# Starting My First O Layout



## Jason17112 (Sep 24, 2015)

Last year I posted in the Layout Design Forum a plan that I was working on for an O Gauge layout. At that point I had just begun finishing my basement, and I now have the Train Room almost ready to start building benchwork. I will be posting layout progress here, and also asking questions relative to each phase of construction. I have 2 small children so my time to work on it will be limited. The room is 12' wide by 16' long. I am attaching a picture of the room in its current state as a starting point.


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## Jason17112 (Sep 24, 2015)

This is the floor plan for the room that I am working with:








This is my proposed benchwork plan. I wanted to go with an around the room plan with a lift out bridge to be able to have a larger radius mainline. Please comment if you have any concerns or ideas to make it better.


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

In my zeal to get as much layout in my train room as
possible I ended up with one 'access' area that was
very tight. I must sidle into it and cannot turn around.
My shirt often brushes against and moves scenery.

I see a sort of narrow passage in your plans. Are you
certain YOU can easily move through that space?

Don


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

DonR said:


> I see a sort of narrow passage in your plans. Are you certain YOU can easily move through that space?


Maybe he's skinnier than you are Don. 

I like the around the room with the bridge, that does give you a nice long run with decent curves.


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## Jason17112 (Sep 24, 2015)

All passageways except for the one on a diagonal will be 30" wide. The one on a diagonal will be 24" at the narrowest part, but I wasn't too concerned with that because of how short the narrowest part will be.

John, you have a good point that being able to fit through the passageways will be great motivation to not eat too much during the holidays :laugh:


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## Jason17112 (Sep 24, 2015)

This is the track plan I came up with after posting different variations on here last year. Still working on finalizing the yard in the center.
















Here is the Scarm File for anyone that is interested
View attachment 7235-003.zip


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Looks good so far, I would try to get the second dog bone a little wider like the other one. It looks a bit to circular. It would help with longer locos and probably old look better. Just connect it down the line a bit more. Only other advise is to make sure the grades work before screwing it all down. Things go down hill faster then you think. Good luck.


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

My first thought was to recommend against the lift out bridge. I used to have one on my upper level and it was such a pain, I hardly ever used the upper level. But it does make for a nice track plan and if you do a better job than I did, It might be OK. Making the lift out on a diagonal will be a challenge. Actually, it may be high enough that it could be a duck under.

I would try to add another crossover in the other direction. Trying to back a model train over a crossover sometimes results in a derailment.

What part of the layout will have the Rockville bridge?


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## Jason17112 (Sep 24, 2015)

Good point on making the second dogbone wider like the first, I will have to play with that in scarm. 

If the liftout doesn't want to work easily, I could turn that area into a duck under, knowing in the future that if I get tired of ducking under it I could turn it into a liftout.

I would love to model a short version of the Rockville Bridge. It is impressive watching a train go across that bridge.


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Not sure what you plan for the small yard.
There seems to be a turnout on one track
without a tail or a diverting track.

Don


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## Jason17112 (Sep 24, 2015)

I am not sure how I want to finish the small yard, not much space to work with. I am not too worried about it holding a lot of cars because I think I will end up running a track through the wall and having a staging yard in a storage room next to the layout room.


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## Mark Boyce (Jul 22, 2015)

Jason, your plan is surprisingly similar to what I have in my head to design for my 12 x 12 room with doors on one end. I don't know about the peninsula, but I need some yard space for operating accessories somewhere. Yes, I had the same idea for the lift up bridge on the upper level as well! I need that double loop for my passenger trains. I figured I would figure a way to do it when the time comes.


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## Mark Boyce (Jul 22, 2015)

How steep is that ramp between levels. I was thinking in 12 x 12 it would be steeper than I want, so the levels wouldn't be connected. If they can be great, but I would want a way back down too.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Mark, use an elevator.


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

Mark Boyce said:


> How steep is that ramp between levels. I was thinking in 12 x 12 it would be steeper than I want, so the levels wouldn't be connected. If they can be great, but I would want a way back down too.


If you want two levels with connecting crossovers between them, but don’t have much space, one option is to make an intermediate level. On my layout, track 3 runs between 0 elevation and 3” elevation. Track 4 runs between 3” elevation and 6” elevation. The 3” level has the crossover.


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

You do have space for another siding or two depending on what you plan for scenery. I jammed as much into my spot as possible some like open fields. So if you want more action stuff you got space to add on. If you want scenery your good to go I did mention the grades, they are hard to manage sometimes. You got to try them out first. I had mine come down gradually, as my train flew off the table if the grade ended on a curve. My table was 12 feet where that happened.


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## Mark Boyce (Jul 22, 2015)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> Mark, use an elevator.


LOL
John, I always know I can count on you for a solution!!


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## Mark Boyce (Jul 22, 2015)

Lehigh74 said:


> If you want two levels with connecting crossovers between them, but don’t have much space, one option is to make an intermediate level. On my layout, track 3 runs between 0 elevation and 3” elevation. Track 4 runs between 3” elevation and 6” elevation. The 3” level has the crossover.


That is a good idea, Lehigh74!! Thank you! I'll take a look at that as I get familiar with SCARM


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## Jason17112 (Sep 24, 2015)

I kept my grades below 3% based on what I have read on different forums. 

I want to leave room for scenery, so I didn't want to fill the space up with more tracks.


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## Mr.Buchholz (Dec 30, 2011)

All of the tracks on the layout will be elevated? I'm not sure what's going on there.



-J.


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## Jason17112 (Sep 24, 2015)

I am staring the main level of track 3" above the cross pieces of the benchwork so that areas that are below normal grade will still be above the cross pieces of the benchwork and I will not have to cut the benchwork in those places to make it lower. Not sure if I explained it well enough, if not let me know.


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

I used foam board on my top and you can cut away to lower below grade or glue on top to create above grade slopes


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## Mark Boyce (Jul 22, 2015)

Jason and SMJ,
Yes that is a good way to make below track scenery. I have used it and plan to on my new layout


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## Jason17112 (Sep 24, 2015)

My thought was to get all the track laid down and then come back and fill in between the tracks with foam to create the final grade to put all the scenery on. Is this a good way to do it, or will this way cause problems that I am not seeing?


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## Jason17112 (Sep 24, 2015)

I have started building benchwork :appl:. I am going with L Girder construction since that seems to allow the most flexibility with layout construction as far as setting the track at different elevations. Also this method seems to allow me to use less posts allowing me greater ease of movement under the layout.

















I will continue to post updates as construction continues.


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## Mark Boyce (Jul 22, 2015)

Jason, looking good. I have used L-girder, open grid, and shelves braced from the wall. All have worked for me. How wide are your shelves going to be? On my new layout, I was thinking of bracing the narrower shelves from the wall and using one of the other two methods for the wider sections at each end.


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## Jason17112 (Sep 24, 2015)

Shelves are 30" wide which could have been braced from the wall, but I was more comfortable using posts since I really only needed a few posts along the narrow areas.

Mark, I will be interested in following your new layout at it progresses


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## Mark Boyce (Jul 22, 2015)

Jason,
Yes, 30" may be more than I would want to brace from the wall too.

Thank you for your interest. I plan to start a topic as soon as I have a little more done on my preliminary SCARM design and get my thoughts down in writing. Cleaning up autumn leaf fall has taken too much time lately. ;-)


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Looks good, nice looking work so far.


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## Jason17112 (Sep 24, 2015)

I have completed the basic benchwork, and will be on to putting the upright supports and plywood in that will go under the cork roadbed. I am starting with just the main loop around the room so that I can get trains running, then I will start on the rest as time/money allows.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Looks like a great start, but I'd finish the ceiling before I did much more on the benchwork!


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## Jason17112 (Sep 24, 2015)

That would make too much sense to finish the ceiling first , but I do have plans to get that finished up before I can't easily reach the edges of the ceiling from a ladder


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## Mark Boyce (Jul 22, 2015)

Looking good Jason! I'll be glad to follow along!!


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

DonR said:


> Not sure what you plan for the small yard.
> There seems to be a turnout on one track
> without a tail or a diverting track.
> 
> Don


And for that turnout to be useful, you'd have to be able to pull a locomotive and at least one car PAST it, before you can shove back into the siding.


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

A lot of progress in less than 3 weeks time. And it looks like top notch workmanship too.


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## Jason17112 (Sep 24, 2015)

Made some progress over the holiday weekend. I am using 1/2" plywood for a base, then gluing down cork roadbed. I am then gluing gargraves 3 rail Flex track with wood ties to the cork. When dry this seems to be solid, I am hoping to keep some of the noise down by not using any nails or screws. I ran power to a temporary transformer so that I can test the smoothness of the track and curves as I lay it. And yes, I do really need to finish that ceiling before I get too far along...


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## Mr.Buchholz (Dec 30, 2011)

Bench work looks pretty damn solid! Can't wait to see more progress!

-J.


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