Switching layout - linear or L-shape?

[22tango]

Most people would say bigger is always better but I'm in a quandary. For now, I need to choose one of two areas for an HO shelf switcher.

One is about 13-14 feet long straight along a wall. The other is a 9-ft by 9-ft L-shape also along the walls.

Layout will be protolanced, running contemporary 4-axle diesels, tanks, bulkhead flats, plastic pellet hoppers, and maybe some of the graffiti canvas reefers. Max depth will be between 18-in and 24-in.

Ultimately, I'd like to go around the walls but that's not feasible now. Short extensions for staging *might* be possible. Anybody care to give an opinion on which area you'd use?

Thanks.

[teejay]

Since you are saying you eventually want to go around the walls , why not start small on one wall and expand as you feel the need . You can have a lot of fun with a point-to-point layout as it is . Just leave room for expansion with your track plan .

Terry

[faraway]

Welcome!
One times 13'-14' or two times 9' with a corner sounds like a wash. I suggest you proceed with track plans for both versions. It is possible the optimum space usage if you can come up with a solution for the L shape where the corner is no lost space. That would be net using 18' vs. 13-14'.

[doctorwayne]

Hey 22tango, a belated to Big Blue.

I'd opt for the two walls in an "L"-shaped layout. An extra 4' or 5' is almost a 15th or 12th of a mile in HO scale.

You could probably locate two additional industries, one on either side of the corner, or use that area of curved track to add a scenic feature, such as a small stream with a bridge over it.

As for staging, I'd stage cars out of (and into) their boxes or to and from a storage shelf, simply placing them on either a designated interchange track or any track which seems most suitable. "Operations" can't start until those cars are in-place, so the big hand placing them there doesn't officially exist until that time.

This also get's you somewhere near to halfway on your planned around-the-room layout.

Wayne

[Brakie]

Food for thought..What will your curve radius be on the L shape layout?

You'll need at least 22" radius for those long 62' bulkhead,those 64' reefers and those 67' plastic pellet covered hoppers.

I would play it safe and go with the 13-14 footer.

[BR60103]

tango:
you can get a really large radius in a corner if you start it from near the back wall. I worked out that in a 20" square you could put a 67" radius curve. Of course, that knocks a lot of the corner out of commission and your curve would start halfway down your shelf!
But that's just the extreme example and you could easily fit a 36" radius in.
If you put it near the wall, you can put all the active yard tracks or industries out front where you can get at them.

If you want the through track near the front or the middle, you might be able to negotiate a triangular piece inside the corner.

[Chuck]

Both have their merits. If you want to model two "separate" scenes, go with the L on two walls, plus it gives you 18' of layout. If you are going for more of a continuous scene, go with the 13' on one wall. A previous poster mentioned making plans for both types -- that is a very good suggestion.

Chuck

[Catt]

I also would do some track planning for both options and see what appeals to you the most. Then go from there.

[shortliner]

Can I offer you a non-complicated l-shape switcher that might do - the layout is O scale so should fit nicely into your 9' x 9' in HO - It is a French site and it is translated by Google, so the "English" is sometimes a bit odd, but it may do what you want, You don't need to be a member to read the site, only if you want to post

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&ie=UTF8&prev=_t&rurl=translate.google.ca&sl=fr&tl=en&u=http://teamtrack.xooit.com/t984-Reseau-modulaire.htm&usg=ALkJrhifzbJDhXceNf0trBlH_-EvInL07A">http://translate.googleusercontent.com/ ... _-EvInL07A</a><!-- m -->

Hope it works for you

[ratled]

I have always liked the L shape as it helps define 2 distinctive areas

ratled

[Brakie]

I also would do some track planning for both options and see what appeals to you the most. Then go from there.

I fully agree since he plans on using long wheel base cars and those need larger curves then the old timey 40' cars.

I have several of those long cars and I wouldn't want to use anything less then 22".

Even on my planed Slate Creek I think the Peco #5 switch may be to tight.

[22tango]

Thanks. Yeah, I know decent radius curves chewing up space on an L could be an issue.

French site is interesting. Maybe I'll "circulate the box". LOL.

I've got a Mindheim shelf layout book and I'm a fan of the HOG and David Barrow's CM&SF so that's the general tone I'm going for. Probably best to draft plans for both spaces and see what shakes out. And trust me, I am NOT complaining about having enough space to have "problems" like this!

[Mike Kieran]

You may also want to adapt Dave Barrow's South Plains District Railroad http://www.blackbearcc.com/SoPlains.htm.

[Painkiller]

My 5 cents to this, is start out with an L shaped layout as you will space a lot of visual space in the room if you want to use it for more than running trains. Still you will get a bit longer run and the curve for those modern equipment but it might to be more spacious will add a lot of interest. If you manage to get a layout which works out great you might have an option to use the long wall for possible extension.

[22tango]

I'm going to go with the L for now. Probably will use the Progressive Rail plan from Airlake Park in Minnesota as a basis for track planning. My current shelf switcher is 18 inches wide but I think I'll go with 15 wide since I have a stack of hollow core doors that size. And I'm going to try ceiling tiles like Jim Fix did for (sub) roadbed. Thanks for the input!