Can i fit this yard in a 24" wide space?

[steinjr]

Originally Posted by otiscnj

Question for Stein:
In your lower picture, what's the distance between decks? Is this your layout? Are you using some sort of prefab benchwork? Thanks in advance!

Yes, it is from one of my two layouts - this one is an around the walls single layer layout in a 6.5 x 11.5 foot room in the basement.

Distance between layout shelf and storage shelf above is about 16". Somewhere I have an old picture taken from the door of the room - found it - here:



Benchwork is a weird mix of styles. I have L-beams resting on wall brackets at the bottom, and then the layout sections are about 4 feet long boxes made of 1/4" plywood on top of that, with 2" foam on top of that again:









This is of course way overkill - I could have dropped the 2" foam and the L-beams and still have gotten perfectly solid enough lightweight sections, where the benchwork would have been much thinner. Maybe even have gone for a two deck layout or two layouts at different levels, operationally connected by a car ferry or some such thing.

Live and learn, eh?

Smile,
Stein

[NWP95501]

Originally Posted by Doughless

Just the yard or the entire scene, spur and building too?

The rather short yard lead starts somewhere to the left, off the picture, as does the spur. So the length of your benchwork should be a concern. The length of the yard lead and whether you want it straight or curved, like in the diagram, and how all of the tracks will merge with the main seem like more important design constraints than the depth. It might be tough to fit all of it into 13 ft of length, and have a usable yard lead, without bending it all around the corner.

The main continues on independent for a ways. The track below the main meets the main some time further down the line. This is basically an industrial switching around the walls layout, with a main line and hidden staging.

Thank you for all of the help. I am trying to maximize aisle length, especially there. I have a 28" aisle there now, with that 24" yard.

My last layout had waaayyyy too much real estate and not enough track. I love scenery...dont get me wrong, but sometimes the more you have, the more difficult it is to make the scene really believable.

[Beachbum]

Looks like the Hawaiian plan from a recent issue of MR. IMO, it's doable, but I always take magazine published plans with a grain of salt - I doubt they're as accurate as CadRail or whatever.

[NWP95501]

Originally Posted by Beachbum

Looks like the Hawaiian plan from a recent issue of MR. IMO, it's doable, but I always take magazine published plans with a grain of salt - I doubt they're as accurate as CadRail or whatever.

Yes, that is the plan...I thin the peninsula is too wide to provide a comfortable working/operating space in the aisles. I liked the hidden staging alot, and it fits my room size well. I plan on modifying it slightly to my tastes.

[otiscnj]

Just some feedback for Stein,

Thanks for the photos. Looks like you've got a decent city backdrop started.

Presently, I'm using Ikea IVAR shelving units to support a portion of my layout. 2'x4' 15/32" plywood on top, with IVAR shelving underneath. The wife likes the organization potential. The uprights are about 42" tall. 1x4's run along the front and back of the plywood, underneath, to help prevent warping, etc.

Your 'interlocking plywood' looks interesting. I haven't used foam yet, for my primary table top- I've always had plywood under it, with cork for the track subroadbed.

There used to be some material different than foam, with more rigidity to it, that I've considered over time about looking into. Sign makers used it in the 90's. As I recall it was about 3/4" thick. You could also cut up a sheet of it, and use it as 1x4 and such, to replace the heavier 3/4" plywood. Haven't seen it at Home Depot or Lowe's when I've looked for it there.

[NWP95501]

Originally Posted by otiscnj

Just some feedback for Stein,

Thanks for the photos. Looks like you've got a decent city backdrop started.

Presently, I'm using Ikea IVAR shelving units to support a portion of my layout. 2'x4' 15/32" plywood on top, with IVAR shelving underneath. The wife likes the organization potential. The uprights are about 42" tall. 1x4's run along the front and back of the plywood, underneath, to help prevent warping, etc.

Your 'interlocking plywood' looks interesting. I haven't used foam yet, for my primary table top- I've always had plywood under it, with cork for the track subroadbed.

There used to be some material different than foam, with more rigidity to it, that I've considered over time about looking into. Sign makers used it in the 90's. As I recall it was about 3/4" thick. You could also cut up a sheet of it, and use it as 1x4 and such, to replace the heavier 3/4" plywood. Haven't seen it at Home Depot or Lowe's when I've looked for it there.

How many tracks can you fit on that width?

[68 Camaro]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that yard spacing for tracks can be at 2" on center. You should have more than enough room. If you are still in need of more space, the structures against the back wall can be reduced in depth. The thinnest portion of this background structure is 1.5 inches in depth. Hiding the corners of the structure with foliage will mask the depth of the buillding but I don't have a good photo available to show this.

This shelf layout is less than 24" deep including the fasica.










Larry