03-05-2011, 10:22 AM
Justin - I'm not sure why you have to fill the space that you have available - when you go to college, you may well not have that sort of space available, and you also have the problem of moving it. Why not look at building something much smaller, that you have some chance of actually getting into a runable condition , and taht you can continue to work on, and detail, whilst being able to run trains around on it? This is one from Carls site, that I designed for a friend who needed to get something completed for an up coming exhibition (Bear in mind that it was designed to fit in short UK rolling stock so the spurs need lengthening a little - If you want to enlarge it you can, by adding in a couple of inches here or there, (4" on each end would give you a 48" long layout, that with ends and a back could form a box) but ensure that it is physically transportable, and not to big to go around corridor corners or fit into a car. You could almost go on adding detailing like bits of rubbish, newspapers, old pallets etc for ever! For US stock, use a 44-tonner or similar, and 40'cars and switch away - it may keep you busy for longer than you expect!
"A TAILORED DESIGN THAT PACKS IN A LOT OF ACTION"
![[Image: stjohnsyard.jpg]](http://img576.imageshack.us/img576/8431/stjohnsyard.jpg)
Shortliner Jack Trollope, from the Highlands of Scotland, sometimes helps his friends with their layout-design problems. One day he received an e-mail requesting layout ideas for a "38x14in board in OO scale, using on-hand track supplies of 1 wye , 2 LH and 3 RH points."
Being a talented designer, Jack almost immediately produced the design at right, which he has named St. John's Yard. In Jack's own words, "The left and right ends are hidden under overbridges, and all the tracks approaching board ends appear to continue elsewhere, to make it look bigger. You can leave wagons on a couple of the 'disappearing' tracks to make it look as though there are longer lines. All track-ends should hold an O8 size loco and at least one 10'wheelbase wagon [that's British four-wheeled stock]. The layout should feature lots of dirty urban atmosphere!
"A further thought suggests that two or three 15in double-ended cassettes (holding a loco and two cars) could be plugged onto the 'disappearing tracks' as required and would increase the 'play-value' and let stock be changed or turned around." A pretty versatile design in just over three square feet!
"A TAILORED DESIGN THAT PACKS IN A LOT OF ACTION"
![[Image: stjohnsyard.jpg]](http://img576.imageshack.us/i/stjohnsyard.jpg/)
Shortliner Jack Trollope, from the Highlands of Scotland, sometimes helps his friends with their layout-design problems. One day he received an e-mail requesting layout ideas for a "38x14in board in OO scale, using on-hand track supplies of 1 wye , 2 LH and 3 RH points."
Being a talented designer, Jack almost immediately produced the design at right, which he has named St. John's Yard. In Jack's own words, "The left and right ends are hidden under overbridges, and all the tracks approaching board ends appear to continue elsewhere, to make it look bigger. You can leave wagons on a couple of the 'disappearing' tracks to make it look as though there are longer lines. All track-ends should hold an O8 size loco and at least one 10'wheelbase wagon [that's British four-wheeled stock]. The layout should feature lots of dirty urban atmosphere!
"A further thought suggests that two or three 15in double-ended cassettes (holding a loco and two cars) could be plugged onto the 'disappearing tracks' as required and would increase the 'play-value' and let stock be changed or turned around." A pretty versatile design in just over three square feet!