4 x 8 Design Contest***LAST DAY***

[Don Z]

Chip,

Here's a slightly modified version of my 4x8 I posted earlier in your other thread. I modified the plan to meet your 18" radius specs. The layout is designed for future expansion on opposite corners for either staging or mainline expansion.

Don Z.

[Texas Zepher]

Post them here. The top 5 voted by us submitters will go to general populous for vote. Unless there are only like 7 then they all should go.

Due date?  I'm booked solid the next two weekends.

[CPRail modeler]

Perhaps I could be up to the challege...

[SpaceMouse]

Post them here. The top 5 voted by us submitters will go to general populous for vote. Unless there are only like 7 then they all should go.

Due date?  I'm booked solid the next two weekends.

I'm open for discussion. How about we post Thanksgiving weekend? 

[Don Z]

So what's the status of the contest? How many entries do you have? Are we allowed to enter more than one layout design?

Don Z.

[SpaceMouse]

We have 3 or 4. Sure enter away. We have until Thanksgiving weekend.

[New Haven I-5]

I'm in !!

[PASMITH]

HO only??

Eeh! H-ow O-rdinary, I was gonna give it a whirl in G , but since this is a private party, I'll just say 'Bah humbug' and go back to my workbench!

Think of it as a Haiku.

See the AC -12

It doesn't go very far

Number 4 turnouts



Peter Smith, Memphis

[New Haven I-5]

This is for fun!

[SpaceMouse]

I just posted my first draft in the Layout Forum. If you want to help me win (or talk trash) come check it out.

[nucat78]

Maybe the Spaghetti Bowl one I was thinking of was this one 10023 - Folded Dog-Bone

 

Didn't realize model railroad designers liked amphetamines...

 

[Anonymous]

And strong ones, at that..............

[PASMITH]

When Space Mouse introduced this contest, I thought about the first layout I ever designed and built. I looked through my old files, found my original 1982 sketch and sure enough, it was exactly 4 X 8. I also found some old photos which are very poor and the color is washed out. I was very happy with my first layout results including theme, operation and scenery. I used all of the classic Westcott techniques including L-Girder, Dual Cab, and Hard Shell on this first attempt. The railroad was destroyed when I moved to Memphis in 1986.

Please excuse the unprofessional presentation. This is the first time I was able to post pictures and the first time I used a scanner and I am aware that I need further study in this regard but, there is illness in the family that I must attend to before the Thanksgiving deadline for this post.

I believe that my first layout meets all the "Mouse Criteria". It uses flex track, handlayed track, Atlas turnouts, and Bemo turnouts and track. It is very vertical and uses mountain scenery as natural view blocks. There are no hints of loops from any viewing point. The theme is early 1900 steam logging. The first level is standard gauge ( Photo 1). The second level is narrow gauge ( Photo 2). On the third level are three logging spurs and landings (Photo 5 hoist house & 6 clear cut). I used a lot of illusions in this layout including selective compression. To maintain these illusions, I used clear cut logging scenes instead of destroying the illusion in a 4 X 8 ft space by using 200 scale foot sugar pine trees.

Peter Smith, Memphis

[secondhandmodeler]

PASMITH, you must have felt sick when you destroyed that layout.  It looks like it was quite nice.

[PASMITH]

Up until the time I actually moved, I was OK. But, when I got to Memphis, it was not until I got another layout up and running that I actually got over it. My new RR is made up of portable modules that can go with me in the future. It is much larger and about 50% complete. The theme is still the same

Peter Smith, Memphis

[nucat78]

Up until the time I actually moved, I was OK. But, when I got to Memphis, it was not until I got another layout up and running that I actually got over it. My new RR is made up of portable modules that can go with me in the future. It is much larger and about 50% complete. The theme is still the same

Peter Smith, Memphis

I much prefer linear modular layouts to other styles, but that 4X8 of yours was pretty impressive .  I really like the high desert scenery you did.

 

[vsmith]

PASmith, Is the second level HOn30?

I did HOn30 before moving up to large scale and some of that stuff looks familiar...

[PASMITH]

Yes, the second level is HOn30. I had two Joe Works brass locos ( Climax and Shay) and two scratch built Climax's built around N gauge diesel mechanism's

Peter Smith, Memphis

[Anonymous]

Don Z: I really like that plan! Can I vote for it, or is that Space Mouse's job?

[vsmith]

Yes, the second level is HOn30. I had two Joe Works brass locos ( Climax and Shay) and two scratch built Climax's built around N gauge diesel mechanism's

Peter Smith, Memphis

Joe Works? ...Lucky! I wanted those Joe Works/Flying Zoo Miniland series trains, but I could never afford them, even now they are still pricey. So I just converted Bachmann N mechanisms. Anyway looked like a nice layout, too bad it went bye-bye. My HOn30 layout went away when an earthquake sent it all to the floor in '94, oh well.

[Don Z]

Don Z: I really like that plan! Can I vote for it, or is that Space Mouse's job?

Tyler,

If you want to vote for it, that would be great. I don't know if Spacemouse ever disclosed voting procedures.....

Don Z.

[ndbprr]

Cut 4' x 8' strip into two 1' x8' pieces.  Cut remainder into 4" x8' pieces totaling six pieces. cut four  of the 4" pieces into one foot long trrapezoids to make 90 degree bends.  Assemble into railroad 1' x 8' on opposite walls separated by bridge sections 12' wide including 48" radius on the corners.  Put yard on one 1' x 8' section.  Put several industries on other 1' x 8' section using flats against wall.  Railroad is around the walls for 12' x 12' room.  Run trains.  Do I win?  :-)

[Autobus Prime]

Cut 4' x 8' strip into two 1' x8' pieces.  Cut remainder into 4" x8' pieces totaling six pieces. cut four  of the 4" pieces into one foot long trrapezoids to make 90 degree bends.  Assemble into railroad 1' x 8' on opposite walls separated by bridge sections 12' wide including 48" radius on the corners.  Put yard on one 1' x 8' section.  Put several industries on other 1' x 8' section using flats against wall.  Railroad is around the walls for 12' x 12' room.  Run trains.  Do I win?  :-)

ndb:

'Pends where y'are. If you're building that in a basement rec room and want room to swing cats, sure. In fact, John Armstrong made much the same comment in MR...in 1955, I think. Nothing is new under the sun - the around-wall plan is probably as old as model railroading. Published plans are rare in 1930s magazines, but those I've seen have mostly been shelf-style.

If you're in my 1910 basement which already has brick pillars, a bulky chimney, and heating equipment in the middle, and very few wall spaces that aren't already occupied with shelves, workbenches, or utility equipment that I do not want to block even with movable elements, not so much. Besides, I've tried both kinds, and I just find tables easier to start with. Maybe the best of both worlds is to start with something that you can later convert into a turnback curve.

Anyway, enough philosophizing. Here's the plan of my current railroad, with some scenic elements added. Let's call it an entry:

Venango & Erie, Phase 3, with some conjectural scenery, since at this moment the V & E, though operating daily, is still very much a Plywood Pacific:






Expect further entries before the deadline, probably based on this. I am trying to develop this plan by rapid forced evolution. Anybody got any spice?

Operations so far:

Construction supplies & equipment from landing to JF and W'burg RR construction areas
Stored construction equipment shuffled around. Kept when not used near RR office at W'burg.
Feed & grain from landing to JF feedmill (stunningly modeled by chunk o' 2x4 at present)
Passenger traffic between stations using old combine and coach. Combine also used as caboose.

[SpaceMouse]

The posting ends on Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend. At that point, we'll argue among ourselves for the top 5 (but the way we are going we only might get 8.) We take the top 5 (or 8 if that is all there is) and allow the general population to rank their favs. One with the most points wins.

[PASMITH]

Yes, the second level is HOn30. I had two Joe Works brass locos ( Climax and Shay) and two scratch built Climax's built around N gauge diesel mechanism's

Peter Smith, Memphis

Joe Works? ...Lucky! I wanted those Joe Works/Flying Zoo Miniland series trains, but I could never afford them, even now they are still pricey. So I just converted Bachmann N mechanisms. Anyway looked like a nice layout, too bad it went bye-bye. My HOn30 layout went away when an earthquake sent it all to the floor in '94, oh well.

I am sorry to hear about your HOn30 layout demise. It sounds like you were living in San Francisco. I don't think there are many HOn30 r's left but On30 seems to becoming very popular these days.

Peter Smith, Memphis

[chadw]

Here's my entry.

At the left end of the layout there is a commuter station.  Below it is a dock.  Inside the loop there is an engine terminal with 5-stall roundhouse.  On the right side of the layout, there are several industries along the edge of the harbor.  At the bottom edge the tracks cross a vertical lift or bascule bridge so boats can reach the dock inside the loop.  The tracks at the bottom right pass the lighthouse and continue in to temporary staging, which can be replaced with an expansion on the layout.

The scenery would be mostly industrial warehouses with cranes on the docks.  The rest of the scenery can be filled out with whatever city buildings you like.

For operations there are both trailing and facing point spurs, and two diamonds that will need to be protected with smashboards or interlockings.  There is a run-around, it's just hard to find.  It is the reverse loop.  The consist would be placed in the loop and the engine run into the tail track.  The engine would then pull forward onto the other side of the loop putting it behind its cars.

Spacemouse this was a good idea.  I can't wait to see the results.

[SpaceMouse]

Everyone else is weighing in so I figure I might as well.

My layout is a point-to-point with allowances for a roundy rounder. One thing I would point out is that there is a switchback. This is one of those rare occasions where a switchback pretty darn convenient. The train heading out of the yard pulls next to the siding on the main. Pulls the cars to switch puts them on the siding then pushes the cars behind the train on the main. It then pulls the cars onto the lead and switches the train out.

 

Features:

Operations for 2-3 people
Full functioning yard
Engine service
Industrial switching  
Passenger service
2 scenes
Town vignette
Crossing with interlocking tower
Yard represents working staging

 

 

[Texas Zepher]

Cut 4' x 8' strip into ...

That does bring up a valid question.  Does the 4x8 have to be a 4x8 rectangle or can they be cut up.  For example can one cut a piece off to make a 4x6 with a 2x4 wing?  Or two triangles off the end to make a hexagonal shape layout design?

[Greg H.]

Doesn't that start getting away from some of the reasions to do a 4x8 in the first place?

[SpaceMouse]

Cut 4' x 8' strip into ...

That does bring up a valid question.  Does the 4x8 have to be a 4x8 rectangle or can they be cut up.  For example can one cut a piece off to make a 4x6 with a 2x4 wing?  Or two triangles off the end to make a hexagonal shape layout design?

Think one solid uncut sheet of plywood.