What are everyone's thoughts on a figure 8 track pattern on a 4X8 plywood sheet please? I've heard different opinions about them. I'm trying to decide on a track pattern for my very first O gauge layout.
Figure 8s can be a lot of fun and they give you the ability to have a lot of track in a small space, this was the lower level of a layout I posted a few weeks back that uses both a 90 and a 45 degree crossing in O27 track.
Add a pair of switches and a few more pieces of track and you have this.
It is doable in O gauge but the track comes to within 1 inch of the long edges not something I'd be comfortable with given toy trains proclivity to warp speeds!
A folded over figure 8 in O that gives you a double track mainline:
Again add a few switches and some track and you've got...
Add 4 switches and you have an oval/ figure eight. Even better.
Bob
The layout posted by Bob would also fit easily on a 36" hollow core door slab.
One thing you can almost be certain of once you've decided on a track plan it's set in concrete, that is until you start laying track and then you'll find yourself "What if I put this over here?" or "I wonder if if did... ?" or "Do I have enough room to ... ?" so always grab your self some extra straights and curves just in case.
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