HO in 4x2, Portsmouth, NH

[marti427]

I promise I'm not crazy the layout fits!
I have tried to start two layouts before this and with little to no luck, most times I got as far as laying the track and trying to wire DCC and that has been my failure. I can't seem to get pass wiring, everything I do seems to match everything I read and watch yet I can never get any power. This layout will most likely be DC but would love to try to make it DCC later. The layout is as small as it is because I would like to focus more on modeling than physical running (scenery, weathering, modeling, and scratch building) although I have laid test track (nothing set yet) and I can fit a engine and a car with ease. This layout will have a add-on a foot long that will allow the engine and car to fit on the "main-line."
As you can see in the picture below I will have a rail-to-road Walters kit up top with a siding that could house a oil transload area later on and a "team track" this can house two of the smaller hoppers I will be using or one of the larger boxcars. The warehouse on the bottom is High Liner Foods in Portsmouth, NH. It can fit larger reefer boxcars but I haven't decided if I will use those or the older blue box kits that have less detail but are smaller in size. I will be heavily detailing the warehouse with 5 dock doors for trailers. As I mentioned I know this is small in size but I think it will offer me plenty of pleasure and is my stepping stone to my future, larger layout!

Please excuse the cheap looking paint sketch

[Mike Kieran]

I like the plan. If you curve the drill track, you buy more space for it.

I have a track plan that's self contained in a 4x1 foot area if you want.

   

[Sumpter250]

To Big Blue
HO in 4x2 - - - I got into this when I met the local modular group at a train show.
The beauty of 4X2, is, you can spend the time to put a lot of detail into "that space" and have it look good !, and take it to display at local shows. The drawback, you can only run long trains when it is a part of a group ( modular) layout.
I decided to start with a three module set. The required two track main line, and little else, at the first show. Scenery by the time of the second show, and on from there. I had the opportunity to take this picture, at a "Mall Show", from the second level walkway.
   
The upper level was for Narrow Gauge, and when the only other member who had Narrow gauge moved to Florida !!,
I added the back-tabels so I could run the narrow.
The "modular" got smaller, as members lost interest, here, perhaps our smallest "set-up".
   
My new modules are 30" X 4'. Haven't had a chance to get an overhead shot of these......yet
There is a " 4X2 " behind the center 4X30", the two track rolling lift bridge, is close to the front edge of the " 4X2 ", in this picture.
   
Finally a shot of the " new modules " at a Fairground Show.
   


Just a hint of where " 4X2 " can go. Hope to see more of your work

[marti427]

Sadly I haven't got to do much work on the layout lately between work and the husband duties as the wife is excited to start spring projects. This week though I finally laid the track to about where it will be and I will solder this weekend but I have a issue at hand. The first turnout on the right side of my layout seems to be dead, every time a engine goes over the turnout it stops, the track is all connected and touching yet that seems to be a issue. The weird thing is its directly touching the terminal piece so you think it would have the strongest connection. Any advice? I want to handle this before I solder to ensure no issues later on. This weekend I hope to start on my fish plant truck dock side of the warehouse as well.



Went to a small train show this morning and found this train for a good deal, its a older Atlas model but it runs fairly well. Don't know how it fits on my layout as I want it to be a New England railroad but I couldn't resist. Does anyone know if any of the old Family Line units were ever patched by any railroad or used by a leasing company? Also, I am not the best at identifying the different type of engines, is this a gp40 or is it a different gp model? Thanks

[railroader9731]

Hi marti as for you track problem I used to have an atlas switch that done the same and I cured that by taking to alligator clamps and soldered a wire to the two of them to make a jumper/tester and by placing one clamp to the prior track rail and letting loco set where it died and take other clamp to various spots on switch track section. I found that there was a bad section of track and went ahead and tacked on a permanent jumper wire to continue power. Hope this helps. Here is a pic to help you also connect red arrow (clamp 1) to red arrow (clamp 2) and for green connect green arrow (clamp 1) green arrow (clamp 2) and if needed to test inner rail connect green arrow (clamp 1) to green arrow (clamp 3).

[marti427]

Soooo I changed things up, with the layout being so small I could cram two rail served industries but I chose to focus only on one. The food processing plant offers me to give it a bit of detail with the truck yard and the factory plant itself. With it being a food industry it offers a wide range of cars I can run on the layout between different boxcars, both refrigerated and standard, tank cars, and maybe hoppers? I have two options and a question when it comes to the hoppers, do food plants get hoppers often and how are they normally stored? Are there silos or big storage areas or how does that work. I will use the middle car location for a hopper or if I can't figure out a good answer or a prototype to model it after I will maybe do a transload area on one of the team tracks. I know the tankers for food plants can easily be modeled as many just have hoses that they connect then run into the warehouse. Below is the pictures, feel free to comment (the layout is still in the vary, vary rough stages though.

[railroader9731]

Id say it all depends on what your food plants manufacturing is based around?

[NSHO]

Is there going to be a space issue if you're trying to switch more than one car out of the food plant. What happens when you bring 2 cars onto the layout to be switched?

[marti427]

Basically at this point I am open to model any food plant. It was going to be based off a fish plant in New Hampshire but now I am doing whatever fits. So any ideas are welcome!

Yes I am building a extension on the left side it will be about a foot long, could make it longer but as tested it will allow for a engine and at least a 57' reefer and a 62' reefer. So that has been planned for.

[Tyson Rayles]

Have you considered switching to a smaller scale?

[Brakie]

Have you considered switching to a smaller scale?

Like the (N) ormal Scale perhaps?

Sorry..I couldn't resist the invitation. :o

[marti427]

Have you considered switching to a smaller scale?

Like the (N) ormal Scale perhaps?

Sorry..I couldn't resist the invitation. :o

I have a 4x2 n scale layout that I have started but my lack of electrical/dcc skills have currently put that on hold. So this layout really isn't much about how much I can do with it but more of a chance for me to work on my scratch building skills and detailing aspect more than a operations standpoint. Also, one thing that has really kept me from n-scale is the lack of modern items, atleast in my experience. Most of what I wanted to do was going to have to be scratched built cause there weren't any kits that matched what I wanted to do, unlike HO.