Best placement of tables in my room?

Sweet Home 3D is a free and fairly easy to use space planning program. If you are interested, you might give it a try. Could also come in handy later if you want to make any revisions.

SCARM is also a free track planning program that some folks have done some pretty amazing stuff with.

Around the walls, or near as you can leaving one wall open will give you the most square footage for your layout using the same amount of aisle space.   Access in the middle.   

HEY MICHAEL,

You don't need any help...just pour youself a drink and sit down with a quad pad and a pencil and sketch out what you want in your train room.

Use a scale of 1/4"=1 foot.

Take your time, and make frequent use of your eraser!

A designer once told me "If you're experiencing frustration in figuring how to include an item in your space, don't fight it...just do without the item!"

Lay it out the way YOU want it...only by doing so will you be satisfied!

Rip Track  [Click on pic to enlarge.]

Go around the walls with a 45-degree bridge off the corner by the closet. For closet access, you can put in a lift-out. That'll give you good access to derailed equipment, good viewing, and an opportunity for broader curves for larger equipment.

First, the space. Replacing the swing doors with bi-folds will free up space or make access easier. At least do the closet to cut the access space needed in half. if you keep the swing entry door, you have to cut across the area on an angle or not open the door completely.

It will still require at 24"-30" for comfortable movement.

Here are some concepts. I would cut the 30" tables down to 24" wide and create a lift-out bridge in one. The last is a 12' x 17' room with a 10' x 14' layout and the closet was used for a yard. 084, 072 & 048. Left 6" on top wall for building fronts.

Michael

If you can figure a way to go around-the-room it will really liberate your druthers as you define them["my ultimate goal"]. It will require some seemingly harsh trade-offs regarding your closet, and your doors.

As regards the doors Moonman's suggestion of bi-fold replacement is good. I simply removed the entry door to my layout room because it is at the head of stairs and could not be swung outward. But if I wished to close off the room to varmits, both 2 and 4-legged, I would use a bi-fold. The rest of the layout entry solution is to install a lift bridge, a lift-out or a Barrett Drop Section, the latter can be done with multiple tracks in a curve. [see photos below of a hinged Drop Section in an 072/084 dual track curve].

The closet--depends on its family use?. If clothes only and storage on the floor, why not raise the hanging rod and hang only half section menswear length as opposed to dresses, long coats,etc. Then you can "tunnel" the railroad through the closet under the clothes to effectively close the layout loop[s]. I actually saw this done successfully in an East Tennessee 11x11 spare Condo bedroom. Of course removal of the closet if feasible is the ultimate solution.

In any event good luck regarding your layout.

I am very appreciative of all of the thoughtful replies which I am studying.