Hello - first time poster and very much a novice. Anyways, I would appreciate any layout ideas for an 8 by 16 table (built in center access), MTH Realtrax (minimum expectations: O 72 on the outer loop, multiple loops, switches, rail yard, etc.; run multiple engines). Just looking for ideas from the experts herein! Thanks in advance.
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Hi Tim,
Welcome! Sounds like you have a pretty good space to work with. I built a layout over the past year and have one piece of advice from that experience. I used a pile of 022 switches I had lying around (they are O31) and now wish I had wider radius switches on my layout. If you ever plan to go the Legacy and/or scale route, I think the minimum radius you would want is O42. I'm now contemplating redesigning my whole layout (40 by 11) to accommodate that.
Also, this forum is a veritable trove of information that helped me enormously as I was designing and building my layout. Be sure to post pictures of your progress - people will chime in.
Here is a flyover of how my layout looked about a month ago.
Best of luck to you!
Kevin
Here's a basic two-oval with O-72 on the inner and O-82 on the outer. Note that the crossovers are off the curves to prevent the dreaded "reverse curve" problem that can wreak havoc on longer equipment. I've also attached a component list. The down side is that the track centerlines along the long sides are only 2.75" from the edge. This can be built without cutting any track sections.
Tim Graves posted:Hello - first time poster and very much a novice. Anyways, I would appreciate any layout ideas for an 8 by 16 table (built in center access), MTH Realtrax (minimum expectations: O 72 on the outer loop, multiple loops, switches, rail yard, etc.; run multiple engines). Just looking for ideas from the experts herein! Thanks in advance.
Tim - WELCOME. I’d suggest getting rrtrack software. http://www.rrtrack.com/
to play with realtrax and what a layout could look like. With the price of track, I think it’s a good investment. Easy to use. There is also freeware out there. Also good, but has a longer learning curve.
definitely look at the widest radius/diameter switches you can fit. Remember that modelers will use the word radius, which actually describes how N and HO track is sold. O gauge track is sold by diameter so 072 is a 6’ diameter, not a radius. (Sorry I’m a wannabe math geek, but I also run N and O gauge, so the distinction is very important.
Marty
Kevin, Welcome to the Forum! You picked an excellent place to start out! Your list of what you are looking for in a layout sound very reasonable. Matt posted a very good plan to visualize how the basic loops and crossovers would look It is an excellent start then spurs or yard tracks could be figured in. Marty also has a great suggestion of software that is easy to learn and you could work on ideas yourself. I'm not very good with track planning software, but others can answer questions.
May I suggest that for your first layout, (yes your first but not last) you stick to a simple plan with very few switches. You can always add more later when you see what works and what you would like to see and add on.
Do you have access to all of the sides? That's an important factor in being able to reach all areas of the layout.
Jan
CoastsideKevin posted:Hi Tim,
Welcome! Sounds like you have a pretty good space to work with. I built a layout over the past year and have one piece of advice from that experience. I used a pile of 022 switches I had lying around (they are O31) and now wish I had wider radius switches on my layout. If you ever plan to go the Legacy and/or scale route, I think the minimum radius you would want is O42. I'm now contemplating redesigning my whole layout (40 by 11) to accommodate that.
Also, this forum is a veritable trove of information that helped me enormously as I was designing and building my layout. Be sure to post pictures of your progress - people will chime in.
Here is a flyover of how my layout looked about a month ago.
Best of luck to you!
Kevin
Thank you very much! Your layout looks great. Out of curiosity, above the wood and below the rails, what are are you using? Foam, cork roadbed? I have received a lot of advice on the subject, ranging from wood then cork (or other road bed material) to foam then cork (or other), and even wood then underlayment like you would find in hardware stores that typically goes below hardwood floors.
Jan posted:Do you have access to all of the sides? That's an important factor in being able to reach all areas of the layout.
Jan
Yes, i do, plus center access.
wb47 posted:May I suggest that for your first layout, (yes your first but not last) you stick to a simple plan with very few switches. You can always add more later when you see what works and what you would like to see and add on.
I agree 100%
Mark Boyce posted:Kevin, Welcome to the Forum! You picked an excellent place to start out! Your list of what you are looking for in a layout sound very reasonable. Matt posted a very good plan to visualize how the basic loops and crossovers would look It is an excellent start then spurs or yard tracks could be figured in. Marty also has a great suggestion of software that is easy to learn and you could work on ideas yourself. I'm not very good with track planning software, but others can answer questions.
Thank you! I'm very excited to get started
Marty R posted:Tim Graves posted:Hello - first time poster and very much a novice. Anyways, I would appreciate any layout ideas for an 8 by 16 table (built in center access), MTH Realtrax (minimum expectations: O 72 on the outer loop, multiple loops, switches, rail yard, etc.; run multiple engines). Just looking for ideas from the experts herein! Thanks in advance.
Tim - WELCOME. I’d suggest getting rrtrack software. http://www.rrtrack.com/
to play with realtrax and what a layout could look like. With the price of track, I think it’s a good investment. Easy to use. There is also freeware out there. Also good, but has a longer learning curve.
definitely look at the widest radius/diameter switches you can fit. Remember that modelers will use the word radius, which actually describes how N and HO track is sold. O gauge track is sold by diameter so 072 is a 6’ diameter, not a radius. (Sorry I’m a wannabe math geek, but I also run N and O gauge, so the distinction is very important.Marty
Thank you! I have a lot to learn indeed.
AGHRMatt posted:Here's a basic two-oval with O-72 on the inner and O-82 on the outer. Note that the crossovers are off the curves to prevent the dreaded "reverse curve" problem that can wreak havoc on longer equipment. I've also attached a component list. The down side is that the track centerlines along the long sides are only 2.75" from the edge. This can be built without cutting any track sections.
Thank you very much! What software did you use?
Tom,
Matt used RRTrack for his design. RRTrack has a nice library of buildings and accessories. The drawback is you have to pay for every track library. This is the most expensive package.
I took Matt's basic design and inputted it into SCARM. SCARM has a limited version that is free that may met your needs. A nice thing about SCARM is that it includes all the different track systems at no additional cost. I didn't get as close to the edge as Matt, but that can be adjusted.
There is a free web-based planner called TRAX. It is slower to work with that the previous packages.
Here's the SCARM version of Matt's plan. I've also included a chart of possible gaps and track sections that will fill them. Sometimes you'll need to make the gap bigger in order to fill it. You'll need to right-click on the file and select "Save As" before you can use it.
Jan
Jan posted:Tom,
Matt used RRTrack for his design. RRTrack has a nice library of buildings and accessories. The drawback is you have to pay for every track library. This is the most expensive package.
I took Matt's basic design and inputted it into SCARM. SCARM has a limited version that is free that may met your needs. A nice thing about SCARM is that it includes all the different track systems at no additional cost. I didn't get as close to the edge as Matt, but that can be adjusted.
There is a free web-based planner called TRAX. It is slower to work with that the previous packages.
Here's the SCARM version of Matt's plan. I've also included a chart of possible gaps and track sections that will fill them. Sometimes you'll need to make the gap bigger in order to fill it. You'll need to right-click on the file and select "Save As" before you can use it.
Jan
Thank you very much!! I will look into the various software. Also, I will likely create a third loop and/or a cross over section, spanning the center access area. I have a bridge that would look great there.
Tim Graves posted:AGHRMatt posted:Here's a basic two-oval with O-72 on the inner and O-82 on the outer. Note that the crossovers are off the curves to prevent the dreaded "reverse curve" problem that can wreak havoc on longer equipment. I've also attached a component list. The down side is that the track centerlines along the long sides are only 2.75" from the edge. This can be built without cutting any track sections.
Thank you very much! What software did you use?
I did indeed use RR-Track software with the O gauge library set. I threw this one together pretty quickly, so I didn't design in a yard or run-around sidings. A reversing connection shouldn't be a problem to add, but will involve experimenting with various track sections to get a good fit without cutting track.
Tim Graves posted:Thank you very much! Your layout looks great. Out of curiosity, above the wood and below the rails, what are are you using? Foam, cork roadbed? I have received a lot of advice on the subject, ranging from wood then cork (or other road bed material) to foam then cork (or other), and even wood then underlayment like you would find in hardware stores that typically goes below hardwood floors.
I am using standard Woodland Scenics track bed. I have 400' of track, 200' in mainlines and 200' in sidings. Only the main lines have track bed to deaden the sound over the kids' rooms (my layout is in the attic) and trains on sidings always run slowly. This was partly a cost saving measure but also because I just didn't think it was necessary. This material was very easy to work with and can be painted, which I did and had decent results using Rustoleum American Accents Stone paint. Not as good as actual track ballast but was ok for my purposes. Picture below is how it turned out. Good luck and keep us posted!
I played with the plan and aided a reversing loop and an industrial siding. The interior access points are offset to provide additional room for some areas of the layout.
One thing to note is the all curves and switches are O72 and O81 so there are no restrictions on the equipment that you can operate. By using smaller diameter curves you will have more design flexibility but fewer equipment options.
Jan
PS. There are no cut pieces.
Looking good, Jan. 
I don't use reversing loops, but it seems to me if you have one, you need another one to reverse back again. That can get quite messy though in this space. There wouldn't be room for Tim to turn around in his pop up center! 
Jan posted:One thing to note is the all curves and switches are O72 and O81 so there are no restrictions on the equipment that you can operate. By using smaller diameter curves you will have more design flexibility but fewer equipment options.
This is an excellent point and gets at my current quandary. Wish I had given this more consideration before I started construction.
"Thank you very much! Your layout looks great. Out of curiosity, above the wood and below the rails, what are are you using? Foam, cork roadbed? I have received a lot of advice on the subject, ranging from wood then cork (or other road bed material) to foam then cork (or other), and even wood then underlayment like you would find in hardware stores that typically goes below hardwood floors."
WELCOME to the Forum! You'll find great information here to help ion one of life's great journeys: Building your first O Gauge layout.
My current layout (fourth large layout in ++ years) is about 120sqft of train-running surface on two levels in a 12'x10' room. The two levels are around the all with access in the center. Benchwork is Mianne Benchwork (highly recommended - and Mianne is a Forum sponsor). The layout does not touch the walls of the room (an inch space all around).
Given the small size of my room, noise is a major consideration so I use Atlas track on both cork roadbed and Woodland Scenics roadbed. (I had cork roadbed left over from a previous layout and used it as well as Woodland.) On top of the 3/4" plywood foundation, I have put a layer of 1/4" cork AND a layer of ceiling tile. The trains run as quietly as physically possible on this foundation.
IF you haven't already invested in track, I would strongly recommend Atlas, Ross or Gargraves track. When you upgrade your layout in the future, you will then have a better looking (and quality) track base for expansion.
It looks like other guys have provided some proposed track plans (great stuff there!). So, you have some decisions to make ....
All this is just for information & is based on my 40+ years in building layouts and running trains. You will need to find your own "peace" with your layout. And remember: It IS YOUR layout!
The most important thing: HAVE FUN! 
Jan posted:I played with the plan and aided a reversing loop and an industrial siding. The interior access points are offset to provide additional room for some areas of the layout.
One thing to note is the all curves and switches are O72 and O81 so there are no restrictions on the equipment that you can operate. By using smaller diameter curves you will have more design flexibility but fewer equipment options.
Jan
PS. There are no cut pieces.
Thanks! I appreciate your diligence and support. This is looking great!! I see what Mark was referring to...and the "reverse back".
Here's a couple more variations. In V3 I needed to cut track to make the crossing fit. In V4 there are no cut pieces, but I needed to squeeze the table edges.
Jan
Here is my layout that I am currently building.
Outside loop is O72, inside is O54, yard is O54 and the cross over is O45, all Atlas track. The red by the station is an additional spur I added to park a trolley or Doodlebug. The table is about 6.75 feet by 15 feet in size. The two loops are currently wired and I'm working on adding the drops for the yard. Hopefully before the end of the month I have all the track screwed down and running trains.
If I had a table of your size I would have added a 3rd larger loop and increased the size of my yards, and added a couple business spurs.
Jan posted:Here's a couple more variations. In V3 I needed to cut track to make the crossing fit. In V4 there are no cut pieces, but I needed to squeeze the table edges.
Jan
Interesting! Thanks
sinclair posted:Here is my layout that I am currently building.
Outside loop is O72, inside is O54, yard is O54 and the cross over is O45, all Atlas track. The red by the station is an additional spur I added to park a trolley or Doodlebug. The table is about 6.75 feet by 15 feet in size. The two loops are currently wired and I'm working on adding the drops for the yard. Hopefully before the end of the month I have all the track screwed down and running trains.
If I had a table of your size I would have added a 3rd larger loop and increased the size of my yards, and added a couple business spurs.
Thanks for your input! I am thinking 3 loops as well.
rthomps posted:"Thank you very much! Your layout looks great. Out of curiosity, above the wood and below the rails, what are are you using? Foam, cork roadbed? I have received a lot of advice on the subject, ranging from wood then cork (or other road bed material) to foam then cork (or other), and even wood then underlayment like you would find in hardware stores that typically goes below hardwood floors."
WELCOME to the Forum! You'll find great information here to help ion one of life's great journeys: Building your first O Gauge layout.
My current layout (fourth large layout in ++ years) is about 120sqft of train-running surface on two levels in a 12'x10' room. The two levels are around the all with access in the center. Benchwork is Mianne Benchwork (highly recommended - and Mianne is a Forum sponsor). The layout does not touch the walls of the room (an inch space all around).
Given the small size of my room, noise is a major consideration so I use Atlas track on both cork roadbed and Woodland Scenics roadbed. (I had cork roadbed left over from a previous layout and used it as well as Woodland.) On top of the 3/4" plywood foundation, I have put a layer of 1/4" cork AND a layer of ceiling tile. The trains run as quietly as physically possible on this foundation.
IF you haven't already invested in track, I would strongly recommend Atlas, Ross or Gargraves track. When you upgrade your layout in the future, you will then have a better looking (and quality) track base for expansion.
It looks like other guys have provided some proposed track plans (great stuff there!). So, you have some decisions to make ....
All this is just for information & is based on my 40+ years in building layouts and running trains. You will need to find your own "peace" with your layout. And remember: It IS YOUR layout!
The most important thing: HAVE FUN!
I am thinking that as well...do need to consider switching to Atlas...thanks for your input and advice!
Tim, tell you what - your getting into the hobby I am getting out (already out) send me an email in my profile and I will send you my licensed RRTrack Version 4 for free ....
Tim Graves posted:rthomps posted:
IF you haven't already invested in track, I would strongly recommend Atlas, Ross or Gargraves track. When you upgrade your layout in the future, you will then have a better looking (and quality) track base for expansion.
I am thinking that as well...do need to consider switching to Atlas...thanks for your input and advice!
Quick question on this - are Atlas switches compatible with Gargraves switches? Since I already have mostly Gargraves track, what switches would people recommend if I wanted to switch to modern O-42 from my current 022 switches?
NYCGreg68 posted:Tim, tell you what - your getting into the hobby I am getting out (already out) send me an email in my profile and I will send you my licensed RRTrack Version 4 for free ....
WOW! That is very generous. thanks, you will be receiving an email for "tgraves" very soon
Hi. I used Atlas Valley Crossing #LO-13 layout plan. My table 8' W x 16' L. The plan is all 054 curve, but I used 072 outer loop. Rest of my curves 054. I did not include the diaginal stub siding on back side. I did the yard a little different then the plan. Plan includes reverse loops, different routes; not much repetition.
Tim Graves posted:Jan posted:Tom,
Matt used RRTrack for his design. RRTrack has a nice library of buildings and accessories. The drawback is you have to pay for every track library. This is the most expensive package.
I took Matt's basic design and inputted it into SCARM. SCARM has a limited version that is free that may met your needs. A nice thing about SCARM is that it includes all the different track systems at no additional cost. I didn't get as close to the edge as Matt, but that can be adjusted.
There is a free web-based planner called TRAX. It is slower to work with that the previous packages.
Here's the SCARM version of Matt's plan. I've also included a chart of possible gaps and track sections that will fill them. Sometimes you'll need to make the gap bigger in order to fill it. You'll need to right-click on the file and select "Save As" before you can use it.
Jan
Thank you very much!! I will look into the various software. Also, I will likely create a third loop and/or a cross over section, spanning the center access area. I have a bridge that would look great there.
Thanks again, Jan! If i was to "delete" the reverse and cross-over entirely, and instead create 3 loops based on the drafted 2 loops you provided, what layout plan would you recommend. Simply put: 3 loop plan with yard (O 82, 72 and then a third inner most loop)? Thanks in advance.
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