Need help designing expansion room

[Motley]

I'm still in the process of laying track on my new layout. And I have decided to expand to another room on the right side of my layout.

The room is 9' 8" x 8' 10" size. There is a door entrance just to the right of my current layout room.

I can't tear down the wall in between, so I would have to be able to punch small holes in the wall to access the main layout track at two points. The far side against the wall along the back, and the front side track near the door.

Some ideas for the expansion area is maybe move my yard there? Design a better yard, I haven't laid the track for my yard yet.

Keep the yard where it is, and create an entire new scene, with staging area?

I need some help, what do I do with the space?

Here my current layout, and the expansion room just to the right of it.

 

 

Thanks,

Michael

[Motley]

Here's a really rough sketch.

 

[cowman]

I think that since your original part of the layout is still under construction I would just plan a small staging yard at each enterance, coming off each curve in your outer loop.  That way your trains have a place to come from and to go.  Not sure if I would eliminate the outer curve at the upper right from the crossover switch to the straight along the back or not, that's up to you.  By having just simple staging until you get your other part finished, you will have time to do more planning.

As far as future planning I'd leave the layout base fairly wide under a fairly simple yard to accomodate future plans.  You could run a narrow shelf if you wanted to be able to accomodate continuous running. with a simple swing gate of some sort

Just some thoughts, gotta go move an organ

Good luck,.

[Motley]

Thanks for the suggestions cowman..

Here's another rough sketch with staging/yard

 

[cowman]

There, organ delivered.  Wife happy more space in our livingroom.  Older (near if not 90) gentleman happy, he now can play his miusic again.

Now back to train thoughts.

I like your upper yard and I think for now I would do something similar with the other one.  The one thing I would do different is to come in parallel to the front wall or angle it toward the front wall rather than the back, just leave swing area for the door.  For now I would leave it shorter, so you could walk around the end to get to the back staging.  If you want continuous running a simple duck under would work, try to put it under a single track area, fewer things to line up if you make a moveable access gate.  I would not finish your trackwork in this room until you have decided ona final plan.

For future planning, I would think of having one yard in each room,  Leave the one you have in the first room and develop one of the staging yards into a larger yard.  The other staging area could be turned into an industrial district with a mainline passing by.

By just havng simple staging in the new area, it will give you some time to think about what you can do.  You will learn from the first part of the layout what will fit and what you like.

Sorry I didn't get this in all at once the first time.

Good luck,

 

[Motley]

Thanks cow, I really appreciate your help!

[Paulus Jas]

Hi Motley,

A bit more work, but I would open up the space.

No more duckunders, no track out of reach for the prize of one swing-gate.

R min = 24 and #6 switches.

Paul

[Driline]

 

Paulus Jas

Hi Motley,

A bit more work, but I would open up the space.

No more duckunders, no track out of reach for the prize of one swing-gate.

R min = 24 and #6 switches.

Paul

Great layout idea Paul. I would do the same. Nobody wants a spahagetti bowl type layout.

[Motley]

Paul,

You know...if I could start all over again, I would do that exact plan, I sure wish I could, but it's too late right now. I'm just trying to make the best with what I've got right now.

And I thought the expansion room might help things.

Michael

[steinjr]

Motley

You know...if I could start all over again, I would do that exact plan, I sure wish I could, but it's too late right now.

 

 It may be that you do not want to start over, but it is never "too late" to start over or to change things.Tracks can be removed and reused, wood can be sawed.

 Only thing that prevents you from doing so is that you feel that you cannot "waste" the time you spent on sanding down into the foam to make your figure 8. 

 Instead you want to waste a couple of years and a lot of money on a design that is inherently unsound. To me, that is an illogical decision.

Motley

I'm just trying to make the best with what I've got right now.

 And I thought the expansion room might help things.

 Adding more to your layout, to give you even more reasons to play prairie dog and duck in and out of the holes on your original design to go between the original design and the new room is not likely to make things better.

 In my opinion, the core problem with your layout is not your yard. It is that you are so in love with your figure 8 that you allow that feature to break the balance of your entire layout.  Until such time as you are prepared to face up to that core problem, adding more to your layout won't "help things".

 But by all means - your layout, your choices. Good luck with your layout.

 Stein

 

[Motley]

Thanks Stein. Yes I know we went over this before, and I'm still with the position I can't trash everything that I have built. It's actually quite functional, I've been running trains on both the figure 8 and outer loop main.

By using the Kadee uncoupling system for the industries/tracks out of reach, I won't be playing prairie dog duckunder, only for derails will I need to pop through the access holes.

Back to the expansion... here's another idea:

 

 

[Motley]

Here's another version. At least no duckunders in the expansion room! LOL

 

[dante]

If you are seriously considering this approach for the addition, why are you using a double-ended yard?  How can that right end function?

Dante

[Motley]

Dante,

You're right. I think I would prefer a couple of staging tracks and some additional industry's to switch.

What you think now?

[HHPATH56]

Hi Michael, I really like the proposed layout potentials. I would leave the yards in the first room,(as is). The two holes through the wall allows for possibly a flipped G shaped layout in the second room, with great potential for "forced perspective. Have you considered removing the door, (since the two rooms are dedicated to the model railroad layout). Have you completed the "corn field"? This size field would be rather expensive. Perhaps, you could devote part of it to the farmer plowing part of the field, (as shown in the photo of my "farm"). The "Corn Field" should actually be connected to the "Farm" area. The space where you have placed the "Corn field", might better be devoted to some other industry. Why not devote the second room to another industry,( that is railroad intensive), such as lumbering, steel mill, harbor, coal mining , etc.? If you are steadfast on keeping the figure 8, and doing a duck-under to operation from the large access hole, and If you are satisfied with this set-up, keep it! Why don't you use your proposed two holes for access and egress of a reverse loop and wye, so that trains can change direction? With a second room of that size, you can go for DCC, (which will be very interesting for operation). My 24'x24' may be considered as "spaghetti", with 270 yards of track and 110 turnouts, but I am happy with the 18 different routes that any loco can travel around the four independently connected power districts of the layout. It serves two harbors, two towns,(connected by Faller Car System), two yards, steel, coal, and lumber complexes, stock yard, etc, etc. How about constructing a pull-out workbench, (on lockable casters), that fits under your layout (when not in use)? How about something like this:Click on photo to enlarge and rotate it. Then click on Zoom In

[Paulus Jas]

Hi Motley,

also in part_1 I removed the door, and followed the walls. Does,'t need to be done for the whole layout; it could be done for the addition only.

On the branch #5's are used, and various radii (18"and up). This is merely an example; quite a lot can be done in this small room.

Paul 

[Paulus Jas]

Hi Motley,

also in part_1 I removed the door, and followed the walls. Does,'t need to be done for the whole layout; it could be done for the addition only.

On the branch #5's are used, and various radii (18"and up). This is merely an example; quite a lot can be done in this small room.

Paul 

[Motley]

OH MAN, Paul, that is a perfect plan! Much better than my ideas.

How big are the shelves around the walls? Depth wise?

Thanks Paul, appreciate the help!!!

 

Bob H.,

I  already have DCC, and I love that farm scene you have, excellent idea. Thanks again for all your help.

 

Thanks,

Michael

[steinjr]

Motley

How big are the shelves around the walls? Depth wise?

18 inches - one and a half square on the drawing - standard size for squares on most track plans are 12" (if nothing else is said). Little deeper in NE corner, but no tracks far away from the layout fascia.

I.e. - the more or less standard way of doing things on shelf style layouts. 

Smile,
Stein

 

[HHPATH56]

Many of the new proposed additions waste a lot of space in the new room addition, and are dead end spurs.. The yards that you have in the first room, should be sufficient. Why not use the two proposed holes, add more industries, and use a reverse loop and wye ? Click on this photo to enlarge it. Then click on Zoom in

[Motley]

Bob,

I'm going with Paul's design, around the walls shelf. No yard, but staging and more industries, and a new passanger station!

Here is my updated plan: