Help with Track plan

[Earl Bathurst]

Hi
Im new to this forum so hope i have posted this in the correct section.
I am new to this and i am looking for help with a track plan. The area i have is 10ft x 16ft at the moment and i am not sure what i can get into this space. I am looking to run small locos like stainz and maybe piko 218 diesels.
Can anyone suggest a plan for what i could fit into the space i got.
This would be of great help to me.
Thanks

 

[Tony]

Hello and welcome surly you have more space than that i believe your esate is quite sizable

seriously though buy some track (An oval and some points) and lay it out run some trains and experiment it always looks better on the ground so to speak Good luck

Tony

 

[Steve]

Welcome to the mad house try this -

http://www.anyrail.com/index_en.html

 

[Zerogee]

If you want to run things like the big 218 diesels, then you need to keep your curves as wide as possible - I'd say no less than LGB Radius 3 (or Piko Radius 5, which is pretty much the same thing under a different name!).

Take a look at what James has done here: http://www.gscalecentral.net/m10767...e to the GSC nut-house! :bigsmile: Jon.

 

[railwayman198]

Is your space indoors or outdoors? You can generally get away with steeper gradients indoors so a more complex multi level plan might be possible, paricularly in a loft space where access may well bring you neatly into the middle. If outdoors then something like James' plan looks ideal.

 

[playmofire]

I think in 10ft by 16ft you've got a fair amount of space to work with amounting to 160 sq ft. I run Playmobil and for various exhibitions have been experimenting with track layouts and you can pack a lot into that space. Here's a link to a video of a layout of 15ft by 8ft. I had been expecting an area of 20ft by 8ft and so had to rather quickly modify my plans.

 

[PaulRhB]

With your space R3 curves are going to eat the real estate and all you'll get is an oval, but! If you want the bigger locos then add interest with sidings or a tighter radius branch inside the main loop for the smaller 4 wheel stock to serve.
Alternatively R2's might work better as long as you stay with smaller Bo Bo diesels and 0-6-0 steam locos as your largest locos. The smaller radius will allow a more interesting mainline from which to add a branch or yard.

 

[Philbahn]

When I started I to was looking for track plans. And do you know what I gave up. So I just started putting track down, lifting and relaying till I was happy with the plan. My plan . Good luck and welcome

 

[Bram]

As the others have said, lay some track down and then develop the the configuration

 

[jameshilton]

If you use a Mac then Railmodeller is worth the license fee. I used it extensively when planning my line - despite lots of people saying just lay some track. The problem is it's too expensive to just buy stuff that might fit, isn't it - so the track planning software is a good tool in that sense. I'd go for a continuous run in the space you have available, with one station area - and if you can use R5 curves instead of straights you get a nice flowing line, as i have shown with the EJ&KLR which is a very simple plan but I think is very successful in it's use of space.

 

[annieshalt]

welcome, in my experiance for small locos rad1 is ok, but you may want to venture bigger in the future, so if it is possible use rad2 as your minimum curve . i run live steam and big american 4-6-0 locos fine on them. by the way i have 2 lines rad1 and rad2. you will be surprised just how many locos will work on rad 1. all lgb locos are designed to cope with them. hope this helps allan.

 

[matthew]

As was said above, although it is good and looks much better to have bigger radius curves, it is also important to remember than ALL LGB locos will run around R1 curves and many many other loco's/stock will also do the same. What a lot of people tend to do is start with R1, then as time progresses replace certain curves with bigger radii where possible.

But i do agree that if your working outdoors then nothing beats just laying some track down and getting a feel for the space available.

 

[Earl Bathurst]

Hi
Thanks everyone for the help. The any rail program is it free to use?

 

[Doug]

I bought a couple of R2, R3 and R5 curves, laid them on the ground to work out what radii curves i needed where, then bought all the ones i actually needed. It doesn't help with working out a layout, but is a cheap way of trying out the different radii curves.

I agree with using R5's instead of straights, gives a much more natural look to the track, especially if its single track.

 

[ExeterGeek]

Welcome

My original thoughts were for something on the patio...
So not too dissimilar
My blog has details of how I'm moving forward and my experience with curves
http://patiorails.blogspot.com/ a...pot.com/2011/08/size-is-important-part-1.html < Link To http://patiorails.blogspo...-important-part-1.html
You might also find the following interesting reading:
http://www.building-your-model-railroad.com/model-railroad-track-plans.html < Link To http://www.building-your-...lroad-track-plans.html
http://www.thortrains.net/garden/gm...big newbie with lots to learn... Chris

 

[stockers]

Using a piece of rope or hosepipe, you can 'draw' a layout on your piece of real estate. To start with dont try for complex pointwork or extensive shunting options - high chance you wont use them much and you can always add them later.

 

[playmofire]

One question to ask yourself is are you wanting to operate from end to end or using a loop or a mixture of the two as the answer will determine the nature of your layout and therefore answer many questions automatically. For example, if you decide on an end to end system and base it on a sdmall branch line, you probably will use run around loops rather than turntables at each end. Also try the local library for books. I found a book on track plans in the local library (I've forgotten the title, but I can find it out) which showed plans based on actual station layouts which was useful, even if only in deciding me not what to do in some cases.

 

[ExeterGeek]

I'd second the local library. I looked at the model railway section on a whim (having gone in for fiction) and found several books - aimed at HO/OO modellers - which still had bits (and track plans - especially of stations/goods yards) to interest me.

Chris

 

[C&S]

I started out with a layout measuring 8ft 4ins square - see plan enclosed. Even in its small format it could be operated by two people if required.

The design would extend very nicely into a larger space and there could be room to add the run-round loops that I never had room for. You can either operate round-&-round or end to end from the fiddle yard. In an outside setting there should be room to make the fiddle yard into a branch line, perhaps going over the contunuous run to reach a higher terminus.

Anyway, here it is

 

[Gizzy]

Hi
Thanks everyone for the help. The any rail program is it free to use?

Yes, but you are limited to 50 track pieces.

Welcome to the forum btw....