4x8 track plans

[Anonymous]

SpaceMouse:

QUOTE: your goals are limited in scope and you need to explore a bit before you build. After all, the cost of a layout from start to finish is around $50/sq ft, and if you even have 4x8 layout, that is equal to a $1600 expenditure.

It makes sense then to plan your layout well.

not only do i lack the eye vision but now i feel im also lacking creative visions to see what i want to do or am able to now do with my railroad. ive scoured the net and looked at many
smallish plans and saved all of them. i recognize many as plans from years ago. as i did not really know what my starting pike size would be. i now know its starting size.

back when i had my old layout it was all about switching both in the yards and on the road. passing tracks and long sidings. very little continous running or not without major movement to make it so . it was a heavily modifed plan from N9 on a 12'x16 all on the flat

i have enough track and switches to fill the 32 sq ft.. of course i do. does anyone else think track and switches (atlas) are much cheaper now than back in the 80's? well maybe my LHS was just high margin being as the navy base was close by?

anyway ive thought about what SpaceMouse advised in the quote. all day long while i was building benchwork i thought about it . as i have since deciding i wanted back to MRR even before i saw his wisdom written.

ive even tried the track plan softwares to no avail . the leanring curve is too steep for me now too. my accident did not just get my eyesifght.

i know with 4 feet wide i can have good curves and double mains . is there a link you all have to newer made track plans for 4x8? maybe by seeing them i can find something that will click for me.

anyway tomorrow we foam if the depot has not sent all foam to the h-cane areas of far south florida.

as always im greatful for you all reading my ramblings and trying to guide me right. john

[tstage]

John,

You mentioned that you looked at some track plans on the Internet. I assume you also looked at the Atlas plans on their web page? Some of them are okay. Some I would deem as convoluted and not very realistic. Anyhow, here's the site, just in case you are interested:

http://www.atlasrr.com

Click on "Layouts" then HO or N.

Tom

[ondrek]

There are a bunch of plans on this site too:

http://www.thortrains.net/index.html

there is nothing wrong with doing a 4x8 thats what i am doing.

Kevin

[Anonymous]

In the past I have used a search engine and typed in sectional layouts, and you will ba amazed how many sites are out there the cater to 4X8's and sectional track plans.

[SpaceMouse]

John,

I understand your situation is different than most people's.

Here is a track plan by John Armstrong. It is fairly simple and has the abiltiy to run and operate. With DCC you can have a blast.

[Anonymous]

wow thats a fine one. yes i sure like that. thanks very much. john

[Anonymous]

I recall a very innovative HO "4x8" track plan in MR many moons ago (I'd guess late 60's - early 70's?). I use quotation marks because the design called for cutting off two triangles from the plywood sheet and re-attaching them to form a non-rectangular shape.

The thing I liked best about the plan was that it had interesting operation potential. The plan was a double loop oval with a small yard and wye, and three small towns (passing sidings with spurs). The schematic was well suited for point-to-point operation using the yard as both terminals. The minimum radius was 16" and obviously the passing sidings were short so the design would certainly favor a branch line or logging theme.

I've always thought of this as an ingenius design [bow]... but darn if I could find it in my magizine inventory. Does this ring a bell with anyone?

[selector]

Yes, I believe Chip posted such a diagram for someone else about two months ago.

What you do is make two isosceles triangles at one end of the 4X8 by drawing two lines at right angles to each other.

One end of each line starts at the center of the end-edge. From that point, scribe two lines at right angles to each other going outward toward the sides of the sheet of plywood. If you cut along those lines, you are left with a pointed end of the sheet. The two pieces that are isosceles triangles are re-attached to the other, flat ,end, in such a way that the new end looks like the newly pointed end from which they were taken. Now you have two pointed ends, and more room for nice curves and straights.

Chip, help us out here, Man! Show us your 1000 words.

[Anonymous]

there is a similar idea in atlas plan book but i cant recall its handle and my book is in shop until daylight. maybe "broad horizons" ??

ill check as soon as i can go outside. im not scared of the dark just cant see to make it down the steps

[Anonymous]

its very very close to what i had layed out . i need to get that 101 track plan book.

how would the dotted line be hidden. under a tunnel ?

this a very good plan for my blind butt and with that long run up top if i turn my benchwork
(and remove another saw from shop) i could add a second 4x8 quite easily. room for expansion is good thing.

this is way off topic but my gal survived her spinal surgery. thats a very good thing. shes not well but she survived. im so glad asi really really doubt i could find another one that would put up with me and like trains too :) cant imagine being about blind and by myself too. thats spooky

well im off to work on the layout. best regards as always, john