Here’s my dilemma : I want an empire in a shoe box, or maybe a boot box. The area I have to work with is 12’ x 9’ in my basement , with my fuel oil tank taking up aprrox. 3’ x 5’ along the wall (the 5’ length runs from the upper left side of the 12” wall, as you look at it). I’m running N-scale, using Unitrack mainly, thinking about using peco turnouts or atlas (which I have already). Here’s my main problem : I want a design that will allow good operations (point to point?) but also allow continuous running, all this without a bowl of spaghetti or taking up too much room (is there such a thing in model railroading?). I have narrowed it down to the following designs/systems:
1) bend track modular – two balloon (end loops) + 1 –4’ module + 1-corner module
This one would allow me to get it up and running rather quickly. It does offer opportunity to add industries/ operational interest and a chance for a decent mainline run or as any layout I could run it as a point to point layout.Another advantage is that modules are meant to be setup and taken down, so that could me one big thing: expansion!!!
2) The Appalachian Central.
This is an old Model Railroader L shaped design, that does offer god operational interest, but doesn't give much of a run.
3) The Atlantic Long Haul Lines form the atlas track planning book.
This give me a long mainline in a rather small space (4’ x 8’) but I would have to adapt it to my unitrack. It offers a long mainline, but is it too much in too tight a space?
I’m probally going to go with the bend track system, but just wanted to get some input from others (ie not my wife who doesn’t care what I build as long as I keep the cost down and don’t take over the entire basement). So there it is, let me know what you would do in the space I have. I have thought about a shelf layout along two walls of my basement, but that wouldn’t alow a continuous run for the times when I just want to see’em roll.
Thanks,
Steve
1) bend track modular – two balloon (end loops) + 1 –4’ module + 1-corner module
This one would allow me to get it up and running rather quickly. It does offer opportunity to add industries/ operational interest and a chance for a decent mainline run or as any layout I could run it as a point to point layout.Another advantage is that modules are meant to be setup and taken down, so that could me one big thing: expansion!!!
2) The Appalachian Central.
This is an old Model Railroader L shaped design, that does offer god operational interest, but doesn't give much of a run.
3) The Atlantic Long Haul Lines form the atlas track planning book.
This give me a long mainline in a rather small space (4’ x 8’) but I would have to adapt it to my unitrack. It offers a long mainline, but is it too much in too tight a space?
I’m probally going to go with the bend track system, but just wanted to get some input from others (ie not my wife who doesn’t care what I build as long as I keep the cost down and don’t take over the entire basement). So there it is, let me know what you would do in the space I have. I have thought about a shelf layout along two walls of my basement, but that wouldn’t alow a continuous run for the times when I just want to see’em roll.
Thanks,
Steve