Please critique my design...

What are the overall dimensions, type of track used, grades, sectional lengths and curve radius?

Your curves are sharp the red colored tracks. That said you have packed a ton of operating running into a small area. What is your theme? Traditional toy trains ?

Hey guys, is about 14x14 feet, O gauge, I used 031, 054, and 072 radius curves. Not sure how the red curves are too sharp if it's an ogauge track. Please explain. Imnot sure on the grades but they are not steep. The large sweeping 072 curves are where the track goes up and down. I thing the program said it was less than 2%. I'll have to check again.   I'm also not too sure on a theme, was thinking outside track would be more country and the inside would be industrial. Thanks for the replies guys!

Ok, nice to know your curve sizes and layout size it puts it into perspective.

Sorry I just figured it was implied, being an O gauge forum .

Ok my thought is that switching industrial area in the middle is about the worst place you can put it.

A human can reach maybe 3 feet, more with a footstool depending on the individual.

This is just a impression I have, I don't wish to add anymore to this just yet.

What is the standard height for a layout? I would imagine deck height would dictate how far one can reach. I'm over 6 feet tall and have long arms. It is something I should consider but I wasn't too worried about it, I was also going to cut my surface to the contours of the outside track, no corners and unused outside space. That whole bottom left corner is going to be cut to size. Thanks for the input though!

I am about your height. There really is no standard height per se. I have a layout with 36 inch height and its nice viewing from a sitting position. A second level works out at 42 inches.

Now building a second layout at 40 inches above floor with the upper level at 48 inches or so. I think I like it a bit better. I have a secretary's chair that I bought at target for about $20 bucks that has adjustable height. In its lowest position, I can roll under the layout in a seated position with head tucked in a bit which makes it handy access for underneath construction and wiring. The slightly higher layout makes this doable.

Great tips, thanks a lot!

NorCal, Another idea and this is just an idea is to run the layout around the walls of your room giving you more track space.

1. You would either need a duck under to access this idea or lift out bridge of some sort to enter the layout.  If you did the around the room style you could add a peninsula a couple of feet wide- have a larger yard. Your 072 curves eat up alot of real estate in the current photo around the wall would work.

2. Do a dog bone loop style (that would be a tighter squeeze). yard could be off one dogbone and have smaller sidings in the middle.

Is 14'x14' your maximum avaiable room?

Just some thoughts.

George

I like to run two trains at once on seperate loops. With that in mind I would close off the red tracks and make a single entry point to the main line via switches on the bottom left side of the red/blue tracks.

I agree with Seacoast & Railrunnin. 

Am I looking at the light blue crossing over wrong?  It appears you have three levels needed there.  Both tracks coming from bottom level... I'm not sure how to best describe it but that's why I like actualy laying the track on something (takes me back to my childhood too).

Have fun... 

Thanks for all the replies, Ive taken some suggestions and came up with another design. No more sidings but now I have a center yard "loop", do those exist? I also added a turn around, **** going to have to buy more switches! This is going to go in the middle of my garage, the only place I have room so an around the room layout is not possible.

The light blue track is just a simple up around and back down again, not sure where you see three levels.

So what do you all think of this one? Thanks!

Here it is in 3D .

I like 3d picture of he layout. Ultimately it's what makes you happy.

Looking at it in 3D is nice. I am no designer though.

I think the new plan is good. But it is YOU that decides if you are happy with it.

The last layout I built ended up going through on the spot plan revisions as the track matched up, the paper was just a starting point for me.

Thanks, of course it is up to me, just being my first I was looking for input. Thanks everyone.

Three levels?   First off I'm waiting for my new glasses (prescription change) to arrive.

I just looked at the first version again & I could picture three levels with the red crossovers above the yard.  I love trains running over & under...  and the figure 8 crossing over the yard while switching operations were moving was in my head.  Add the mainline outside in an opposite direction and action was fast.  How about a TMCC boom car operating under one of the trestles?

The 3-d brought me into reality.  I was doing trestles (maybe some subway).

At any rate, hope I provoked some different thoughts.  Have fun.. John

The new plan is much improved over the first. You have three independent loops to run three trains at once if you wish. A potential problem is that there is only one reverse track (in the yellow loop) and, over time, all trains will wind up running clockwise on all three loops with no simple way to add variety by reversing a train to run counterclockwise. You could make a small adjustment of the red track to add a second return cut-off track by re-routing the left-most red track. Instead of crossing over the red track to return to the red loop,  the left-hand red track could curve to the left and cross over the yellow reversing track and connect to the yellow loop by a right-hand switch at the upper left of the yellow loop. This would still allow running three trains independently, but you could easily change train directions to run either clockwise or counterclockwise.

Thanks for the input! Ive attached the redesign from the suggestion you made. I believe it will be worth the extra $$$ in switches. I knew better too but was resisting. Thanks again.