Thoughts on three plans

[trainmaster247]

I recently have gotten the ok on a possible layout they are all 2'x8' with extensions

 

[Anonymous]

What´s the scale?

I guess it is supposed to be N scale, as you won´t be able to fit that much track onto a 2 by 8 board.

I like the last one!

[trainmaster247]

It is HO, the bottoem one has the angled 4' Extension

[mbinsewi]

I guess I like the last one, also.  I'm sure your going to do this, but, I would lay out that actual track on the space, and see how it fits.  Maybe during this process, you'll come up with other plans and variations.

Nothing seals the deal on planning a layout like actually laying the track (temporarily, of course) and see what fits where.

Mike.

[rrebell]

You should have no problem with either one (poviding you are running 40' cars) so look at what each dose, are the sidings long enough for what you want.

[rrebell]

I would make the scrap yard leg longer and then you could do another industry on that long leg also. Would also move the turnout to that leg  to where the other switch is to the one reached in the crossover, that industry can be gotten to from a switch on the longer leg, otherwise you will only be able to put one car at a time into the siding, fiqure 6" per car (even though they are a bit less).

[cuyama]

It would be a good idea to draw these to scale before you go too much farther. It looks as if you may have some turnouts diverging more sharply than is actually possible, as well as a few very sharp curves that probably aren't workable as drawn.

Good luck with your layout.

[trainmaster247]

Thanks for all the tips, currently they all are rough sketches and i am leaning most to the first and last. I like the simplisticy of the first one and the openess of the last.vWill have to play with the space avaliable till the next step. Planning the benchwork. I am thinking about using some 24" shelf brackets with plywood and then foam laid on top. The foam allowing me to add small contours to the land. 

[wojosa31]

For what it's worth, some of the track manufacturers Walthers and Micro Engineering, offer templates for their product. These come as printable PDFs, and are helpful in laying out your idea, to see if it actally works.

[trainmaster247]

I have recently redisigned the plan and created a better use lf space One. Curves were drawn with a Template so all of those are correct so turnouts will be only problems:

[Anonymous]

I hate to be the one to break the bad news, but this plan is not going to work! The turnouts you have drawn simply do not exist.

Why don´t you take this plan as a basis and try to create using a freebie track planning tool like SCARM?

It takes a little time to get acquainted with it, but it sure helps to make the sanity check, i.e. whether your ideas will fit into the space you have designated for your layout.

[BRAKIE]

From my years of building switching layouts your plan is simply over ambitious for 2' x 8' unless it N Scale.

My suggestion is  straight track with 3 switches and that leaves you headroon to work the industries. I have used 4 switches on a 1x8' layout and the fourth switch was for a team track.

Industries can have more then one spot..I favor 3 -4 boxcar spots  or 2 boxcar spots and either a tank car or covered hopper spot.

Here's a 1'x8'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5OX4RUYwpk

 

Another small ISL 9'  long

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RI4d77zMG-c