Your thoughts needed

[brakie]

Hi Gang!

First a little back ground.My Brother in law has been in N Scale for about three years and now he wants to build a new but,smaller layout. So,my brother in law and I was looking over some layouts and I casually mention this one since I think its a good small HO layout that can be easily built in N..He agreed thats close to what he had in mind.
.
http://www.gatewaynmra.org/layouts/gcrr2.jpg

My thoughts is a 36"x72" hollow core door..He doesn't think it would fit since he wants at least 22" radius curves made from flex track.
So,I need your thoughts on this layout design for N Scale..If I was building I would use the door.
All thoughts and opinions welcome.

 

[MasonJar]

Thoughts:

The HO scale 4x8 likely does not have 22" radii - your brother wants to be quite generous in the curves. having said that, he might be able to get 22" on an Nscale 4x8 version of that. So now the question is "is a 4x8 really a small layout?". What is his current layout size?

Andrew

 

[shortliner]

Go take a look at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ldsig/ - there has been a HUGE discussion about 8 x 4's on there in the last few days. Personally - I think they are a complete waste of usable space needing at least a 12' x 8' room. Go for tighter radius and put it on a door if you must, or build on a shelf around the room, or modular boards joined to make an 8 x 4, but not a solid one. It is the one thing that causes newbies to leave the hobby, mainly due to opposition from the Domestic authorities
Shortliner(Jack)away up here in the Highlands (asbestos suit on!)

 

[brakie]

Guys,This is not going to be my layout but,by Brother-In-Law's.His current layout is 11.5x11.5x11.5 with a 4x10 foot peninsula.This layout has to go because the room is going to become a layout/knitting room.


shortliner,A 4X8 foot layout beats no layout or worst buying and planing for that "dream" layout some day that might never materialized.

 

[cidchase]

KNITTING ROOM????!!!!!

Say it ain't so, Joe...

Hooda thunk it??? Guess he's tryin' extra hard not to have a doghouse...

 

[TrainClown]

Hi Larry, I took a look at the photo you posted and thought I would give it a try in the dimentions you stated (36x72) and I could get it all to fit except for on of the sidings on the left hand yard. Of course the radi is smaller than 22".

What do you think of this.

Christopher the TrainClown

 

[shortliner]

Heres one for a slightly smaller space http://tutorial.caroper.com/ and some more ideas at http://www.naisp.net/mfischer/m_train2.htm and some more http://andrews-trains.fotopic.net/c374578.html
Shortliner(Jack)away up here in the Highlands

 

[Ray Marinaccio]

If your brother in law insists on the 22" radius turns see if you can locate a wider door like a sliding closet door.

 

[brakie]

Chris,Great job on showing that layout on a 36"x72" door.That is the route I would take if I was going to build this layout but,would add some of my druthers.

Ray,The dunderhead won't back off those 22" curves since he's running long 6 axle units like SD50,60,70,70MAC,80MACs and 90MACs . so,we may have to find a wider door.
John,A 4x8 is out of the question.I like the idea though that would give him tons of room. :thumb:

Jack,A great looking alternative.I recall seeing that layout before but,had forgotten about it..I will causally point this layout out..


Guys,Personally I feel the 19" curves would work for his 6 axle units.I just can't get him to budge off those 22" radius..I really don't know what to do in helping the dunderhead.I am just glad he thinks HO is to big and bulky..I fear if he was in HO he would want 48" or larger curves!

 

[brakie]

John,He knows..He also has it firmly locked in his head that 22" curves are better.Sadly the dunderhead doesn't fully get the big picture.He now has less then half the room his old layout had.

 

[GeorgeHO]

It sounds like your bro-in-law read somewhere or heard somewhere that 18" radius is too small for articulateds, 6-axles diesels, and 85' passenger cars, but they work fine and look acceptible on 22" radius curves (and #6 turnouts). That is true in HO!!!!!! (That last statement was SHOUTED, pardon the emphatic yelling). Since HO is approximately twice as big as N scale, the equivalent statement for N would be to use 11" radii instead of 9" radii for any of the big equipment, still #6 turnouts.

Just show him the layout you first presented to him and tell him that the HO radii are 18", but in N they are 36", and that's even bigger than the 22" he wants.

We seem to be slipping in and out of one dimension into another.

 

[brakie]

It sounds like your bro-in-law read somewhere or heard somewhere that 18" radius is too small for articulateds, 6-axles diesels, and 85' passenger cars, but they work fine and look acceptible on 22" radius curves (and #6 turnouts). That is true in HO!!!!!! (That last statement was SHOUTED, pardon the emphatic yelling). Since HO is approximately twice as big as N scale, the equivalent statement for N would be to use 11" radii instead of 9" radii for any of the big equipment, still #6 turnouts.

Just show him the layout you first presented to him and tell him that the HO radii are 18", but in N they are 36", and that's even bigger than the 22" he wants.

We seem to be slipping in and out of one dimension into another.

Well,I shall try this approach. :thumb:

 

[eightyeightfan1]

22" radius for N scale?
Is he planning on using flex track? I've been outta N for awhile, but does any one make 22" radius sectional track in N?
Figure....Ho scale...18" radius track usually takes up most of the 4' wide plywood, with very little room on the long edges.
Since he wants 22" radius, maybe a 4'x8' with foam insulation on top to make up the difference. N scale...even an 18" radius should be plenty to run modern locos and rolling stock.
Knitting Room??????

 

[brakie]

Ed,He exclusively uses flex track and Peco switches and gags at sectional track..Yeah my oldest sister likes to knit and needs a area to work in.She does great afghans and other needle point work.What a waste of railroad space! :cry:

 

[cidchase]

Wellll...
Maybe she can turn out an afghan or two with a raiload theme :thumb: :thumb:

I don't see how he can go from a perimeter layout to a table layout and
feel like it's a space savings, other than getting rid of the peninsula. It seems
like staying around the walls would give both of them the floor space they need.
Of course, that's without knowing all the details. Opinions are like.......

 

[brakie]

As a update I got old dunderhead to settle on 19" curves which makes nice curves and a workable layout for his allotted space.The best news dunderhead is going to let me design it based on the layout I posted.

 

[GeorgeHO]

I just bought some MR books and one of them features YOUR railroad as the first one to build. When I find the book again, I will let you know which one it is. You may not need the book, but it might give you some fresh ideas. I think you have chosen the best way to do this.

 

[Will_annand]

Larry, tell him to raise the layout to eye level :thumb: and then he can put the "Knitting Room" on the lower level.

 

[brakie]

Cid,I apologize for not replying sooner but,to be honest it slip my mind after I was interrupted by a short phone call.


Cid said: I don't see how he can go from a perimeter layout to a table layout and
feel like it's a space savings, other than getting rid of the peninsula. It seems
like staying around the walls would give both of them the floor space they need.


Simply put the old witch of the East said the layout had to be reduce in size as she wants storage space for yarn and other such knitting things and a place for her old easy chair,a end table and a floor lamp...I told the old bitty she had all of that in the front room and could use her new easy chair to boot..She told me she wanted to spend time with dunderhead while he works on or runs his trains.
After 43 years of marriage I thought those two J Hawkers would enjoy being alone in their hobby time.

So,its time to build a smaller layout.