Over the years I've looked at lots of good track plans posted on here. yet they sort of slip into the nooks and crannys of old threads. Sometimes it is hard to relocate them. What if we had a thread that was only for posting trackplans with no reply comments, or perhaps an admin could assemble it as links to plans showed up. I think for newcomers and old comers it would be nice to find all those great old plans we sort of lost in the heap of info that has gathered here. I'm sort of rethinking some layout ideas right now and wish some of the stuff that showed up in old discussions was right here at hand.
Sounds like a great idea!! I'm looking for (and also trying to design) something around 8x4, kinda like an enlarged door layout with a mix of running and switching. An archive/library of track plans would be very useful. :thumbs_up:
I am really liking that too. This is the one part of this hobby that is really keeping me from from actually getting anything major started
Geeky: Sort of like a link to specific plans that folks have in RI albums? And maybe links to non-TB sites that have collections of layouts (I know you and others have often posted such links). Having someplace where we gathered layout plans or links to plans would certainly make them easier to find. Take a look at how Flash Blackman has set up the How To forum: at first we made copies of the threads to be posted as tutorials, edited them and then posted them in the How To forum...labor intensive. Then Flash suggested we just link to the particular threads instead of copying/editing/pasting. MUCH EASIER! And a method that could work just as well for track plans as for tutorials.
As if we didn't have enough to do?:tb-confused::tb-cool::tb-cute::tb-embarrassed: This is a great idea. It will need a champion to assemble and promote it.
Well if none of the admins are into it, I could do some work on it just to get it started. I suppose my original idea was a kind of locked thread with all the images in it from whatever place they came from. I do a lot fo web surfing for train related stuff. I could easily find some nice resources for folks that way.
Geeky: I like the idea and am raising the issue in the moderator's forum. We'll get back with you after staff have a chance to do some cogitating.
If I could chime in - I agree this would be excellent as long as each plan didn't turn into a discussion of each submission and only plans were posted. If people posted their plan as a thread ( so others could comment ) and the actual plan went to this new trackplan destination.
I really like that idea as I am staying with HO Scale and am planning a layout of 20'x20' U shape with 30" radius since I love running auto racks,piggy back flats and cars of Steve Church Milwaukee Road Iowa Division
Just an suplementary idea from the top of my head: making that database of track plans searchable by scale and a size index? Series with 4'x8', 9'x11', 18'x25' and then next class is just "huge"? Ragnar, building a 18'x23' H0 layout.
I guess it's been too long since I last posted... everyone seems to have forgotten about the Layout Depot. http://www.LayoutDepot.com - you will find exactly what you are looking for. A decent collection of layout designs, in all kinds of sizes and scales. You can all upload your own designs, or those of others to the site. Support for all kinds of design tools - Atlas RTS, CadRail, etc, and even free hand or image based designs. Joining and using the site is always FREE. Let me know if you have any questions. Peter
I deleted stevechurch2222 post because the attachment contained a questionable Windows execution command. I could not find a way to edit out just the attachment, so I deleted the whole post as a safety measure. When downloaded to my Mac, the file prevented me from emptying my trash because the file was in use by Photoshop, even after I had quit Photoshop. In Photoshop I only saw the icon, rather than a good-sized image. .bmp files can contain a virus.
Getting back on Geek's topic, Peter, many thanks and a tip of the hat for your Layout Depot Link, took a quick look-see and added it to my train related links. I'd also suggest the LDSIG web site and Wiki. They have an excellent repository of layout designs as well. If you post your design there, they are really good about providing excellent critique and suggestions. Many well known and respected modelers are members of that SIG and post regularly. Their links are: http://www.ldsig.org/ http://ldsig.org/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page JD
It seems everyone's forgotten about The Layout Party! - Index Admittedly, there aren't as many members as expected, so the collection of plans is a bit small.
