Being in a townhouse I don't plan on staying in forever, I was forced to move to Z scale and build a briefcase layout. My website has a lot of pictures of it as well as how I build a lot of it. Since it was so small I spared no expense with lighting and details. An outsider might call it finished, but as we all know, a layout is never truly finished. I still have a few more things I have ready to add in, but I'm waist deep in another project right now.
The N scale section of my website is now uploaded with a lot of various things. Check it out: www.CarlettaTrains.com
I would love to go around the walls, but 2 doors open into the room and my desk has a big hutch on top of it full of books and train parts. My little layout suits my needs, I absolutly hate doing scenery work so less to do is better. Once I lay in the shelf that will extend my table, it will give me a turning "Y" so I can run both clock and counter clockwise, along with having a small yard/interchange track and one or two more industies to work. Mike
Silly NT's, I have Asperger's Syndrome
rrinker Since you have to leave space to walk around an island, you get much more layout if you put the layout around the walls and leave a donut hole in the middle. Just use a lift bridge or a swing gate at the door so you can have continuous running. Much more efficient use of space. --Randy
Since you have to leave space to walk around an island, you get much more layout if you put the layout around the walls and leave a donut hole in the middle. Just use a lift bridge or a swing gate at the door so you can have continuous running. Much more efficient use of space.
--Randy
Mike - I, like you, only have a room 8x9'. It doubles as my bedroom, shop, and train room. As Randy stated, around the room affords much more room (and access too!).
My room has two doors on same wall. I have shelves up on three walls and am ready to put in the fourth. Which will include two drop outs for the doors.
Its small, i elected to go with 1' shelves which limits what you can do. More or less its a glorified test track. Basically a temporary 'get me by' kinda layout to practice on until I get the room i need.
For simplicity - Atlas snap track, blocked wiring, continuous running (with dropouts in), 1"wood shelving (so no benchwork) supported by metal L shape shelf brackets. These are screwed into the wall studs for maximum support since there is no benchwork.
Without the dropouts in place, the layout operates as a point to point. So i dont have to shut myself in the room to operate (when dropouts are in place).
Its not the dream layout of the future, by it gets me by and allows me to operate, and test my trains. I can either operate as a small switching layout, or if the mood strikes, put in the drop outs and run a few laps with a 12 car passenger train (albeit on 18" curves so NO highballing!).
PM Railfan
jim - micro layouts are layouts below 10 sq.ft. - like layouts in box files, shoe boxes et al. The late Carl Arendt´s website is loaded with information on this type of layout.
Building a small tail chaser can be fun, but certainly has its challenges, when it comes to operation and realistic scenery. If I were on your place (with that much room!), I´d go for a well-detailed ISL.
Just a s a reference, take a look at Lance Mindheim´s famous East Rail layout. It is interesting to eperate, but also eye candy!
Here is the rather simple track plan:
And here is a link to Lance´s homepage.
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Sounds like a nice little space for a shelf layout. I had thought about doing something similar but I like continious running and operating. Mike
Actually an 8x9 space that was all to myself is more than I have now. Technically the room is 12x12, but I only get two walls, one of which is limited to 8 feet due to the door. So basically my actual layout is 1x12 + 2x8 L.
jim
Anybody else, either by lack of space or desire, use a micro layout for thier modeling? My whole room aloted for trains is 8 foot by 9 foot, but is shared with our filing cabinet and my workshop where I repair/service brass trains. I have had this little table top layout, 55 inches wide by 33 inches deep, for many years. It has hosted a Marklin HO set up with full working catenary, narrow gauge, logging(which it shares spare with now) along with standard gauge HO. Its current form is an ATSF branch line worked by a 1950 class 2-8-0. Industries so far is the sawmill, Purina Chows co-op and a 2 story wood sided factory with covered loading platform. I am not sure what its going to ship out and recieve in yet. There is a small diecast metal woodland scenics depot, along with the corner bar, gun shop and ice house from the same line of kits. Pics tomorrow, layout is a total mess at the moment as I was changing the track plan tonight and working the bugs out so the new 2-8-0 will work well. Ok, I crash coarsed a quick clean up and placed the buildings where they will go, no roads ect yet as I am still working on final building placement. Not sure if the saw mill will stay long term either. Mike