4x8 HO layout design competition


AstroKnight187

AstroKnight187

Active Member
I challenge you to design a track plan for a 4x8 HO scale layout! The competition will start NOW, and you can design the layout however you want, as long as it meets the specifications below:
- 22" Mainline radius curves
- Miniumum no. 4 turnout
- Continuous mainline running (Loop)

I understand it's a lot to ask for, but I know there's a lot of crafty people on this forum!
The winner will be decided once there's plenty of submissions, and you will be credited in a follow-up thread with an attached image of your submission
Good luck!
 
Here's my plan. Loop with interchange track and the mainline crossing the table diagonally.

Regards,
Don Z.
 

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Is that 4x8 in meters, feet, inches, or what? Does that specify the physical size of the railroad or just the amount of lumber that can be used?
 
I like busy, so I gave you as much excitement as I could muster up!
Diesel locomotive service, fueling station and turntable with roundhouse... I like lots of locomotive action and storage, because you can never have too many Loco's!!
I put in a small yard for some car storage and switching action. I also put in a siding or runaround, got to have one of those!
Also sprinkled around some industries and a couple crossings..

Z

Forum Comp 4x8 3.0.jpg
 
AstroKnight187 said:
I challenge you to design a track plan for a 4x8 HO scale layout! The competition will start NOW, and you can design the layout however you want, as long as it meets the specifications below:
- 22" Mainline radius curves
- Miniumum no. 4 turnout
- Continuous mainline running (Loop)

I understand it's a lot to ask for, but I know there's a lot of crafty people on this forum!
The winner will be decided once there's plenty of submissions, and you will be credited in a follow-up thread with an attached image of your submission
Good luck!
Click to expand...
Ok, so it's been a bit since I posted the thread, and even though I only got two submissions; @CPR Zee and @Don Z1029 were the two contestants, and out of the two of them, CPR Zee won! While Don's layout was more realistic in terms of track planning, Zee's had more to offer when it comes to running trains and doing switching ops. You both did really well!

If you didn't have time to submit YOUR track plan and really wanted to, you still can! Reply to this comment with yours, and if there's a significant amount of submissions, I might do a redraw.

For now, Zee's plan takes the cake for being one of the most interesting plans I've ever seen!
Zee's submission will be attached below.
 

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caroper said:
Page 32 of the September 2023 issue of Model Railroader has an article called "Dream 4x8 Layout" which is a good all round design with operation and expansion taken into consideration.

View attachment 187459
Cheers
Chis
Click to expand...

My first attempt at the above - It was more about testing Structure chooses and placement at this stage, rather than detailed scenery, but I can report that it was fun to operate with either random car movements or a structured Swichlist.

Dream 4x8 Layout 3D.png
 
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