Layouts and layout building

 Hi there, would like some layout ideas for a 6'x12' space. HO scale freelance with continued run. I have seen one which really interests me on a thread started by Grant F only problem is i would like to add a 15" turntable in there. Any ideas? Thanks.

 hi Djp,

I have seen your response to Stein's design and he also asked about era, locale and kind of railroad. It is may be less obvious, but these answers will help to focus the design process.

Do we have a turntable high in the Rocky mountains to serve a branch of the Rio Grande & Western in the 30", or do we talk about engine facilities in downtown Philly in the 50's? or ............?

Engine terminals are always going together with yards, so what else do you want to see on your pike?

Stein is modeling an industrial branch in downtown MNPL in the 50's. Mainlines, yards and engine facilities are in "staging". So he could use small radii and short switches on his part of the world. 

Combining the two idea's is resulting in  a layout focusing on the engine service facilities in a larger city with an industrial zone next to these tracks, with no yards nor mainlines. Operationaly you get two layouts: engines from the yards (staging) to the roundhouse and back, and a freight branch serving some industries and the engine terminal.

My idea's only

Paul

 101 Trackplans has a 6x12 with broad curves and a large turntable.  IIRC it's a double track oval mainline with turntable and roundhouse.  Also has a small yard and some switching.  Not a very complicated plan, but a good one for running large locomotives.

Enjoy

Paul

IRONROOSTER:

 101 Trackplans has a 6x12 with broad curves and a large turntable.  IIRC it's a double track oval mainline with turntable and roundhouse.  Also has a small yard and some switching. 

If you are talking about plan #39, it's a 6X10 solid table that assumes aisle space all around the layout (or at least three sides). That would make it more like 10X12 (or more, for reasonable aisles) actual necessary space. Maybe you are thinking of a different plan.

In any case, I thought the OP had only 6X12 space total, with walls on some of those sides, but I could be wrong.

Byron

I think Ironrooster was referring to plan #56, a 6x12 donut-shaped layout.  It provides for mainline curves of 30 and 32 inches, but access to turntable and yard is via 24 and 28-inch radius curves.  The plan provides for a 14-inch turntable although there is room for a larger one.

Mark

markpierce:

I think Ironrooster was referring to plan #56, a 6x12 donut-shaped layout. 

Yep, that must be it. I didn't turn enough pages.

If the only access is from the middle, the reach to a couple of the corners is a pretty long stretch. So it would need some rework in that regard. The end result is pretty generic, but if the turntable and round house is the major interest, maybe that's OK with the original poster.

 To give a rough impression of #56 from 101TP, here is a thumbnail image from http://www.trainplayer.com:

 So, dj - what type of railroad are you wanting to model ?

 Smile,
 Stein

djpereira:

would like some layout ideas for a 6'x12' space. ... I have seen one which really interests me on a thread started by Grant F only problem is i would like to add a 15" turntable in there. Any ideas?

Texas Zepher:

djpereira:

would like some layout ideas for a 6'x12' space. ... I have seen one which really interests me on a thread started by Grant F only problem is i would like to add a 15" turntable in there. Any ideas?

Just a turntable or by that do you also mean a roundhouse?  That is a pretty big difference.

 He also wanted a four stall roundhouse. He said so in another (earlier) thread.

 To give a rough idea about the size a 15" (about 108 foot in 1:1 size ?) turntable and e.g. the three stall Walther's modern roundhouse takes, here a turntable/roundhouse combo is showed on the same sketch of my 6.5 x 11.5 foot layout that dj liked in that other thread:

 Bear in mind that dj's train room is even narrower than mine - 6 feet vs 6.5 feet in my room.

 And we still (until dj comes back with more info) know anything about what era, what type of location and what theme he wants to model, or how his 6 x 12 foot room is laid out (e.g. where the door or doors and windows are).

Smile,
Stein

 Hi, there, thanks for those quick responses. I will answer the questions in points, hopefully i will not miss out anything.

1] My layout does not represent any era or prototype. It is freelance with trains. All steam. It can even have the dreaded "S" curve. The TT and roundhouse can be put anywhere.

2] I like the layout #56 posted but it does not have to much of switching. Call me greedy.

3] The reason i liked the layout i have seen in Grant F's post is because it has as nice continued run with a lot of switching. It is the first 6.5 x11.5 layout shown by Stein in that post.

4] I already had a 4x10 layout which i realised was a space hog and was a pain to run around every time i had a derailment.

5] The 6x12 is the total space i have. It has to be accessed from the middle [lift bridge, swing bridge etc].

Hope i have not missed anything out. If so please feel free to ask. Thanks again for you attention gentlemen.

djpereira:

1] My layout does not represent any era or prototype. It is freelance with trains. All steam. It can even have the dreaded "S" curve. The TT and roundhouse can be put anywhere.

 It is all steam - so it does represents an era - the era before steam engines were phased out :-)

 Also, even though you say no (real) prototype, and that you want lots of switching, you probably have an idea of what type of switching layout you want. What style of layout you want ?

 Are you envisioning a logging type railroad? Switching elevators in a small town on the prairie? An old west style layout? Switching an Appalachian coal mine or a coal marshaling yard in a mountain valley? Switching warehouses in Brooklyn? Switching somewhere in India ? Switching somewhere in Germany ? Switching somewhere in Norway ?

 Now - do you plan to run big steam engines (like a 4-8-8-4 or a 2-10-0 steam engine with a tender) or small steam engines (like a 0-6-0 tank engine - ie an engine without a tender), or something in between - say like a 2-8-0 steam engine with a tender?

 These questions come to help you firm up your vision (or the theme) of your layout. It doesn't have to be based on a specific prototype, but you should have an idea about whether you want mountain or plains or big city, whether you will be running (and servicing) huge steam engines or small tea kettles, because those decisions have a huge impact on your layout.

 It also helps to know whether you are envisioning your town/area/whatever to be at the end of the RR line, a town along the line, or a junction (where two or more railroads meet).

 Also - why do you want the turntable and the roundhouse? Do you want them to show off your engines, or because you want to model swapping engines on trains, or because you want to model engine service, or some other reason ?

 In short - what is your vision for your layout. If you were to describe your layout in a few sentences, what kind of (imaginary) place are you modeling ? What kind of stuff is done with your trains ? Where do your trains come from and where do they go to ?

 Smile,
 Stein

steinjr:

 To give a rough impression of #56 from 101TP, here is a thumbnail image from http://www.trainplayer.com:

  

 So, dj - what type of railroad are you wanting to model ?

 Smile,
 Stein

 

That's the one. I just don't have my 101 Trackplans handy.  It always struck me as a pretty good plan for large locomotives in a small space.

Enjoy

Paul

 HI DjP,

djpereira:

2] I like the layout #56 posted but it does not have to much of switching. Call me greedy.

Looking at # 56 allready every square foot is used. So when you want more switching or scenery, what do you want to give up?

#56 has no staging, so the only thing your trains can do is just running around; is this your choice?

A 15" turntable is going with big engines and they belong to long trains. Long trains need long and large yards; is your footprint up to these demands?

Besides answering the specific questions Stein brought up, a reality check has to be done; what can be fitted in your space without overloading your layout. Stein's layout does have all the switching because he left anything else out.

BTW are you just a modelrailroader or are you modeling a railroad? Really understanding this question took me a long time. The next two sides cover tmho this issue well, although with different words:

http://www.chipengelmann.com/trains/Beginner/BeginnersGuide01.html

And this one

http://layoutvision.com/id28.html

Have fun
paul

 Hi Stein,now to answer your questions if i can.

1] Style of switching : since i have little space i would say short switching. Like in the layout.
2] Style of layout is difficult to state as i love to build things. I want just one hill with a tunnel.[i am going to build my own portals etc]. I want one bridge spanning a river [build my own metal bridge]. I do not want a city or town. A yard with a crane and things like that. A single warehouse where i could back a single or two rolling stock into. I small container terminal. With just 3 0r 4 containers and an overhead crane.
3] The turntable i have built by extending the Atlas 9" to 15" to be able to turn my big engines to the roundhouse[i am going to build that too]. I want the tt because i love watching it turn my engines and i can bring them out one at a time to run my train around the layout.
4] I have three big engines a 2-10-2, 4-8-2, 2-8-4. The others are smallish. 2-8-0, 2-6-6-2 logger, 4-6-2, and coming in January 4-6-4, 2-10-0, and 2-8-2.

You are probably shaking your head in disbelief but that is me. Now a question for you. If i gave you the tt and the roundhouse and held a sword over your head and said "put it in the layout". Where would you put it.

Thanks and thanks for being so patient with me.
 

 LOL hi Paul, i am a model railroader. Just love playing with trains. Anywhere anytime anyhow.As stated earlier i love to build things. If i could i would build my own steam engines. LOL. I am trying to squeeze in as much as i can but if a sacrifice has to be made then i will do away with some of the switching. I have not read the links you have posted for me but will after i reply to you. Thanks.