Track plan for tiny room

[ranchero]

Becasue of a upcoming move i will have to dismantle my current layout and settle into a much much smaller area. My HO layout was a 8 by 8 shelf layout based on ATSF in So cal in the 55-60's . The new layout will have to fit on a 12 inch shelf in a 3 by 5 L shape. My first thought would be to move into n scale as i have some equipement left over from previous n scale layout but because i already have a nice stable to freight car and a nice 44 tonner in HO i hate to crate it all away. any help or link to website would be appreciated. heres some givens and druthers

-i already have a fair amount of peco turnout in ho and about a dozen atlas turnout and track in n scale

-i have a fair amount of structures in both scales. as well as engines/rolling stock

-i prefer switching operations and would like a small yard to store/classify cars

-my prototype of choice is ATSF but id be willing to consider freelancing in N scale. era of choice is transition era

-i love passenger operation but right now even on the "big" layout i cant have a full size train.

-id like some sort of staging

-prefer DC and simple wiring schematics

 

[pcarrell]

Does this help for ideas?

http://carendt.com/microplans/intro.html

[Tom Bryant_MR]

You might also look at Byron Henderson's web.

http://home.earthlink.net/~mrsvc/gallery/index.html

Best of luck on the move and regards

[cowman]

Have two shelves, one HO one N, do something a little different on each.  Keep hoping for a move to a more layout friendly location.

 Good luck,

[carlfloren]

I've spent the past 5 Winters happily trying to build the John Pryke "Union Freight RR", as detailed in the Sept 2000 - Jan 2001 Model Railroader.  I only have about 5 1/2' x 8' of space so some cutting along one side was needed, but otherwise I tried to follow everything he did.  You could do staging off to either end of this switching layout, but passenger trains would be out.

After about a 35 year absence from the hobby, this has been a great re-introduction.  With your experience, you could probably move forward much faster and with much less re-work!  It's been a lot of fun, and I'd recommend this to anyone!

[BRJN]

101 Plans for Model Railroads has a couple of shelf layouts. One might trigger your interest.

I use a Timesaver-based plan myself (2x6) which could have a spur down the other leg of your L for a few staging tracks.  If they fit 4 cars each, that will be enough.

I have been looking for a previously published 2x10 plan with a switchback in it which offers a 30 ft 'mainline run'.  Not that I have room to build it, but to see what might be done vertically, should I get up the courage to try non-basic carpentry.

[pcarrell]

I have a couple of smaller plans that I've designed.  You're welcome to take a look if you want.

http://s83.photobucket.com/albums/j319/pcarrell/Track%20Plans/

[ranchero]

thanks for all the help so far. yesterday i was starting to pack and realize just how much stuff i have in ho as opposed to n. Seeing that i am on a thight budget, Ho seems to be the better choice. Only thing i have a problem with is figuring  the angle and number of the peco points i have. RTS doesnt have the peco track in the library so its hard to use it to mock up something. for once thing the Peco are a lot smaller and  they are more compact withiout have hindrance as far as clearance is concerned.

i like the timesaver idea but i guess until i have all the track ripped up final plans will have to wait

 

oh does anyone know of an easy way to fix a athearn sw-1500 mine has never run properly

[pcarrell]

You'll probably do better with a seperate thread for fixing the loco.

[Jetrock]

Since you mentioned liking passenger service but a 3x5 foot shelf layout isn't really well-suited to such things, one idea that comes to mind is a passenger-car servicing yard. If you wanted to stick to the AT&SF theme, you could always locate the layout in Chicago or Los Angeles, terminal points for the Super Chief, and include facilities for restocking of dining room cars, an REA depot for express packages, maybe some sort of transfer point for the RPO, and then some sort of washing/servicing facility for passenger cars. I'm no expert on such things but a look at a few books on how the prototype dealt with servicing passenger cars might be helpful. One assumes that a 44-tonner could be kept busy shuffling around passenger cars in such a yard, probably no more than one or two at a time, before being transferred to a departure track.