Absolutes when you build your next layout?

OKay, the feeder wire to every section of trackis a very good idea.   Here are some other things that I consider absolutes:

 

1 No duckunders

2More staging tracks (John armstrong said if you think you need "N", build 2N+1

3 At least 3 train lengths between towns/switching locations so different crews do not  interfere with each other

4  A yard lead separate from the main that is as long as the longest yard track

5  Passing sidings to hold at least 20 car trains plus power and caboose

6  lots of industries/switching locations with at least 2 interchanges with other RRs

 

Good Topic

 

1 - A staging area !! To hold at least 6 trains

2 - Ability to reverse train direction - Without trying to back up the whole train

3 - Build the layout higher - 48" - Getting too old to do the low crawl under the layout

4 - No Duckunders (See #3)

 

 

A LARGE area. 17' x 12' gets small real fast.

To not make the mistakes I have made on my previous ones.

Nothing less than 5' radius

Everything within reasonable reach.

 

     Hoppy

A better place for the layout than my garage....

 

Jeff C

I made a batch of these up to 14" with 1/4" dowels, toothpicks and clump foliage.  Stain the trunks a realistic color and they come out pretty good.

Of all the things everyone has said thus far, this one may be the most applicable to my layout. I'm not really sure about the traffic patterns yet since I haven't had any operating sessions.

 

Everything else has been addressed. I will not be building another layout.

The next layout build is to tear down the current Christmas layout and build a new one. 0-72 is a must have, a two-track main line.

I don't have a current layout, but here is what I want in my next one.

 

Vast open areas. 

2 Turntables and roundhouses at different locations. 

2 large freight yards at different locations.  Gives the trains purpose.

Ability to reach a train no matter where it is at on the layout.  ACCESS.

Organized wiring.

Nice control panel.

Solid bench work.

 

Can't wait to get something built someday.  My UP Steamers will finally have something to do besides sit in boxes

 

 

 

NO switches!!!!!!

to many derailments.

I don't have a current layout, but here is what I want in my next one.

 

Vast open areas. 

2 Turntables and roundhouses at different locations. 

2 large freight yards at different locations.  Gives the trains purpose.

I hope you have at least 2500 square feet to work with.

 

A great big "Ditto!!"  

 

I would also measure the clearance of my tunnels so I could actually run a double stack car through it double-stacked!!  Instead of all these single layer intermodal cars!  

 

- Mike

But Mike, that's totally prototypical for eastern railroads.

Good ideas one and all!

 

I want a lower area that is kid friendly, and an upper level for Pap.

Larger beer fridge

No duckunders. Large curves. Easy to reach areas. That said a moderate sized layout that can be built in my lifetime. No offense towards the large layouts which I enjoy reading about here on the OGR forum.

I need to have more room between the track and the wall for scenery.

 It is tight to add anything but a back drop.

the other thing is wider walk ways to get around. Some spots are tight.

and a bigger yard for cars. 

       
       
hmmmmm, buying a warehouse are you?

Hi Folks,

 

A feeder wire to every track section is not a good idea if you are going to run MTH's DCS control system.  Please read Barry's DCS book.  Otherwise, it is an excellent idea but is not necessary based on my experience.

 

I think all of the ideas presented above are very good.  I will not be building another layout.  If I had the resources and time, these are some things I would include:

 

1.  A work area separate from the train room.

 

2.  A dedicated train box and train storage area separate from the layout room and work area.

 

3.  A reversing loop or turntable.  My current layout doesn't have the room for either.

 

4.  Really good layout lighting that can be controlled to vary the light.

 

5.  Great climate control in the layout room.

 

6,  A lounge for train crews.

 

7.  Easy access to all layout control systems and wiring.  A separate power source for the layout room.

 

Joe

 

 

Here's what I've done for a Lionel postwar/mpc layout I'm building:

1) All switches are within 3' of the table edge with all but a few of these next to the front table edge.  All switches, except for freight yards are prewar O72s (i.e., 711s).  I have been accumulating them one by one for 9 years.

 

2) All operating accessories that require manual reloading (e.g., Icing Station, 175 Rocket Launcher, etc.) are at the edge of the table, i.e., so children and others can self-serve.  (I will have one each of all Lionel Postwar accessories -- except for some of the stupid space junk -- plus the prewar and modern ones that I like.)  Other accessories that don't require manual attention (e.g., 455 Oil Derrick, 415 Diesel Fueling Station, etc.) are located throughout the rest of the layout

3) With a few exceptions, all track is within 4' of a table edge.  For those exceptions, they're almost exclusively O72 curves and straights in the area.  No switches.  Minium O54 curves, except for a few O31s connected to the O22s in the freight yards.

 

4) The tables are 3' high (i.e., the height of my kitchen counter top), so I can bend way over and grab things.  Yes, crawling around underneath will be a pain, but reaching for stuff on top will be doable.

 

5) The operating console will be built like a piece of fine furniture because visitors look there, too.  It all needs to be at least as nice as the one in the Lionel Showroom layouts.

 

6) I will have more transformers than I probably need (4 ZWs, 2 KWs, and some others for the light bulbs), but that's ok.

The rest are not "absolutes", but they are other features of the layout:

  

7) It will be homasote over 1/2" plywood, well framed underneath.

 

8) The major wiring will be done before the table tops are screwed down so that I'm not crawling around dripping solder on my thighs as I have in the past.  All wiring will be color coded and will be at a much higher gauge than I have used previously.

 

9) We will start with trains and action first and add detailed scenery later, over time.

 

10) In addition to normal lighting, I wired for 8 spot lights on the ceiling with individual dimmer switches on the wall.  These will be positioned both in terms of where light is pointed and how bright it is in order to call out interesting features.

11) I will include a few visual jokes like a 1/43rd man I bought on eBay.  He's sitting in a La-Z-Boy recliner with a beer and a remote and it's not a stretch to say he looks like me.  I'm going to position him and his recliner outside an MTH silver trailer home, under a bridge, watching The Honeymooners on a 1/4"-scale dollhouse TV.  My girlfriend has already created 1:48 Domino's and other takeout menus which will be strewn around his recliner.  I will casually mention to visitors that many great artists such as Alfred Hitchcock subtly work themselves into their presentations...

 

A pic of me holding a poster of the layout plan is below.  In the plan, the turquoise areas are the second level.  They won't be turquoise on the final product, but it helped me keep things separate visually.  For your reference, each tile on the "floor" on the plan is 1' x 1', so the layout will be about 30' x 20'.  I wouldn't have turned it into a poster myself, but it's good to have a significant other who's an artist and designer.

As far as progress goes, I'm behind on a work project so I haven't done much since April.  The right side of the layout in that pic has been framed out and the track has been positioned to demonstrate the the plan is possible within the 3rd-floor room.

We are taking pictures...they will replace the ones on www.LionelTrains.net.

 

Steven J. Serenska

 

Steve,

 

A lot of excellent absolutes there.  I like number 11, you watching the Honeymooners!  

 

I really like your plan on a large poster like would be prepared by an architect or civil engineer for display.  I'm a telecommunications engineer, and I see a lot of younger folks are able to work off the computer, but I have to print out on the plotter to be able to get the full picture.

 

Your layout looks and reads like it will be really nice.  Thanks for sharing.

The winning Powerball ticket!

Get rid of all the furniture and have helixes to run 'em up and down the three stories!