Furnishing a Train Room

 Not bad.  Some suggestions.  Try putting the work bench against the wall.  Just turn it around 180 degrees where it is and push it up flush to the wall.  You gain easier access to the track, 'cause you don't have to reach over the bench, and you get a more useable aisle space.  Also you can put shelving and storage on the wall above the workbench.

Why the aisle down the far side of the layout?  You might get more layout by omitting that aisle and pushing that side of the layout up against the wall. 

Consider going to a double track main line.  This allows two trains to run at once.  

 ... I will put the bench to the wall - good idea!

The room shows the size at floor level, but that north wall starts to slope by a 45 degree angle into the room at a heigt of about 4´, so I cannot built the layout closer to the wall. I could have used that extra foot of space quite well..

 Single track is ok for me - it is only a subdivision...

If you can raise the layout height, try placing the workbench under the layout, with the chair in the open space.  I have a small modular apartment layout with this arangement.  You can then use the workbench space for additional layout.

jamnest

If you can raise the layout height, try placing the workbench under the layout, with the chair in the open space.  I have a small modular apartment layout with this arangement.  You can then use the workbench space for additional layout.

Jim, Good idea and have seen it work well in other instances, however, you may have missed the comment about the sloping ceiling. Raising the layout would decrease the usable area and not even allow any sort of backdrop..

 Inspired by the last answers, I took out the tape again and took all dimensions of the designated train room.

I goofed completely - the north wall is only 33.5" high, so I need to move the layout ffurther "south" in the room. Thank god it still fits, but I have to move the work bench to the inside of the "dough nut".

Layout height will be at 42" which is ok when you are sitting (which I will be). Maximum Height is to the tune of 55". This is not ideal, but as good as I can get it. Too bad my house does not have a basement, but in my area the groundwater level is only 2 ft. below surface...

 This is the adapted plan now:

Sir Madog

 Inspired by the last answers, I took out the tape again and took all dimensions of the designated train room.

I goofed completely - the north wall is only 33.5" high, so I need to move the layout ffurther "south" in the room. Thank god it still fits, but I have to move the work bench to the inside of the "dough nut".

Layout height will be at 42" which is ok when you are sitting (which I will be). Maximum Height is to the tune of 55". This is not ideal, but as good as I can get it. Too bad my house does not have a basement, but in my area the groundwater level is only 2 ft. below surface...

 This is the adapted plan now:

 

IMHO it is more important to maximize usable apace for the layout than to maintain a 42" height.  Lower the layout to 28"-30" - which is desk height - and you can extend the layout to the north wall and possibly the west wall (depending on the window sill height and access requirements).   The work bench can relocate outside the doughnut hole to the south side of the layout or to the south wall or to the window wall and include the staging tracks.

Dante

I like the workbench below the layout. Put it on casters and you can roll it anywhere that happens to suit you. I really like your layout plan.

Dante, I am a fairly tall guy and a layout height of  30" gives me a little problem while working underneath -36" is the minimum acceptable for me. But as you can see from the attached drawing, the gain by lowering the layout height by 6" is just another 6", due to the angle of the sloping ceiling being 45 degrees. I will have to think it over, as I may need these extra 6" for structures in the northern part of the layout. I just ran into Downtown Decos fantastic "Skid Row" buildings...

BTW, there is a big lesson I learned thru this planning exercise. It is so important not only to do the layout planning in terms of a track plan, but also to incorporate this plan into the room, consudering all "obstacles" and access needs we have!  In order to visualize my layout in the room I am ponderimng right now to build a 1:10 scale mock-up of the room.

While you're measuring, you might also want to measure how high a comfortable workbench is for you. I built my office desk at 32" and its just right for sitting in a chair and working. I built my workbench at 36" and it's too high to comfortably work at while sitting in a chair and too low for a stool. So I usually just stand at it, which is fine for short tasks, but not for long periods.

A 1:10 mock up sounds like it would be useful. I know I would never have the patience, I'd rather just build build build. But I also know that that mentality has led to a lot of problems I didn't foresee. A couple of times I got lucky and figured out an easy work around, but many times I've realized what I have done is just not going to work and I've had to rip stuff out to start over.

 Hi Greg,

I find a 30" height comfortable for my workbench, but prefer 42 - 44" for a layout height. This gives me the right perspective when siiting in my chair, leaning back and just watch the trains run by...

I see that your are from Seattle - give my regrds to US´ most beautiful city (IMO). I was an exchange student to Bainbridge Island in 1973 and 1974 and I am still full of fond memories...

"Industrial Park" -

Established "switching lead" directly off the main track on the right hand side of the layout.

A crossover on the left side of the depot could be an option if you felt the need.

The "Yard" and "Obama Siding".

I assumed that Obama Siding was on the inside of the curve. By adding an additional switch under the overpass (and the additional curve on the inside up behind the depot), you can utilize the siding as a siding/A&D/yard lead as necessary. Doing this allows you to have one person run a "yard switcher" while someone else operates a main track freight that services the industrial park at the top of the layout.

An additional train could work between the yard and Bush Junction, functioning as a train going too and from interchange (staging). If you're going to take the effort to build off the layout for one track, you might as well make it two or three wide to accomodate holding complete trains. Bush Jct. would be a good candidate for a wye, and that could be added without much effort by building a curved "bridge" about halfway between the Jct switch and the "right" switch into Obama Siding.