Layout at a glance.

[Fergmiester]

Good post there Aggro

Layout at a glance

Name: Musquodoboit, Eastern Shore & Sydney (M.E.S.S.)
Scale: 1:87
Size: 5x10 / 3x6 / 5x7 "L" shape
Height: 40" to 46"
Style: "L" shape withfuture around the room extensions
Period: @1962
Locale: Eastern Shore and Musquodoboit Valley
Theme: End of the Steam era Beg and Borrow
Scenery: glueshell with plaster castings, Styro foam, Bark chips
Control: DC Cab Control/ Future DCC
Roadbed: traditional cork
Track: Atlas code 83 and 100 Peco and Shinohara turnouts
Max grade: 8%
Minimum radius: 22" main, 18" branch
Backdrop: Painted wall
Fascia: 1/8" masonite

[b] Remarks:[b/] Ficticious line based on the Sydney & Louisburg Railway of Cape Breton. Comodities will include Coal, Gypsum, Timber, Fresh Produce and Iron Ore.

[cwclark]

Layout at a glance

Name: San Antonio / Houston Division Southern Pacific Railroad
Scale: 1:87
Size: overall, 23' x 25'
Height: 46- 52"
Style: dogbone in a "G" shape
Period: 1967-1996 (including Rio Grande & Western and UP merger)
Locale: East and West Texas
Theme: Southern Pacific (Houston, Flatonia, San Antonio, Del Rio, & Sanderson)
Scenery: shell, etched styrafoam and plaster castings
Control: Straight DC w/ walk around throttles
Roadbed: traditional cork
Track: Atlas and MP code100
Max grade: 1.5%
Minimum radius: 24" to 36" lower
Backdrop: city scape, and Texas hill country, plains, and piney woods
Fascia: 1/8" hardboard

Chuck
[:D]

[RowanB]

Name: Rowan's Model Rail Road (RMRR)
Scale: 1:87
Size: overall, 6m x 8.7m (Outer round the wall tracks (2) Inner penisulas: approx 4m x 6 m
Height: outer tracks 85cm; Peninsulas: average 1m
Style: 2 tracks around the room (and through the cupboards and 'wash room') connected to 2 peninsulas. Access to room via stairway - so no duck unders!
Period: whatever suits whatever is running at the time
Locale: ditto - but generally Australian themed (but that doesnt stop some Amtrak or Thomas running)
Theme: Small town to deep gorges to small mining, and 'Snotling Village' (not to forget Fatty Owls and Basil)
Scenery: Base is made from chipboard (particle board) offcuts from the local hardware store (thanks Mitre 10); rocks are foam rubber or polystryrene (avoid plaster at all costs - too messy),
Control: Basic transformers - 10 of them to run the 2 outer tracks, the 2 main inner tracks, the HOn30 track (N Gauge), the monorail, the small tramway, the small narrow gauge mine scene, the still incomplete Mt Tamapais scene, and finally, the flashest one came with the Marklin Z scale set - for the HO fairground.
Roadbed: Canite board supports the track - to reduce noise.
Track: Peco flexi track 100 throughout
Max grade: approx max 5%
Minimum radius: probably about 30", alkthough really having measured the narrow gauge sections. Is likely about 9" in the mine scene.
Backdrop: none
Fascia: Various
See Picture of the still under construction below;
Emerging Theme: Whimsical including the 'Snotling Village' the witches house, the Whimsey Walking Track which meanders throught the layout... but it's all having fun isn't it... - oh and I do run some On30 rolling stock - mostly around the walls where clearances are ok....
Location: Melbourne, Australia

[Anonymous]

Layout at a glance

Name: Blue Creek RR
Scale: 1:160
Size: 30" x 60"
Height: Depends on what it's sittin' on. From 12" to 36".
Style: Table-top (might be coffee table in the future)
Period: mid-'60s or mid-'80s (changes between sessions)
Locale: Appalachian coal country
Theme: Shortline/branchline coal and misc.
Scenery: Snapped, shaped, and carved ceiling tiles
Control: Straight DC, but only single block.
Roadbed: Woodland Scenics black foam
Track: Peco 55, ME 55, ME 40, and one piece each Atlas and Peco 80
Max grade: Appox. 2 1/2%
Minimum radius: 9 3/4"
Backdrop: None
Fascia: 1/8" masonite

---jps

[Anonymous]

Name: Not sure yet...
Scale: 1:87
Size: 10x10ft
Height: 40"
Style: U-shaped.
Period: 1990-1996
Locale: Mid- to Northwest
Theme: Burlington Northern pre-merger
Scenery: Foam insulation
Control: Digitrax Zephyr DCC
Roadbed: Cork
Track: Atlas code 100 flextrack
Max grade: 2%
Minimum radius: 20"
Turnout minimum: #4 on sidings, #6 on main
Backdrop: Undecided. I think I will go with about 1/8" to 1/4" masonite.
Reed

[Nieuweboer]

Name: Kansas Central RR
Scale: 1:87

[Nieuweboer]

Name: Kansas Central RR
Scale: 1:87
Size: 13 x 13'
Height: 46"
Style: along the walls with duckunder
Period: changes depemding on my mood from transitionperiod to 1990's
Locale: west of Chicago
Theme: serving local industries and a grain elevator.
Scenery: flat with anything from real dirt to catlitter and Woodland Scenic products.
Control: direct DC with cab control and blocks
Roadbed: cork
Track: Shinohara and Peco 100 track and switches
Max grade: 0%
Min. radius: 24"
Backdrop: Walthers Instant Horizons
Fascia: Masonite

Kansas Central RR has only two old hand-me-down locomotives but leases irf needed
from one of the big RR's and that's why ATSF, UP, BN, SP are a regular sight
and even an occassional CB&Q , CNW or D&RGW unit.

[Anonymous]

The layout in my head far exceeds the one in progress in my basement!

[ddechamp71]

My in progress layout:
Tehachapi Pass
Scale Z 1:220
Size 21' x 13'
Walkaround
Track: Micro-Trains code 55 flex (and Peco code 60 flex in hidden areas)
Locale: from Bakersfield to The Loop with selective compression of course!
Maximum slope: 2%
Turnouts: #6 minimum (actually slightly modified Nn3 British built turnouts)
Minimum radius: 24" / 50 cm
Benchwork: L-girdered modules
Era: summer 1997
Completion: very beginning progress (track plan + room ready, first module in progress)

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by twhite

Jonothan: Sincerely hope your layout isn't in a garage, I just spent a couple of weeks tearing out the Bachmann fixed wide-radius curve trackage because the UV rays or whatever it's called here in California, warped the Heck out of my 34-36" radius curves. Just relaid about 90% of my Bachmann with Atlas and a radius guide. I'm so ticked that I can't see straight. Not at Bachmann, because their EZ track is GREAT! But it can't take anything but STRICT indoor weather. Especially after a couple of years. Best of luck to you, though. May your railroad grow to 36" curves and a whole fleet of Big Boys.
Tom
t

Tom, no my layout isn't in a garage, it'll be in my basement. And Thank you, I do hope someday to have a 40" curves with a fleet of Big Boys.[:)]

[Anonymous]

I don't have a layout at the moment and am not expecting to have room for one for a while so here's what I'd like my layout to be like:

Layout At a Glance

Name: Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad
Scale: HO
Size: 50' x 55'
Height: 40"-50"
Style: Walkaround, walk-in
Period: 1989-2005
Locale: Northern Illinois/Southern Wisconsin
Theme: Modern-day CB&Q
Scenery: Foam, hardshell
Control: Digitrax or CVP DCC
Roadbed: cork
Track: Micro Engineering code 83 and 70
Max. Grade: 1%
Minimum Radius: 30", 24" on branches
Backdrop: 1/4 Masonite
Fascia: 1/8 Masonite
Railroads Featured: CB&Q, NP, CNW, BN?
Minimum Turnout: #6; #5 on branches

[cmurray]

Layout at a glance

Name: Canadian National/fictitious Cold River Sub
Scale: HO
Size: overall, 33' x 26'
Height: 54"
Style: Around the room with 2 peninsulas
Type: Point-to-point with continuous run option
Period: mid 80s
Locale: Somewhere in central Canada
Scenery: Plaster and paper towels over chicken wire, plaster castings
Control: Dynatrol DCC
Roadbed: pine
Track: Code 70, hand-laid with Kadee spiker, hand-laid turnouts
Minimum radius: 30"
Fascia: 1/8" masonite

[Big_Boy_4005]

Following Aggro's format here is my....

Layout at a glance

Name: Twin Cities Central (I've finally decided, and created a logo)
Scale: 1:48 O (3 rail)
Size: overall, 38' x 46'
Height: staging 24", first deck 42", second deck 72"
Style: Walk in, walk around, NO duckunders
Period: 1980 - present
Locale: Minneapolis/St Paul, Minnesota
Theme: follows the route of the Amtrak Empire Builder
Scenery: glueshell over foam with plaster castings
Control: Lionel TMCC (command control)
Roadbed: 1/2" foam over 3/4" plywood (shaped)
Track: Gargraves phantom rail
Max grade: 2%
Minimum radius: 36" mainline
Backdrop: 1/4" masonite
Fascia: 1/4" masonite

[n2mopac]

Name: Saginaw & Western
Scale: N
Size: overall, 17' X 16'
Height: 42"-45"
Style: around the room w/ peninsula
Period: Summer 2000
Locale: North Texas
Theme: BNSF Wichita Falls Sub
Scenery: plaster soaked paper towels over cardboard lattice and foam
Control: Prodigy Advance DCC
Roadbed: traditional cork over 1/2" plywood
Track: Atlas flextrack code 80
Max grade: 1.5%
Minimum radius: 18" main, 12" industrial/yard
Backdrop: 1/8" masonite hardboard
Fascia: 1/8" masonite hardboard

Ron

[nslakediv]

Layout at a glance

Name: Norfolk Southern Lake Division
Scale: 1:87
Size: overall, 22'x30'
Height: 28"(Cleveland Light & Power) 42" Cleveland (E55th St Yard)46" Bellevue(yard)
52" Fostoria(yard) & 60" Ft. Wayne(E. Wayne Yard)
Style: around the walls and center pennisula's
Period: modern
Locale: Ohio & Indiana
Theme: NS mainline with plenty of switching and 2 shortlines
Scenery: foam, hydrocal
Control: Digitrax DCC
Roadbed: traditional cork
Track: Atlas code 83, Shinahora code 83 & Atlas code 100 in lower staging
Max grade: 2%
Minimum radius: 33" main
Backdrop: 1/4" masonite
Fascia: 1/8" masonite

[Anonymous]

Layout at a glance

Name: As yet undetermined division of Canadian Pacific
Scale: 1:87
Size: overall, 15'x12'
Height: 60" over office
Style: around the walls max width 24" shelf
Period: 1952
Locale: Slocan Lake region of BC
Theme: Branch line Lake barge connection to mining and logging
Scenery: hardshell
Control: NCE DCC
Roadbed: traditional cork on masonite spline
Track: handlaid Code 83
Max grade: 4.5% on logging branch
Minimum radius: 26" main
Backdrop: 1/8" masonite
Fascia: 1/8" masonite

Early days of bench work and track laying. Hope for much progress this winter.

[RedLeader]

Layout at a glance

Name: Silver Creek Valley
Scale: 1:87 (HO)
Size: overall, 15' x 13'
Height: 45"
Style: around the room with swinging section
Period: 70's - present
Locale: mideast
Theme: ATSF and BN freelanced town & country
Scenery: Chicken wire and plaster
Control: DC
Roadbed: 60° profile cork
Track: Atlas code 100
Max grade: 2.5%
Minimum radius: 24"
Backdrop: 1/8" playwood
Fascia: 1/8" playwood

[jrbernier]

Layout at a glance

Name: Pecatonica Division(Milwaukee Road)
Scale: 1:87
Size: overall, 25' by 20' area
Height: 48" to 54"
Style: Walk-around/walk-in style - NO duck-unders!
Staging: 6 tracks(train length tracks)
Minmum aisle width: 30" - usually 36"
Period: Late 50's
Locale:SW Wisconsin
Theme: MILW/CNW secondary lines. Mainline is about 90' from staging to staging. 3 towns on the mainline, and a branch ending in a small town(MILW) CNW runs from it's own staging to a jct on the branchline and trackage rights to a small terminal on the MILW through mainline.
Scenery: Hydrocal hardshell with castings
Control: Digitrax DCC(wireless)
Roadbed: HomaBed on 1/2" plywood
Track: Atlas code 100
[b[Turnouts: Atlas #6/#4/Wye - a few Roco curved turnouts
Minimum radius: 22"
Backdrop: Painted 1/8" masonite with curved corners
Fascia: 1/8" masonite
Completion[/b]: All track, wiring complete - about 20% of scenery complete

Jim Bernier

[bpickering]

Layout at a glance

Name: Unnamed (freelance UP* junction w/ shortline), currently in dream/design phase
Scale: 1:87
Size: overall, roughly 13' x 9' area
Height: Two level- main circa 40", shortline circa 60"
Style: Walk-around/walk-in style
Staging: Not fixed yet- likely around 6 tracks under mainline, possibility of more if I can talk the Spousal Overunit into letting me put a tunnel through the wall into the workroom. [:)]
Minmum aisle width: 24"
Period: Late 50's to mid-60s
Locale: undecided- ex Oregon Short Line right-of-way fits terrain dreams/goals.
Theme: Mainline with some switching to shortline, shortline has a few small industries. Looking for an excuse to have both diesels and steam. [:-,]
Scenery: Debating techniques- most familiar with hardshell over mesh, but considering insulation board.
Control: will be DCC, considering Digitrax
Roadbed: homosote (or reasonable fascimile) on 1/2" plywood
Track: Code 83 flextrack
Turnouts: Plan linked below uses Peco turnouts, haven't invested in any hardware yet.
Minimum radius: 23" main, ~20" shortline
Backdrop: Painted 1/8" masonite with curved corners
Fascia: 1/8" masonite
Completion: Dreaming/planning - despite needing a duckunder/swing bridge, here's my current favorite: http://www.geocities.com/bpickeri/P3_MainLine.JPG

* Why UP? Easy- In some ways, I'm a little boy- I like the Big Iron! Just wish I could figure out a satisfactory design for larger radii to make a Big Boy or turbine happy....

[Anonymous]

Layout 1...


Name: Eastern Terminal & Transfer
Scale: 1:87
Size: overall, 9'x2' with a 3'x1' "L" extension
Height: 40"
Style: Shelf Switching
Period: 1946-1956
Motive Power: SW-1; (2)GE-70ton; RS-2; FM H-10-44; USRA 0-6-0, one at a time!
Locale: Non-Specific Northeast Industrial Area
Theme: Industrial Switching
Scenery: Mainly City Buildings
Control: Straight DC
Roadbed: Homasote
Track: Walthers Code 83, Manual #5 Switches
Max grade: 0%
Minimum radius: 18"
Backdrop: Foamcore with Printed Backdrops
Fascia: Wood Moulding

Layout 2...

Name: Eastern Terminal & Transfer
Scale: 1:87
Size: overall, 6'x1'
Height: N/A, Designed to be portable
Style: Shelf Switching, Timesaver-inspired Trackplan
Period: 1946-1956
Motive Power: SW-1; (2)GE-70ton; RS-2; FM H-10-44; USRA 0-6-0, one at a time!
Locale: Non-Specific Northeast Industrial Area
Theme: Industrial Switching
Scenery: Mainly City Buildings
Control: Straight DC
Roadbed: Foam
Track: Walthers Code 83, Manual #4 Switches
Max grade: 0%
Minimum radius: 18"
Backdrop: Foamcore with Printed Backdrops
Fascia: None

Both are under construction, though Layout 1 is operational.

[krump]

Layout at a glance - (pending construction, but why not...)

Name: CAST-AWAY RailRoad (stuff collected from everywhere, family members initials)
Scale: HO and an outer loop of On30 for good measure
Size: overall 10' x 14'
Height: 48-50" and perhaps a pass at 60'
Style: around-the-room, open in centre, swing-out on dutch (1/2) door - no lifts/ducks
Period: 1970 - present
Locale: BC, Alberta, Michigan merged into one
Theme: retro stuff from the boxes over past 30 yrs, Thomas the Train... Justice and Corrections centre, fishing with resort, logging, freight, heavy equipment, grain elevator shipping and Country Living (basically my life in miniature)
Scenery: plywood, foamboard, wire, plaster
Control: DCC - not yet purchased
Roadbed: cork on plywood
Track: whatever I have in the boxes, flex track, code 100
Max grade: 2% - sounds reasonable
Minimum radius: 36" mainline
Backdrop: drywall, with painted country scene
Fascia: masonite
the layout will be built on benchwork housing office desk, filing, computer, rollout bookshelves, hobby desk, and storage for the extras

[Anonymous]

Layout at a glance (Or what I have planned so far)

Name: Ibana, willamsboro and heathspoint RR (IW&H)
Scale: 1:87
Size: 6x14
Height: 38''
Style: Dogbone
Period: Modern
Locale: Eastern Penn
Theme: Modern day bridge line connecting with CSX and NS and the Gregory & wickertown RR (Fictional short line from my last layout)
Scenery: Probally foam
Control: Altas DCC
Track: Micro engineering code 83
Roadbed: Probally woodland scenics
Max grade: 1%
Minimum radius: 22'' on IW&H, 15'' on G&W 22'' on NS, CSX interchange tracks
Backdrop: Not sure yet
Facisa: Not sure yet

All a me're pipe dream right now.

[Anonymous]

Name: southcross & Western
Scale:HO
Size: 10 X 11 2 feet wide around the walls
Hieght: 7' 11"
Style: Shlef Layout
Period: 1980-Present
Locale: North-Eastern U.S.
Theme: Coal and other freight and Amtrak
Scenery: Stryofoam base with Celluclay and rock molds
Control: Digitrax DCC
Roadbed: Classic Cork
Track: Atlas code 100 flex with Peco and Atlas turnouts
Max Grade: 2%
Backdrop: Painted on the wall
Radius: 36" on mains 18" in one yard
Mainline length: 84 Linear feet
Total Track: Im not measuring all my track![(-D]


Mainly CSX freight operations but always a little Amtrak. Lots of switching and most of the fun of the layout is running locals between the cities while sharing the mains with the through freights.

[Anonymous]

Name: Central-Midlands BNSF with some UP
Some freelance mixed with some actual
Scale: 1:87
Size: 10' x 12' with 5' L
Height: 50"
Style: walk around super-pretzel with elevated return loop
Period: 1980's-Modern
Locale: West-Midwest
Theme: Modern day coal, grain and some mixedfreaight across farmland touching the edge of a small town
and crossing through a second small town with just the beginning of
inclines for the edge of mountain
Scenery: foam for mtn/hills, hardshell over mesh and plaster cloth over foam
Control: MRC and Altas DC
Track: Atlas code 100
Turnouts: Atlas #6 on main & #4 on sidings
Wye: Atlas #4
Roadbed: Cork on 1" foam on 1/2" plywood
Max grade: 3% Woodland scenics incline system
Minimum radius: 18''
Backdrop: Not sure yet
Fascia: Masonite

[SpaceMouse]

Name: Hogwarts
Theme:Harry Potter meets Niagra
Hogwarts Express and Union Pacific
Dimentions: 4x8 Ovals and Tressels--70 feet total EZ track--10 turnouts
Style: Harry Potter stuff--Spounge Bob Bikini Bottom village--Dinosaurs--and Tonka Construction
Period: Diagonic Alley Oop

Clearing space for 11.5 by 11.5 U shaped 30" Shelf Northern California Southern Pacific 1880's with a Hogwarts castle at one end. (that keeps both my daughter and son interested)

[johngraser]

Name: None 
Scale: HO 1:87
Size: 20 x 12
Height: 38 to 45
Style: Open Bench
Period:Transition Era to 1980's
Locale: Oregon
Motive Power:First and second generation EMD, Steam
Theme: Lumber / Grain
Scenery: Plaster cloth / Cardboard
Control: DCC (Digitrax Chief)
Roadbed: cork on 1/2" plywood (TDB)
Track: Atlas Code 83, #6 Switches / turnouts
Max grade: 2.5%
Minimum radius: 28

Backdrop: Masonite / Hardboard
Fascia: Masonite / Hardboard

[NZRMac]

Name: Stockton Junction & Coopers Creek Railway
Scale: 1:87
Size: 128 square feet
Height: 46"
Style: freestanding in the garage Cookie cutter contruction
Period: Probably modern
Locale: anywhere
Motive Power: Diesel, steam scenic trips
Theme: Coal, timber
Scenery: None yet probably plaster
Control: Lenz DCC
Roadbed: woodlands
Track: some budget stuff my LHS has it's very good tho code 100
Max grade: 2%
Minimum radius: 20"
Backdrop: 9 mm MDF
Fascia: 4.75 mm MDF

[Anonymous]

GReat topic started here. This is the detail of my layout
Railroad: Union Pacific.
Region: Southern California (I do not know exactly where
Scale: HO
Size: 16'x13'x12'x13'
Height: 39" When I started my layout I was not sure of average heights and just started construction. would have made it 45-48" if I had known
Min Radius: 22" on two spots otherwise 28"
Max grade: 3% at one section
Track: Code 100
Turnouts: #4 and #6
roadbed: WS roadbed and Cork added later to new section
Construction: Close grid layout on Plywood and used WS risers for inclines.
Layout type: Walk in and around. I actually assembled sections of the layout so when I move I will be able to unbolt them when dismantle.
Scenery: Plaster cloth on Newspaper and Foam insulation
Backdrop: 4x8 sheets split in three of wood paneling because it is very light and flexible.
Era: Present 2000+
Motive power: All diesels (SD70M's, AC4400,SD90/43macs)
Railroads: Up takeover of SP


This is my shizzle

[Anonymous]

Name: Chesapeake and Ohio Railway - Albemarle Division (Fictitious Division)
Scale: HO
Size: overall, 25' X 6'
Height: 52"
Style: Dog Bone with hidden reverse loop storage and Coal Branch/Reverse Loop
Type: Set up for continuous running or with reversing loops at each end.
Period: 1945 to 1955
Locale: Mountains of Virginia
Scenery: Plaster/Gauze over cardboard skeleton
Control: Digitrax DCC "Super Empire Builder"
Roadbed: Homa-bed over 3/4" Exterior Grade Plywood.
Track: Code 83 Walthers/Shinohara some Atlas "Super Switches" (Code 100 in all hidden areas, etc.)
Minimum radius: 24"
Backdrop: 1/4" masonite
Fascia: 1/4" masonite
Lighting: Continuous Fluorescent fixtures (4100Kelvin lamps) over the layout with a mixture of line voltage and low voltage ceiling mounted track for incandescent flood and spot lighting.

[mustanggt]

Name: LA to NYC
Scale: 1:87
Size: 7'X11"
Height: 42"
Style: Modular with duckunder
Period: 1988- now
Locale: California, Nevada, New york, Mississippi river
Theme: The U.S.A.
Scenery: plaster over wadded paper, foam
Control: Atlas DCC
Roadbed: AMI instant roadbed, woodland scenics, cork
Track: Atlas code 83
Max grade: 2%
Minimum radius: 18" branch, 28" mainline
Backdrop: None AKA concrete walls
Fascia: none yet, possibly masonite
Completion: Mid 2005