Large Scale Central

Testing a layout design

Track and Trestles
#1

I am attempting to design a layout for in my basement. The area I have available is about 18-19ft x 22-23ft. with the siding around the utility room walls. The “L” shape is to be able to clear the space for the pool table in the middle of the room.

I am attempting to work with AnyRail trial version to post this design so please excuse the crappy drawing. My pencil and paper drawing is much neater.

Any guidance here would be helpful.

http://www.lscdata.com/users/lastmanout/_forumfiles/layout2%20(Medium).jpg

#2

So David is it basically going to be a large loop with a shorter loop created by a passing track and then a 4 track yard? Will the yard be accessable on three sides or will it be against the wall at the bottom of the “L”? How long will the “yard lead” be? How long will the 4 yard tracks be? How far apart do you plan to make these 4 tracks?

#3

And, the ultimate question: what do you want your railroad to do? Will you be a railfan content to watch trains go by? A modeler that wants to showcase his work? Do you want to be an operator for a railroad?

#4

I do not know much about ‘operations’ and since, for now, I’ll be using link 'n pin connectors for my 1860’s era USMRR trains, changing out cars, etc. may be too much of a pain. No, I think I may prefer to let the train/trains run with the option of changing direction to keep it from getting boring. I enjoy the building process and showing it off. So a lot of that will be part of my plan.

(http://www.lscdata.com/users/lastmanout/_forumfiles/layoutpaint.JPG)

The yard will be against a wall on it’s southern side in the drawing, with about 8 feet of wall from the eastern edge of the lower loop. The ‘mainline’ of the track is also against the walls on the south and west edges. The north edge clears the undercarriage of the staircase. This is really my first ever railroad layout. I had a toy American Flyer as a kid, and I bought an HO set for one of my boys that I setup around the tree last year, but as a retired type person, I needed an interesting low impact hobby.

#5

If you run a track from the top center of the inside loop to the right side of the outside loop, it will give you a wye to change direction.
Ralph

#6

There I added that Ralph. thanks, I like it.

#7

I don’t know what kind of framework you plan on using, but make sure to leave yourself an access hole inside each loop.
Ralph

#8

I was thinking the same thing as Ralph. You really are going to need some type of access to all of the track. Laws of probablitity say that the track that is the hardest to reach will give you the most trouble. :wink:

#9

(http://www.outsidetrains.com/facillity/100_0999.jpg)

See where the double crossover is? This was a mistake. The yard switches never gave me any trouble, but I often had to climb on top of find what was jamming up the #6’s.

#10

I am thinking a three foot depth to be able to reach stuff is good. (?)

I’d like to have about a 42" table height for easy duck under.

#11

These were 42 inches high and 48 inches deep.

#12
David Hill said:
I am thinking a three foot depth to be able to reach stuff is good. (?)

I’d like to have about a 42" table height for easy duck under.


Three foot depth works for “reach”, but try to work on something three feet away.
You have a blank slate here. Try to design your layout so you can access much of it from both sides, without ducking under
too awfull much.
If Tom’s benchwork had been off the wall a couple feet, his 48 inch width would have worked well.
Ralph

#13

I cleared out the area in the basement for my indoor layout, and chalked the floor. This is the drawing using the free trial of AnyRail. I am still trying to figure out how to add in the switches for the sidings in the drawing. This will give me about 89 feet of mainline. On the right edge is a wall for the utility room, on the top edge is the staircase from upstairs. I’ll probably start the benchwork this week. More to come.

(http://www.lscdata.com/users/lastmanout/_forumfiles/Finalayout.jpg)

#14

Dave,

There’s something to be said for snap track layouts … but I won’t say it! :confused:

#15
Hans-Joerg Mueller said:
Dave,

There’s something to be said for snap track layouts … but I won’t say it! :confused:


Say it please, I’m doing the best I can. This helped me over drawing by hand to insure it worked with stock track sections, except the length of the straight sections.

#16

There is nothing wrong with using “snap track.”

One place where you might have trouble is where the lower right loop forms and “S-curve.” If you were to use some flex track, you could smooth that out, fair in some easements for the curve, and provide a 2 car straight so you don’t have derailment problems.

I often sketch, using the snap track library, just to get an idea of what different radii might do.

#17

Dave,

I think you are getting it and doing things right by taking your time. This is a great start. I do think you need a lift out access panel in each loop. If you put them in and always plan with them in mind, you may never have to use them. :wink:

Is the basement finished? If not, paint the walls, now. Just a thought from someone that didn’t do that and wished they had.

#18

David,

If you have any tunnels, you will have the most derailments just out of reach. If you decide against access holes, make sure the benchwork will support twice your weight, just incase you need some help up there.

Lessons learned from my Zero Gauge layout in the basement.

#19

Thanks guys for the tips.

The first step for this project is to smooth out the concrete walls with a plaster coat, I’ll try tinting it a light blue-gray. Then paint the distant mountains with a water gap. I plan to place mountains against the bottom wall and around the corner of the drawing with two tunnels to conceal a 14" gap from the layout to the wall.

I am planning to have no more than a three foot reach from anywhere on the layout to the track, (1 meter for all the non Americans;) ) which will surely require lift out access.

As I get progress on the benchwork, I’ll post pix.

#20

David,

3 foot reach is not a problem to pick something up or to put a train back on the track. But 3 foot reach over scenery to repair the track is a stretch, plus you constantly hit everything in front of it. Justs thoughts from souvenirs of scenery on my t shirts. :wink: