After what felt like a very long hiatus from model railroading, I am ready to rejoin the hobby. I have nurtured a healthy interest in trains in my two and half year old (he can identify all major car and loco types) and am ready to build.
The back story is I had a large island layout in my unfinshed basement. Two kids and a one frustrated wife later (layout was a space hog), the layout was unceremoniously dismantled to make room for the finished basement. in the planning, my wife got her wine room and was allotted an approximately thirty foot run along a straigth wall. About four three feet of the run overlaps the wall of a closet area where I will be able to have a hidden turnaround.
The next mutually agreed upon requriment was that it should include asthetically pleasant cabinetry underneath the layout for additional storage. As such we are getting kitchen style cabinetry. I will be able to set the layout away from the wall to increase the depth of the layout.
At this point, I am compeltely stuck for a plan. My old layout had a large yard, passenger and freight, as well a quarry, refinery, and intermodal facility (I do miss it). Also, I like the idea of continous running for at least one train while we entertain. A second level with a helix is a possibility fo the future but not right now.
Has anyone here use cabinets before? What problems should I look out for, and are there any neat ideas out there as far as plans go. I've looked at the John Armstrong's books and have not been able to come up with anything.
Thanks for any help.
DocDan wrote:in the planning, my wife got her wine room and was allotted an approximately thirty foot run along a straigth wall. About four three feet of the run overlaps the wall of a closet area where I will be able to have a hidden turnaround.
I will be able to set the layout away from the wall to increase the depth of the layout.
Sorry,
It's not going to be another island. Recognizing that standard cabinet width may be too narrow, I will be able to pull it away from the wall a bit to gain another 6 to 12 inches of width from front of cabinet to the wall. It will still be against the wall. At the one end not adjopining the closet I will be able to make it wide enought to put in a visible turnaround with a 24 to 30 inch radius.
DocDan wrote: ... in the planning, my wife got her wine room and was allotted an approximately thirty foot run along a straigth wall.....
... in the planning, my wife got her wine room and was allotted an approximately thirty foot run along a straigth wall.....
I think what is confusing us is what I have hilited in red. Do you mean that you were alloted the 30 feet?
I have about a thirty foot straight shot along one wall availbale to me that does not intefere with other designated spaces in the finished basement. Standing in one spot in the middle of the room I will be able to look at the one wall, see the extreme left and extreme right of an against the wall shelf type layout set on cabinets.
This is what I have on about 12 feet of wall with cabinets underneath. Its 3 rail O. Makes for a neat looking layout with the cabinets. My backdrop is a midnight blue so that the layout is set in permenant nightime.
I guess I'm really searching for good resources for existing shelf style layout plans if any body can direct me.
pbjwilson - nice work. Does the train turn around somewhere? I can't tell if it's a loop somehow or a point to point.
DocDan wrote: I guess I'm really searching for good resources for existing shelf style layout plans if any body can direct me.pbjwilson - nice work. Does the train turn around somewhere? I can't tell if it's a loop somehow or a point to point.
Although I can't think of anyone, someone has probably built a layout like what you want. However, you seem to have an idea of what you want and only you know the space we are talking about. Why not just sit down and draw out the yard you want and the intermodal yard and see how that fits your space. If there's room left over, you can add to it If not you must make a compromise.
IF you want this layout to be perfect for you, there's no way around designing it yourself.
As for the cabinetry, unless you were planning to do the work yourself using standard cabinets, all you need is the face frame and doors at whatever depth you want it. Getting deeper cabinets from a cabinet maker might not be as expensive as you think. As for the downside, any wiring you do will have to be through cabinet doors.
Chip
Building the Rock Ridge Railroad with the slowest construction crew west of the Pecos.
From the far, far reaches of the wild, wild west I am: rtpoteet
Bear "It's all about having fun."
DocDan wrote: I have about a thirty foot straight shot along one wall availbale to me that does not intefere with other designated spaces in the finished basement. Standing in one spot in the middle of the room I will be able to look at the one wall, see the extreme left and extreme right of an against the wall shelf type layout set on cabinets.
You might look at this
Just cut out and paste the modules that interest you
Have fun
Wow.
You might be better off with something designed to flow together like the nicely designed 22' long by 18" deep layout in the Sep 2007 MR.
Bill Kaufman built his layout on cabinets and it turned out neat. The layout was in Railroad Model Craftsman, April 2007.