Updated November 9,2015-My 6x9' layout build

Nice layout with lots of operation. The extension makes a lot of sense and defines an aisle at the back of the layout to reach stuff in the center. I am really wrestling with whether to go with a traditional 4x12 or an around the wall, myself. Definitely will not be doing a carpet central...the knees won't take it from an operational standpoint...

Joe,

Very nice layout. Your trackplan is somewhat similar to our layout that we dismantled in 2006.

Our's was 6x10' with much of it covered by hills.

I had considered replacing out gargraves with Fastrack as I found Fastrack to be very reliable and the switches were super smooth. In the end, I just decided to scrap it and have been floor running ever since.

Mike

 

 

Thanks. Feel free to copy anything that would work for you. I agree, a small layout is more doable than a big one. I would love to have a big layout but it would take much longer to get to anything resembling finished. A small layout is way better than no layout and it's much more fun to run trains than to store them.

 

I am using O36 switches. The inside loop is O36 and the outside loop is O48. My passenger cars are listed as O42 minimum so I run them on the outside loop. 

 

 

Thanks Ed. I understand about the carpet central. I'll be 65 in about a week and even though I'm in pretty good shape my legs couldn't deal with a carpet central layout. The around the walls or 4x12 is a tough call. Each has advantages.

 

I purposely left an aisle in the rear to get to the window. Besides, with a closet that I use in the room and the entrance door an around the walls layout would have been pretty difficult if not impossible.

 

 

WOW! That was a fabulous layout, Mike. I really like the mountain scenery. I thought of doing something like that but went for a town with more buildings instead. The one bad thing about a small layout is that you can't have it all. Why did you go to floor running? That was a really beautiful layout.

Country Joe

 

What a nice set up.

 

When my now 11 year old son wanted me to set something more permanent, I picked up some hollow doors from Menard's($5 a piece), placed some green indoor-outdoor carpet down and layed down all our track. It measures 9x9. We have squeezed 3 lines on it and have some of those "ceramic" buildings that have become so popular from Menards and other places. I love the size as I find the "O" scale buildings too big and gooble up so much space!!

 

I plan to borrow some of your track plan

 

Best wishes Joe have fun!!!

 

Thanks Fred. It sounds like you have a very nice layout. Borrow whatever you can use. I'm glad to help.

Great looking layout with lots of operating potentials. I'm always amazed at the different ways simple ovals are used and disguised in these layouts, making the seem bigger then they are. Personally, I love following these type layouts, then the massive large layouts. Great job in all departments on this.

Very nice Joe!!  Keep us updated!

 

Alan

Thanks Joe.
Yes the mountains really limited the amount of "town" that can be represented.
We dismantled it due to the layout suffering some dings and dents during a couple of relocations. Also, the trackwork needed to be redone and i didn't want to sink the money into it at the time. In retrospect, i spent far more in fastrack for floor running over the past 8 years

 

Thanks Josef. 

 

 

Thank you Alan. I will keep updating this thread as I make progress.

Here is a short video of my LC+ Hudson pulling a short freight train around the layout.

 

http://youtu.be/-VZT9sdTqQc

thanks for sharing!

Nicely detailed layout; thanks for the video.

Thanks for the kind words Joe!!

 

Since the kids went back to school and Joey has to start practicing for baseball tryouts we figured we would start re-doing the layout. Menard's has ready made "saw horses" 29 inches high I can buy and use them to replace the cheapie plastic saw horses I bought 5 years ago (which are falling apart)

With some ideas borrowed from you(thank you Joe) we will make a 12 x9.

Since I am going to bite the bullet and buy a MTH German BR-44 steamer I was told to go with the 0-72 radius Fast-Track. We like running 3 lines so the outer line will be the )-72 line and the others I will keep at 0-48 unless one of you folks on the FORUM talks me into making the 2nd line 0-56

 

Happy Rails!!

Looks good Joe!  Thank you for sharing the video!

Thanks guys. It sounds like you're going to have a really nice layout, Fred. I wish I had room for O72 curves so I could run scale size locos. I love my traditional size trains but I also like those scale trains.

Looking good. Your ahead of me. Just getting wiring finished up and thinking about landscaping. Keep us posted. Ralph.

Thanks Ralph. I have a lot of wiring to do but I can run trains. Even with that I have to run the wires under the table, but I'm having so much fun just running trains that my progress has slowed.

You are definitely all set to have running fun Joe. Neat arrangement. [I empathize with the shaky hands--my tremors now prevent most train work].

I've been doing some work on the layout, mostly adding details. Here are the latest updates.

My original plan was to build a free standing 7x11 layout. That idea got dumped somewhere along the line and now I'm into year x of a 14x39 layout. IF I had just built the original plan, I'd have been running trains years ago.

 

I am building a 7x11 for a fellow member of our modular club. Bench work will be complete on 4/4/15. There is a lot of wisdom in starting small.

 

Gilly

CJ, looks terrific; thanks for the photos.

Thanks Gilly. I only have a spare bedroom for my layout so small is my only choice. I wish I had double the length. My layout is only 6x9, but if it were 6x18 or 6x20 I think it would be big enough for one person.

Thanks for the updated photos, Joe. Always nice to have a glimpse of your progress.

Looking real good Joe.

 

Joe, on a side note I have seen you on the N scale forum. Do you have an N scale layout also? I do both N and O.

Love your layout, Country Joe!

 

 

 I am getting ready to build yet another apartment layout in 6x8.  This time, with/for a friend.

 

We are taking an interesting approach in that it will only be about coffee table height sitting in the main/living room of the apartment.  He can still sit on his sofa and watch TV, operate the layout, etc..

 

Thanks Carl.

 

Thanks PTC.

 

I don't have an N layout at home but I have a T-Trak module and also run on my club's N scale layout. My shaky hands made working on N very difficult. I want to build a small N layout using buildings and details that are already built but it's hard to find the room for it. I have a spare bedroom as my train room.

 

Thanks David. That sounds like a fun layout. I would love a living room layout but my wife would never go for it.

Looking great!

It is looking great, Joe!

 

Thanks guys.

It's only been a few days but I did some stuff on the layout. I paved the parking lot by the station and the drive by the freight platform. I added a few figures; the dog looking to get at the garbage, the man with the newspaper, the dog sniffing the fire hydrant, and the new people and fire hydrant.

I bought some new autos, 5 new buildings and streetlights, plus I moved a siding and the freight transfer warehouse. First is the warehouse. When I decide where the streetlights will go and wire the new buildings I'll move the wire for this one and repair the ground.

 

 

The Majestic Theater will be opening very soon. You can also see Tom's Toggery and Macintosh and Sons Paints and Wallpaper.

 

 

Today's Vinyl Records and Hippy's Tatoos are also new, as is the pink Cadillac. Hey, is that Elvis?

 

 

And finally, there's a couple of new cars in the station parking lot.

 

 

That's it for now. More to come soon.

It's coming along nicely, Joe!

Looks great!  Thinking of expanding my layout.  I may goto this size next!  Just add onto my 4x8.

I love this layout. Simplicity at its finest.   Good work!

Looking better and better.

Thanks Mark.

 

Thanks JJM. 6x9 is not big but it's a lot bigger than 4x8. If you do expand please post pics.

 

Thanks David.

 

Thanks PTC.

It's a dreary day here in the Hudson Valley. I was running trains and decided to do a video tour of the layout. I hope you enjoy it.

Fantastic Joe! 

 

I love the use of the tress around the CW transformer.

Thanks David. I wanted to have the transformer near at hand but not obvious.