The Layout Of My Dreams

Random Excess skriver:

Why not TT scale (1:120) ?

But how does that makes sense with your aging eyes ?

It is normally combined with aging knees and pain connecting all those wires....

Agreee...

Klaus

From the overall read of the message, I would say that HO or even O scale would work ok if you were to dream up a model railroad that matches your design elements.

This also cuts out double deck and mushroom type layouts as these types of layouts forgoes much of the scenery for more mainline track, layout height and width also play a role here as well, a 24" wide section of layout at chest or shoulder height makes quite a arms length to be reaching across. Aisle widths plays a factor too, you need at least 18" to 24" min. for maintenance, a min. of 36" to operate in, and if you have more than one operator, then 48" would be much better.

For 80' freight and passenger cars, 36" min. radius would be the lowest, but the whole layout doesn't have to be that minimum radius, use easements everywhere to ease cars into curves, use broad gentle curves to replace straight track and use scenery or buildings as a viewblock to block out distracting curves sharper than 90 degrees.

This is your worst mistake, believe me, this will likely be a large layout, capable of handling multiple operators and multiple trains, you will also likely need help to build such a layout, and likely the people that helped build it would also want to operate it.

Most people today don't know what a toggle switch is....

Ah, back to reality...., but all is not lost, a lot of people like designing layouts, just in case they end up with more space and they want to be prepared !.

Alan

Thank you Klaus and Alan, for the thoughtful responses.

My dream vision is of a shortline/branchline RR set in the steam era. It would be an along the wall around the room shelf layout, single track mainline twice around, 24" maximum width engineered to be viewed and operated from a seated position. Each loop would be capable of being operated independently for when I just want to watch the trains run. Entry would be by "drop leaf" in the doorway.

Two of the opposite walls would have towns - station stops and a few switching opportunities, one wall would be storage and staging, and the fourth would be almost entirely scenery. Only one mainline would be visible in each town scene, the other would pass behind a view block. If my "educational/experimental" shelf layout turns out pretty good, it could be recycled as one of the towns.

I don't see analog wiring as a problem. I continue to work on musical instrument and R/C airplane electronics including toggle switch replacement no problem because I use a fascinating construct called "eyeglasses."

Tejas Pedro

"What, me worry? I'm voting for Kinky!"

No problem, always willing to help if i can...

Similar to what I'm designing/building now, a mountainous section of a major transcontinental set in an era centered around 1955, it's continuous and it looks like it's twice around, but it's not, it's a loop that has been squashed somewhat with the end loops stacked over each other, there is also a hiden 6 track staging yard as well.

The layout is about 14' x 19', and just the basic benchwork is up, layout design is taking shape in 3rd Planit, a CAD program designed to draw track plans.

Back in the old ages, the most common type of analog control was known as "cab control", the layout was divided up into blocks and controlled with toggle or rotary switches, but more commonly toggle, of the DPDT center off variety, biggest problem with cab control was flipping all those toggle switches, you could end up flipping the wrong one, and stealing his train...., imagine large layout, 300 blocks, 7 operators, 37 trains......

We all end up wearing glasses sooner or later, especially later...

Alan