Well I have been out of model railroading for a while. Most of my time is going to my job. Which I don't mind. If I can work with my models I'll go to work and work with the real thing. But any way I want to start building a HO layout. I have can up with a list of stuff that I like to have on it. Would any one be will to help me plan one. usully when I build one I just lay track a build it as I go. But I like to plan one out and put senery on it and fix it up nice. here is a list of stuff I like to have on it. By the way the room it's going in is 9 x 11. model around Eastern KY 1960s to present main line running plus small switching area coal tipples small yard to hold about 25 or 30 cars locomotive service center w/ turntable small logging company coal strip job 24" radius #6 switch in main line #4 in yard and switch area Thaks for any help. Don_csx CSX Conductor
Hi Donald, sounds like you have a fair amount of layout in mind. What scale do you feel would fit the 9 x 12 room the best? Will it just be you alone running it, or do you have a child growing up, or Grand Kiddies coming along? The very first thing you will need is a sketch of this room, with dimensions showing where any doors are located, and closets, windows, pipes, furnace registers, and electrical outlets are. Second, how do you get through the door to your control panel to run it? (Like walk in, duck under, raise a bridge, get a running jump and leap over, etc.) Third, will you want to stand, walk around, or sit to operate several hours? Is this room up stairs, down stairs, basement, garage, etc? (weight makes a difference.) Four, will you want mountain scenery, or all flat plywood top? It will be necessary to know these things if you are going to "plan" the layout, see?
I will be modeling in HO, I will be the only one running it. Below is a link of how the room is layed out, I will get into the room by a lift out section, I have a one story house, I like to have one mountain for a strip job. Don_csx Layout room
Donald, I have found a layout for you; it is a 8 by 12 but is very easy to modify for your room. It is in an out of print book called "Track Planning Ideas from Model Railroader - 58 Track plans from past issues" as selected by Bob Hayden, Kalmbach books, second printing 1983, p.67. It is called the Littleton & Box Springs Railway, plan by Jan Meyer. Now before you dispair that the book is out of print, you need to know you can go to www.modelrailroader.com and do a search (that is the same location as www.trains.com which is owned by Kalmbach). I recommended another layout to a person (from this same book) and he did a search and found it there. The radius is a bit tight for my tastes (18'), but because your room is slightly wider (by a foot) I would add 6 inches on to either side, and increase the radius of the large curves you will see - you could probably bump them to 24". If you aren't successful in your search, send me a fax number via email, and I will fax this plan down to you. Its always interesting explaining the phone bill to my wife: "Rick, why did you call Kentucky?" [ 07. November 2002, 20:03: Message edited by: rsn48 ]
