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Ok all. I have a small 6x10 room that I've gutted and prepared for a new HO model railroad. Not a lot but its what I've got. I've designed the attached plan and am looking for thoughts/criticism/ideas. Thanks in advance for the help.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c22/j ... 3/6x10.png

Nice, clean and orderly. Lots like a great plan for the space you have.

Looks like it will be easy to build, get up and running, and give you an hour or so of operating time each session.

I also have a 6x10. If I can figure out how to post my layout it may give you some ideas.

My suggestions would be to break up the space by having the sidings and main tracks at different angles, rather than following the angles of the walls. Also there is room to have a single track incline on the backside that could lead to a narrow shelf around the room for a branch line or long industrial spur. Good luck!

Thanks for the feedback and I'm hoping to hear some more too. That's a good idea on the branch, Ben. I'll see if I can work something up. I was also thinking of running a line down to a lower level workbench/staging to give a train somewhere to go.

I did do some other plans, trying to change some angles on tracks and such but, with it being such a tight space, it made it tough to keep the radius curves that I wanted. I'm hoping that properly positioning the structures and scenery will break it up and give the illusion of a longer run. On the right side, the elevator and fertilizer plant separate the aisle from the main line and on the left side, a city/downtown scene will separate it the aisle from the industrial sidings and main towarrd the back. On the top, it will be wooded and then open up into a rural landscape.

I'd try to make the layout Bi-level, at least an extra loop under the layout to give a longer mainline. I think that a long industrial spur/branch would be excellent as well.

If youre looking for a longer run you could do a twice around with a crossing some place. When your train goes across the crossing you will like the sound. And it would not compromise the rest of your layout either.

Ahhhh....I first pictured a 6 x 10 table, but now see you have a 6 x 10 room and have to leave room for yourself! I think your layout idea looks pretty good. When you commandeer an adjoining room, you can just extend one of the sidings and "tunnel" through the wall!

Yeah its going to be a litle tight. I like the suggestion of commandeering the adjoining room...... since its the garage!!! I'll let the wife know that you made that recommendation.

Maybe you can work out a deal like I have with my ole lady...garage is for the car in the winter, and (mostly) for trains the rest of the year.

Hmmm, maybe I should suggest she could get a compact car so I'd have a little more room too? Um, no. I think I'll pass on that one Ben!!! Otherwise, I might find a cot set up for me in the garage as well!

Alright, room is gutted, electrical moved and drywalling is taking place next week. Still working on developing the track to a lower level/staging/length of run loop in a way that preserves the scenes the way that I want and the shelf structure design but, for the most part, I believe I'm maintaining most of the inital plan that I presented to you all. I sure appreciate all the feed back and any more that comes.

Fairly simple. Can be operated as a point to point or just let them run...

Room for switching, and other track. Have fun building!

Dan

Dan, what are you using for minimum curve radius' and turnout sizes? I had used a minimum of 24 and #6 turnouts. Interesting plan. A little more congested but might have some more opportunities for me. Thanks for sharing.

jwilliam33 wrote:Dan, what are you using for minimum curve radius' and turnout sizes? I had used a minimum of 24 and #6 turnouts. Interesting plan. A little more congested but might have some more opportunities for me. Thanks for sharing.

Looks like 18" to 24" and #4. I like it a lot too.

The radius is in red on the curves. Most are 22" some 20 or 21" Also all are #4 frogs except where you see the #5 on the layout. It is small, compact, but has room to build a small town or scenery on this layout. If you don't know, the software I used to make this program is free. All the switches can beloaded into it custom sized, these are all fast tracks TOs in this one. I could put in Atlas Snap switches and see what would fit too.

Dan

Didn't realize you modeled Dundee Cement Don. My uncle put over 30 years into that place. My dad grew up on the south side of Milan with the Ann Arbor going through one side of their farm and the Wabash the other.

MagnumForce wrote:Didn't realize you modeled Dundee Cement Don. My uncle put over 30 years into that place. My dad grew up on the south side of Milan with the Ann Arbor going through one side of their farm and the Wabash the other.

You are very fortunate to have that sort of info at your fingertips. I have spent a lifetime researching AA and Dundee Cement trying to understand their operations.