[ftauss]

I have finally signed a contract with a contractor to build my train/hobby addition. Supposed to be done by March or so. Overall size 28 x 12. 20 x 12 for the train room, 8 x 12 for the workshop.

I am going to display my equipment in the workshop on the outside wall. Also on that wall I want to make a staging yard. Once the layout table is in and height established I will cut a hole in the wall.

I presently have FasTrack and RMT Shadow Rail. I might change to something else but considering what I'm spending now plus setting up the workshop not sure when that will happen.

I'm picturing 2 tracks into the wall and then separating each into 2 tracks. 4 track total roughly 8' long. I have FT 36" and 48" and RMT 31" and 72" track I already have the conversion tracks Ft to tubular. I'm trying to determine how wide 4 tracks should be and if turnouts should also be added further along the track to move trains to other tracks.

My engines are not the biggest. I've run them all on what I have already. With some exceptions I prefer smaller engines for appearance on the layout. Passenger cars are all Madisons or MTH Rail king and Williams. Most of the engines are traditional sized with a Premier Atlantic. Some 4 axle diesels.

TIA

Frank

 

[seayakbill]

Frank, sounds like you will have quite the layout when completed. Hopefully you will share some photos of the progress and completion.

Bill

 

[ftauss]

Frank, sounds like you will have quite the layout when completed. Hopefully you will share some photos of the progress and completion.

Bill

I certainly will. The biggest issue right now is I have a lot of Christmas stuff. Way more than I can put under the tree, so it's going to be my Christmas Wonderland as well as a hard working transition era PRR the rest of the time.

 

[ErnestHouse]

Excerpt from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_scale
Standards
The differences in the various O gauge and O scale standards can be confusing. O gauge model railroad tracks typically have their rails spaced 1.25 in (31.75 mm) apart with the United States National Model Railroad Association (NMRA) standard allowing spacings between 31.75 mm and 32.64 mm.

Minimum Curve radius
https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/minimum-curve-radius-model-trains-2382285

Min Vertical Clearances
https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/minimum-vertical-clearances-model-trains-scale-2381889

 

[Lehigh74]

I try to stick with NMRA standards and practices for clearances. Here are a few shots of my 6X10 staging area. I came in through the wall from my attic layout with a Ross 4 way switch. I use a few more switches on two of the four sidings. One problem with adding turnouts further along the track is that you don’t get very much storage on the extra sidings. I can only fit a few cars on the extra sidings before they foul the switch. You have 2 more feet in length that I do so you will be able to fit a few more cars. And more still if you can live with smaller radius curves.

 

[pennwest]

Straight staging tracks can be placed pretty close together. By using curved switches, I was able to fit 7 tracks on a 24" wide shelf. The tracks are spaced at 1 3/8" center rail to center rail. There is no problem with scale trains (including a 2-8-8-2, a 2-10-4, etc.) on this track spacing.

The staging tracks extend to the left. The short tracks on the right hold a few locomotives so that trains in staging can have their locomotives changed if desired. Trains back through the wall into this staging yard.