4x8 layouts

[Todd McWilliam]

who out there models a 4x8 layout? I have a nice one that I am slowly building. I am destined to live in an aprtment for ever, and I don't make a lot of money, so yes I am an Athearn BB guy, with dreams of Kato's and p2k's and a huge 25x30 layout[:D][:D]

[Eriediamond]

Todd, I live in a mobil home, so I'm lucky I can go a little bigger then 4x8, but not much. I've built many 4x8 layouts in the past. Did a couple in N scale, and have considered N scale for my new layout here at the house, but my hands and eye sight have let old age catch up with them so it's HO now. But then I enjoy the building part as much as the operating in a layout. Also I'm lucky in that I belong to a club with a great bunch of people and have access to a large layout to run long trains when the urge hits. Also I'm like you in that my railroad funds are really limited. Ken

[Anonymous]

If you are still in the track developement stage, I understand 22" radius curves will fit.
Something to consider.

[hminky]

I am chronicling the building of my 4x8 on my website:

http://www.pacificcoastairlinerr.com/4x8/

Thank you if you visit
Harold

[cheese3]

You can see mine at www.freewebs.com/skeeter3/

[Anonymous]

The trouble I have had with 4'x8' layouts is being able to reach everything. On my last one I had quite a time working on scenery in the middle of the layout without damaging the rest of the layout. Now I am working on one I am in the middle of and the trains run around me. Everything is within easy reach.

[SpaceMouse]

I have a 4.5 x 8 layout--things didn't quite fit. I'm going to take it to completion or near completion, but a basement layout is close at hand.

[ukguy]

I'm currently doing a 4x8 (with alittle bit added at the back to make it 6x8) my funds are limited to how hard I work (self employed painter) but I prefer the BB stuff when I get it because I enjoy putting the items together rather than just taking it out of the box, also when I get to weathering I will be able to do it as I buy without figuring out how to get a R2R unit apart first, I guess I'm just miserly, I would rather build 3 BB's than pay for 1 R2R. I enjoy the building as much if not more than the running.

pics at www.railimages.com/gallery/karlallison

have fun
Karl.

[tatans]

I will have 2 large areas of space in the near future, but I'm going to 4x8 logging, instead of going out I'm going up, easier to reach, handle, paint, work on etc etc, this concept of bigger is better only works on bank accounts and suv's.

[tstage]

Todd,

I currently run a 4 x 8' layout. (You can see pics of it if you click the link at the bottom of the post.)

Todd, you may not make a lot of money now but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy locomotives outside of "BB" land. I don't know what era you are running but I know a terrific deal on a engine. Go to Trainworld.com (http://www.trainworld.com) and pick yourself up a P2K Alco S1 switcher. They're regularly $110.00 MSRP. You can pick one up for as little as $29.99 (some $39.99). One SWEEEEET little early diesel switcher! They're quiet, have really nice detail and just crawl at low speeds. If you order it from Trainworld, they can get it into your hands in 3-4 days.

Tom

[Anonymous]

I'm building the first layout in Model Trains Step by Step. Yeah, it's basic, I know. I've added some tracks and I'm going to build a small fiddle yard to connect to it. I'm also going to try and add a lot off detail eg: drainage ditches and wire for telephone poles.

[Don Gibson]

A 4X8 is a model train setup on top of a sheet of plywood. Biggest fallacy is - since you have to walk around it to reach things - is the amount of space it actally takes up.
A 4X8 One is limits one to 22" radius curves, and under, in HO.

For many, it'a great 'Starter Set' for learning new skills. For other's, it beat's a 'loop around the Xmas tree'.
Best Advice: Due to sharpness of curves In HO, best to stick with the smaller engine's and shorter cars.
If your main interest is for running Passenger Train's, go 'N' guage.

[Anonymous]

I think that there is alot of 4x8 layouts out there. I just enlarge my layout to 4x16. A 4x8 layout can be just as fun as a much larger layout. Have fun with it.

[Pruitt]

W-a-a-a-y back in high school, I had about a 12X20 foot room to use for whatever I wanted, and I wanted a train.

I started several different layouts, including one that took up about 2/3 of the room, one that was an around-the-walls, and several others. I tore each of them down before they were anywhere near finished. Finally, I started with just a simple loop of track on a 4X8 foot sheet of plywood, and built from there. I got it closer to "completion" than any layout I've built since.

One of the advantages was that I was able to do some running almost immediately. I spent a couple years on that layout, and had a blast with it!

I'm working on my "dream" layout now - a 29 X30 1/2 foot double-decker basement empire. It's been in work for several years, and it will take many more to complete. I hope I'm able to start some scenery within the next two years or so.

In some ways I envy the people with small layouts. Within a relatively short time, they have a nearly finished layout on which they can enjoy running their trains. And they'll have more time to run them sooner than I will - while I'm still laying track and looking at naked benchwork, they'll be running trains through finished scenes.

My layout is what it has to be for me to create what I want - the Burlington through central Wyoming in the 1930s & 40s. But that old 4X8 sure made a lot of nice memories!

[dinwitty]

I have been the 4x8 layouts and big club layouts, I have very zeroed in ideas how I want a layout to be and work, I've gone shelf layout design modular style.
Small modules if I move, can move easy. work on a few small modules and fini***hem, move on, or develop as you go, whatever.
If I had to move, a 4x8 is very difficult. I see layouts on ebay, you need a big mac truck to move them.

[Anonymous]

I have a 4x8 in a spare bedroom that is also my office, MR workshop and study. I too dream of a giant layout with 100 car consists.... But reality and $$$ limits my scope. I do hope to replace my 4x8 with a 6x8 this fall, but the price of the Kato Unitrack I want to use is a real stumbling block. Especially with my love of big steam (read $$$) locomotives. Pics of my layout can be viewed at the Webshots site in my signature.

Oh, yes, most of my locos are Athearn BB's/

[Anonymous]

I am currently using 4X8's. I have just expanded onto another 4X8 in the garage. I have also taken over the small workbench there as well with trackwork. I would post pictures, but I don't know how to on this site.

[dragenrider]

My Cedar Branch and Western was originally a 4x8 based on an Ian Rice design. I added two feet on one end to be able to remove that section and add on one day. The other end gained two feet when I realized how poorly I'd laid a flex track curve on the end of the table.



So, my 4x8 is now 4x12. I think a 4x16 would be about right. Small enough for a shortline, anyway.