NEW: 12x20 Man-Cave: Copper Mtn. Layout Plan: Atlas-O and On30, 11'4" by 11'4"

Added the new Menard's Cripple Creek Lumber structure:

Wow...I was just going to post for ideas on a mixed 3 rail and On30 layout.  Beautiful design.  I see 0" and 3" markings on the 3 rail track.  Is the the elevation above base plywood in that area?  You would not have a track piece inventory list for the O 3 rail..???   Great layout.

@johnshorse posted:

Wow...I was just going to post for ideas on a mixed 3 rail and On30 layout.  Beautiful design.  I see 0" and 3" markings on the 3 rail track.  Is the the elevation above base plywood in that area?  You would not have a track piece inventory list for the O 3 rail..???   Great layout.

Thanks very much John!

Yes, the elevation is above the layout base (plywood or foam or other method).  I can do a O track inventory later today.

Addition of future smelter complex:

Making the staging tracks double-ended (O72 & O81 curves), also creating a long circuit around the room, min O54.

Making two independent routes for the O-gauge.  Expanded to 12'x12':

Thinking most interior room dimensions are not exactly 12', I condensed the layout to 11'8" by 11'8".  Unfinished.

A roughed-in copper smelter complex in lower right, with a connecting RR turnout lower left:

I have a finished basement room  (with a closet and windows) allocated to me for my home office and "Man-Cave".  Lights, heat, AC, with a bathroom just outside the door on the lower-right.  I was curious to see what this layout might look like to fit that room.  Its just short of 12' by 20', so this illustration is 11'8" by 19'8".

I don't want to fill the entire room with RR, as this is my office, with a TV, fridge, and easy chairs and etc.

I added a wye to turn trains.  Limited to O45 unfortunately.

Reach and access is very good, just the lower left corner difficult.

I added a steam loco service track inside the wye, O54 accessible.

Ken,

As always, great work! Looks like the layout will fit very nice and still leave room for the essentials.

I saw an opportunity to make the perimeter O72.  Tracks in GREEN are O72.  Tracks in BLUE are O54 (which can also run the O72).  The BROWN tracks are O45 limited (which can run everywhere).

@Sean007 posted:

Ken,

As always, great work! Looks like the layout will fit very nice and still leave room for the essentials.

Thanks Sean, its looking good!

Considering an expansion, to make minimum O54.  Occupies more room space of course.

Expanded the On30 loops.

More structures, roads, and trees:

People and items added:

I already have both the work table (served as a dining-room table) with lift-out tops with N-Gauge inside (currently disassembled), and the computer desk with Z-gauge on a pull-out drawer beneath (also currently being re-worked).  I built the dining room table in 1997, and the Z-gauge computer desk in 2014.  

Shelves for trains behind the table along that wall.

The lower left corner (Oil Storage Tank) is the only difficult-to-reach area of the layout.

More room details:

A few more small buildings, and slag heaps.

I went around the layout looking to fine-tune.  I replaced one O54 turnout with O72, and made the two O72 passing sidings #5 turnouts.  Wider is better, looks better to see the #5s.  The passing siding through the power plant past the smelter got a bit longer.

Once seated, you will want to stay there; not stand.

  Make sure the layout can be seen well from the seats.  I found the ideal height for mine was lower than expected at about 28- 30".   At 36" you can't see a broad view well. Everything in the foreground blocks the rest.  The el blocks more yet.   30"-ish gives a decent view of both.

@Adriatic posted:

Once seated, you will want to stay there; not stand.

  Make sure the layout can be seen well from the seats.  I found the ideal height for mine was lower than expected at about 28- 30".   At 36" you can't see a broad view well. Everything in the foreground blocks the rest.  The el blocks more yet.   30"-ish gives a decent view of both.

Good point!  On the other hand, I have to elevate the layout so that I can roll-under the center section to the rear access.   I have  a pair of tall stools (not shown) purchased for viewing a layout on the tall side.   For the kids, I have the Rubbermaid stools for them to stand on.  -Ken

After more fine-tuning:  I was able to make the access area by the mines a bit wider.

....and padded carpet?  I think every grandkid got a big knot on the head from forgetting they were on a stool, and stepping on "air" to follow a train. 

Been there...on the floor, ouch. 🤕

I also had a young relative experience severe brain damage running on the steps and concrete leading there.  They never grew out of that.

Running to run trains was banned.

Just stay safe eh, obviously I'm influenced by that mess.  

@Adriatic posted:

....and padded carpet?  I think every grandkid got a big knot on the head from forgetting they were on a stool, and stepping on "air" to follow a train. 

Been there...on the floor, ouch. 🤕

I also had a young relative experience severe brain damage running on the steps and concrete leading there.  They never grew out of that.

Running to run trains was banned.

Just stay safe eh, obviously I'm influenced by that mess.  

Thanks, always good to think about safety.  The floor is already carpet (with a pad beneath).   I agree there is a risk that kids might just step off a stool (and grab the layout edge).  Perhaps a step would be better, but then difficult to move around.  I will keep that in mind as the layout build progresses.   No grandkids at the moment, but you never know!

First thoughts on a support framework.  2" foam sheets on top (light green).

Height of table top is about 42".  Need to check and adjust as needed, to clear the height of the computer table and N-gauge rolling table with removable tops.

A grass/turf/soil textured mat will go on top of the foam, for easy start to scenery, and to quiet noise.

I wanted to make the connection between the outside O72 main line (green) and the inside O54 line (blue).  This caused a major rework and shifting.  The staging/passing tracks under the On30 went to one line, the turnouts for two tracks made the area too wide and the passing track now too short to be of much use (oh well).  But the O72 still has a passing track at this end, with the connection line to the O54 and the outside perimeter, so function/operation is not lost, but instead, is enhanced, with the direct interchange with the O54 line.

As I have mentioned before, I am not really into the On30 stuff, so I am looking at this layout for the run of the O track, and I see a lot of fun here.  I would use the space that the On30 occupies for a bit more O track, and that back corner area could be used as a hidden 2-4 track yard.

Another layout that I have enjoyed watching evolve.  Thanks!

Thanks Carl!  Your idea for a small yard sounds good.

-Ken

Yesterday, I spent some time analyzing the cost and hassle of making the Atlas turnouts command controlled with under-table switch machines.  Looks to be messy, expensive, time consuming, and requires a lot of wires. 

One of the good features of the FasTrack turnouts is the integrated switch machines and command control in the roadbed.  No wires to be run for turnout power or control.  Cost is less than Atlas turnouts plus all the extra components needed.  Then of course there is the time for ballasting the Atlas-O track.

So I thought I had better look at how "bad" the layout plan would be if I were to build with FasTrack.   Here is O60/O72 version (incomplete and rough) to see.  Footprint is a good bit bigger, so I may have to look at an O48/O72 version (sad).

A refined version of FasTrack O60/O72:

I am not happy about the longer distance to "roll-under" the layout to reach the access area.  Doable, but...

I have this 4x10 layout now, working, but without all the scenery.  Perhaps I should just modify this to fit with the O72 FasTrack.  It is O44.5 (compound) with O36 on the inside.

But no On30?

Connected with the O72:

Or this:

Everything is accessible and reach-able.

Perhaps with a small On30 with trestle to overhead dump to O hoppers:

or this

With an elevated wye on the On30:

Highlighting the diameters:

• Brown:  O72
• Blue: O44.5 + O48 + O60
• Red: O36

Working in structures and scenery (incomplete):

As I have added Menard's new Cripple Creek Lumber Co. structure, I thought I had best name the town Cripple Creek.   With names like Copper Mnt Mines & the narrow gauge and Cripple Creek and some mountain/high elevation, this sounds like Colorado.  And the mainlines can be UP or BNSF, or perhaps D&RGW going back in time.  Maybe the smelters at top right corner are on the outskirts of Denver.

Also some detailing trying roads and some bridges over the streams, and a small waterfall where Cripple Creek at the top left falls down from the higher elevation to the lower.

I thought if this is the Denver area, then the mainline should rise on a 2% grade going from East to West as it gets into the Front Range.  The O-gauge mainlines rise to a height of 1" which continues through the hidden staging track under the mines.

This idea has the O-gauge outside O44.5 loop around Cripple Creek rising from 0" to 1", for a nice scenic effect with the inside loop at 0" and the parallel curves at two different levels.

I am still thinking about a retirement (getting close) building on my home property, which this layout will fit nicely.   The building is 12x24, with 11'4" by 23'4" of interior space.  Easy to stretch the layout to go to 24', and the compression by 4" to 11'4" works nicely (I have tested the track fitting).

This structure has a nice 12'x14' loft area for my computer and office, with an open overlook space that will be cool for watching trains.  I will add a front porch, and put this on a concrete slab.