a small one or two so you can learn your own little tricks on how to get the look you want without having to rip apart a half built 27' x 29' layout that you have allot invested in.

I was gong to put in my two cents and ended up with about a buck fifty, sorry.

[Puckdropper]

Also, try different things... Don't get too familiar with one way of doing things. For example, I tried using different sizes of ballast, and found when I mixed the small and next bigger size I liked the results.

[Puckdropper]

Also, try different things... Don't get too familiar with one way of doing things. For example, I tried using different sizes of ballast, and found when I mixed the small and next bigger size I liked the results.

[Anonymous]

I am also starting a new layout in a 25' x 24' room and have had to accomodate a doorway and several windows. Your description doesn't even begin to give me enough data to help you so please try to explain some of the room problems that cause you to go 72" high. By the way is your name Wilt?

[Anonymous]

I am also starting a new layout in a 25' x 24' room and have had to accomodate a doorway and several windows. Your description doesn't even begin to give me enough data to help you so please try to explain some of the room problems that cause you to go 72" high. By the way is your name Wilt?

[Anonymous]

one of the main reasons I would agree to start with a small layout is simply because the fist layout is always the experimental layout. Its the one that you learn to mess up on. My first layout I totally messed up on the water pouring and when the stuff dried it cracked into a million pieces...on such a small layout this wasnt such a bad thing...but imagine how you would feel if you were attempting that on a full size one. starting small is just the over all best choice...hands down

[Anonymous]

one of the main reasons I would agree to start with a small layout is simply because the fist layout is always the experimental layout. Its the one that you learn to mess up on. My first layout I totally messed up on the water pouring and when the stuff dried it cracked into a million pieces...on such a small layout this wasnt such a bad thing...but imagine how you would feel if you were attempting that on a full size one. starting small is just the over all best choice...hands down

[joseph2]

Hmm.What about keeping the heighth at 52" but put swing up bridges or lift out sections at the doors.Avoid duck unders if you are over 50.

[joseph2]

Hmm.What about keeping the heighth at 52" but put swing up bridges or lift out sections at the doors.Avoid duck unders if you are over 50.

[OhioRailroader]

QUOTE: Originally posted by joseph2

Avoid duck unders if you are over 50.

And some of us around 27, lol. I had a duck under once and that didn't last long. I guess it was just too many BMX accidents and a car wreck will do that to you, lol.

[OhioRailroader]

QUOTE: Originally posted by joseph2

Avoid duck unders if you are over 50.

And some of us around 27, lol. I had a duck under once and that didn't last long. I guess it was just too many BMX accidents and a car wreck will do that to you, lol.