Hello, I have been granted an 11x7.5 ft room by the boss and I am going to model ho scale during the transition era. The layout would be around the room so I will be having a liftout for continuous running or a point to point I am not sure yet but I would like to put a grain elevator and also an fuel loading platform for suppling the airbase with their fuel needs, also would like to incorporate a yard and a 90' turntable and 3 stall roundhouse or 2 stall engine house, coal bin and small water tower and am open to suggestions for anything else that would fit. Not to interested in a town, would like a bridge open truss or girder. Some ideas would be awesome, Thanks from Robert
Take the room size and draw it either on paper or with a drawing program (some are free like anyrail.com).
Then allow say 2 feet for benchwork on each wall. A 90 foot turntable will take about 1 sq foot of room when installed etc. The roundhouse/enginehouse will take another foot or so in length. You can modify the bench work some to make allowences for what you want.
Remember that you need about 2 feet or 1 meter in the middle of your layout to walk/work in.
Depending on where the door (s?) are and windows if any, you should be able to fit a small yard in using 2 walls with the engine facilities at one end. The silo and fuel station should fit along the other long wall.
But what kind of layout is this? mainline, branchline, shortline, industrial?
What kind of operations do you envision? railfanning the train as it circles the room, casual switching, card order switching, timetable/train order?
Good luck
Paul