# [H0] Another roundy round layout



## Old Guy (May 29, 2021)

Hello happy members!
my switching layout project has been delayed because Peco products are no longer available in Europe (due to Brexit and virus). So, I changed my mind and decided to build a small H0 layout (31 1/2" x 63"). I can also do a lot of switching operations.
This layout is more like a toy train than anything else because the radius of the curves are very tight (14 1/4" and 17 1/4" in some places).
I use the Trix C track made in Germany. Locomotives and rolling stock are mostly from Bachmann.
So don't be too cruel with my poor work. Anyway, I am very happy with the result !
All your advices, comments and criticisms are welcome. Thank you.


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## artfull dodger (Nov 19, 2016)

Looks great, nothing wrong with small layouts and tight radius curves. Would make an excellent "traction" layout with woodside cars to handle passenger traffic and a steeple cab or box cab electric to deal with the freight traffic. My layout is even smaller, just enough for a small loop of 15" radius Atlas "snap" track with a straight section on each side. One side has a turnout with a single track car barn. I have way more cars than I have layout. But its small and managable, I can concentrate on detailing things, building the overhead wire for the cars to run off of. I used Marklins version of the Trix track on my last layout, C track is nice stuff, right up there with Kato's Unitrak, which is in short supply in the states right now. A small diesel like an Alco S class switcher or EMD SW1 would be right at home on your layout as well


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

Old Guy said:


> Hello happy members!
> my switching layout project has been canceled because the Peco products are no longer available in Europe (due to the Brexit and the virus). So, I changed my mind and decided to build a small H0 layout (39 "x 73").
> I can also do a lot of switching operations. This layout is more like a toy train than anything else because the radius of the curves are very tight (14 1/4 "and 17 1/4" in some places). I use the Trix C track (made in Germany). Locomotives and rolling stock are mostly from Bachmann.
> So don't be too cruel with my poor work. Anyway, I am very happy with the result !
> ...


Old Guy;

As long as you are happy with it, that's all that matters. If, at some point you want to add scenery, you have some options. Maybe you would like a city scene with industrial buildings on each of your sidings. If you installed a double-sided backdrop in the middle , then the city scene could be on one side and some more rural scenery could be on the other. Or how about a harbor area? the turnouts could be re-arranged to serve industries around a small inlet off the sea. Really whatever you want. The secret to making small layouts look more realistic, and therefore less "roundy round," is to pick one small part of a real railroad, and use your limited space to represent just that one scene. Another great improvement in realism is hiding the "roundy round" part of the track.

I use both these tricks on my own layout. My centerpiece scene is Seattle Union Station. The trackage there was simple, six stub tracks and a main line. The rear track of my return loop, and part of the curve going to that rear track are hidden. Seattle's rail tracks are mostly below street level and pass under bridges and through short tunnels. This was a big help in making the back track disappear. The sections of the streets of downtown Seattle that hide the rear loop track, and a hidden staging yard, are lightweight removeable affairs, so I can get to them when necessary for cleaning or maintenance. The effect is that trains leave the station and then "head out of town." The reality is that they move onto hidden track and show up in another scene later. My layout is N-scale, and 15 feet long, so I do have a certain space advantage, however it is also only 16 inches deep in most places and my largest section (the station scene) is only four feet by three feet.

Good Luck & Have Fun;

Traction Fan 🙂


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## Old Guy (May 29, 2021)

Many thanks for all your inputs folks. Very appreciated.


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## Gramps (Feb 28, 2016)

You have an S curves on the right side and off the turnouts on the left side of the photos. The curved tracks on the right and coming off the left turnout look like it's your wider radius track but the curved track off the right turnout appears to be the smaller radius. I have one S curve siding with a 15" radius curve off the turnout and any car over 6" long derails going through it. The Cylindrical Hopper is about 8" long and it will have trouble negotiating the curves if they are too sharp and from experience it should not be able to handle that siding in the last photo. I hope this helps, good luck.


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## Old Guy (May 29, 2021)

Thanks for your reply.


Gramps said:


> You have an S curves on the right side and off the turnouts on the left side of the photos. The curved tracks on the right and coming off the left turnout look like it's your wider radius track but the curved track off the right turnout appears to be the smaller radius.


 Yes my layout is very close to a roller coaster !
I mainly used 14 1/4" radius and 17 1/4" radius in some places


Gramps said:


> The Cylindrical Hopper is about 8" long


This car is only some kind of "demonstrator" for the short turnouts and the very tight curves. In fact I'll run only 40' cars (approx. 6" long).


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## Old Guy (May 29, 2021)

I can also build a layout like that (see below) but it's not very funny. 😩


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## Gramps (Feb 28, 2016)

In the late 80's I had a layout with 18" radius sectional track and I had two cylindrical hoppers that handled that radius. My point being you probably can run your hopper on your larger radius as long as you avoid that one siding.


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