Any suggestions on a new design?

[Tileguy]

You have room to add more length to the port penninsula area.A Port needs room, not just for the water, but for the supporting structures. A small port yard is a good idea.
A Big port should have a larger yard.For example, if you will have grain elevators the yard will be very large. Inbound Coal, Limestone, Etc will need to have a good sized area for stockpiles (these really flavor a port area and can add alot of operational value to boot.)
Remember, if it a seaport you could have a couple levels to your piers to deal with tides.If its a great lakes port tides are not a factor.Consider usin the entire outside edge of the penninsula as water.This gives you 2 sides for differant businesses. An example of a port area surrounded on 3 sides would be Rices Point in Duluth,MN
The NP had(and the BNSF has) A large yard here.Facing the yard throat there are several grain elevators and a wood products factory on the left with several bulk mineral dealers on the right, a cement plant and many years ago an Old dock for loading Ag products (new docks are at the top left beond the grain elevators.)
Heres an aerial view of the area i'm talking about.
Modeling a penninsula on a penninsula is a natural. Compressing this would be a must when you consider that at 1 time there were 7 large grain elevators in this area
This is only to give an idea of how a penninsula could be done.

 

[GeorgeHO]

It seems to me that you can do everything you said you wanted to do initially, if you just rotate your original layout design 90 degrees counter-clockwise. This would put your city up against the longest available wall you have, 19 feet at the top. The loops you have for the city would be at the corners of the long wall, and you could dogbone or narrow the track area as you get toward the middle of the city. Coming off the loop of the city as you walk in the room you could have your port area. Your 22" loop can move to where you 18" loop is, and the 18" loop can move to the corner of the short 19' wall and the 11' wall. You would have lots of room for loging camps and mines along the wall between the loops, and have room for some other industry along the 11' wall. The only problem you have reaching is in the corners, and each one has a loop (ideal for a liftout in the middle) or a helix (with access inside).

Also, Model Railroader magazine has an annual which for 2005 has a very nice article about putting a railroad through a town. (I think its B&O in West Vriginia)

And one of the books/magazines I read recently (no idea which one, but maybe the same magazine) had a neat way to expand the dock area with mirrors and make it look enormous.

 

[sds888]

Sorry it took me so long to reply I was away at a conference. Thanks for the suggestions I am back to the drawing board. Masonjar the room is a frog just it is not over the garage. The ceiling at the two side wall are 48" high. The ceiling in the center of the room is about 7 feet high. Kind of like this ^. I am going to build my layout base at 40". which at the wall will only give me 8" to work with grades. The reason I put the two helixes in are: that was the only side of the room i could get some real height out of to cross under and to hide the train for awhile. I have taken the helixes on my last design down to be just a duck under. GeorgeHO I have thought about the dogbone idea but it would not hide the trains from view for a while. I even thought about putting the second track behid a backdrop but then if something happens to the train while behid the backdrop I would not be able to get to it due to the wall and ceiling height. One problem I am having is determining how big of an area do I need for scenry. Like you mentioned tile guy if I wanted to put a grain elevator in there how much room does it take up. Or my sawmill and logging pond how much space do I need for that. If I have the siding where cars are comming in and dumping logs into the pond. I would aslo I like to put in a farm and old town. Well I dont know how much room i need for buildings. Very Frustrating. I am more of a guy that has to have hands on but would really like a soild design before i start. Thanks again
Stephen

 

[Tileguy]

One problem I am having is determining how big of an area do I need for scenry. Like you mentioned tile guy if I wanted to put a grain elevator in there how much room does it take up.

Most Kits have the size area needed posted on them. Walthers does a pretty good job with giving kit "footprints".

Once you detrmine which kit you will use or a kit that aproximates a scratch project this will help in determining area needed for your scenic elements.

Some guys like to build thier scenes beforehand on 3/4" plywood , Foam board or 1/8" masonite for example making the scene large enough to include roadbed for necessary track sidings etc.Thes Scenic elements can then be detailed at your liesure and as items become available to you.

Some area's just cant be done this way and will need to be planned on paper.Most large model railroads will have area's that will need to have scratchbuilt or at the very least Kitbashed structures to fit into the available area.

Once you have your trackplan, try developing a Plan for it by "the square"
For example, plan 18" x 18" squares for the entire railroad and Number these squares like so W (west) 1, W2, W3 etc P (penninsula) P1, P2 , P3 etc.

Take your time at this planning stage. the more time spent preparing, the less problems you will face in the actual building.
Just dont plan yourself out of actual building...........There is no reason not to build your benchwork and perhaps even get the mainline in so you can run some trains

 

[Triplex]

Actually, with planning "by the squares", a square is your radius plus twice the track separation (which should be 2.5" with sharp curves). Thus, 23" squares.

Why go with 18" curves anyway? In this room size, you can go bigger and run more equipment. i'm not a fan of going much broader than you need, but it's easy to find a need for more than 18". Quite probably, in the future, you'll buy some long engine and discover it won't stay coupled.

The helices are probably more complicated than you need, if your goal is just to be able to walk in. They won't be easy to build; they're not worth it unless you're going for a full double-deck. (Unless, of course, you're building them for the experience...) Which, with the sloping ceiling, would be inadvisable.

Don't rush into building just yet. A few more days, a week, and we can help you make a much better plan.