New layout

Is this going to be a toy layout or based on "real?"  Main line or yard?  Loop(s) or actual operating layout?

Definately toy, i would like to run 4 train at the same time

I will be interested in any responses, too.  Moved from a 13' by 47' basement with living space above it for the wife and kids to a house where the "train room" became an unfinished 10' by 12' fourth bedroom that I finished...30 years ago.

I retired 10 years ago and still don't have a real layout in there, but that's an issue for another thread.  I have a little "temporary" track I put down for the grandkids, lots of trains in boxes and a half-interest in a sectional layout that a friend and I display at Christmas and take to a few train shows.  Even it is too big to set up in my train room at 12' by 12'.

I still can't decide between an island layout or around the walls with some sort of gate or lift up/out bridge for access.  :-)

Good luck!

Alan

Mianne around the room bench work with two levels.  Buy a lift-gate to get into and out of the room.

You'll like it.

One of the major problems with any layout construction is the "reach" factor for maintenance and repairs.  If you build "around the walls" with a lift-gate entry, your maximum shelf width will be 30-36 inches (and 36 is pushing it).  If you choose "island style," you can't build 8x10 (allowing for 2 foot walk-around) or even better 7x9 (allowing for a better walk-around space) without putting a couple of access hatches (requiring duck-under or crawl-under ability to reach) in the middle of the island.  Weigh these factors carefully while designing your layout plan.

Search the internet using terms like "model railroad layout plans" or "designing model railroad layouts" and you should be able to locate many ideas.  Heck, there's even lots of ideas on the OGR forum already if you just browse some of the other threads here.  Lots of people have bedroom sized layouts.

I also highly recommend downloading a still free copy of SCARM, a layout design software that allows you to take others' plans and adapt them to your space and needs.  Note, however, that SCARM only works on Windows operating systems.

Good luck.

Chuck

Thanks Chuck, the room is 10w x 12w, i could do a layout of 10 x 8, 

Above I recommended Mianne benchwork as a solution for a 12'x10' room.  

A little explanation ... we moved last year and I took down my 13'x9' layout.  I saved a few "modules" but they will require some modification to fit on the new benchwork.

In any case, I figured the best way to make use of the space (just so happens to be 12'x10') would be an around the room layout.  I researched extensively and decided - for the first time - not to build my own benchwork...so I went with Mianne.  

Working with Tim at Mianne, I was able to make a very interesting layout, two levels, and with more square footage than my previous layout (and, for sure, even more sqft than the room itself).

I'm now at the track design stage and I'm finding that this layout configuration offers many, many opportunities for an interesting layout.