# looking for insight on a design for a space.



## Gardenfan (Mar 1, 2015)

So the bug caught me hard again. But decided to make a new layout in ho. I have a space in the basement 8foot by 12foot 8. Walls on 3 sides. Just finished putting in some lighting and plugs to prep the space. I want minimum 22 inch radius. Easier with an around the walls design with a duck under. Kind of thinking a folded dog bone. That brings in a reach issue in the back corners. Any preferences? Continuous run is a must have.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

If you can sketch your space and post it, it will be easier to give you suggestions. Depending on the orientation, either a complete around the walls or a folded dogbone would work. You haven't really posed a challenge yet... maybe if we see the unique space requirements there will be issues, but otherwise, sounds like you're fine.


unless you're saying that you don't know what else to do in that space other than an continuous run.


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

As an old man with an around the room single track main,
and a crawl under, my advice: DON'T. Devise a lift out, drop
down or fold up bridge. Easier than you might think. And
the convenience is substantial.

While designing it, plan an isolated section of track approaching
the bridge that will have track power killed when bridge is 'out'.

Don


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## Gardenfan (Mar 1, 2015)

Here is a basic idea of the room. The 8 foot section is actually 8 foot 5 due to the indent of the wall. I will not be using that spot, we will be moving in a year and a half to 2 years, and want it to fit in a proper corner. The Big block in the corner is shelving and storage, the door opposite it is the stairs to go up. The other door beside the layout is the entrance to the furnace room.

My biggest stumbling block I think is that I have been out of the game for 5 or so years now, so I am having trouble seeing it in my head. I think I would prefer a U shaped setup as opposed to an around the wall. I know I am sacrificing on curves, but I think it will make up for it in looks and ease of use.

I will also likely be using cookie cutter type construction.


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## Gardenfan (Mar 1, 2015)

Sorry I meant we will not be using that 5" by 8' 8" strip. Construction will be assuming that the wall is straight.


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## Gardenfan (Mar 1, 2015)

Here is something I came up with, the section in the middle would be yard areas, maybe a town scene with some switching. The track in the back would be elevated, the track in the front would be base level. On the left where the track would go over the other track, maybe a mountain in the corner with a coal loadout or something along those lines.


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## D&J Railroad (Oct 4, 2013)

You might consider using the whole room and use the area under the layout for storage.


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## Gardenfan (Mar 1, 2015)

The shelving is actually holding up a spare queen bed as well as full of everything else. I don't think it would work, but I can try and figure out something there.


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## Gardenfan (Mar 1, 2015)

Thought about moving the shelf stuff and bed into the other half of the basement where the furnace is, but if you saw it you would understand why it wouldn't work. For now, I am stuck with what I have in the pics. I can always add on to it when we move, as we are likely going to be building so I will get to design and layout the basement for my needs.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Your layout as you have sketched it is the same basic concept as mine, and it will work very well. The reach is a little long into the back corners of the large lobes (I have access to mine on 3 sides), but not an insurmountable problem. A topside creeper works wonders.

A couple other thoughts. I would add some more sidings for raail served industries so that your trains have more to do. Curved turnouts work well for adding sidings off of the lobes, if desired, although they are expensive.

Also, if you will be moving soon, assemble your benchwork with carriage bolts and wing nuts so that you can move your layout in pieces and not have to start from scratch in your new place.


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## Gardenfan (Mar 1, 2015)

Yes, all the benchwork will be made to come apart, much like my N scale did, it was 4 sections around the room, two endpieces and 2 filler pieces.

I do hope to have a lot of spurs like you mention. I have a box of track and enough roadbed to get things going, and then I will cut in spurs as I can afford the turnouts. Buying the benchwork materials, rewiring the basement, and the track/roadbed etc plus an engine is enough of a hit this month I think hah


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## Gardenfan (Mar 1, 2015)

So since I posted last I drew up a bunch of designs, including an around the wall with the duckunder. I framed a subframe to hold up the sections of the around the wall in the basement, and decided to go a different route. I am only 35 and a duckunder is not going to work for me, I just can't see it. So I went back to sketchup again and modified the benchwork of the walk in design a bit to allow me to run 22" radius without the track being right beside the edge. It will be in 5 sections for moving. 2- 3x4 foot, 2- 4x5 foot, and one 30" by 6'8"


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## Gardenfan (Mar 1, 2015)

Max grade will be about 1.9 to 2 percent so that is also a bonus.


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## Gardenfan (Mar 1, 2015)

Got a bunch of progress made. Don't mind the legs, I am building new ones with adjustable feet.


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## Gardenfan (Mar 1, 2015)

Okay this is what I think is the plan. Not all turnouts will be exactly where they show on the plan, just a general idea. Spurs in the right loop are a mine. The middle module is the yard, and the left three tracks will be to a rotary dumper or building, and I will have a removable dock scene that will go in the corner, but can be moved easily to reach the back. Since both turnaround loops are opposite, a removable section between the two functions as a reversing loop.


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

I like that layout. Lots of continuous running, a reverse loop to
add variety, lots of spur and yard tracks for plenty of switching
operations and the all important run around.

Since it's a long single track main, and I hope you'll
be running DCC, so you can have trains running both clockwise
and counter clockwise, you may need at least one more passing
siding. I have three on my layout and use them for passenger
train station locations.

Do plan to install isolated track either side of your 'lift out
bridge' so that the power is turned off when the 'bridge is out'.
We don't want any Big Boy debris cluttering the floor.

Don


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## Gardenfan (Mar 1, 2015)

I should have room on the right where the loop connects to the reverse section for another siding. The loops aren't in their exact locations, just kind of where they snapped in place.

Not only will the track be isolated, but likely a plexi block in place when the liftout isn't in, would rather the engine hit the plexi than take a 4 foot drop to concrete!

It will all be DCC, I couldn't even imagine running DC only at this point, plus I already have my first HO locomotive, a DCC and sound intermountain sd 40-2 in CP expo colours.


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## Gardenfan (Mar 1, 2015)

Sure hope our dollar gets back to par with US though, bought 150 bucks worth of stuff at trainworld, cost me 250 CAD shipped, and then customs hit me with the sales tax as well for 32 bucks. Almost no one in Canada had atlas code 83 in stock, and if they did they didn't have other things I needed, so would have been paying shipping over and over. I am going to need a bunch of curved turnouts to get this done and it is not going to be cheap.


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## thysell (Jun 8, 2013)

Not sure but I think the reversing loop only works one way and then cannot be accessed again without backing up. Nice layout.


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## RT_Coker (Dec 6, 2012)

If there is not a reversing loop in the layout (because of track junctions at different elevations), then the liftout could be changed to provide reversing.
Bob


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## Gardenfan (Mar 1, 2015)

You guys are right about the reversing loop being one way. I will have to think about that. I have the mainline in, had just enough track since I bought a pack of 25 at trainworld and only got a box with 20 in it. Mainline took 19.5 sections.


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

I'll have to take a second look, but, at first glance, the 'bridge' track does not appear to
make a reverse loop.

Having second thoughts. I'm going to draw this out using red and black pencils
to represent the rails.

Don


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## Gardenfan (Mar 1, 2015)

It does the one way, each of the loops rotate a different direction. So if you leave the yard facing left, take the reverse, you will end up back at the yard facing right.


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

I drew out the mains of this layout using black and red pens to
represent the 2 rails. 

1. The bridge itself presents no polarity problems
Nor does the left loop.

2. The entire right hand loop is a reverse loop.

3. It will require insulated joiners in five places and
that is not good. So many entrances to a reverse loop
gives more than one loco easy access to it and the
second one would likely cause a short circuit.

The 5 places for insulators:

A&B. Both tracks of the turnout top right.

C. The diverging track of the next turnout down 
on the Right loop.

D. The diverging track to the yard from
the right loop.

E. The diverging track to the bridge
from the right loop.

Maybe closer study can shorten the length
of the isolated section, I'll look some more.

I'm not certain how to read the spot where the
lead to the yard leaves the right loop and crosses
a track. Is there an elevation difference or is this
a crossing? Even if a crossing, it should not enter
into the issue.

Don


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## Gardenfan (Mar 1, 2015)

Here is what it looks like today.


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Doesn't look like you built from the drawing.

Obviously no reverse loop in your pics just now.

Don


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## Gardenfan (Mar 1, 2015)

I guess I should have pointed out the elevation differences better on the plan haha. I eliminated the mainline yard bypass because of where the turnouts would be. Both ends would effectively be in a tunnel eventually, and I don't like turnouts in tunnels. So that gives me more yard space anyway.

This will be sceniced in a way where when I take low pictures, you will not be able to see other track sections. 

So now I have to figure out what to do for turnouts, they are expensive, and I am trying to decide if I want to invest now in the tools to scratchbuild them or not. The layout as it sits might not use a huge amount, but, the layout will be expanded upon greatly when we build our home in the next few years.


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## Gardenfan (Mar 1, 2015)

I haven't built the liftout section yet, and I probably won't until I get the turnouts installed. The other issue is the grade might be steep from that side, so I might have to flip it to come off the other sides of the curve where the grades are closer to each other.

I also need to install all of my drops, and then I will close off the fascia on the mitered edges.

The benchwork is exactly to dimensions drawn, minus 1" on the yard section due to a curve in the foundation throwing it all out of square, so that section shrunk an inch to get it back. The track plan is essentially the same, no real big difference, it's just not close to being done yet.


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