Buildinga new train room, Need advice

[mikesmowers]

    I am in the process of building a new train room in the upstairs of my house. Here is a diagram of the floor plan with deminisions.

 I am sorry that it is confusing but it is the best I know how to do. First off I am wanting a continous loop with at least one main line with possible a second main line with some industrial spurs and such as that. I am modeling in HO scale. Here are some actual pics of what I have as of now.

  This is looking North down the 26' 11 1/2'' wall.

  Here I am looking North West

  Here I am looking East, my back is aginst the 26' 11 1/2'' wall.

  Here I am looking South, I am standing about where you would enter the trainroom.

  I am thinking could run about a 40'' wide table along the 26' 11 1/2'' wall with a dogbone sort of at the north end to use at least 24'' R curves and then along the South wall with about a 24'' wide table (To gain axcess to the window and AC unit. From there I might go with a 40'' table along the walls in the smaller South part of the room wuth another dogbone with some more 24'' R curves.

   I know this is a bit confusing but maybe you can get the idea. I would like to hear some of your ideas on what I can do and some of the possibilities, before I get down to building the actual benchwork. I do have a stack of 1''X4'' and some 1''X6'' that are waiting to become the benchwork.

  Looking forward to some of your suggestions.             Mike
 

[pcarrell]

I'm having a hard time picturing what you're saying.  Got any drawings?

I know one thing.....unless you have calluses on your knuckles from dragging your hands while you walk, you're never going to reach across a 40" wide table without crushing the foreground scenery. 

[ndbprr]

I would walk toward the sloping ceiling until my head was touching it then back up one foot. That is where the front of your layout should be.  the back should be 30" further toward the sloping wall unless it is a shorter distance.  This will also dictate the hieght of a backdrop.  You should be able to use the space under the layout all the way to the wall for storage.  Now you will have to determine the minimum radius and locate your turns in the corners.  It would be nice to leave the area in front of the access door open otherwise you will have to decide on a duck under, a lift up section or one attached to the back of the door to complet the layout.  Now make your list of what you want in a layout.  things that are absolutely required and thing that are negotiable.  Then start doodling.

[mikesmowers]

  Thanks for the advice already. The layout will only be about 32'' tall so reaching across it should not be to much of a problem. Tha ceilings up there are only 6' 6'' tall. I could move back as you suggested but that would put the layout in the center of the room leaving a few feet in front and a couple behind the layout. With the ceiling made the way it is that posses another problem.

   Keep the suggestions comming, There is a lot of space up there that would make a nice trainroom when I get it finished. I am now working on up-dating the wiring, It was last done in 1964 so there are no grounded recepticals. I am also considering adding another breaker box up there so the wiring won't have to come from the pole down to the basement, thru the breaker box and then back to the upstairs. The main line comming into the house is right outside where I will put in a new breaker box so that will be no problem.          

            Thanks,                Mike

[modelmaker51]

Layout height of 32" is very low, why?

[rolleiman]

I haven't looked at your full description in any detail so if I missed this, sorry. The one thing that JUMPS out at me is I would avoid building any deep reach tables along the sloped ceiling walls. It'll either be so low that it will be a back breaker to work on or so high that you'll forever be cracking your skull on the ceiling.

[mikesmowers]

   The reason for it being low is #1  I will need it to go under the windows and #2  I like to sit in my swivel chair and run the trains while I enjoy a cold beer.

  As for the sloped ceiling, That is about all I have to deal with. If I put the benchwork along the center wall or more in the center, then it will be a back breaker to get between the layout and the wall. With my bad back I am not able to do much stooping and if I raise the layout I will be getting close to the sloped ceiling. Building it at about 32'' I will have 10 to 12'' from the layout to the start of the slope.

   I hope this answers your questions, if not feel free to ask, that is what I am wanting to know.

      Thanks for the response.             Mike
 

[New Haven I-5]

 Well, you could maybe fit a 25x25 in there with HO. The wiring might expensive if your using DCC.