I am looking for some good 2'x4' layouts. I am moving to an apt. and have ordered a 2'x4 1/2' coffee table with glass top and sides. I'd thought of a figure 8 inside an oval perhaps - would still like to be able to run 2 trains at once. Anyone have any good plans or sample of coffee table layouts? I think I have all the coffee table layouts I could "google". Thanks!
Mike's Small Trackplans I'm working from the sixth one down, the up-and-over dogbone. It sounds like the one you would want- it is a figure-8 and an oval just as you said. If you choose that plan, we could exchange notes about progress [ 28. September 2004, 11:57: Message edited by: Biggerhammer ]
Styrene Wizard, Here's a small 2' x 4' logging layout that was on display at the National N Scale Convention (contest room) in Chantilly. Good trackplan for round-and-round...... The photo is by Clint Hyde of Northern Virginia NTrak (the host club for the convention) (his photo of this little layout is better than mine): You can see a few more photos of this layout that I took at my following Community Webshots album, "ATSF_Arizona at Chantilly Contest Entries Vol 1": http://community.webshots.com/album/173597472ogrFrb Hope this helps. (smile)
I know there were a couple in the N Scale Magazine. One was in the first year or two. There is a magazine search database on line. Which may be worth checking. I believe the URL is: http://index.mrmag.com/ Boxcab E50
If I were to build a coffee table layout, I would seriously consider Z scale. My LHS (70 miles round trip) had a couple of sets by Marklin. I don't care for their G guage stuff, but their Z scale equipment looks really nice. It was a real effort to hang on to the check book. Len
Here's my 24" by 48" model railroad, the bookcase it is contained in with it shown, and the closed bookcase:
Both of those 2X4's are great. Does anyone know what the minimum radius is on the logging railroad. I'll put the same question to 3rd Rail. Building into a book case or an entertainment center is a good way to bring the railroad into the living room. Len
Thirdrail- Did you have an existing bookcase, and plan the railroad to fit? Or did you custom build the bookcase? Boxcab E50
I don't know for sure, but I believe the logging railroad's min radius appears to be probably in the 8"-9" range.
Thirdrail- Did you have an existing bookcase, and plan the railroad to fit? Or did you custom build the bookcase? Boxcab E50 </font>[/QUOTE]The case was built to fit the railroad. The railroad was started before my daughter was born. When she came along, my work room became my son's bedroom, so I built the bookcase and the railroad went into the master bedroom. My daughter is 34, which will give you an idea when all this took place. It has been moved 7 times since then. The sharpest curve, behind the enginehouse, is about 7 inches.
I appreciate everyone's help. I checked Mike's small track plans, and must have missed this one - will go back and look again. As info, I now have a 3'x7' layout that folds up into the wall and only sticks out 12" when folded up. It is not finished - I had about 50% of what I needed to finish it, but would have 95% of what I need for the coffee table layout. A guy in Pekin, IN (near Louisville) builds the coffee table layouts to sell, and a few tables. I think he is going to stop on the tables and just do layouts. He had 1 table left to sell as of mid sep., it was in a mahogany finish with an oval glass top. He told me the tables were both $250. If you are really interested in this, send me an email. Thanks!
