My work in progress layout - 2024 or bust!

Congratulations on being well on your way. That turntable chews up a lot of real estate. Are you going to have an engine house, and what about a town?

Jay

Thanks Jay - I do have an engine house kit - one of my first purchases after getting hooked on O Gauge - bought from a Honolulu hobby shop in the 90ʻs.
Did some weathering many years ago on the "brick" front wall, never assembled it.

Iʻd like to use the engine house but my priority is a place where the scenery can be easily "swapped" out - depending on the weather. 

Layout diagram made with AnyRail 6.  The layout came before the diagram so I am working backwards.

The lift-out section bridging the two ends of the dog-bone is under consideration.
It would be nice to have a train running the outer loop while a switcher is busy in the yard, while locomotives are on the turntable.

I like it! Nice bit of on track storage.

Nice looking plan.  Maximizes your space and has a lot of "fun factor".  Enjoy it!!

@Kelunaboy posted:

Layout diagram made with AnyRail 6.  The layout came before the diagram so I am working backwards.

The lift-out section bridging the two ends of the dog-bone is under consideration.
It would be nice to have a train running the outer loop while a switcher is busy in the yard, while locomotives are on the turntable.

Nice diagram and I might suggest that you use a copy of it for a wiring schematic. You might also consider labeling the wiring as you go.

Nice plan.

Peter

Thanks for all the comments!

Using a piece of 1/4" Masonite board that was the backing for a poster, I made a flat base for the Atlas turntable.
Layout placement is over a joint between 3/4" plywood, I believe this base can be made level and stable.
I want to do everything I can for reliable operation, then screw all the track down, run my switch wiring, and finally make some scenery.  (itʻs been years...)

Iʻm deciding between Atlas track or Fastrack for the whiskers - I prefer the Atlas look but will have to make 1/4" pieces to raise the height of each whisker track.

Ditch the fastrack...    1/4" is easy. :-)

That's a nice start.  I'll be watching for updates!

2 votes for no fastrack. Takes away from the turntable. Shimming under Atlas would be easier and the shims can be hidden in the ballast.

I agree on not using Fastrack on the turntable and whisker tracks area. I have Fastrack on most of the layout I've been building, I have the Menards 2 Bay Engine House, and used Menards Tubular Track to Fastrack Adapter Track inside the engine house.

I’ll get up on the no Fastrak for the whiskers soapbox also.  As Bob said, it is easy to shim to the right height to match up.  My layout has shims everywhere.  😃

Nice track plan. What is the green material on top of the plywood?

SouthCoastRocco - "Nice track plan. What is the green material on top of the plywood?ʻ

My layout is topped with 3/4" furniture smooth plywood, painted with flat green latex.  This is the fourth iteration of my layout, the plywood has been cut before.
Four years ago my layout started as a 4ʻx8ʻ, a O31 dogbone, L-Shape, and this iteration which I call a walk-in dogbone.
Heavy duty frame work topped with 3/4" ply - solid enough the stand on.

Todayʻs job is to replace the DC motors in three mainline Fastrack switches. With the main line working again I can focus on the turntable - using Atlas track.

Thanks, Kelunaboy. I like the green. I'm just finishing the table top on a walk in U shaped layout. I had a track plan thought through, but now am revising it. We will see!

SouthCoastRocco, I think most of us have altered our plan after we get the track done.  

Constantly revising - guilty!  And in real life, my track never fits like it does in the track planning software...

@Kelunaboy posted:

Constantly revising - guilty!  And in real life, my track never fits like it does in the track planning software...

How true!  😄. Mine never fits either!

Exactly! My frustration (with myself) is that I bought some Ross switches (still in the boxes) late last year that I won't be using. Costly evolution!

I had the same problem.

Added a swing-up section 24" long to create a loop around layout and bridging the two ends of the dog bone.
Happy with the operational results and the plan is paint and bridgework to resemble a bascule bridge.

Next step is clearing out the under layout before wiring my Atlas Turntable.

It looks great!