12x16 Room Advice Needed Please

Go with around-the-walls and you can have both a wider radius and a more-attractive "inside view" of passenger cars. With at 12x16 rectangular room, you can comfortably use 45" radius (O-90) and 40.5" radius (O-81) Atlas curves for the corners of a rectangular setup.

I econd the around the walls suggestion. Its really the best way to get the most for your space.   my previous layout was an 072-060 double main and it worked well.  I mean as good as it can in that space. If your running scale trains then a good 6-7 car passenger consist still make the layout look small, but you do the best with what u have.  

Just to give you and Idea, because I'm working with very similar room dimensions (16ft long x 11ft wide, room entrance is in the top right hand corner) and this is what I've come up with so far.  All curves are Atlas 054

I offer a third recommendation for around-the-room. My space is smaller 9x19 with a 9x16 layout that has 072/084 and 084/096 end curves for a dual mainline. 

There are several ways to avoid a duckunder for entry near your doorway---lift bridges, lift outs, custom units designed by some o-gaugers or a piano-hinged drop section such as I use. I am 82[2/17] and a duckunder is a very tough entry. I don't mind crawling on the carpet but getting back up is basically an event in the "old age Olympics".

You can even use a duckunder if you are younger and in decent shape but my experience in the last 20 years has been to use a better solution.

I chose to use one side of the layout as a Service Yard with six towers[coaling, sand, water,etc] and Enginehouse. The other side will be a Village if I ever get back to work on the mess. I run my, now much shorter, passenger trains on the outer main with the widest curve arcs.

ps: when we moved back here to the Condo I dismantled my 15x23 layout down the hall for the Domestic CEO to use as an exercise and TV room. I am in the little attic over the garage. 

I would also vote for an around the room layout.  It maximizes your available layout space and curve radius. 

Dewey is right about the duck-under - it gets harder as you get older.  One of the OGR Backshop videos shows you how to build a lift out, I think.  I'd look in that direction.

George

Jim Barett's Backshop #11 shows "how to" on a lift bridge and a drop section. He originally did an article on the drop section way back in the day in O-Gauge Magazine which I used to build mine, now recycled to a new layout for the second time.

There are a number of "custom" solutions to  duckunder avoidance by folks located in Search threads. 

Drop Section shown below containing 072/084 curves spaced 6" on center. All Gargraves flex track used throughout with Curtis and Ross turnouts.

Guys thanks so much! This has been really helpful. I'm convinced on the around the room as being the best bet and needing a drop in section. So previously my table has been using Realtrax but looking at the selection, it seems like I may need to move to Atlas Track for this to space this with nice wide curves?

My layout is built with GarGraves and Curtis track and mostly Curtis and a few Ross switches.  I like it, but if I had it to do over again I would really give a lot of thought to using Atlas track.  It is heavy, solid, and good looking track.  I'm helping a friend build his layout and that's what he is using.  Have to say that I'm impressed with the track's smooth running performance.  It is more expensive, but...

George

I may be a little late to comment but if you are going around the walls....and no ducking under....use even BIGGER curves!  My minimum curves are 72 diameter on my main-line.  Now I'm running MTH auto carriers and I can see the unrealistic appearance of these cars on the 72s because you can see the outer rail on a 72 or 80 diameter curve.  Fortunately I'm blessed with lots of space (for the 1st time ever.  It only took 40 years.)  and 3/4 of my main-line has curves that are 89 to 96 diameter.  These long auto carriers and my passenger cars look fabulous on 89s or 96s!  They are over the center of the track as they should be.  In addition, if you use 96 on the outside and 89 on the inside the tracks these tracks can be spaced 4 inches apart center rail to center rail giving a much better appearance.  Rule-of-Thumb:  Always use the biggest widest curve (or turnout) possibly because it's easier to scale down than up.   

If you have not chosen the track yet, Look at Scaletrax as well.

VERY nice track and the flex is truly flexible.

The smaller rails and ties make the trains look bigger too.

Doe it have any issues? Doesn't everything?

The Switches can be tricky to get right at first, but once fixed are nice.

There is also a small selection of switch types for now.

This can be dealt with as Ross Custom Switches will mate up with Scaletrax.

Use the 5mm foam roadbed under the track and 2mm cork sheet under the switch. Rails are lined up perfect.

See video of it at www/toytrainsontracks.com  They sell videos on how to do it as well. I have the first 2 Videos and really like them.  Kids like watching them to since they include run sessions on the layout.

I also have a 12 x 16 ft. room.  My first layout was very similar to MatthewG's, and it truly was for running trains.  All kinds of paths to go down.  Not good to landscape, however, because there was track everywhere.  And I only had one short straightaway that I could observe the trains at eye level.  I also needed minimum of 054 curves, which worked okay in the design. 

But I really did want to have a layout more versatile, so I could have straight runs that I could access, and a surface conducive to landscaping, so I came up with the design shown below, which I am building right now.  Minimum radius is 054, but I could probably change the outer loop to 072 at the ends.

Even though the overall layout is smaller, it is going to work out just right.  I added to this thread only to let you see other configurations.  I always look at others' work and something may inspire me that I want to incorporate into my design.

Have fun getting your new layout underway.

Mike