16x8 table with open center.....Please Help!

please post as a jpg or pdf

Not sure how to convert the rrt file to jpg or pdf. Only lets me export as a bitmap file.


Does this help?

Here is a layout I was doing until the divorce, job loss and moving happened.

The main part is 8x18, had outter oval of O80, inner loop of O72

Shaun:

Got your E-Mail. What kind of turnouts do you have? Other than the curves mentioned, do you have any other sizes (or plan to add some?) Also, I was thinking that instead of a duck-under, you could use a lift-out/lift-up on the front benchwork (or use an Atlas bridge) to make entry into the operating pit easier.

BTW, any industries, buildings, etc.?

I have 3 054 switches that are not being used yet. I'm not sure what size switches i should be using on a table this size, so i plan on buying whatever is best for a new and improved layout.I current have an 072 loop, a 060 loop and a 045 loop (not being used) but again, once i have a good plan that makes some sense I'll be purchasing what i dont have.

I have an MTH steel arch bridge, and I'm open to having a lift up section, but not sure how that would work.

I always envisioned 2 main lines with a yard and an elevated loop on this table but I'm pretty slow with rr track and just not sure what the best choice of switches and what radius loops i should be using. So i put 2 loops on it just to run trains.

I have a few buildings but i really like the idea of a yard with some towers and industrial tanks, lights water tanks etc....I dont really need a town area on the layout....I like the industrial stuff, scrapyards etc.

I'm open to any ideas that would utilize this space effectivly and allow me to have some trains run continously while operating in a small yard.

All ideas and plans are welcome.

Thanks for the help!

Here's a "first draft" for your space. For access to the center, I placed an Atlas two-track truss bridge. The idea is that you can use an offset hinge under the layout to lift the bridge as a gate (you'll obviously have to add supportive benchwork under the bridge disguised as a river or something.) All "running" turnouts are Atlas #5's to support larger equipment. The inside main is 36" radius (O-72) and the outside is 40.5" (O-81.) Here the bitmap image; I've E-mailed you the RR-Track file

Matt...since the table is surrounded by walls, he is going to have a 4 foot reach to the edges. You may have to make some track adjustments on the sides to reduce that space.

Rick

quote:

Originally posted by Rixster:
Matt...since the table is surrounded by walls, he is going to have a 4 foot reach to the edges. You may have to make some track adjustments on the sides to reduce that space.

Rick

Actually, the track reach is no more than 40" but should there be a nasty derailment that throws something into the corner, a "grabber" would be a good thing to have. I should have cut off the back corners for access in the terrain map.

Matt
With dual mains with curve arcs of 072 and 081, how can you install a straight bridge at one end in a 96" wide room with adequate wall clearance from track on two sides[walls]?

I have 9x16 with a dual 084/072 curve arc main line and had considered a lift bridge but eventually found it unworkable for all ready-market bridges I evaluated and ended up using a recycled piano-hinged "Drop Section" which can be installed in curves.

[In this case Room width of 96"-81"=15"[40-1/2" R]. If you leave 6" clearance from center rail-to-wall on each side that leaves 3" of straight in the center of the outer mainline 081 curve arc. I am assuming a Radi of 40-1/2" measured to center rail].

Wouldn't you have to build a very wide bridge to accommodate bridge rail clearance for dual main adjacent 081/072 curves even with the very minimum clearance distance between tracks at the curve arc. Maybe I missed an available dual track bridge on the market that would have provided curve clearance, particularly in the approaches and exits of the bridge.

Where am I wrong? Or, perhaps I am missing that the bridge can be installed in a mainline straight area of Shaun's planned layout.

p.s:
Jim's Backshop DVD #11 does a good job of illustrating and explaining installation of Lift Bridges and Drop sections.

The gridlines on the image are at 12" spacing. The U-Turn sections are 4' deep so the O-81 is 41.5" out from the center. The straight sections are long enough to support a 40" atlas bridge and leave 28" on either side. FasTrack O72 and O84 should fit into that benchwork configuration as well. The entry into the center of the layout is on the bridge side (duck-under or lift out with some clever bridge mounting.)

Matt
Sorry I can't raise the image or grid you mention. My tape measure and the Atlas Dual Bridge width I researched says it won't work for 36" and 40-1/2" Radi curves in the bridge at the end of an 8' wide layout hemmed in by walls.

The "U" is 81" wide which leaves 15" for track-to-wall clearance on two sides which means only minor inches of straight for a bridge in the 081 curve.

It will however work for a Drop Section or homemade much wider "lift" Thru Plate Girder Bridge that will accommodate the wide curve arcs.

There must be some kind of magic that my ancient brain is missing so I will retire from aggravating everyone.

quote:

Originally posted by Dewey Trogdon:
Matt
Sorry I can't raise the image or grid you mention. My tape measure and the Atlas Dual Bridge width I researched says it won't work for 36" and 40-1/2" Radi curves in the bridge at the end of an 8' wide layout hemmed in by walls.

The "U" is 81" wide which leaves 15" for track-to-wall clearance on two sides which means only minor inches of straight for a bridge in the 081 curve.

It will however work for a Drop Section or homemade much wider "lift" Thru Plate Girder Bridge that will accommodate the wide curve arcs.

There must be some kind of magic that my ancient brain is missing so I will retire from aggravating everyone.

The width of the layout is 96" which leaves 7.5" clearance between the wall and the centerline of the O-81 curves. The bridge only extends about 2" on the outsides of the track centerlines, so there isn't a clearance problem. In the case of the layout design, I added straights, but left 3" of clearance between the track centerlines and the walls/edge of the benchwork and the bridge should still clear with an inch to spare. Now, if the entry point was to be on the 8' side, there'd be a problem as the bridge wouldn't physically fit.

hey Matt, thanksfor the track plan. I shrunk it down to 14x8 as that's what i've got to work with. I also rotated the track 5 degrees so that the track isn't parallel to the edge, and used O72 on the outer and O63 on the inner. I've also done varations with O63/O54, O54/O45. I don't have any large scale steamers, and most of my diesels are Railking size, so even O54/O45 will work.

Very nice plan!

quote:

Originally posted by Fec fan:
hey Matt, thanksfor the track plan. I shrunk it down to 14x8 as that's what i've got to work with. I also rotated the track 5 degrees so that the track isn't parallel to the edge, and used O72 on the outer and O63 on the inner. I've also done variations with O63/O54, O54/O45. I don't have any large scale steamers, and most of my diesels are Railking size, so even O54/O45 will work.

Very nice plan!

Excellent. If you have the space, skewing the layout is preferred to track parallel to the benchwork.

Why not extend that long siding on the right parallel with the main until it points to the left, near the top of the drawing--basically making a U-turn. Then you can build a yard ladder off of it. It would get you a slightly longer yard, and a switching lead. And trains would enter and exit the main near the front of the layout, better for visitors and not as far to reach if something goes wrong.

I have a 7x16 layout that's similar to yours.0-72 on the outside 0-60 just inside that and that inside has the yard there as well but mine is a u shaped loop instead of just one way into the yard.

On the town end I have a tunnel that covers both outside loops and this let me incorporate a figure 8 above the 2 loops. I call my local route. You can tie it into your yard track by making a crossover from the figure 8 to the yard track.

I also elevated the town so that end of the figure 8 has a station .This lets me run 3 different trains on 3 different loops at the same time .or one train with full run of the layout.

I don't have that "L" shape right now but I want a turntable later so it's in the works.

David