Too Big - Too Small - Just Right

Here is a dogbone and a set of double reverse loops all in FasTrack on 5" wide tables(double 2.5' banquet tables):

Your reverse loops should be big enough to fit your longest train. They don't need to be any bigger. I would suggest O31 switches and curves for a Christmas layout. If this will become a permanent, year round layout then I would suggest larger curves and switches. My layout is 6x9' and I used O36 switches and O36 and O48 curves.

ADCX Rob,

Do you happen to have that track plan on an RRT file? I'm looking to do something similar and like that set-up!

thanks,

Jay in Ottawa 

ADCX Rob,

i am with "jay ottawa" - your dog bone and double reversing loop looks good - can you give us more information - this looks like a good place for starting a permanent christmas layout - thanks for the video

rdeal

I have done this layout, never the same twice, for about 7 years now. It is set up in the morning and taken down at dusk all in the same day in the front lobby/lounge/living room at the assisted living center at the hospital in town.

I will try tonight to come up with a couple of SCARM examples representing what I have done over the years. This year I had a loop of O-27 added in dedicated to the prewar Flyer set .

Here is the basic track plan I use - I rearrange the tables into different shapes year-to-year into "S", "Z", & "U" formations, usually with 2.5' x 8' banquet tables:

Thanks Rob. That would look great in my basement!

Jay in Ottawa

thanks rob, gives me a good start for my christmas layout

rdeal

We used 10 6' x 2.5' tables this year(12/14) and this was the basic track plan:

(1) what size loop should i consider

What is the minimum radius curve your engines can handle?  Bigger looks better, but I understand room and size constraints might come into play.

Ron