Newbee first O gauge Layout & bench work

welcom to the group.

I would start by getting a track plan together first.  You really cant build effective bench work if you don't know where the tracks will be placed. 

You are really trying to put a lot into a small space.  Most people think about O Scale is twice as big as HO but truly you are looking at taking up a lot more than double the  space.  An O Scale building takes up considerably more room than an HO building.  Same with all you hills and bridges and mountains too.  Get a cardboard box make yourself a box the size of a normal building and check out how much room you are going to need for even a small town area.

I would recommend getting some graft paper and a ruler and kind of draw out a few sketches then start back on the bench work. 

My layout is 20x15 around the walls I divided it into half town and industry and half country through the hills running.  It is a tight space to get everything I want.

I think you will save some discouragement if you put a pen to paper before you put a saw to wood.

Oh and welcome to O Scale!!!

 Thanks guys for the welcome this is a great forum I have learned alot already and working hard on track plans before I continue building layout.

Welcome...  I am a very visual person and I found that I could draw out the track plan a hundred times and not get a real good feel for it.  I made mock up scale buildings out of dollar store foam core, played with layout and track.  i used drywall tape and switch templates pulled off the internet to "see" how my plan actually worked and it only cost me like $4  This is the saw mill complex that I am building as a module.  I agree with Ken, come up with a working track plan and build some mock ups....  O scale is huge but so worthwhile.  my shop is 25X30 and I am thinking about an expansion.  good luck keep us posted

Thanks I am very visual also and have some plans made but just not happy with them because I keep on trying to had more track to a small space. So I always end up with a layout with just trains and track and sideings and a small yard but no space for buildings, its good though I will figure it out even if I have to down size a little. 

some more views

Best mock up I have ever seen. 

I came from HO about 8 years ago and really had problems adjusting to the bigness of it all. 

I worked on race cars for quite a few years when I was younger.  I had a crew chief who always said build it out of cardboard first then out of metal.

4 times the area, 8 times the volume.

Hey ken  you always remembered to build it out of metal before racing it right? lol  good advice...  

I dont' think I ever sent one out with cardboard parts.  If I did it must have worked.

my "o scale mentor" told me some wise advice.  He said and I quote..."in Oscale you have to be selective, you will never fit all you want on your layout but instead focus on the key elements you want to see and build around those core ideas and only have on there things that truly match those elements. before a track plan comes an idea plan  write down the things you want to see.  Your layout is designed to represent a time and place you love, and carry out the ideas which you want to showcase. In your space a two track high speed mainline with sd90s and ac4000s and 30 car trains may not fly.  But create the time and place and rest will fall into place the more time you spend in practice the more you will love your world..".  Don Smith Industrial Models

I edited your words to what I get from you.   You might benefit from something I did 20 some years ago.  I had a space and stuff.  No computer assisted planning.  I just  had an idea of a basic around the walls with an island through the middle plywood topped bench.  I had a bunch of super O track and for the next year rearranged it until I realized where mountains and bridges and 3 levels could fit & that Gargraves flex track would be a better choice so I could run a larger loco I picked up at York.

Summed up, your first try won't be your final and it's really fun getting something running so you can get distracted from getting anything done when it's time to work on something.  I can remember going out to work on the layout and just running trains.   My advice is pretend you're a kid, put track together and see if that Legacy control works.

I have been looking at other layout plans and photos of other members to get some ideas I could use on mine. I like the multi level idea would work in my small space.

Welcome!

I cant wait to finish my layout so I can rip it down and start over on the next idea. I figure I have a couple more layouts in my future before I build my masterpiece.

Update on layout building trees, mountains

Looking good. Do I see some Atlas, RealTrax and FasTrack?

Yes I had a good amount of each track just built up over time  it works for me some might say why not just go with one type of track, I like them all so I used them and saved some $$ too

Very nice!

Good for you Mancave.

I have a "senior citizen's" round-the-room layout the same width but much shorter--9 x 16 in an attic. I just want to run trains and install structures which simplifies things considerably. In that regard I went with a dual mainline of 084/096 and 072/084 end curves, a Service Yard with enginehouse and service towers on one side and hopefully will have a Village on the other side.. 

I'd have done the same. I was just curious if I was seeing things correctly. I only have enough RealTrax to make a 6x8 oval with a turnout, so I don't have too much invested to keep me from moving to a different brand, probably Ross/GarGraves, for my permanent layout. Do all 3 levels connect or are the Atlas and FasTrack each separate and the RealTrax kind of the main line? Either way, I like how you did each level rides atop a wall. What do you have under the Atlas track? Some sort of rubber roadbed?

Yes each level is separate, I have a 6 and 12 year old and they love to run trains with me so I figured they would not be able to crash any of my engines. I used a foam insolation I found at Lowes under the mth and lionel tracks to quite them.

Thanks more photos to come

Does the insulation come in a roll? I'll have to check Lowe's when I get ready to do some sound deadening tests in March.

Was that the black carpet insulation you used under the track?

Sweet I love the Snow Shed I built one in Z scale now you got me thinking I might need to do one in O

http://youtu.be/xEBOPuJ7Yr8

where did you get the stone wall's?

Mancave trains, Looking good. Keep it up.

No its the 4in wide in a roll foam insulation from Lowes or Home Depot