4x8 Plans Help

[KlickyMobster]

Hi guys

I've recently decided to put my 16'x9' switching layout on standby and want to build a temporary 4x8 in my bedroom that I share with my brother who will be leaving for college Thursday.  I would like a lot of switching, and in the bottom left corner, need a track to nowhere because I have room for a 4" wide mainline for 8' across my room too. 

So does anyone have any plans or suggestions on where to look?  Thanks for your help!

[railroadyoshi]

Do you plan to use that mainline extension for staging, or something else?

Your situation sounds like a good candidate for what John Armstrong calls "Pointed end boat shaped plan". The idea was to make better use of the wasted space around the curves of a 4x8. Since scenery isn't your top priority, and space seems to have some abundance, you may want to try it. It turns a 4x8 into a 4x10.
_________________________________________
| / |
|___________________/ |
| \ |
|____________________\___________________|
<-----------4ft---------------->

Imagine that is a 4x8, with a 45 degree angle cut instead of the 15 degree or so cut. Now rearrange it into a "Pointed end boat shaped plan"
_____
<_____>

[railroadyoshi]

Argh, the diagram didn't come out right. If you have JA's Track Planning for Realistic Operation, it is on page 87 of the third edition.

[BRAKIE]

If you want a 4x8 with lots of switching take a look see at these layouts.

http://www.gatewaynmra.org/project.htm

 

There are far better layout designs then John Armstrongs..You may want to look around.

[michaelstevens]

Here are a couple of layouts which I have enjoyed (building and playing-on).

http://mike-stevens.fotopic.net/p30769273.html

http://mike-stevens.fotopic.net/p30769272.html

[pcarrell]

Just a thought........

http://home.earthlink.net/~mrsvc/id28.html