Beginning of my little layout

[Jason412]

Hey all!
Just thought Id share my new layout in the works with you all. I tore down my old layout because I just didnt like the direction it was heading and I really hated the fact I used 4x8 sheets which made working on anything just about impossible. After experiencing such a bad way to build a layout I finally decided the only way I was gonna be happy was to redo it all over. Well I was able to save a mountain from the old layout that I didnt finish but that is about it. Every part of the new layout is within reach and should be alot better. The new layout is in my basement. The main room of the layout strectches 20ft. by 10 ft. The smaller room in the lower half of the track plan is 6ft by 11ft.Here is the new layout I have planned. I also plan on having a mine up in the mountain range somewhere so thats what the turnout going to nowhere is for.

I am in the process of reworking the industrial areas because I wasnt happy with them but Ill post an updated trackplan once I get all the kinks worked out. I still need to readd the crossovers to the yards and such because I modified the yard a bit as well. I did get the benchwork completed over the weekend and am now in the process of gluing and tacking down the foam tops to the benchwork. Heres the pics so far.

Anyways if anyone sees anything that I should fix or have any suggestions/comments they are greatly appreciated.

 

[pgandw]

Sometimes you just gotta pull the plug and start over. Looks like it is coming along nicely. Just a question: how wide are your aisles? Do you find them comfortable for working on the layout?

 

[TrainNut]

I'll echo that concern about the width of the aisles. It looks like that long one towards the bottom can't be but about 20" wide. Hope your a skinny person!!! They look wider in the photographs than they do on the plans.

 

[Jason412]

all the aisles believe it or not, are 24 inches wide at any given point except for the one near the mountain on the right side is only 19 inches but will change when I chop off some of the overhang on the mountain. After I cut off the unneeded foam from that mountain it should widen out to about 21 inches or so. Ya that overhang around the mountain was left over from the previous layout and havent gotten that far yet haha. I can fit down em easy and im 6'3" 220 lbs. I can even fit a chair in there and sit down and work. So in terms of being comfortable Ive been cooking right along and have felt great because I dont have to crawl across a 4x8 sheet to do any work. I work in ther with my dad sometimes in there too and havent felt crowded. But ya soon as I trim down that mountain it should widen up even a little more. Ya I agree though Trainnut they do look smaller. Ill take some pics tomorrow. Im off to bed nite folks!

 

[nachoman]

This looks like a good "let the trains run" kind of track plan.

Kevin

 

[Jason412]

Good morning! Ok all I could use some comments on this idea. I just added on some staging which I do have room for and then I got an idea. I have a whole table hidden by that mountain range. Now what if I was to raise the mountain another inch so it the base would be right around 3 inches off the table and made a hidden staging in there. I dont know if you can see it in the pics but I have full access to underneath the mountain using those foam risers on the end of the table. Its just about 2 inches under there of completely wasted space down that whole table basically. Im thinking though it may be a pain to do maintenance on or fix a derailed train but what if I made the mountain not permanent in a section so I can lift it out and would give me access to the staging yard. Just some thoughts, Let me know. Oh today Ill be planning out most of the industrial spurs so the trackplan should improve a bit. Ill post some pics too. Soon as the woman wakes up so she can take care of the princess for a bit.