Train room and layout shenanigans!!

I don't think you have room for any  elevation change of more than an inch or so, but you can have the ground drop away so the the bridge could span s river or canyon.

Jan

Jan posted:

I don't think you have room for any  elevation change of more than an inch or so, but you can have the ground drop away so the the bridge could span s river or canyon.

Jan

Yeah, that's what I thought too. Drop that about 2' and create a huge canyon or something. Probably going to have a river elsewhere as well for my little girder bridge to sit across. Other than that I'm probably going to have to figure out how to make the reversing loop switches non derailing. 

I like the overall plan with reversing loops, industry sidings on each end, passing siding in between, and space for a trestle is awesome. 

Just brainstorming with you...I would consider revising the sidings within the loops.  a) the "S" curves that are in the original plan are difficult to navigate, especially with light weight tradional rolling stock. b) the "S" curves eat up more space, limiting the usable siding.  I included a picture of similar sidings that we have on our modest layout (031 tubular).   Another tip to be aware of is the actual footprint of the switch.  Some of the 027 switches have a large rectangular footprint that are sometimes difficult to place adjacent to one another.

The crossover switches within the passing siding at the top aren't really necesary.  I would remove them which would allow for more scenery or structures.

Lastly, I would consider completing the loops on each side (blue) so you could run more trains at one time.  You have a nice plan without doing that, but I have found it fun to juggle 3 trains: one on each loop and one waiting on the passing siding.  Bring one train from one of the loops to the open passing siding, pull the waiting train onto the open loop, lather, rinse, repeat.  It keeps you active and on your toes, but also allows you to sit back and relax and let 2 of them loop if you want. 

JD2035RR posted:

I like the overall plan with reversing loops, industry sidings on each end, passing siding in between, and space for a trestle is awesome. 

Just brainstorming with you...I would consider revising the sidings within the loops.  a) the "S" curves that are in the original plan are difficult to navigate, especially with light weight tradional rolling stock. b) the "S" curves eat up more space, limiting the usable siding.  I included a picture of similar sidings that we have on our modest layout (031 tubular).   Another tip to be aware of is the actual footprint of the switch.  Some of the 027 switches have a large rectangular footprint that are sometimes difficult to place adjacent to one another.

The crossover switches within the passing siding at the top aren't really necesary.  I would remove them which would allow for more scenery or structures.

Lastly, I would consider completing the loops on each side (blue) so you could run more trains at one time.  You have a nice plan without doing that, but I have found it fun to juggle 3 trains: one on each loop and one waiting on the passing siding.  Bring one train from one of the loops to the open passing siding, pull the waiting train onto the open loop, lather, rinse, repeat.  It keeps you active and on your toes, but also allows you to sit back and relax and let 2 of them loop if you want. 

 

 

I see what you mean about the s curves inside the reversing loops. And I do like the idea of having a looped layout at one end, probably the one on the right, maybe a little 3x5 like the one attached (just modified) was kind of the original plan, was just a pita to draw in SCARM. Also I'll be mainly using old 1121electric and 1024 manual switches. 

The crossover part at the back was originally just a rhombus passing siding, but I filled it in a little more, maybe as if a small midpoint town or industry was on that section. 

I'm not exactly sure I've got the dimensions of the room right either tbh, sure seems like 8x10 filled in fast. 

I have been trying to develop a new plan for the area I have, It is a little larger than yours but the same design would fit great with some modifications of course I hope you don't mind me using your original and modifying it. please keep us posted on your progress.

old_toymaker posted:

I have been trying to develop a new plan for the area I have, It is a little larger than yours but the same design would fit great with some modifications of course I hope you don't mind me using your original and modifying it. please keep us posted on your progress.

Please take it! Keep me posted on what you come up with too! 

He hasn't posted in a long time, but @Ace had some really interesting plans and commentary in arriving at his design below.  Perhaps you can borrow some interesting elements as you see fit.

https://ogrforum.com/...plans-with-easements

Very good suggestion  what I have now is very fat and hard to reach in  some places. The baseboard is what is there now only with out the cutouts in the corners. I want to add cutouts in the corners and place switches within reach that is no more than 40" that is about the absolute farthest I can do. 

I was planning on removing the 12' wall and going all the way to the end of the basement but I don't think that will happen unless I get the addition I wanted.so I am planning for the smaller area and still using some of my big bridges.

old_toymaker posted:

That's certainly a nice area for trains, should be just the perfect size for a large layout. What about removing your 18' wall? Or a tunnel through it to something totally different on the other side? 

Update because I played with the track plan a little more. It's got a loop, fixed sidings, a spot where locomotives could be serviced but still retains the core point to point. 

I've come across guys listing goals for their layouts on here. This one doesn't really have goals per se, Just something that makes use of an otherwise useless room, gives me something to do constructing it, is fun to run and provides enough different activities and entertainment to not immediately become boring. I also pulled the track away from the walls just a bit to keep it scenic-able behind. I'm going to reference this thread in another post that has everything to do with the room and construction, so that's another thing entirely coming up, starting with de-papering a wall.

Revision #1 attached.

Here's an idea to improve operations and eliminate the unnecessary rhombus at the top of your plan.  Remove all four of your crossover switches in the middle of your passing siding, and then reconnect the two sides using just one straight piece of track in each passing siding leg.  Then use the four switches to create two two-track interchange yards, one on the outside of each side with a loop.  Now, your railroad can be a connector between two Class 1 railroads while still serving some industries along its tracks.

Chuck

PRR1950 posted:

Here's an idea to improve operations and eliminate the unnecessary rhombus at the top of your plan...

Chuck

I like my rhombus! That took a lot of mental power to put together. I was envisioning more of a shortline aspect to the railway too, I could put another interchange on the bottom of the other reversing loop as well, or down the one side where there's no extra action.

Been doing some work on the dumb room. I swear, this guy was just the best homeowner... 

The wallpaper basically removed itself, thank god. Very little glue was used. Drywall installation around window today... 

I have run across previous home owners like that.  All they would have had to do was spend and extra 5 bucks and a little time, and they could have done it right.  Takes twice the money and twice as long to fix their stupid shortcuts.

Ugh. So. The whole drywall/paint thing is nearing completion. I just have to re-scrub and paint the one wall tonight that the paper was on and put another coat on the ceiling. In the process of all this, I also fixed two other windows. Great way to learn how to mud drywall. 

I think I'm going to sit on this layout design for a little while to make for sure it's what I want to do, then build it. Once everything is painted and cleaned up, I can put track down on the floor and see if it all makes sense. 

Well fellas, it's back to the drawing board. The doors on the room swing in, not out. The reverse loop on the left sadly has to go. I've already created a 4x8 sheet benchwork that I could expand on along the walls. More pondering is required... But I did manage to finish painting the room that everything will be in. It looks quite nice too! 

Are the doors a necessity?  Wide open?; A curtain?....Hippie beads!! 😬

I like the way Adriatic is thinking.  Store the doors to re-hang if/when necessary.

SteamWolf posted:

Been doing some work on the dumb room. I swear, this guy was just the best homeowner... 

The wallpaper basically removed itself, thank god. Very little glue was used. Drywall installation around window today... 

Ouch !   I'm having trouble unseeing that wallpaper.....LOL

SteamWolf posted:

Ugh. So. The whole drywall/paint thing is nearing completion. I just have to re-scrub and paint the one wall tonight that the paper was on and put another coat on the ceiling. In the process of all this, I also fixed two other windows. Great way to learn how to mud drywall. 

I think I'm going to sit on this layout design for a little while to make for sure it's what I want to do, then build it. Once everything is painted and cleaned up, I can put track down on the floor and see if it all makes sense. 

 

Much improved !

They make "bi-fold" doors in a variety of styles that would gain you some room.

I don't have a door in my train room at all.  I agree, you could just take the door down.  The room looks many times better than that stuff they had on the wall before!

Just for the sake of it, and since the pictures posted before aren't of the finished product, here are a few pics after the paint has dried all the way.

I'll be figuring out a new track plan using that 4x8 sheet and something else... Somewhere else. 

Also I would like to provide a better running spot for the big Marx E7's I have that frankly... Look goofy af going around O27 corners. Maybe in the future I'll put a ceiling loop of O31 tubular, hung up by ½ or ¾ sch150 threaded flanges stuck to the wall and ¼“ birch plywood cut with a jigsaw to make it look like bridge beams, also including that tile lip stuff to give rigidity. 

The room looks great now...the wallpaper that was there looked awful.   The room looks smaller since the 4x8 table is in it.  

dan 77 posted:

The room looks great now...the wallpaper that was there looked awful.   The room looks smaller since the 4x8 table is in it.  

Thanks, it was worth it I think! Yeah, that 4x8 sure does take up a fair amount of space. My jury is still out on whether or not I'm going to use it on its own or in conjunction with something else or just abandon it altogether. There would be enough room for another 2x4 or 2x6 sheet to be added to the side, as the room is 8x10.

I've been looking at track plans online and come across this one: 

Which I do like quite a lot. I was thinking as well on the top right, the ability to add a wye...

The doors only have to open 90° - is there 32.5" between the wall and the door at 90°?  If yes, here is an O31 layout 

The grid is 12" - adjust the long straight to fit your dimensions - this is at 11' wide...

Edit- here's the SCARM file

Even with the door(s) opening inward you could still utilize a lift-out section to enable an around-the-perimeter track-plan. Open the door, walk in, close the door, set the lift-out in place and run trains! That would allow O72 curves. Or O36 covered by mountains in one or more corners. That's what I did to hide a sharp O36 curve:

geysergazer posted:

Even with the door(s) opening inward you could still utilize a lift-out section to enable an around-the-perimeter track-plan. Open the door, walk in, close the door, set the lift-out in place and run trains! That would allow O72 curves. Or O36 covered by mountains in one or more corners. That's what I did to hide a sharp O36 curve:

        

..moves mountains to cover what he doesn't want, but needs... I'm laughin at you, but marvelling as well 🙃

How tall are you, that you might need doorway tattletales? 🙄

Heh. The problem isn't me but rather the door, which is 67" tall.  This is a small Cape Cod built in 1952 in the "VA neighborhood". Built cheap&fast. The basement is low too to save a few$ worth of concrete. 

Super-sharp curves cause my liddle brain to drop out of suspension-of-disbelief mode but an O72 curve in that corner would have complicated the lift-out section so I got lazy and cheated with the mountain.  Again being lazy, "ground cover" is a piece of fleece fabric from Joanne. When a-rown-tuit happens I'll plant trees on that mountainside instead.

I'm back! After screwing around and measuring and other things, here's what I've come up with. It's kinda the same, kinda not. 

The door on the left side opens 30", and I've left enough room for that - Sorry, not taking the doors off as I've got no place to store them where they won't either be damaged or in the way. The right side is my 4x8 which I've left some room for another project of mine, so imagine a backdrop or mountain on the bottom end of that layout. I'm still able to do the "round the wall" layout and can scenic this as two cities/townships with different industries serviced by this railroad. There's enough room, in the middle for the big bridge, I'm going to have to find a place to stick my ZW, probably in the triangle spot on the left or right, or at the bottom of the right hand layout. 

It just needed some juggling. I'm pretty happy that the 4x8 I'd built before won't be going to waste either.

Thoughts/Comments?

Not to try to twist your arm or anything, but:  store the doors under the layout . . . .

I have a door stored in my garage on top of an old desk with a pad between the two and on top.  It makes a nice workbench for low impact work, but has developed into a catchall when we had to empty and sell the house I grew up in.  I agree, I'm not trying to twist your arm either.  I think you have good thoughts and are off to a good start.  That is good you can still use the 4x8

It looks good.  The bridge in the center will catch every bodies eye!

I realize there are double doors but do you actually use both doors?  I have a room with double doors but we secure the one and only use one door.  Maybe you like to make a big Hollywood, double-door, entrance when you walk in! 

Yup Pallalin is spot on about storing the doors...or go for pocket doors? Also, are you going to put a scenic backdrop around the layout?  Yes, you may even want to....yikes....paint the walls sky blue...with clouds....dont flame my comment...

MikeH posted:

I realize there are double doors but do you actually use both doors?  I have a room with double doors but we secure the one and only use one door.  Maybe you like to make a big Hollywood, double-door, entrance when you walk in! 

LOL! Giant Hollywood entrance into an 8x10 room. Perfect. The one door is pinned to the floor and frame at the top - the 4x8 table also juts out past the frame... but not into the area occupied by the glass. I think it's just easier to keep the door as it is. I'll experiment with it when I move everything into place though.

redjimmy1955 posted:

Yup Pallalin is spot on about storing the doors...or go for pocket doors? Also, are you going to put a scenic backdrop around the layout?  Yes, you may even want to....yikes....paint the walls sky blue...with clouds....dont flame my comment...

Backdrop, possibly. when I get there. Flames? definitely! 

Also Just fixed the coil on an ancient 1121 switch. Now it's beer time.

I poked it again! I have a 4x8 on the one side so I may as well use the whole thing, right? 

Added an interchange, a 45° and a yard with a passing loop and some other options for switching. Once again, fiddling around to make it fit will be required, but that's ok. City of Industry. Also 95% chance I'm gonna screw around with the other side too. 

OK! FINE! You guys win. I'll take the doors off and store them under the bench work. 

I was downstairs doing unrelated house things and thought I'd try to put the train table up against the one wall just to see if there would be anything showing through the glass on the door. You guessed it - sure was! So now I'm using the full space on both sides. I might even cut a hole in the wall on the bottom left to run trains through into the other room. There's a whole long wall with a cutout at the end for a bar that could make a neat distant destination for something. 

Anyway, here's the latest iteration. I think I'll stick with this one for the time being, until something ELSE changes... I wish the SCARM O27 45* crossovers fit a little better. Oh well, it is semi-rigid track after all.

Don't knock on it til you try it

You lost a reverse loop on the left; if it concerns you

It looks like it could be connected via far lower left spur to the low left bone's spur   on a whim though.... Interesting 🤔