# Looking for HO layout ideas....



## Snoopy47 (Nov 23, 2017)

I have seen many HO plans on here but I think I am going to need some extra help with what I have in mind. I want to run my 8-40C and eventually a Big Boy so the correct radius curves are very important. Also, I want a very deep (1'-2') canyon so I can build a nice wooden trestle. Given I only have approx. 10'x12' of space, does anyone know of a plan that would fit these criteria?

I also want a small western town, streets, roundhouse. 

Thanks
Zack


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

That sounds pretty easy. How about a little more information? Since you're running big steam and fairly modern diesels, I'm guessing sticking with one era doesn't matter much to you? You're looking for Western terrain, I guess.

How about continuous running? Is that a requirement?

What do you consider the "correct radius" for your curves. You can probably get away with 22" curves, but your locos will look toy like, with a lot of overhang, going around them. Do your models have a specified minimum radius? Do you care about the overhang issue?

What is your space like? What obstructions (doors, windows, utilities, etc) do you have to deal with and where are they?

Do you have any objections to duck-unders, liftouts, gates, etc?

It seems to me that, depending on your answers to these questions, an around-the-room layout with a peninsula or two would work quite well. Layouts 7, 9, 29, or 36 in the Collection of Track Plans thread could easily be modified to meet your needs.


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Zack

We've all pondered and thought about what track plan
we want. 

The first decisions should be how you want to enjoy
your layout...continuous running...switching...or a
combination of both.

Having made your choice you can start looking at
what others have done.

You won't likely find a whole layout that will fit your
space or satisfy your wants.

That's why this forum has the 2 stickies and other
threads that show you
the track plans of members and layouts that others
have designed.

Look through these for ideas that you can use...a switch
yard from plan A, an intricate crossing from plan B and
an interesting way to provide for continuous running over
bridges or through a tunnel from layout C. 

Make drawings of the ideas you like and see how you
can tie them together. Paper with a printed grid can be
of help in this...or if you are computer savvy, you can
use one of the layout design programs now available.

Once you get something together post a pic of it here
and our members will be able to make suggestions or
point out a potential problem. 

The design stage can be fun and it can be frustrating.
But it's an important part of the hobby. Go on...get yours
started.

Don


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## Snoopy47 (Nov 23, 2017)

CTValleyRR said:


> I'm guessing sticking with one era doesn't matter much to you? Not really, but I prefer the 40's-50's. The steamer would be just a novelty piece sorta like in today's world.
> 
> You're looking for Western terrain, I guess. Correct
> 
> ...


 I will take a look at these for sure. I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and I look forward to your advice and help with my layout.


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## Snoopy47 (Nov 23, 2017)

DonR said:


> Zack
> 
> We've all pondered and thought about what track plan
> we want.
> ...


Hi Don, yes, I have been a bit overwhelmed with all the layout variations for sure. I am very confident that with all you guys help here I will be able to get the layout I want for sure. 

I would like to add one thing. I can't have it so big that I can't move it if I need to. So, bolt together modules may be in the plans as well.

Thanks
Zack


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## JerryH (Nov 18, 2012)

Layouts that cannot be moved without a lot of dismantling work, often are simply scrapped. I decided to make mine sectional as well. I chose 4' x 8' sections as a convenient lumber/pickup truck bed size. You may want to look at the last few pages of this thread to see how I am doing just that.
http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=14852&page=60


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## Brakeman Jake (Mar 8, 2009)

I have the same problem...some day I'll have to move so had to take this into account when building my layout.It adds to building time and costs but is still better than scrap the whole thing when moving day comes.

My layout is made of four 40" X 40" modules (120" x 80" L-shaped layout) made of 3/8" ply grids covered with glued 2" pink foam.This gives pretty stiff surfaces yet very light (about 25 pds. per module) that,when scenicked,should stay within portable weights.Vertical 3" ply stringers every ten inches adds structural integrity.Wooden dowel pins and 1/4" bolts hold them together.

The modules are then bolted to a three section L-shaped angled iron frame (three legs).When assembled,I can climb on the layout and don't hear any stress cracking.The goal was having components that a single man could carry and with the modules stacked vertically,the whole layout should fit our Gran Caravan.

While the bench was a rather quick build,setting up the electricals with multi-terminal connectors between the modules was time consuming but wasn't a waste as we are planning to move by next July.It should take 2-3 hours to dismantle without cutting a single wire.A day or two to re-assemble should do it.


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## Snoopy47 (Nov 23, 2017)

Brakeman Jake said:


> I have the same problem...some day I'll have to move so had to take this into account when building my layout.It adds to building time and costs but is still better than scrap the whole thing when moving day comes.
> 
> My layout is made of four 40" X 40" modules (120" x 80" L-shaped layout) made of 3/8" ply grids covered with glued 2" pink foam.This gives pretty stiff surfaces yet very light (about 25 pds. per module) that,when scenicked,should stay within portable weights.Vertical 3" ply stringers every ten inches adds structural integrity.Wooden dowel pins and 1/4" bolts hold them together.
> 
> ...


Hi Jake. Could you share some pics so I can get a better idea of how you did yours?

Thanks
Zack


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## Brakeman Jake (Mar 8, 2009)

Sorry,I'm one of the few Canadian dinosaurs who doesn't have a cellphone nor a digital cam.However,I visit this forum daily and will gladly put in my two cents if you let us know what you would like to achieve and what are your possibilities like room dimensions,skills,budget,etc.That would be a good starting point.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Snoopy47 said:


> I will take a look at these for sure. I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and I look forward to your advice and help with my layout.


Especially because it doesn't sound like you have a real restiction on your space, take a look at these and let us know what does or doesn't appeal to you about them, and we can help you pull something together.


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## Snoopy47 (Nov 23, 2017)

Here's what I have come up with as far as benchwork parameters. I have been an Autocad designer most of my life so I thought I would take 2 minutes to put ACAD to use for my layout. This is VERY crude and extremely basic just to get the idea. The dropped portion will be the deep canyon I am wanting. It will be comprised of 4 bolted together modules.

Please feel free to critique it, and share all your ideas and changes that need to be made. I still have no ideas as far as the track plan is concerned.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Did you post anything? I don't see a drawing.

That might be because you don't yet have enough posts to be able to post images (I think it's 10), or it's there and I just can't see it because of firewall issues.


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## Brakeman Jake (Mar 8, 2009)

I can see a drawing...but don't quite understand it.I believe the layout is to be built in modules for moving purposes.The proposed drawing wouldn't be easy to carry,assuming it can go through a standard sized door.


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## Eilif (Nov 6, 2017)

A bit late to the party, but I'm working on my first layout and I found the "101 track plans" book that my father-in-law gave me to be quite inspiring and usefull. It's pretty old-school (most layouts are from the 60's I think) but it got me thinking about what I wanted from my layout. One of the layouts in the book (much modified) ended up being the starting point for my own track plan.

You can probably get it via inter-library loan, or a used copy will run you about 8 bucks shipped on Amazon. 

As for your layout and portability, I think the picture above illustrates pretty well how you can build your layout. Just make the big canyon drop a couple sections all it's own. Assuming the canyon is 2 feet deep, 2 feet across, goes across the 10' table and done in two halves, plus platform, you're looking at two segments that are 2'Wx2'Dx5'L. Not small, but entirely manageable. 

Another thing to consider would be that you might only need 1 foot or less to get the dramatic canyon you want. Remember that one foot in reality is 87 feet in HO and with the compression of scope that most model railroads create, a foot of depth can give the viewer impression of 150 foot drop.


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## Snoopy47 (Nov 23, 2017)

Brakeman Jake said:


> I can see a drawing...but don't quite understand it.I believe the layout is to be built in modules for moving purposes.The proposed drawing wouldn't be easy to carry,assuming it can go through a standard sized door.


Hi Jake. Yes, it is in 4 separate modules as shown for future moving reasons. It would be doorway accessible for sure.


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## Snoopy47 (Nov 23, 2017)

Eilif said:


> As for your layout and portability, I think the picture above illustrates pretty well how you can build your layout. Just make the big canyon drop a couple sections all it's own. Assuming the canyon is 2 feet deep, 2 feet across, goes across the 10' table and done in two halves, plus platform, you're looking at two segments that are 2'Wx2'Dx5'L. Not small, but entirely manageable.
> 
> Another thing to consider would be that you might only need 1 foot or less to get the dramatic canyon you want. Remember that one foot in reality is 87 feet in HO and with the compression of scope that most model railroads create, a foot of depth can give the viewer impression of 150 foot drop.


Good catch. I will need to rein in the depth based on the scale factor. Thanks for catching that one. 

Can everyone see the drawing?


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## Eilif (Nov 6, 2017)

Snoopy47 said:


> Good catch. I will need to rein in the depth based on the scale factor. Thanks for catching that one.
> 
> Can everyone see the drawing?


Just to be clear, I don't want to dissuade you from buildng the grand canyon if that's what you want. Just want to reassure you that it will still probably look great if you decide on a more modest gorge!


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## Snoopy47 (Nov 23, 2017)

Eilif said:


> Just to be clear, I don't want to dissuade you from buildng the grand canyon if that's what you want. Just want to reassure you that it will still probably look great if you decide on a more modest gorge!


Hahaha, no thanks for catching that. I am still putting thought into what and how I want things to go. I do want to build a wooden trestle. Can you give me some ideas about what type and sizes of material to use?


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## Eilif (Nov 6, 2017)

Snoopy47 said:


> Hahaha, no thanks for catching that. I am still putting thought into what and how I want things to go. I do want to build a wooden trestle. Can you give me some ideas about what type and sizes of material to use?


Afraid I can't be of any help there. I've got zero experience with wood building kits. I've got alot of experience model builing for sci-fi wargaming but that's all in plastic.

I'm pretty sure there are kits available though that would do what you want to. If you build them stock they might dictate the depth of your canyon though.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Snoopy47 said:


> Hahaha, no thanks for catching that. I am still putting thought into what and how I want things to go. I do want to build a wooden trestle. Can you give me some ideas about what type and sizes of material to use?


You can get commercial wooden trestle kits in various scales.

If you want to scratch build it, I would recommend using strip wood in a scale-appropriate size.


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## Snoopy47 (Nov 23, 2017)

CTValleyRR said:


> You can get commercial wooden trestle kits in various scales.
> 
> If you want to scratch build it, I would recommend using strip wood in a scale-appropriate size.


Yes, I want to scratch build it. That is part of this hobby that I like the most. I was going to get the size of a real crosstie and scale it down to 87 and go from there.

Just for grins, who sells a good quality wooden trestle?


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Snoopy47 said:


> Yes, I want to scratch build it. That is part of this hobby that I like the most. I was going to get the size of a real crosstie and scale it down to 87 and go from there.
> 
> Just for grins, who sells a good quality wooden trestle?


Just off the the top of my head:

Blair Line has some nice models, mostly prefab.
Central Valley Gems sells prefabricated parts that you can mix and match to make a custom trestle.
JV Models used to sell what was basically a box of sticks and a template. Haven't seen these recently, though.

You might also want to look at Model Railroad Hobbyist (www.model-railroad-hobbyist.com). They have featured "how to" articles. It is a free e-zine, but high quality and fully indexed online.


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## Snoopy47 (Nov 23, 2017)

Well, I unpacked what I have left of my HO stuff today. Everything has been in storage for the last 5 years. I am still working on my layout design but it sure was nice to see the stuff again. 

I am wondering how to make my turntable motorized. Can someone please explain what all I need to do this?


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Do you know who made the turntable? Many manufacturers sell motorizing kits for theirs. You can probably adapt one of these to just about any model.


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## Snoopy47 (Nov 23, 2017)

CTValleyRR said:


> Do you know who made the turntable? Many manufacturers sell motorizing kits for theirs. You can probably adapt one of these to just about any model.



I think it is an Atlas.


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## Snoopy47 (Nov 23, 2017)

Started the "L" shaped benchwork today. I know it's not as elaborate as some of you guys have but I believe it will work well with my layout ideas. I still have to layout the track plan, I will post that up for you guys to critique when I get that done.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

What's not elaborate? That's all you need for benchwork right there. Anything else is overkill.

The only thing you might want to add is a diagonal brace on those single legs.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

CTValleyRR said:


> Just off the the top of my head:
> 
> Blair Line has some nice models, mostly prefab.
> Central Valley Gems sells prefabricated parts that you can mix and match to make a custom trestle.
> ...


SBRacing has some nice photos of scratchbuilding trestles here: http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=147497&page=2

Personally, i would have used wood with a squarer profile, but the technique is spot on.


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## Snoopy47 (Nov 23, 2017)

CTValleyRR said:


> SBRacing has some nice photos of scratchbuilding trestles here: http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=147497&page=2
> 
> Personally, i would have used wood with a squarer profile, but the technique is spot on.
> 
> What's not elaborate? That's all you need for benchwork right there. Anything else is overkill.



Thanks, CT. I see some of the guys' stuff on here and the benchwork alone is AMAZING. Again, as I mentioned in my DCC thread I am just too old school so the fancy stuff is a bit out of my zone, LOL. I believe it will work fine for me. I am going to finish the other part of the "L" today and post up some more pics. 

I will also post up a drawing of the footprint and will be asking for help to design a functional track plan based on my benchwork. I will be using all flex track and cork base.

Does anyone know what size the HO scale trestle lumber would be? Vertical pieces, cross braces & diagonal supports? 


Thank you ALL, I really appreciate everyone's input and advice here. :thumbsup:


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## Snoopy47 (Nov 23, 2017)

Ok guys. I have pretty much finished the basic benchwork for my new layout. Now, is there anyone who could help me with a track plan and possibly even drop that into SCARM. I would really appreciate the help. The drop-down portion is the canyon and bridge I am building.
I plan on using a 3 stall roundhouse/turntable and a small town area.


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