Here's a site with a couple of nice 4x6s:
http://www.gatewaynmra.org/project.htm
The book 48 Top Notch Track Plans contains a "Morgan Valley RR" which we built last year for a local boys home as a 4 ft x 6ft-4in layout (with a small shelf for the throttle). We enjoyed its operation quite a bit before taking it over for Christmas. This site fits conveniently in the bed of a pickup truck and can easily be built with removable legs.
The book includes suggestions for operation and buildings. Below is a photo.
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/BtB51fB4wvbTZ11s1GLmL_IMeaJ5ZpKw9dpaVHCPmpU?feat=directlink:238:288
You are expecting an awful lot from a 4x6 - almost all of us are guilty of trying to cram 6x12 worth of features into a 4x6.
In the past, I did build a relatively successful 4x6 based on the Tidewater Central, a 1957-58 Model Railroader project layout.
In the drawing, the structures are drawn a little undersize. They take up more room than the plan shows. You could barely fit Medusa Cement with its 11" x 7" footprint in the bottom corner where the packing house is now. Note there is room for a hill, but both a plausible mountain with a mine in the side and the level ground required for the Walther's cement plant are going to be a tough fit in 4x6.
Here is a version closer to what I built using Atlas track. My track was handlaid so that a curved turnout was used to start the branch further back.
With a 5% grade on my branch, and the layout mounted high, the branch served as scene divider. The top right curve was in a deep cut. I even had a small turntable between the "yard" and the branch. The scenery was pretty steep but not totally out of line for Oregon coastal mountains.
Here's another 4x6 plan that is hopelessly overcrowded. The structure outlines tell the story. The red was to be HOn3 using 15" radius, rising to 4" elevation in the top right.
101 More Track Plans has a couple of good 4x6 HO plans that were actually built. The Gold Hill and the C&O look pretty good in the photos. In this small size, I would tend to stick with plans that have actually been built. I would also overlay a scale footprint of the structures you intend to use before committing to any plan. The size of your station is going to have a big impact on how it will fit in. Like I said, it is very easy to cram too much in on a drawing, but will end up looking pretty toy-like in real life.
Operationally, if you keep your expectations reasonable, these layouts work. One train at a time. You will not be running 12 car trains. The passing tracks generally have a 20"-24" capacity, which limits you to about 4 40ft or smaller cars (assumes engine doesn't have to fit) for switching purposes.
my thoughts, your choices
Fred W
hi,
this is pretty old news from Hamiltonblue, resulting in running cement oriented cars merely. And why would you bring cement cars by rail to a destination so nearby.
This is the reason lots of folks prefer an interchange track; all kind of cars can enter and leave your layout virtually. With a cassette added or with the good old 0-5-0 (bare hands) you are really able to change the cars or industries on your layout.
Destinations far away are imagined, beside having a more versatile bunch of cars on your layout.
Smile
Paul
Rather than a coal mine I'd suggest you have a strip mine for cement materials. On one side you have the source of the materials and on the other you have the cement facility where it comes together. You then have a reason to switch rolling stock from one side to the other.
Springfield PA
Don't have an account at the moment. Son says he can help me later and we'll see what we can do. My wife has a camera that can load the computer and I have a couple photos on it, will add more. I know there have been several posts on how to set up to send photos, so will try to find one and take it from there. Don't hold your breath, but will try to get to it this weekend.
Have fun,
Richard
HappyWarrior I am new to the hobby and have a 6x4 foot table and have no idea of what to put on it apart from a cement storage facility, Medusa Cement from walthers, a small coal mine in the side of a mountain and a station. If anyone could provide a track plan of any sort it would be great.
I am new to the hobby and have a 6x4 foot table and have no idea of what to put on it apart from a cement storage facility, Medusa Cement from walthers, a small coal mine in the side of a mountain and a station. If anyone could provide a track plan of any sort it would be great.
If you have to stay within 4x6 and you have to stay with H0, I would suggest forgetting about a continuous run loop, put a viewblock/skyboard down the spine of the table and model two scenes - with a runaround in one of the scenes only.
If you want continuous run, either do a classical toy train layout (loop around, almost at edge, couple of random spurs into the center of the layout), or switch to N scale - where 4 x 6 feet is a lot of space - the equivalent of about 7.2 x 10.8 feet in H0 scale.
If you have the space, and is don't get too panic stricken at the thought of using saws and screwdrivers, change your footprint in some way.
Here is one suggestion - minimum curve radius is 18", turnouts are Peco streamline code 75, RH and LH turnouts are mediums, rest are Peco streamline code 75 crossing, curved and single slip. Cars shown are 30-foot hoppers and 40-foot cars. Engine shown is a GP7.
Quite probably will not fit your goals and visions. But since we don't know much about your vision, at least it will provide a starting point for some discussion.
Smile, Stein
Hi cowman,
could you post a picture of the layout
I currently have a 4x6 HO layout, that works fairly well. I have a scenic divider at a slight angle, slightly off center, so that my trains go somewhere. There is a passing siding on each side of the divider, so I can have two trains on the layout at a time, though only one is on the move. (Suppose I could have one circling while I switched the front, if I hitched up a second power pack or weht DCC.) On the "front" side I have a two track siding. Arranged a little differently, I think you could get a short siding on the "back" side for one of your industries.
To help hide the other side, one end of the scenic divider has a deep rock cut for the train to go through. The other end is a stand of large trees to screen the view.
Good luck,
I am in ho scale and I want a siding going to the cement plant and another to the small coal mine build into the mountain, the table was given to me and is fully accessable right round, I hope this is enough detail, Thanks.
You will have to provide us with more details.
Like:
What scale do you wnat? Ho may be small but N scale will be a very nice size. Is medusa cement HO?
What do you want for trackage? round loops or sidings to the concrete works only?
A switching layout to get to the concrete plant?
What space do you have for this layout? and around the walls may work if you have an 9x7 space into which to walk around the 6x4...around the walls in that space COULD give you more room.
What are the obstacles in the room?
What are your givens and druthers?
DO you wnat just a modular of the cement works?
How much real estate does the plant take up? The coal mine?
Do you wnat the coal mine there too and the station?
Do a "search our community" for "givens and druthers" a d up should come some good threads with well laid out "givens and druthers" you can use to base yours on.
Asking us to provide a track plan is like saying "give me a hat" without telling us do yu want a baseball summer or winter hat, a straw hat, a driving {golf} cap, a beret,a stetson, a cowboy, or whatever kind of hat!
If you give us more direct info we wil be better able to help you.
-G .
Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.
HO and N Scale.
After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.
Hi all,
Thanks, Happy Warrior