So are you still going to send me your old RTS? Cause that one is almost perfect for what I want to do.
Introduction and comments please
- Thread starter Go Big1
- Start date
Spawn of Chaos, attached to this post (hopefully attached) are 2 RTS files in a zip - the one I posted at the beginning and 1 modification.
As I am not sure if the larger layout will work, I still want to maximize this layout in case this is the route I go. Thanks for the help.
As I am not sure if the larger layout will work, I still want to maximize this layout in case this is the route I go. Thanks for the help.
And I have a modified version of yours plus an extra one that I put together (albeit in about 5 minutes sign1):
Note: I made a RAR then noticed that this forum only allows ZIP so it's a RAR inside a ZIP because I'm lazy. lol
Note: I made a RAR then noticed that this forum only allows ZIP so it's a RAR inside a ZIP because I'm lazy. lol
"I plan to have about 18 inches along the back side of the 8x4"
Eighteen inches is a very tight space. 24" aisles used to be the norm in layout design, but these days most people try for 30" - 36". If you're just looking for occasional access, e.g., to solve a problem, I still think 24" should be the least you should accept.
P.S. I like your plan; as someone else said, simple, but still interesting. It will be easy to switch this plan if your direction of travel is anti-clockwise around the loop. I'll keep watching this topic to see how you progress.
Eighteen inches is a very tight space. 24" aisles used to be the norm in layout design, but these days most people try for 30" - 36". If you're just looking for occasional access, e.g., to solve a problem, I still think 24" should be the least you should accept.
P.S. I like your plan; as someone else said, simple, but still interesting. It will be easy to switch this plan if your direction of travel is anti-clockwise around the loop. I'll keep watching this topic to see how you progress.
Back with another plan
After a bit of a forced hiatus (I had a water pipe freeze and burst on the 2nd floor of the house), I am back thinking about possible track plans. After spending time measuring out available space in my shop, I really can't do a "dog bone" type of layout, because of the overall length that this would require, as well as the ejection pump in the corner (mentioned in my previous posts).
So getting back to the drawing board, I generated the layout below that I have space for. It has minimum 22 inch turns, and the one spur that heads north towards the industry elevates to bridge over the other track. Please offer comments on the overall plan, but I do have some specific questions if I were to try and build this:
1) If you were to build this track plan, where would you create the dividing lines to build this in pieces so that it could be transportable in the future (I don't want to build this as one big piece, because I would then never get it out of my house should I move).
2) The 2 ft by 2ft 8" area at the top is a carve out in my foundation wall. In order to reach the back area, I need to either build this on wheels or create a pop up. Which makes more sense? I am leaning towards building the benchwork on casters and rolling the benchwork away from the foundation wall if I need to, then roll it back against the wall for operation. Thoughts?
3) With regard to the track that is going to elevate, do I have enough distance from the start of the spur to elevate over the other track? How far back should I start elevating the track in order to make it over?
Thanks for any comments and help. I still really have no idea what I am doing, but I am learning!
After a bit of a forced hiatus (I had a water pipe freeze and burst on the 2nd floor of the house), I am back thinking about possible track plans. After spending time measuring out available space in my shop, I really can't do a "dog bone" type of layout, because of the overall length that this would require, as well as the ejection pump in the corner (mentioned in my previous posts).
So getting back to the drawing board, I generated the layout below that I have space for. It has minimum 22 inch turns, and the one spur that heads north towards the industry elevates to bridge over the other track. Please offer comments on the overall plan, but I do have some specific questions if I were to try and build this:
1) If you were to build this track plan, where would you create the dividing lines to build this in pieces so that it could be transportable in the future (I don't want to build this as one big piece, because I would then never get it out of my house should I move).
2) The 2 ft by 2ft 8" area at the top is a carve out in my foundation wall. In order to reach the back area, I need to either build this on wheels or create a pop up. Which makes more sense? I am leaning towards building the benchwork on casters and rolling the benchwork away from the foundation wall if I need to, then roll it back against the wall for operation. Thoughts?
3) With regard to the track that is going to elevate, do I have enough distance from the start of the spur to elevate over the other track? How far back should I start elevating the track in order to make it over?
Thanks for any comments and help. I still really have no idea what I am doing, but I am learning!
Attachments
Could not open attachment
Spawn,
I apologize, I thought I PM'ed you about your edits. The files contained in your ZIP attached to the message above were .RAR files, not .RAL files. As such, the Righttrack software did not recognize them, and could not open them. Either reattach a zip with .RAL files, or just post the pics of your edits so that I can view.
Thanks.
Spawn,
I apologize, I thought I PM'ed you about your edits. The files contained in your ZIP attached to the message above were .RAR files, not .RAL files. As such, the Righttrack software did not recognize them, and could not open them. Either reattach a zip with .RAL files, or just post the pics of your edits so that I can view.
Thanks.
Got the files
Spawn,
I downloaded Winrar, then opened your compressed files in Righttrack. I don't think either of those layouts will fit size wise in my shop area, as they are both much bigger than the area I have planned for this (I do like your plans to Go Big though!). That's why my original design was a 4 x 8 with an extra area that fit into the fireplace recess in the foundation wall.
I have attached a rough sketch of my shop room (not exactly to scale!), and I outlined in red how much room I feel I can devote to benchwork. The only additional area of the shop that I was considering train-wise was where the ejection pump is. But with trying to build around that, plus the addition of the window over in that corner, it would be more trouble than it is worth at this time.
Hence my latest, greatest plan - which I would still love comments on. So I guess I am asking if there are any design improvements that could be made that are within the parameters of the benchwork size I have.
Spawn,
I downloaded Winrar, then opened your compressed files in Righttrack. I don't think either of those layouts will fit size wise in my shop area, as they are both much bigger than the area I have planned for this (I do like your plans to Go Big though!). That's why my original design was a 4 x 8 with an extra area that fit into the fireplace recess in the foundation wall.
I have attached a rough sketch of my shop room (not exactly to scale!), and I outlined in red how much room I feel I can devote to benchwork. The only additional area of the shop that I was considering train-wise was where the ejection pump is. But with trying to build around that, plus the addition of the window over in that corner, it would be more trouble than it is worth at this time.
Hence my latest, greatest plan - which I would still love comments on. So I guess I am asking if there are any design improvements that could be made that are within the parameters of the benchwork size I have.
Attachments
I like that idea
Spawn, I like the idea of branching off to a separate staging area. That new plan that I put up had a branch in the upper left corner that ended at some industry - I thought that it could be extended in the future should I want to expand the layout.
With regard to the little offshoot, yeah, it's kind of odd. There is a fireplace directly above it on the first floor, and I guess the builder built the foundation wall in the basement with the offshoot so that in the future someone could possibly put a fireplace in the basement and utilize the same chimney. It's not happening with me living here, that's for sure. The rest of the basement is already finished for the 3 kids to romp around in - the shop is the only "me" space left in the house!
Spawn, I like the idea of branching off to a separate staging area. That new plan that I put up had a branch in the upper left corner that ended at some industry - I thought that it could be extended in the future should I want to expand the layout.
With regard to the little offshoot, yeah, it's kind of odd. There is a fireplace directly above it on the first floor, and I guess the builder built the foundation wall in the basement with the offshoot so that in the future someone could possibly put a fireplace in the basement and utilize the same chimney. It's not happening with me living here, that's for sure. The rest of the basement is already finished for the 3 kids to romp around in - the shop is the only "me" space left in the house!