My 2nd layout now under construction.

Al, thanks for getting things rolling.  Love your plan.  I am a sucker for l-o-n-g main lines for the days you just want to kick-back and let them run.

I'm guessing that your plan is about 12' x 36'.

Jim

Close.  It is 11 x 34.  I couldn't bring myself to take down my prewar layout  so this sits along side it.  Some day I'll probably kick myself.

Al

Here is the track plan for the Nassau Lionel Operating Engineers club layout located on Long Island.

It is roughly 80ft X 35ft. Construction started in 2002 and it is 95%+ operational.

Here is my current track plan:

Here is the planned future layout, although it will still be tweaked (like at the lift out.)  I have started benchwork for the rebuild (adding more yard space and replacing the O-54/O-63 curves with O-80/O-72 curves so that I can run my scale passenger cars.):

Jim

p.s. As you can see, I like to store my trains on the layout!

Jim

Very nice plan. I share your view on being able to store trains on the layout, set up and ready to run. This is a key element of a new home layout plan which I am working on.

Here's ours in the corner of our family room. Only one main line, but two complimentary reverse loops.

Here is an older version of my track plan.  There have been several minor changes but the overall flow is the same.  The main room is 28 feet wide and 52 feet long.  Horseshoe Curve at the top of the plan is in a 10x12 space below a breakfast nook.  Pittsburgh and Harrisburg staging is in an adjacent 8x18 foot room at the lower left.  The overall dimensions of visible and non-visible layout are thus 40 by 70 feet. 

Click on the plan to see a larger version.

I moved so am in the process of building a new layout. I had a turntable on the old layout but could not justify the space on this new plan. I removed it and instead installed a version of John Allen's famous Timesaver track plan (red track). Hopefully when everything is done my friends and myself can have some fun playing John Allen's switching game.

Here is a rough plan of our layout.

16'x16'

My space is limited so I did a tri-level.

6X16 main level with O54 & O45 loops.

2X16 yard.

6X8 subway.

The 6X16 layer has been modified......I use small scale and traditional engines and the power gap on the curved switches was too much.....they're gone.

The main level is Atlas with RossBed.  The subway and yard track are tinplate. The subway track is unseen.....the yard track is at eye level.....when the added ties and ballast are placed, it will be unseen also.

Peter

Modified this for a 20' wide room.I have a storage yard under the upper level and a double crossover at the top of the "U" for reversing. It takes about 11 minutes to travel around crossing into both lines and reversing direction at 20 smph. I have run 4 12 car trains at once, but I really need another remote to be safer. 12 star blocks on the lower line and 10 on the upper, with all 10s for signal. Thanks, Barry.

Nice layouts, guys! Each one has used their space the best way possible.

My train room is 33-ft x 38-ft.

This picture shows two separate views of the levels. The top view shows the upper level, including the higher level L-Train. The bottom view shows the lower level, including the subway mall loop, which is a bit lower yet. 

This picture shows all the levels combined, and also the completed viewing platforms around portions of the layout. 

Alex

Love the idea of this thread!  It would be a great centralized site to keep in

'bookmarks' for reference, particularly for those of us (me) who can't make their

minds up what to build!

     Hoppy

The mainlines are just as the plan shows. The engine service tracks were modified a bit, but I never updated the track plan. The TT and RH were moved closer to the front edge of the layout, so there was no room for the lead tracks going to the diesel house. There are now 4 whisker tracks outside the RH on each side.

The diesel house is now in the front to back direction, with the lead coming off the right side reverse loop (the pink track on the right). There is a lead for the stoage tracks right in front on the TT leading to the bottom right corner of the layout.

The left side of the layout where the industry tracks are shown....is still under construction. Tracks will be placed based on structure size and placement. 

My toy train carpet layout track plan...

I have posted variations of this before, but here's the latest version of my forthcoming Postwar layout:

Some basic facts:

1. This will be on the third floor of our house.  The entry stairs are on the right, that gray box in the middle is a chimney.
2. The light green/black track is the table level.  The navy blue on a teal background is an elevated level.  The Orange Track on the right is another elevated level above the teal level.
3. The passenger station area at the top is a mini-homage to the Lionel Showroom layout with all those 156 passenger stations.
4. I couldn't figure out how to draw circles reliably in RR-Track, but I will be taking out a jigsaw and making most of the table edges curve in concert with the O72 curves just inside.  I'm still inspired by the late TCA President Al Ruocchio's layout with that gorgeous wainscoting and brass rails.  I can only hope to make something half as nice.
5. Some good points about the layout, IMHO, are:
6. • It's a good size at 36x20.  It will be the biggest I will have ever built by a long shot.
   • Since 99% of all derailments occur at a switch, all switches but 1-2 are reachable by hand from a nearby front table edge.  The exceptions are reachable by the backside of the table or a popup.
   • All accessories that have something that needs to be replaced (e.g., 352 Icing Station) can be operated/reloaded from a nearby table edge.
   • Not shown is a below-table-level subway that will be at eye-level to young children through the sides of the table.
7. I made the decision a while ago to have "one of each" of the Lionel postwar accessories on the layout. 
   
   "One of each" excludes obvious dupes where the accessories pretty much do the same thing (e.g., 38/138 water tower, 282/182 gantry crane, etc.).  I also excluded most of the stupid military and space items (e.g., the cardboard submarine base).  I had a pretty good start in my boyhood collection, so picking up the accessories I didn't have has been pretty easy and enjoyable.
8. To be fair, I intentionally omitted the following from my "one of each" list:
9. • 97 coal elevator (I think the 397 and 497 are both better)
   • The 375 turntable (which I think is kind of plastic-y looking ... plus it doesn't work)
   • 460 Piggyback unloader (I'm tempted on this one, but it's relatively large for something with such minimal play value)
   • Many of the passenger stations and small bridges (these just don't move me)
   • Any of the stupid 60's accessories involving shooting things

It has proven to be a challenge to find time to work on it, but I'm ever hopeful.  It will be nice to retire some day and really make some progress...

Steven J. Serenska

Here's one I've started work on (cutting down lumber on hand for the build). Because I'm planning to move, I need something I can build quickly and take with me easily rather than going through a major demolition. The permanent layout design concepts are numerous.

Size is 13' 6" x 3' (2'8" at the ends) and is [would-be] O scale Free-Mo compliant. It's a basis switching module set with complimentary industries centered around Citrus. It's roughly modeled after Highland in San Bernardino County.

Here's mine...  8x24' 

I saw your post the other day showing the construction of your multi-levels. If you showed the multi-levels on your track plan, would you mind posting the track plan file. I am still struggling with showing the multiple levels in RR-Track and any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Nothing fancy not even computer aided but my bit of heaven in a 14'x18' shed.

Main bit 3 rail & the 7' mountain with the On-30.

This is the track plan for my layout.

If you would like to see more, Check out.

O Gauge Railroading • Run 278 • June / July 2015, Page 48 - 53

  Gary & Cheers from The Detroit & Mackinac Railway - Click artwork to enlarge.

Lot's of broad curves with the sharp ones hidden.  Depending on what the budget allows I might run a double mainline.  Fingers crossed, actual layout construction starts this summer.

Bruce

 Great thread topic Jim!

Heres my crummy hand drawn version. Scarm is great but it would have taken me hours.

Its easier to see if you click on it to enlarge.

Here's the track plan for my GTW Trenton & Western layout. I've attached a high rez .pdf below if you want to see things with better detail.

- RICH

Expanded Cisco RR from OGR magazine.

This is the main level. The track was laid according to this drawing more or less.

In the case of the upper deck, there was a "half baked" plan, but once the benchwork was built, the track just filled in the space. I am now in the process of redrawing the plan to what was built.

Here's mine in 1/3 of the upstairs area (11x12 room) with extension down the left side (072 mainline with 054 curves inside).  Main loop is approx 1/3 scale mile:

Here's my current layout that I'm working on although I've made a few modifications and I didn't update the design on the software.....

Paul

These are terrific.... Good idea....

This is almost correct - we changed a number of things as we built it.... Added a third level and extended it some.....

Here is my plan which is a total rebuild from my original layout.  I've gone from a rural theme with lots of mountains to an urban one.  The central peninsula is based on Chicago's Union Station with a subway, a bit of downtown and TW Trainworx's Union Station.

The area on the right is currently not drawn as I am doing the plan as I finish laying track.  This area will contain the freight yard and industrial area.

My layout

13' x 15', green felt, Fastrack, all on one level except for trolley lines that run on a level above each side

The UET&W RR

I've always liked this plan Rich.  I've got a copy of an earlier version around here somewhere that I saved many years ago.  Probably from the old Atlas forum. Remember this?

Three tiers designed to take advantage of every square inch in the room.  8'8" X 15'3" at largest dimensions.  There are two liftout sections and one trap door for access.

I must admit that I am more than a bit surprised and impressed by the individuals with these SUPER LARGE layouts.  Peter A is just the latest example.  There are several that were posted before his and I am sure that there are a few more to come.

Question Peter;  I see you live in Arizona.  Homes with basements are few.

Are you one of the lucky ones?  

No need to answer, your layout say it all.  Thank you for posting.  Do you have some pictures that you can share with us?

what about club layouts?