Just recently purchased my home and I have access to the basement storage area. It needs to be drywalled and somewhat finished. But I'm looking at adding a layout in the room. I have an area that is 8' x 8' in the corner of the room. I do like the idea of a shelf layout, but could also do a table top layout as well.
Are there any plans out there for such a layout? Height for the shelf layout? I was thinking 42" height and 30" wide. that will give me plenty of room to add my track as well as buldings for the backdrop.
Suggestions please.
Thanks.
Welcome to the forums.
Are you thinking HO or N?
An island would be very difficult. Just leaving a 2' aisle around three sides would only give you a 4'x6' and very little space to move around.
The shelf idea is much more workable. Can you make it a full 8'x8' space available? You could have a 2' wide layout with access in the middle. Depending on your age and agility you could just duck under to get to the center or have some sort of access gate, lift out, tip up, drop down.
There are some track plans in the TRACK PLAN DATABASE if you are a subscriber under How To on the above black line of topics. I believe you can also find some on youtube, but I have never checked those.
If you can't have a full around layout there are a number of switching layout plans available for that size space.
42" height is often recommended and 30" is usually considered about the maximum reach. Actually it all depends on your height and reach and the type of scenery you have. Set up a mock up and reach over it to see when you start to knock things over.
When you have a little more information, come on back, there are plenty of helpful folks available.
Good luck,
Richard
What are the plans for the rest of the room?
Is is storage or will it have other purposes? Can you negotiate aerial rights, ie if its storage <40" around the walls of entire space could be neatly organized shelving/storage totes, with a layout above at 42" or slightly higher depending on height.
How tall are you, and do you plan to operate the layout alone or with one or two other people?
Do you have any particular interests? Switching industries or are you looking for continuous run? Both maybe?
Folks (me included) will encourage you to consider the overall space, not just a rectangle (or two). A good strategy is often to place the people in the middle and the layout around them. A bit of flexibility with the floor space might let you build a better layout even if the actual square footage of the layout surface is less that 64 square feet (8X8).
A “donut” is one good approach, but a walk-in layout works, as well -- although with tighter radii.
Assuming HO, here’s an 8’X8’ U- or L-shaped HO layout that offers a balance of running and switching. Depending on how your space is arranged, you could probably eliminate the access space in at least one of the end lobes.
Note that even a little flexibility in considering the 8X8 "box" will offer many options. Good luck with your layout.
Byron
Layout Design GalleryLayout Design Special Interest Group
Well, the room will be used for dry storage, The furnace & hot water heater lives down here. I need to finish the walls since they're bare concrete first. I have access to 8' x 8' in one corner. An island is not an option. Basicly I'm going to stick to HO and wirk with the area that I have available. 8' x 8' L shaped layout. I do like the idea of the shelf layout and since I'm 6'2", 40" off the floor would work well. No bending over cricking my back up.
Time scale, I'm thinking Southern Pacific, west coast area, late 70's to early 80's. Have a few abaondoned buildings and decide what else to place. Switching, maybe. Any links to L shaped layouts online? I'd like to see a few and decide what to run with.
Suggestions? Thanks.
I was looking at my copy of 102 Realistic Track Plans and have so far come across #18 Turtle creek central and #44 White river & northern. I do want reverse loops at either end. I was thinking of using the limited N scale units I have, but I want to run HO. I don't want to purchase all new locomotives and cars just to run N scale when I have everthing I need in HO.
RoundhousecatI'm 6'2", 40" off the floor would work well. No bending over cricking my back up.
I'm looking at a reverse loop at either end. Don't want to spend more $$'s on new N scale locomotives and cars when I have all I need in HO scale. I like the idea of sectional modules and will propbably go that route.
Re-inforcing Bob:
With a layout height of 48-50", you can reach in nicely to about 24". Well, I can. You might be a bit different. That 24 inch distance can certainly be exceeded IF there is nothing there you have to touch very often. Say, a hillside. Where there's track, you usually want to be able to reach it to re-rail stuff. Where there's switches, you'll be reaching even more. And then if you want to drop a load of washing machines at Bud's Appliance Warehouse, you will undoubtedly be reaching in pretty regularly.
If you choose a lower height, say 40", you'll be able to reach in farther. For me, that previous 24" grows to 30". That's the good part. The bad part is that the lower the layout, the less intimate it is. You could build down on the floor if you really love the "airplane view". And you can lie down on the floor to get the imtimate view. Which is exactly what I did when I set up my Lionel trains in the living room. Way back in the last century.
Going the other way, you can build at "eye level". Which might very well be up at 5' or 5 and a half. Real intimate. So much so, that you may as well keep the layout depth around 9" or so. 'Cause you won't be able to see past the trains in front. And you won't be doing much reaching. Unless you use steps.
I believe most people go for the 48" dimension.
If you care to include a Free-mo module in your layout (the latest craze!), you might be going with 50", which is their standard height.
Ed
RoundhousecatI was looking at my copy of 102 Realistic Track Plans and have so far come across #18 Turtle creek central and #44 White river & northern.
I do not have that book so I am unfamiliar with those track plans. Could you tell us what radius curves those two track plans use? What number turnouts?
Edit: found White River & Northern (N scale plan). You cant really build that exact layout in HO scale in your space. It will kind of end up looking a lot like cuyama's track plan once you scale it to your space.
Also is this Turtle Creek layout the MR 2003 project railroad?
What types of locomotives are you planning on running on your layout, what ones do you already have? 6 axle or 4 axle diesels (any steam)?
Are there walls around 3 sides of the 8x8 space, or will their be "shared walking area on one or more sides?
Can you provide a drawing of your space? If you need help with posting a photo, there is a sticky thread at the top of the general discussions that explains how. A quick sketch in MS paint will do, along with some measurements (include obstructions, doors, windows, circuit breaker panel location, hot water heater, furnace, etc).
As a fellow human of 6'2" tall stature, I would encourage you to take a look at slightly higher than 40" benchwork. Mine was built at 40" to appease the wife (who is a helicopter pilot) and likes the top down view of things. I would prefer slightly higher benchwork for a model railroad. If you have a tall bookshelf with adjustable shelves you can play around with different table heights until you are happy. You may find that 40" works for you, or you may not like bending over to look at things.
Also consider that you will likely have to wire underneath this layout...a minor consideration when choosing layout height.
Another vote to reconsider the height of the layout. At 6'2'' you could go 48-50 easily.