Simple 4x8 track plan

How attached are you to O36 curves? If you're willing to go down to O31 minimum, you can run two loops on a 4' wide layout. You won't have as much room for sidings/switching, but you will be able to run two trains.

That looks good

 

I'm very limited for space myself so 4'x8' is it for now.  I've seen some different varieties on the web, but this one is my favorite so far...

 

 

It's deceptively busy from the first angle, but well balanced in scenery IMO.  The figure 8 combined with a full inner oval, and the elevated trolley leg seems like it would make for a fairly active layout.

 

Mine will not have quite as much track in the center oval (maybe one crossover for reversing and one siding), but I do want to maintain a separate conventional loop and basic mth-lite command/control loop that I can switch back and forth without investing in a full command system.

 

This was another 4'x8' Fastrack layout idea web page I saw while searching...

http://www.thortrains.net/marx/48fastrack1.html

 

I just realized your 'squidoo' page is also in my 4'x8' layout favorites

Cheers,

Robert

Here is an under the bed layout I made.  It's smaller than 4x8 and it's all FasTrack O36.  With the right timing, I did have 2 trains running on it!

 

 

If you want, I can take a more updated photo of it.  It's got a couple buildings and a road now.

My layout is 5x8. A fairly large tunnel area gives you space for scenics on top of it (in my case, a motel complex complete with a swimming pool and animated playground). This also allows the trains to go out of view for a while. I think too many people try to cover a small layout with as much track as they can fit onto it. I guess that is OK if you don't want to bother with scenics.

@Mike - I really like that design. It looks like O31 for the inner oval and O42 for the outer - correct?

 

Ken

Sure thing.  We're planning on getting a lot of train stuff out this long weekend since I'm lucky enough to have Labor Day off.  I actually need to put the building back on it.  We moved this summer and are still unpacking.

 

That was me for a long time.  I wanted train action and scenics was never a thought.  But now that I have a house with room for it, I'm going to build a layout.  And as I'm planning, I've been making sure that there is room for some scenes.

Hey Ken, which layout were you asking about inner and outer loops?  The one I posted is not mine, but I'm pretty sure it's O36 inside loop and O42 outer loop since it looks to be all Realtrax.  I found it on this page...

http://www.mini-things.com/layout.html

 

They even have a neat 3'x6' layout that looks like it's mounted on a door.  It's looks like the 4'x8' is meant to be portable like the 3'x6' with the handles.

 

I was surprised by the number of nice looking 4'x8' layouts out there...gives me hope

Robert

 

 

Okay, here it is with the buildings.  I designed it for a small 0-6-0 Lionel Dockside with a couple of freight cars and two short passenger cars.  So I am able to do either or or a mixed train.  Now that I've got a house, my son loves running his Super Chief on it while i plan for a room sized layout.

Hey Ken, which layout were you asking about inner and outer loops?  The one I posted is not mine, but I'm pretty sure it's O36 inside loop and O42 outer loop since it looks to be all Realtrax.  I found it on this page...

http://www.mini-things.com/layout.html

 

 

 

Robert, it appears ken is right, about the 031/042 loops, Realtrax does not offer an 036  curve.

 

Doug

Thanks for correcting that Doug!  Yep, I mix matched the Realtrax and Fastrack sizes in my head, "doh!"

Robert

Your welcome Robert, Trust me I would NEVER make a mistake!!!

 

I just wanted to make sure that Ken was able to try out any ideas he had.

There is no reason Realtrax and Fastrak couldn't both be used together on a layout, especially one like that where the inner and outter loops are not connected.

 

I don't know if Fastrak 036 would fit inside of Realtrax 042, or if the roadbeds would overlap each other, I have never tried it. You would definitely want to run short equipment though if it did fit, that wouldn't leave much clearance in the curves. I have read that the new 031 Fastrak does NOT fit inside of the 036 fastrak curves, that is a Nominal 5" difference, and the FT036/RT042 is a 6" Nominal difference, whether that 1" nominal difference, would make THE difference, I don't know. Has anybody else tried this?

 

 

The last time that I tried to walk on water, I got wet well past my ears,

 

Doug