Special thanks to Rosconz for helping me with this.
Loosely based on the Clinchfield RR "N" scale but it will fit my 4X8 lay-out
I am using Kato unitrack, diesel with DCC mid 1950's...any suggestions?
hubbards98...any suggestions?
Yes. Flextrack looks much more realistic than Unitrack.
(Well, you asked.)
Our first layout used unitrack. The one that we keep trying to build right now will be flextrack.
If it's your first layout, the unitrack is great. You can be up and running very quickly, and focus on scenery, playing with trains, etc. With even a minimal amount of work, the unitrack can look ok.
We decided to go atlas flextrack this go around becuase it will save money, give us alot more desing\layout options, and look better.
Of course, I'm also trying not to think about the extra work we'll have that flextrack avoids: roadbed, ballasting, kinking problems, feeder wiring......
If you're building this with or for kids, getting things running faster is always a little better than making it look perfest. But that's just my opinion
Sorry, I forgot to add pics
IMO - Those turn radii are going to be an issue.
You have to get out of the 4x8 box. There will be parts of the layout that will be difficult to reach and work on, or in order to have full access, you'll need three times as much layout room just to be able to walk around all four sides.
A better design would be a more lineal approach, with a shelf built around the walls that is not deeper than 36", and more typically 24". The layout will look less like a "spaghetti bowl" and allow you to make more prototypical scenes.
I also agree that you're being very optimistic about the radius of the curves. These will limit your ability to run a variety of equipment, including some 6 axle diesels and many long wheelbase steamers.
Here's my first suggestion... Forget doing a 4x8. Get out the saw, and cut it into two pieces, 32" x 96" and 16" x 96" Take the larger one, and cut it like this:
This gives you two "blobs" of roughly 32" square, plenty of room for a 15" min. rad. return loop at each end. You can now connect the two pieces in the corner, and have a decent L shaped layout.
With the remaining 16" x 96" piece, you can either extend one or both of the legs of the L, or build out a peninsula where you can build a yard, or an industrial area for switching, or a big passenger terminal... if you don't have room for anyo of that, you can use the plywood to construct a shelf below the layout to store your tools, kits and what not. Whatever floats your boat! Now you have a much more realistic area to run your trains, you can reach everything,
Hope this helps.
Lee
Route of the Alpha Jets www.wmrywesternlines.net
i ended up planning mine to a shelf layout, but it sort of helped that i found 2 track plans for 2x4 foot area and realized i could combine them. so far plans are to make a 1x4 frame with stringers/cross braces (sorry i'm more familiar with wall construction terms) every 16 inches on center (to match wall stud spacing), a pair of 2 x 4 foot top sheeting in i think it was 1/2 inch thick (from fleet-farm), and some heavy duty shelf L-brackets. something with a brace and 3 or 4 screws into the wall studs. unfortunetly the 'train' room is odd shaped and only the back wall is large enough to fit the 8 foot length with minimal disruption. i still have to space my shelf 1/2" from the wall to clear the window trim. it's either that or mount it on the next wall and take the bedroom door off and half the door way blocked. our apartment is not very train friendly
wm3798 You have to get out of the 4x8 box. There will be parts of the layout that will be difficult to reach and work on, or in order to have full access, you'll need three times as much layout room just to be able to walk around all four sides.A better design would be a more lineal approach, with a shelf built around the walls that is not deeper than 36", and more typically 24". The layout will look less like a "spaghetti bowl" and allow you to make more prototypical scenes.I also agree that you're being very optimistic about the radius of the curves. These will limit your ability to run a variety of equipment, including some 6 axle diesels and many long wheelbase steamers. Here's my first suggestion... Forget doing a 4x8. Get out the saw, and cut it into two pieces, 32" x 96" and 16" x 96" Take the larger one, and cut it like this:This gives you two "blobs" of roughly 32" square, plenty of room for a 15" min. rad. return loop at each end. You can now connect the two pieces in the corner, and have a decent L shaped layout. With the remaining 16" x 96" piece, you can either extend one or both of the legs of the L, or build out a peninsula where you can build a yard, or an industrial area for switching, or a big passenger terminal... if you don't have room for anyo of that, you can use the plywood to construct a shelf below the layout to store your tools, kits and what not. Whatever floats your boat! Now you have a much more realistic area to run your trains, you can reach everything, Hope this helps.Lee
I think you maybe right....I have a room that I can go 7.5 feet on one wall and 8.5 feet an the other, so maybe I should consider a shelf lay-out that I can use up all that space....I want a coal lay-out in "N" scale so I will start trying to find a good plan for that.
thanks for your help
Paul
And yet another soul is saved from 4x8 hell!
Check out the layout plan archives here on the MR site. There's some really good ones that will fit in your space.
wm3798 And yet another soul is saved from 4x8 hell! Check out the layout plan archives here on the MR site. There's some really good ones that will fit in your space. Lee
yea but they don't give a parts list. i hate trying to figure that crap out. i spent like 2 hours last night and about an hour this morning tackling the last few things of my layout plan, like what length track use where, only to find out the turnouts i planned using are about twice as long as how they lay in the layout. i'm sorry but i took another layout plan and modified it to fit my size (mainly cutting a few things out) if those #4 Atlas turnouts are 9 inches long there's no way they fit the layout i modeled my plan after. jerks. i'm lucky i read that other post justed listed today about turnouts.
Which one do you like? (provide a link)
I can help you figure it out. If you're using flex track (all the popular kids are doing it!) really all you need is a turnout count and a rough calculation of lineal footage. You'll drive yourself crazy trying to figure out sectional track, although you could use Right Track, which is a free download planning program offered at the Atlas website and redraw the plan in there. It will generate a parts list for you.
wm3798And yet another soul is saved from 4x8 hell!
Outstanding!Now if we can just get people to stop calling anything that's not a table a "shelf," we'lll be good.
Midnight Railroaderwm3798And yet another soul is saved from 4x8 hell! Outstanding!Now if we can just get people to stop calling anything that's not a table a "shelf," we'lll be good.
I would have thought that 2" wide plywood nailed to the wall would have been called a shelf, but maybe not
wm3798 Which one do you like? (provide a link) I can help you figure it out. If you're using flex track (all the popular kids are doing it!) really all you need is a turnout count and a rough calculation of lineal footage. You'll drive yourself crazy trying to figure out sectional track, although you could use Right Track, which is a free download planning program offered at the Atlas website and redraw the plan in there. It will generate a parts list for you. Lee
i tried but i can't. i use public computers in a computer lab so there's loooooooooots of restrictions. some kind of crap about zip files not being allowed cause they have been scanned or some bs like that. can't even get onto myspace, stupid server program considers it a dating site and inappropriate. high-speed cable is what i'd really get but it's expensive and once i start getting work again i have more important stuff to pay off. you know the usual. 4 walls, a roof, power, a new battery for the motorcycle since i'll most likely have to sell it to help pay for the 4 walls and roof and power. shoot i'll be lucky to actually get my coffee table layout past the track laying/wiring stage .