All this on a 4x8?

[train_guy]

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.youtube.com/user/FallenflagRR">http://www.youtube.com/user/FallenflagRR</a><!-- m --> Check this out on Youtube...Enjoy!

[nachoman]

EXCELLENT!! I can only hope my 4x8 comes out that nice.

[Brakie]

Very nice.

[Paulman]

Thanks for posting. I like the gap that divides the left from the right; really helps break up the grid.

[Gary S]

That's some nice scenery!

[faraway]

A very well done small layout. A good example how to all the details can make a small layout a great layout.

[Harry]

very nice Layout

[mountaingoatgreg]

Proves you can do a lot in a small space...

SO ALL OF YOU WHO SAY THEY DON"T HAVE SPACE...GET TO WORK

[tetters]

Wow. Excellent.

[RobertInOntario]

That is an excellent layout -- I really enjoyed the video. Lots of detail, working lights at crossings, great looking scenery. Thanks for posting it.

I have a 4x6' layout but it's currently in storage because it's too large for our small house! Instead, I'm using a smaller layout whose size is approx. 3.5 x5.5'. WIth such small dimensions, I have to use 15"R curves. One day, I'd like to have a larger layout that uses nothing tighter than 22"R curves, which might be the minimum size on this layout's (in the video) outer loop but I suspect the inner loop has to use 18"R curves?

[steinjr]

Very beautiful scenery. It is really the scenery and buildings that make this layout - track plan wise is a double oval with industry tracks into the center. Good idea with the river as a scenic divider, splitting the layout into the one bank and the other bank, the three road crossings, and the waterfront area in the corner.

Also creative use of two crossings to run three tracks (elevator, other industry and engine house) one way, and a team track (or whatever it is) the other way. Four of five spurs are trailing spurs for a train running clockwise on the inner loop.

For a 4x8, not too bad radius wise - you can easily do 18" radius on the industry tracks and inner loop, and 20.5" radius on the outer loop (turnouts in illustration are Peco code 75 mediums, track is flextrack):



It could be that my turnouts are a little off - I drew this from memory after having watched the film once, and there probably are a couple of crossovers I didn't remember there - probably from inner to outer loop at lower right and from other to inner loop at rear right somewhere - that would be best to try to avoid too bad S curves.

Nice!

Smile,
Stein

[Green_Elite_Cab]

Proves you can do a lot in a small space...

SO ALL OF YOU WHO SAY THEY DON"T HAVE SPACE...GET TO WORK

Well, you see, thats the kicker right there. This has amazing scenery (if you pay attention, there is a hilarious "the office" easter egg on the layout).

However, it is just a few sidings and a two track mainline, and one small engine house. There isn't like, a small yard or something, and honestly, its difficult to get an enjoyable, realistic looking layout with a yard or something that you can do switching with.

I saw one layout where half the 4x8 was staging, and that might not be a bad approach, but then again it cuts down on half your layout scenery space.

Its hard to get even the very basic things one wants in a 4x8 layout.

[train_guy]

I agree,it was the attention to detail that caught my eye,and the amount of detail in a small space.Operational wise,i would need alot more space,and more switches,buildings,etc.Inside the "Loco" shed was a nice little surprize(traction motors,diesel engine,etc),and the little house on the hill,complete with wood deck and chairs for railfanning.

[ocalicreek]

It's definately a railfan's layout as the operating potential seems pretty limited. I thought perhaps the lowered track went to some kind of staging, but alas, it is only an inner loop. Check out some of the other videos of the same layout to see the neat river crossing and bridge scene on the other side where the outer loop zigs in over the inner loop then back again.

Plenty of visual interest and a great layout for the scenery builder. I kicked around 4x8 plans for a while when I was living in SoCal, and even began setting up the layout room (a glassed-in porch) to accomodate such a layout. But even then the only plan I settled on included staging tracks and an option for expansion. One side was purely scenic and the other provided some switching opportunities but the scope was really limited as far as how many different trains could be operated.

Had I been exposed to the sort of high-quality N scale layouts I've been able to see and operate on up here, well, I may have divested more of my HO equipment, switched to N, and really made the most of the space! But that was then, this is now, and life goes on.

Galen

[steinjr]

Well, it is possible to set up a two sided 4x8 for some operational possibilities. Here is e.g. a track plan with a central divider, based on the classic Redwing plan, that allows a shortline to interchange with another railroad, and serve two small sites - a town and an industry:

http://www.layoutvision.com/id49.html

Of course - a 4x8 with a central viewblock splitting it into two scenes which both will be worked will take up at least 8 x 10 feet of floor space. Not a given that that is the most optimal use of space in a small room - say average bedroom size or smaller. On the other hand a 4x8 (or better yet a 5 x 9) will probably work just fine if the layout space you have available is the type of spot where you could have put a ping-pong table - i.e. somewhere in the middle of the floor of a basement den or some such place.

Smile,
Stein