Help with new Layout, Please!

JAYHAWK500, 

I see you have a rather large area for the layout but also many access points to the room. I don't know how many 60 or 72 inch curves you can use. Are you willing to give up some of the use of the access for a around the room layout? I would look at using the 48" for the most part and maybe have 60" or 72" in the corner of the room where there are blank walls. Remember that you will need access to the track in those areas also. Might consider a layout with walk around access. I needed to do that on my layout, had large area but also access difficulty's. You might want to try laying out track on the floor and get some ideas that way before building benchwork, just a thought.

Ray

Chris, I agree with Ray.  You have the problem he and I too have.  I have a nice former family room to use.  However, once we took into account access to doors and windows and a main walkway through the house from front to back, I am probably only going to be able to make use of half the room.  I hope someone who is better with ideas takes a look at your topic, because I was totally stumped until some Forum members started throwing out ideas.  Please take a look at my topic that is in my signature line to see what I mean about my space.  In a nutshell, I can use one wall and build layout with access on three sides of a short U shape.  The bottom of the U is along the wall.  I'm only getting started to build, so there isn't much useful to you in photographs, just the plans in my topic.

I put the dimensions into SCARM and added a FasTrack O72 run around the room just as a place to start. I wasn't sure about the window and French door dimensions, so I went with 3' and 5' respectively.

Sorry it taking so long to reply, we're having our wood floors redone and have been displaced to our travel trailer for the next few days.

I'll need access from the French doors to the 6' slider at a minimum. The 8 footer I'm not too worried about. Maybe some sort of bridge structure for that. I'm also not opposed to have a bi-level layout either. If this helps, the French doors are a standard 3'0" doors, so 6' total width. The window is 3' wide.

As a side note...I have my Dad's '48 American Flyer #332  4-8-4 with link couplers (Yep, brass weights). If I could incorporate a loop in for that...I'd be in hog heaven. I have some Gargraves flex track, but mostly American Flyer track. I can add in switches and 'stuff' here and there.

Thanks for the help.

Maybe you can start with a smaller loop that could become part of a larger layout later?

Say  6' x 10' or 12'. You would get some 60" curves and you can see how your space plays out with access to windows and doors. You can add on as time and money allows.

just a thought.

Here's a pared down design for bench work to fit the smaller space without access to the 8" sliding door. The curves are O72 and there is at least 30" reach all around. Just food for thought.

DoubleDAZ posted:

Here's a pared down design for bench work to fit the smaller space without access to the 8" sliding door. The curves are O72 and there is at least 30" reach all around. Just food for thought.

DING _ DING _ DING _DING - WE HAVE A WINNER!!!  

O72/O60 double main on 6" center - O72 crossovers and sidings in front of 8' slider and/or under window

Yes, I do like that idea too, Dave!  Carl, the 072/060  sounds great! 

Then an American Flyer loop for Chris' family heirloom would top it off.  

Chris, You are in hog heaven now!  Dave and Carl both looking at your topic!!!  Work with them and you will get a plan that best suits what you want.  I'm just joking calling it an heirloom since I didn't have any family interested in trains, so I saved money to buy t Tyco HO set when I was 12.  My older daughter bought me 2 postwar Lionel sets for Christmas 2013, so I had to wait until I was almost 60 to receive a train for Christmas.  

Here's another idea with Carl's dual mains; O60 inside/O72 outside, O60/O72 crossovers on the curves, O60 yard, O60 spur and O72 passing siding.

Moonman posted:

DoubleDAZ posted:

Here's a pared down design for bench work to fit the smaller space without access to the 8" sliding door. The curves are O72 and there is at least 30" reach all around. Just food for thought.

DING _ DING _ DING _DING - WE HAVE A WINNER!!!  

O72/O60 double main on 6" center - O72 crossovers and sidings in front of 8' slider and/or under window

Mark Boyce posted:

Yes, I do like that idea too, Dave!  Carl, the 072/060  sounds great! 

Then an American Flyer loop for Chris' family heirloom would top it off.  

Chris, You are in hog heaven now!  Dave and Carl both looking at your topic!!!  Work with them and you will get a plan that best suits what you want.  I'm just joking calling it an heirloom since I didn't have any family interested in trains, so I saved money to buy t Tyco HO set when I was 12.  My older daughter bought me 2 postwar Lionel sets for Christmas 2013, so I had to wait until I was almost 60 to receive a train for Christmas.  

DoubleDAZ posted:

Here's another idea with Carl's dual mains; O60 inside/O72 outside, O60/O72 crossovers on the curves, O60 yard, O60 spur and O72 passing siding.

 

Gentlemen, Thank you very much. This is totally awesome. Not wanting to be a choosy beggar, Is there room for one more outside loop in "American Flyer" track? We could lose the outside siding in front of the 8' slider. Just a simple loop is fine. Or perhaps around the inside opening of the tables.

This American Flyer set means a lot to me. My dad said I could have it when I was 10...But, the reality was, I didn't get it until I was 50ish, give or take. I've added to it over the years before I went and bought my Lionel PE for Christmas. I have enough Flyer stuff to have a completely different layout. But as we all know...The Boss isn't going to let that happen.

Dave,  I'm sure this has been ask many times.  What's the software your running and where can I get a copy?

 Thank you again.

We're here to help, so asking for changes is all part of the process.

Here's the latest iteration (just the track area) with American Flyer S track added to the outside. Track selection is limited and may require some custom cutting to get things to fit. I didn't snip the tracks so you'd see where they don't connect. The purple rectangles are 2.5" in width and the Yellow ones are 4.5" in width to show center-to-center clearance.

DoubleDAZ posted:

We're here to help, so asking for changes is all part of the process.

Here's the latest iteration (just the track area) with American Flyer S track added to the outside. Track selection is limited and may require some custom cutting to get things to fit. I didn't snip the tracks so you'd see where they don't connect. The purple rectangles are 2.5" in width and the Yellow ones are 4.5" in width to show center-to-center clearance.

 

Thank you so much Dave! So, if I'm reading this correctly, its 2.5" from the center of the Flyer track to the tables edge and 4.5" from the center of the Fastrack to the center of the Flyer track? Yes?

The over laps are no problem, Good area for the flex track, better yet, the whole loop in flex track.

That is correct, Jay. Not sure if that’s enough for your equipment, but it’s where I start to see what will fit using sectional track to minimize cutting, especially with FasTrack and the plastic roadbed. I generally prefer more clearance along the edges, especially if there will be small children around. If you like I can try shrinking things to get more clearance from the edges.

DoubleDAZ posted:

That is correct, Jay. Not sure if that’s enough for your equipment, but it’s where I start to see what will fit using sectional track to minimize cutting, especially with FasTrack and the plastic roadbed. I generally prefer more clearance along the edges, especially if there will be small children around. If you like I can try shrinking things to get more clearance from the edges.

I think if you can find a 1/2" to the tables edge that'll work. Not too many little fingers anymore, at least for a few years.

 Also Dave, is there a way of getting table dimensions? I down loaded the free version of SCRAM and I don't know anything about it yet. Thanks

Here it is. The Purple rectangles are 3" wide and the Yellows are still 4.5". The 2 Red tracks on the left are custom cut American Flyer S tracks. The Red circle is where the FasTrack doesn't connect in the software, but should when assembled. The top, right and bottom sections are all 30" wide. The entry is about 26" wide, but there is nothing magical about that or the surrounding bench work. I simply lined then up on a 6" grid and they can be changed to suit your needs depending on how much space you want for landscaping. FWIW, in the 2nd photo I simply swapped in a yard using O72 switches rather than O60 switches in case you'd prefer that.

As for SCARM, you won't be able to make any changes with the free version because there are more than 100 tracks. You might be able to get a Parts List, but I didn't swap in the longer 30" tracks and can do that if you want.

Let me toss this idea out there. If you build a swing gate in front of the 6' sliding door (of which only half looks usable) you can add a small yard and turntable. Coming out of the yard, you can add a wye for either direction operation. Add crossovers (or use a Ross double crossover) to connect the two mainlines. This would require the S gauge mainline to be the inner loop.

It's been quite a few months since Dave has provided me with the plans for my layout. I just wanted to show the completed product. Although this is just a temporary layout for Christmas, I plan on using this for my permanent layout but adding more track, a turntable and roundhouse. It took me a little while to amass all of the necessary track, but I was able to get this done well before Christmas. I will say that the plans were a bit off. Dave had figured 4" center to center for the FasTrack  and 3" center to center for the FasTrack to AF track.

Well as it turned out, it's 6" center-center for the FT and 4.5" FT - AF track. I had to put my signal bridge over the 2 outside tracks, but hey, everything works. I have Lionel's 180 watt brick and a Direct Lockon powering all the FT.  I'll use my tried and true AF 8B 100 watt transformer to power the AF track.

I did do continuity checks at each rail joint to ensure I had a solid connection. The highest value was .5 ohms on a couple of joints. I used Gargraves tinplate flex track for the AF loop. This stuff is easy to work with, a Dremel and a cutoff saw makes short work of cutting the rails to fit. All of the switches are Command Control, so no wires.

I have a few of pictures of the build and completed. Dave's final plan, dated 3/15/19 at 10:53, for the layout is above. As you can see the layout benchwork blocks the French door in the last 2 pictures. Also, my deaf (albino) Ragdoll cat, Snow, likes pulling the lanterns off the switches and playing with them. Now, if I can just keep her off the tracks.

Thanks again to Dave and the others for their input.

Wishing you all the best for the up coming Holidays.

Chris, nice to see it all worked out. Looks like those pesky switch extensions bit me once again because SCARM doesn't force their use when joining tracks. I wish Mixy would add the fitter to the library by each switch that needs it to remind those of us who don't use FasTrack that they need to be added. He has the 3 different extensions in the library, but they are with the straight tracks and not by the switches. I understand that they aren't absolutely needed and some folks just trim the roadbed so things fit without the extension, but it would still be nice to have some kind of reminder. Enjoy the layout over the holidays.

I did have to remove a couple of the Aux 2 pieces and use one of the Aux 1.5's to join 2 of the switches. Or vise versa. Anyway it worked out.

Thanks

You are pretty far along right now, but reversing (to open outward) or removing the French Doors would have offered much more room.

Chris, That is great a plan came together!  I think there is always something that needs adjustment when building!  Also, using it for Christmas and then permanent is a good idea.  I did that at one time.