Perhaps consider the following:
-removing the middle section (in blue) and keeping one round house
- adding longer siding tracks for industires
-organizing the jumbled trackwork near the roundhouses
Boris,
It looks like you think 24" aisles will do. 30" has been suggested as a minimum.
I suggest you build a mock up of the aisle. At the appropriate height. And try it out for a few days. Do the bending. The reaching. The picking up things off the floor. Live with your 24" for awhile. If you like it, do it. If you don't, modify your plan.
It would be a shame if you built this and had regrets--either that the aisles are too narrow, or that you could have lived with a narrower aisle and gave up layout space.
Ed
You need 30" width, that is the min., anything less and you will not be happy. Yes, I know what I am taking about as I was a space planner, you may be able to fit but you will not be comfortable.
I like it a lot. A 9 x 9 room is awfully small, but you have to play with what you've got. I think it will turn out nicely.
Of course, there's always a "but". In this case, a minor one. I recommend you make sure you can reach back into the corners where the industries are. And, in fact, that you can reach ANYWHERE you will have to. I suspect you already know that, but.......
Anyway, very nice! I hope you will share the progress--I would surely like to see it.
Boris G I'm not planning getting any wider
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
rrebell Not enough walkway, you won't like it in the long run!
Not enough walkway, you won't like it in the long run!
Not enough length or enough width?
Length … I would love longer main line runs, but there's no space.
Width … I can turn around without touching the layout, except between the short end of the island where I just nudge it. It's at chest level. I'm not planning getting any wider
What do you suggest as this is the space given by the walls?
Hi community members,
After 35+ years of armchair modelrailroading I finally have a room, benchwork almost done and a track plan idea. Now it's time to ask if I'm missing or can improve something? I’ll post this on some different fora to see if I get some good feedback.
Dimensions 2 920 x 2 753 mm (9.58 x 9.03 in) built in sections for future movability. The dimensions are the layout, there is a thin extra space for a backdrop.
Scale: HO
Layout style: walk-in shelf/island layout.
Access via a removable duck-under.
Location: somewhere in Northeast US.
Traffic: due to the steep grades only short trains are run, often with helpers, as bridge traffic. However the branch line feeds a dam building up North the Lake Chattawookie. Anything needed in the dam building is shipped via the barge, or on smaller coastal vessels.
There are (yet to be defined) industries, but could be lumber, machine parts, and freshwater seafood, etc., that is also shipped out from the stations.
Passenger traffic with doodlebugs and/or short passenger trains for the dam building workers when there is a crew shift.
Different frequencies for different commodities will create an interesting traffic pattern. Any railcar leaving by barge will have to come back by barge.
The track plans shows the visible layout part and the hidden staging/fiddle yard. Photos show the layout room. In the layout plan the areas with a lighter tone are the 0-level, the mid-tones are grades, the darker tone is 55 mm (2.16 in) higher. Staging is a separate track plan. I will try to avoid turnouts over the section divisions. The grades will be adjusted to be as long and easy as possible. I’m well aware that there are tough grades from the staging, so it might not work out as well as I hope. I also try to avoid turnouts over section joints.
I plan to run traffic by train order and timetable, one operator 99 out of 100 times. Flexible fast clock. Laid-back or intensive traffic remains to be figured out.
Qestions, advice, feedback, constructive criticism, etc., is welcome.