[Boston&Maine]

No, there is no track on these plans yet, but heck, I am still a few years away from even being able to start construction on this... This is a 10' by 12' layout and it will be bi-level... The layout will be made up of eighteen 2' by 3' blocks so that if I ever move I will be able to disassemble it and load it into a moving van, or two, or three

The three 2' by 2' blocks will be easily removable... There will be no track work on the two green blocks, and there will be a couple of bridges running over the river on the small white block... Also, there will be no lower level under these three blocks... That way when I remove them I will be able to walk into the center of the layout allowing me to reach everything (I have long arms )...

Having the 5' of space on either side of the removable section will allow me to have an O54 u-turn on the both legs of the layout... I will definitely be running O72 curves at least on the outer track of the layout (this will be one that crosses through the small white block), and this means my layout will be UP Big Boy compatible

The lower level of this layout will be nothing more than one mother of a freight yard... I want to be able to have several 15 to 20 car trains assembled under there, while my locomotives will probably be stationed on the upper level... When I want to pick up a freight consist I can just go down to the lower level and pull one up allowing me to easily mix and match locomotives with rolling stock... I will probably use a switcher or two to bring them up to the upper level...

So, from this little starting point, where may I run into trouble? Please do not crush my dreams :laugh:

EDIT: Oh yea, one more thing that I almost forgot to mention... I will probably be building some mountains in the upper right-hand corner of my layout...

 

[T-Man]

Lay some Track.

 

[Boston&Maine]

Lay some Track.

I am trying, I am trying... Reverse loops are not a fun thing to try and fit into a layout!

I am going to scrap what I have now I think and start over tomorrow

 

[T-Man]

An old friend told me once that the folded dogbone was the most efficient way to fit a lot of track in a space. I have no idea if it is true.

 

[stationmaster]

Why a reverse loop? Use a bridge and go over or under the second track.

 

[Boston&Maine]

Well, this is what I came up with... Like I said, I will not even be starting this for a few years, but I was bored

 

[stationmaster]

Better start buyin switches now. You got a bunch of 'em. lol

 

[T-Man]

I will say MTH has a good price for 072 switches. Half the price of Lionel.

 

[Boston&Maine]

I will say MTH has a good price for 072 switches. Half the price of Lionel.

Really? I have no idea what I am going to use for track, I will pick that out in the future... I cleaned up a couple of corners and made it a 12' by 12' layout, which really helped make everything work

The only thing would be the two curved trestles in the top left-hand corner... All of the trestles I see crossing rivers are straight :dunno:

Also, I think I will run the outer track through the mountain and make a tunnel

 

[Boston&Maine]

Probably the last major revision... I decided to ditch the whole lower level freight car storage idea... It is just not worth it with the 12' by 12' space... If I move into a house and have say a 12' by 24' area to build a layout then I would probably go for it

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

Whay gauge is tgis? These plans are awesome!

 

[Boston&Maine]

Thanks Chief! These plans are for O scale... I made one tiny revision; I added in an uncoupling track section in the freight yard

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

Dude! I would love something like this in HO

 

[Boston&Maine]

My layout software only does O scale, other wise I woulc turn it into HO scale for you...

 

[T-Man]

I have a new saying. "Let me prove my ignorance."

MMMM, O and HO, I would calculate the HO to be half size of the O.
I would guess 3/4 of the size. A large radius measurement doesn't change.
All you need is the same radius curves and switches in the scale you want to build. How about a list?

I guess I am just "Throwing myself on the tracks"

 

[Boston&Maine]

I have a new saying. "Let me prove my ignorance."

MMMM, O and HO, I would calculate the HO to be half size of the O.
I would guess 3/4 of the size. A large radius measurement doesn't change.
All you need is the same radius curves and switches in the scale you want to build. How about a list?

I guess I am just "Throwing myself on the tracks"

I thought about saying something like thas but I was not positive either... Here is a plain image with what each piece is, and then there is the item list...

(19) MTH 40-1012 5.5 inch half straight
( 1) MTH 40-1006 90° cross
(11) MTH 40-1054 O54 curve
(22) MTH 40-1042 O42 curve
( 4) MTH 40-1057 O54 half curve
( 4) MTH 40-1055 O54 lefthand turnout
(18) MTH 40-1010 O72 curve
(13) MTH 40-1017 4.25 in straight
( 7) MTH 40-1016 5.0 in straight
( 3) MTH 40-1056 O54 righthand turnout
( 6) MTH 40-1043 O42 righthand switch
( 1) MTH 40-1007 45° cross
( 2) MTH 40-1020 O72 righthand switch
( 4) MTH 40-1045 O42 half curve
(10) MTH 40-1018 3.5 in straight
(30) MTH 40-1001 10 inch straight
( 6) MTH 40-1019 30 in straight
(11) MTH 40-1024 bumper
( 4) MTH 40-1044 O42 lefthand switch
( 1) MTH 40-1008 uncoupling track
Grand total of 177 pieces

 

[T-Man]

The only other thing of thought is a 72' curve in O in probably comparable to 32" curve in HO. It may make the straight pieces half the length too.

Let me check the stock. On second thought HO curves would be flex track. A lot of differet curves are listed. I would start in the center and work out. half the radius and distance should work.
This is good to plan out a layout. I normally just lay it out to connect tarting wih just an idea, then again I have standard curves and I don't get fancy.

 

[stationmaster]

If one were to build this in HO, I'd use flex track.

 

[Boston&Maine]

On second thought HO curves would be flex track. A lot of differet curves are listed.

That is thanks to my 054-042-054-042 trick... I can not remember where I read that originally... If and when I build it I will try flex track for those corners, but if I do not like working with it I can at least revert to the standard pieces...

 

[stationmaster]

That is thanks to my 054-042-054-042 trick... I can not remember where I read that originally... If and when I build it I will try flex track for those corners, but if I do not like working with it I can at least revert to the standard pieces...

I will let you in on my secret as to why I use flex track. Fewer connections. Fewer rail splices. Fewer connections/splices means less chance of a "dead spot" or broken connection.

Another thing. Have you ever stood on a rail and loked down the tracks? They are not straight. Another bit of added realism when using flex track.

One other suggestion. Use Shinohara or Walthers(made by Shinohara, only cheaper) are a higher quality switch and reduce derailing at the switch. I used to use Atlas and had all kinds of problems. No more now wince changing them out.

Just my $.02.