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HO Scale in a Bedroom

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  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Saturday, September 12, 2020 12:02 AM

Outsailing86

modern era, Chicagoland. What should I focus on for a track plan?

Commuter Yard? 
A busy junction with staging on all sides? 
A single town? 
An around the room with two or three towns? 


what to do, what to do? 

I am a lifelong Chicagoan, born and raised in the city, now living in the southwest suburbs.

If you are going to build a "Chicagoland" layout, do something to make it look like Chicago. I have seen too many Chicagoland layouts that could be taken for almost anywhere. 

Nowadays, there are three types of trains that you see in and around Chicago: freight trains, Amtrak passenger trains and Metra commuter trains. Trains that move around in the Chicago area are almost certain to cross bridges over rivers, so why not include bridges.

In the area just south of downtown Chicago, the most prominent bridges are the PRR lift bridge and the two bascule bridges that on the St. Charles Air Line. Those bridges carry freight trains, Amtrak passenger trains and Metra commuter trains over the South Branch of the Chicago River.

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    June 2007
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Posted by riogrande5761 on Friday, September 11, 2020 5:40 PM

jjdamnit

Hello All,

Where There Is A Will, There Is A Way.

Hope this helps. 

 

Made me look!  Dunce

Rio Grande.  The Action Road  - Focus 1977-1983

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Thursday, September 10, 2020 9:27 PM

10x12 is only slightly smaller than my previous layout, but I could have modeled the same thing, just with the peninsula for the cement plant (which I never got around to anyway). Branch line, mine set in the 50's, but it's still used today. Being a branch, it uses older, smaller locos - they don't run ES44's up there. I went all the way around the walls, with a liftout by the door.

                                    --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
  • 18,255 posts
Posted by SeeYou190 on Thursday, September 10, 2020 8:12 PM

My most recent layout was in a 100 square foot spare bedroom.

It was supposed to be a folded dogbone, became an around the walls with a duckunder, then evolved into a point to point.

You do not need much room to enjoy a layout, so start with a plan that looks interersting, then change it as you go along.

It worked for me.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Northern CA Bay Area
  • 4,387 posts
Posted by cuyama on Thursday, September 10, 2020 7:20 PM

There have been a few threads offering suggestions for your layout in the past. The space seems to be a bit different dimensions for each one, so maybe these aren't all for the same room. The location of the room entrance(s) and walls would probably be helpful to help others help you. It might also be helpful to let folks know what didn’t work out from the earlier suggestions to help them focus on your preferences.

Good luck with your layout.

  • Member since
    September 2014
  • From: 10,430’ (3,179 m)
  • 2,311 posts
Posted by jjdamnit on Thursday, September 10, 2020 7:00 PM

Hello All,

Where There Is A Will, There Is A Way.

Hope this helps.

 

"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"

  • Member since
    April 2018
  • 198 posts
HO Scale in a Bedroom
Posted by Outsailing86 on Thursday, September 10, 2020 5:13 PM

I've got a space, 10'x12' for an HO scale layout. 

modern era, Chicagoland. What should I focus on for a track plan?

Commuter Yard? 
A busy junction with staging on all sides? 
A single town? 
An around the room with two or three towns? 


what to do, what to do? 
and no... switching to N scale isn't a easy answer. 

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