# Here is a rough idea i have would like some advice on it



## TheDefiantPirate (Apr 2, 2017)

HI

This is a rough idea that i pulled out of my head for an HO Yard layout this afternoon I would like to potentially Try and fit it on a 4X8 or smaller if possible If not well Then I will have to come up with another idea I am trying to come up with something as a good starter layout to build and basically practice my skills with










its a simple yard layout with a hidden Inglenook Siding challenge set up Thrown in on the side Please know this is just the rough sketch so its not a perfect track plan


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## 65steam (Dec 18, 2019)

I suggest you try to draw that on some sort of grid. Right now it looks as though there is far too much track for that to fit on a 4x8 sheet in HO scale.


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

TheDefiantPirate said:


> HI
> 
> This is a rough idea that i pulled out of my head for an HO Yard layout this afternoon I would like to potentially Try and fit it on a 4X8 or smaller if possible If not well Then I will have to come up with another idea I am trying to come up with something as a good starter layout to build and basically practice my skills with
> 
> ...


Def Pir;

It's easy to show all sorts of things on a rough sketch, that won't actually fit in reality. This is, in fact, a classic mistake made by nearly every new modeler. Do you intend to dedicate a 4' x 8' table to only a yard, or will there be a loop, or other main line as well?
If only the yard needs to fit, then there is room for some of the things you have drawn on your sketch. The key word being "some".  

A turntable & roundhouse consume lots of space. So does a car shop. So do each of the many items you show. You could certainly fit one of your items, possibly even two. However, there is no way that all of them will fit on a 4 x 8 in HO-scale.
What will fit on a 4 x 8 in HO-scale is an oval, two concentric ovals, or an oval around a figure eight. That's it for main line options with continuous running.

On the other hand, if the 4 x 8 will be dedicated entirely to a yard scene, with no main line, then you could fit some car sorting tracks and a turntable & roundhouse. Those two items would just about fill up the 4 x 8 space. If your principal interest is switching cars, you may not need the 4' x 8' at all. A smaller shelf layout , say 2' x 8', or even 2' x 6' would be sufficient to build a nice switching layout.

Have you looked at any of the hundreds of track plans online? There are loads of them to fit on a 4' x 8' table, and many other shapes, including shelf switching layouts. The files below may help guide you toward a more realistic idea of what will fit, and offer some other options for layout shapes and the reasons behind them.

Good Luck & Have Fun;

Traction Fan 🙂


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

Get some graph paper and draw that to scale.


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## Refugee (Oct 2, 2019)

Might fit in 4x8 ... acres!


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## ecmdrw5 (Jan 16, 2021)

Try the free demo of Anyrail. You can set a workspace size and then play if track plans that will fit. Free version give you 50 piece you can put down.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## TheDefiantPirate (Apr 2, 2017)

traction fan said:


> Def Pir;
> 
> It's easy to show all sorts of things on a rough sketch, that won't actually fit in reality. This is, in fact, a classic mistake made by nearly every new modeler. Do you intend to dedicate a 4' x 8' table to only a yard, or will there be a loop, or other main line as well?
> If only the yard needs to fit, then there is room for some of the things you have drawn on your sketch. The key word being "some".
> ...


I will say thank you for the reference material and that advice Originally the idea was only supposed to be the yard scene the mainline loop and mountain came later I do want to come up with something small that could easily be taken to and from say local railway swap meets when I added what I did I started realizing that it was taking up way more than I originally wanted and thought Oh a 4X8 sheet then but as many are pointing out I have way too much there for a 4X8 as well I will read the reference material and try again maybe not do a roundhouse and turntable due to it taking up a lot of space though when I came up with the car shop I had in mind that it was not going to actually be functional (No tracks running through it just a building labeled car shop and done) so I don't know if that takes any of space required for the Carshop down


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## TheDefiantPirate (Apr 2, 2017)

65steam said:


> I suggest you try to draw that on some sort of grid. Right now it looks as though there is far too much track for that to fit on a 4x8 sheet in HO scale.


thanks yeah I am thinking the same thing based on what everyone else is saying


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## TheDefiantPirate (Apr 2, 2017)

MichaelE said:


> Get some graph paper and draw that to scale.


thanks for the advice


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## TheDefiantPirate (Apr 2, 2017)

Refugee said:


> Might fit in 4x8 ... acres!


Yep way to much thanks for the comment  
Need to work on it some more


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## TheDefiantPirate (Apr 2, 2017)

ecmdrw5 said:


> Try the free demo of Anyrail. You can set a workspace size and then play if track plans that will fit. Free version give you 50 piece you can put down.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I have done so already and I will be studying tutorials on youtube of how to use the program I will then try and come up with something better


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

TheDefiantPirate said:


> I will say thank you for the reference material and that advice Originally the idea was only supposed to be the yard scene the mainline loop and mountain came later I do want to come up with something small that could easily be taken to and from say local railway swap meets when I added what I did I started realizing that it was taking up way more than I originally wanted and thought Oh a 4X8 sheet then but as many are pointing out I have way too much there for a 4X8 as well I will read the reference material and try again maybe not do a roundhouse and turntable due to it taking up a lot of space though when I came up with the car shop I had in mind that it was not going to actually be functional (No tracks running through it just a building labeled car shop and done) so I don't know if that takes any of space required for the Carshop down


When you said "car shop" I was thinking of a large car shop that I saw in St. Paul Minn. complete with a "transfer table" (sort of a linear version of a turntable) feeding multiple tracks into a giant structure. However, for your small car shop, you could use something like a single-stall engine house. Railroad cars would obviously need at least one track to enter the shop.
Even smaller would be a "RIP track." (Repair In Place) This is just a simple siding with some tools, and parts, alongside. Things like car jacks and spare wheelsets, for example. There would also be some basic welding equipment, and boxes of smaller parts like brake shoes. These might also be housed in a small shed. The files I sent you are more aimed at a permanent home layout than a portable display layout. Still you may pick up some useful information from them. Like the "three-S principal" stating that any layout (and especially a portable one) should be Simple, Small, and Sectional. The traditional 4' x 8' layout is usually none of the three, though its possible, though uncommon, that it might be simple in its track plan. It is certainly not small enough to wrestle up stairs, around corners and through doorways. Its also not sectional, but rather one big unwieldy slab, and as often overbuilt using 3/4" plywood on a frame & legs made of 2" x 4" lumber, Its also pretty darn heavy. Dividing it into four 2' x 4' sections and using lightweight material, like extruded foam board, avoids all these problems. 

Good Luck & Have Fun;

Traction Fan


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## TheDefiantPirate (Apr 2, 2017)

traction fan said:


> When you said "car shop" I was thinking of a large car shop that I saw in St. Paul Minn. complete with a "transfer table" (sort of a linear version of a turntable) feeding multiple tracks into a giant structure. However, for your small car shop, you could use something like a single-stall engine house. Railroad cars would obviously need at least one track to enter the shop.
> Even smaller would be a "RIP track." (Repair In Place) This is just a simple siding with some tools, and parts, alongside. Things like car jacks and spare wheelsets, for example. There would also be some basic welding equipment, and boxes of smaller parts like brake shoes. These might also be housed in a small shed. The files I sent you are more aimed at a permanent home layout than a portable display layout. Still you may pick up some useful information from them. Like the "three-S principal" stating that any layout (and especially a portable one) should be Simple, Small, and Sectional. The traditional 4' x 8' layout is usually none of the three, though its possible, though uncommon, that it might be simple in its track plan. It is certainly not small enough to wrestle up stairs, around corners and through doorways. Its also not sectional, but rather one big unwieldy slab, and as often overbuilt using 3/4" plywood on a frame & legs made of 2" x 4" lumber, Its also pretty darn heavy. Dividing it into four 2' x 4' sections and using lightweight material, like extruded foam board, avoids all these problems.
> 
> Good Luck & Have Fun;
> ...


thanks I am watching a tutorial for Anyrail so hopefully I can come up with something soon


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