Hmm.. I think Stein is on to something here as an idea for the space. The left hand side of the drawing could feature an interchange with a mainline crossing near the bottom left hand side and turnouts connecting the branch and the main so cars can be interchanged - including a storage track. The main line could continue more or less parallel to the wall leading to a small staging yard along the top - there could be a single siding served from the main too - making for a great excuse for two railroads being modeled. Add a passing siding and few spurs in the general area as the interchange to complete the branchline railroad. The area at the top could be some nice bucolic scenery to make a visual transition between the left and right.
From an operations standpoint having the center of the action separated this way would help give the impression that there is miles between town A and town B - all in a very compact space and easy to build.
Charles
Wow, I am overwhelmed! all that valuable input!
Stein - I very much like your idea, because it could mean a "slow start" for him, building a diorama/module (the right part) and expand it later on - will talk to him about that. Is it Peco code 75 track?
Paul - I am (up to now ) pretty in choosing region and area. My friend wants to have an "American-style" layout and has not yet made up his mind, what that is in his eyes. Given the space limitations, any "big" railroading will have to be excluded, leaving branchline or shortline operation as viable options. I am sure he wants to run a small steam loco, but also likes Diesels. I will talk to him about this bit (and maybe help him a little to find the "right" direction.
One issue will be certainly the cost of building the layout. My friend has also only little cash available to be spend on a layout. This means as few turnouts as possible, without giving up an interesting operation. Turnouts and turntables will eventually manually controlled, buildings and structured scratch-built. Modeling on a shoestring budget - certainly a challenge, if you have to acquire all materials.
Colesdad - the Alaska RR plan is a layout idea I developed last year, before we lost our house and moved to the little flat we are now living in. It is a shelf-switcher, loosely based on the ARR. Here is the plan:
Ulrich, I am very interested in this thread, as my layout space is pretty close to the area your friend has, minus the "bump out" on the right side. I have been stocking up on C83 Atlas track for a few months now. I don't have a specific prototype RR I want to model. I may just do smething fictional, along a branchline type operation. I am leaning towards modeling a meat packing plant in the upper left corner (Champion Packing Plant). There is a plan for modeling it in a corner space, in a recent MR issue. Not to suggest that this would appeal to your friends modeling interests, but, I plan to use that track arrangement to get started, and then expand from there. I would also like to incorporate a small yard on the bottom left. I like the yard plan the Paul Dolkos had on his B&M layout. That also had an industrial spur behind it that had some background flats. On the short leg of the "L", I envision a single line crossing either in front of some backgound buildings, like the backside of the large apartment building, or in behind a city scene (merchants row) for example. On the right side, I haven't come up with anything solid yet, but was thinking a scrap yard, engine service terminal, and a turntable to turn engines.
I would like to see what your Alaska track plan that some one else mentioned looks like.
Good luck, and I will be keeping an eye on this thread to hear from the experts here. I have already gathered countless ideas and tips from all of you here.
Sir Madog In still have no idea how to proceed where the big question mark is. I´d like to avoid any S-curve, but need to keep the shelf as narrow as possible. Should I just go straight down and add, say, a 3-track fiddle yard? Minimum radius should not be less than 18", although only locos with a short wheelbase will be run.
In still have no idea how to proceed where the big question mark is. I´d like to avoid any S-curve, but need to keep the shelf as narrow as possible. Should I just go straight down and add, say, a 3-track fiddle yard? Minimum radius should not be less than 18", although only locos with a short wheelbase will be run.
Mmm - how about something like this - sharpest curve (on the left of the layout) is 24" radius:
Easy enough to put a couple of railserved industries on the right and top - how many and how dense depends on what type of location you want to model.
Might be that you want just scenery along the top as a transition between the scene on the left and the scene on the right right.
Or something - you are kinda skimpy on details about the desired type of place and type of traffic :-)
Grin, Stein, who has spent the morning on rewiring part of my warehouse district
Sir Madog Thanks, folks, for your input. I did some fiddling around with some ideas this morning and came up with this so far: In still have no idea how to proceed where the big question mark is. I´d like to avoid any S-curve, but need to keep the shelf as narrow as possible. Should I just go straight down and add, say, a 3-track fiddle yard? Minimum radius should not be less than 18", although only locos with a short wheelbase will be run. Oh joy, oh rapture!
Thanks, folks, for your input.
I did some fiddling around with some ideas this morning and came up with this so far:
Oh joy, oh rapture!
Ulrich,
By all means, considere the 3-track fiddle yard. Anything to keep your friend's interest level high. On a small layout, he will need a variety of things to do to keep from growing bored.
The question mark in your diagram reinforces my concern for what to do in that particular area. Since I remain fixated with the idea of turntables at each end of the layout, why not place a turntable in the corner to the right of the question mark and then run the 3-track fiddle yard down the remainder of the right side of the room. That way, your friend can turn engines, avoid an S-curve, and have the fiddle yard for added interest and storage. Just a thought.
Rich
Alton Junction
hi my friend,
just a few questions
1) does your friend like a switching layout, like Lance Mindheim"s East rail?
2) is the use of the space limited to shelves along the walls?
3) is having 2 operators an important wish?
4) your own Alaska design is a very good example, could probably be adapted to a different space.
Issues like staging / interchange and having a small yard should be clear before starting to draw.
Just like a notion of the location...NYC, Alameda, Miami, Salt Lake or some where in the Rockies.
i think an adaptation of Lance's or your Alaska plan are worth a try.
How is your health
(mail me schorshan at casema dot nl)
Paul
This is going to sound like a cop-out, but I have been looking at a shelf layout plan in 101 Track plans for quite a while. It is plan number 8 on page 6. It is 16 foot long and 1 foot wide. It looks like there is a lot of action on it, and it could be expanded in depth and length, and wrapped around the room that your fried has.
It has a yard at one end and a pier at the other, which could be switched out for a car float operation as staging or an interchange. There are three levels of scenery and tracks with industries of course.
I will probably never build it myself because I have an around the walls layout in a single car garage. But I think it is a neat looking track plan. There is also an artists rendition of what the scenery could look like.
Elmer.
The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.
(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.
Sir Madog,
I believe you are fine. You need a little more information from your friend to minimize some of the analysis. You need a specific rail line or a specific part of the country to determine the terrain and how the rail line made it's money. Some of this will be obvious and will jog your memory on things you already know. Mountains can mean mining or logging. Prairies usually mean agriculture. From here you can determine a railroad that operated in one of those locations. A city will have manufacturing facilities that will need switched. OR if your acquaintance has a few engines from the same road that may be a place to start.
I believe another given or two and you will be fine.
Bob
Modeling in N scale: Rock Island freight and passenger, with a touch of the following; Wabash Cannon Ball, CB&Q passenger, and ATSF freight and passenger. I played in Peoria (Heights).
This is quick and crude because I am on my way to the golf course, but does this drawing make any sense for your friend?
Along the walls only with a manual turntable at each end to turn engines.
Do you need a bridge or duckunder at the upper right?
Drawing represents a "double mainline" , not a single set of rails.
Black dots are end posts on spurs.
Dark rectangles are industries on the sidings.
The crossings add interest from the outer track across the inner track to reach the sidings.
Hey, I say it was quick and crude.
An acquaintance of mine, to whom I have sold my last remaining piece of US-prototype equipment, has asked me to design a layout for him.
Unfortunately, I seem to be stuck in an "analysis-paralysis" - rut and need some help to get out of it.
Here are some of his givens & druthers:
His "train room" looks like this:
Any idea is welcomed!