# First Layout Bench-work Design



## dubOne (Jul 21, 2012)

Hey folks

I currently have a small 4x8ish layout that there isn't much to. Having just started the hobby a few months ago I'm starting to build up some things.

So I'm working on planning out the bench work. I have an 8' x 10'10" area to work with. One challenge I have is that my Wife wants me to be able to remove part of at times so it doesn't block a window, which is about 3-3.5' wide. So I've got sort-of a shelf lay-out that is a bit wider than most I've seen and it doesn't really wrap around the room.

I've attached my initial design and would like any feed back on it I can get. 

The "green" area I'm planning to do some scenic stuff, like mountains and such. The Orangeish-brown area I plan on doing some sort of city/industry. I may also be flipping them because I was thinking of building out and utilizing part of my desk as a yard as I don't use my full desk as it is today.

The gray areas are what I'll need to "lift out" to the window or into the center area. 

Thanks a lot for any input anyone is willing to give :thumbsup:


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## Carl (Feb 19, 2012)

I think you have started down the right road on planning your layout.


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## broox (Apr 13, 2012)

I'm with Carl, Its a good basic plan to work from.

If you can stretch out that top edge over to your desk (even if only a foot of width) it'll make a nice space for a yard and open up a few opportunities for the rest of the layout.

For your table/shelf design you'll most likely be building it elswhere (shed/garage) and installing it into the room in pieces, just remember to make the pieces small enough that they fit through a doorway easily  and perhaps consider a size that suits being moved by one person (just in case!)
Theres also plenty of info around the place about modular setups, which could form a great base for your layout, or atleast the liftout sections at a minimum.

What scale are you modeling? I assume HO (thats about 60% of the market I think). If you havent got any rolling stock yet, you could consider N scale. You get twice as much track fitting in the same space, which could introduce some other interesting plan variations. Just a thought :thumbsup:


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## dubOne (Jul 21, 2012)

Thanks for the responses.

Broox: Yup, building the table will be the part I'm most familiar with and have already some idea of the sections I will be creating to ensure I cane move them out when needed.

As far as scale goes, right now, you are correct HO. But as part of what I want to do during my planning is see what I can do with both. I've been leaning more and more toward N here recently, due to space and the fact that I seem to be having a hard time finding the locomotives I want in HO (see my post in the Beginners Q&A  ). 

So far I'm not in HO to bad. 1 basic DCC locomotive and a couple simple Bachmann starter sets. For now I still prefer HO as it seems a good size, but before I invest any more into it I've got a bit of planning to do to figure out if that is the way i really want to go.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Tell the wife she can get to the window on the outside of the house.
Second floor you say? Buy her a ladder.

If you don't use the full sized desk move it out? 
More room for the layout.:thumbsup:
But I would make some kind of work bench in it's place, you will need a work area. 

On the lift out areas what are you planning to put in that space? By the window, bridges and a river might work well for the lift out.


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## dubOne (Jul 21, 2012)

Yes, so it will be a lift out to the point that I can lift it out, but honestly, I doubt it will happen often, at least for the window piece.

What I do with it I think will depend on what scale I end up choosing. Initially, I thought to do a bridge like you said, but after looking at some of the recommended radius's it doesn't look like I'll have to much room to do that on the top and bottom ends and still have room for the scenery I'm wanting. I'm also looking to do parallel main tracks around the layout and using that section from my cross over and possibly even some additional building. 

I'm willing to give up some back-ground realism for giving areas some purpose 

As far as the desk goes, I do use it, just not the full length. I have enough room for my monitor, keyboard and mouse on one end. I was also lazy and did not draw out its full shape and is actually a bit narrower at the part that is against the wall. 

Right now I have about 2'-2.5' area that only has my PR3 hooked up to my PC and a piece of track I have set up for my programming track.

Once I get bit further I'll update the diagram with some initial plans for how I'd lay the track out.


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## dubOne (Jul 21, 2012)

Hello again everyone.

I've made some progress with my track plan. After going back and forth on what I wanted to do and what I could do with my space, I've decided to drop down to N scale.

I don't expect to be able to start my bench work until mid December, but want to have what I want to do wrapped up before then so I can start getting the supplies I need. 

In any case, I'd like to get some feedback on where I'm going with it, as I think I'm still pretty clueless on what works and what does not. The goal of my layout is to have a mix of things to do and I'm fine with sacrificing some realism to achieve that.

I also plan to build this in phases, hopefully stating with what I feel appears to be more simple, and then moving on to more complex. I've color coded the sections in my track planner to identify the areas:

*Black *= the "main line" and is what I'll knock out first. This will be my sit back and watch the train run section.

*Red *= "Branch line" and is where I'll start to add in some functionality. Loading docks etc. I will more than likely create a big inner loop for this that will pass thru where the white section is.

*Blue* = My intermodal terminal. ( see ther rbimt for what I was trying sort-of achieve here )

*White *= My last section, which will be a small yard of sorts.

I appreciate any tips and/or feedback any of you can give.

Thanks!


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Boy, the first photo looks very real, almost like a real railroad yard.


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## dubOne (Jul 21, 2012)

What? Real? No, I'm just that good!

Yeah sorry, I should have been more clear. the LayoutN2.jpg file is my layout plan. The other one was just an example of what I was trying to model after on the blue section. And it is as real as google earth gets


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Can you get around the sides, the sides opposite of the windows? Or are they butted up against the wall?

It looks like you can gain a little more space for the layout if you make the inside like this? Instead of a big square make it like an oval on the inside?
You can gain some space for industries or whatever?
Cut down the center as much as you can?

Look at my crummy picture,


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## dubOne (Jul 21, 2012)

It will be against the wall. For the desk side, gray block where the small yard is, I was either going to do another lift out or hinge drop down door thing to get to the center area.


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## old464 (Oct 12, 2011)

I know I had room only for the 5x11 in the one room. I tried to throw out the couches! haha did not get too far on that one....... 
Chris


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