4X8 layouts

[Lester Perry]

Lets see you 4X8, give us your story. What, When, Where & How.

[Green_Elite_Cab]

What:

"North Jersey Coast" Layout, derived from MR's "Callahan Central", as seen in the book "From Set to Scenery".

It features Conrail and NJ DOT/ NJ Transit trains, as well as an industrial railroad.

When

Originally set in the 1990s/early 2000s, being slowly backdated to the late 70s.

The layout was built in 2003-2004 when I was 13-14, and I've been tinkering with it since.

Where

It was originally loosely based on the section of Conrail/NJ Transit trackage through Perth Amboy, NJ, just south of the Outerbridge Crossing.

Currently, it is a little more generalized, but still a New Jersey themed electrified layout based on the 1970s.

How

Despite being a 4x8 layout, it does host THREE different railroads.

The outer oval is almost exclusively passenger trackage, hosting the various MU and locomotive hauled commuter trains typically of 2 to 3 car lengths. Current commuter trains usually consist of a pair of Arrow III MUs.

The inner oval hosts mostly freight trains, usually with 4 axle road switchers. A recently expanded yard allows ample space for sorting and blocking cars. a spur "off layout" serves an interchange. Typical freight trains are 5-6 cars long plus a caboose. The consists are usually 2 insulated/clean lading boxcars, 1-3 tank cars with corn syrup and vegetable oil, and 1-2 Airslide or similar hoppers.

The industrial area is mostly switched by the industry's GE 44 ton diesel, or a trackmobile. The conrail road switchers (and even SW types) are too big to fit onto the spur and still shift more than one car at a time up to the bakery building.

A somewhat lengthy video (14 minutes) of this portion of the layout in operation can be seen here, Please watch if you haven't!- <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2pi3rDA2fI">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2pi3rDA2fI</a><!-- m -->

I'll try to take an overall shot soon.

[jwb]

Chris, that would be a good layout if built by someone of any age, but the fact that you started it in your early teens speaks volumes for your ability. I have only a few things left from anything I did in my early teens -- it just wouldn't have stood up (I started the hobby by simply gluing NMRA horn-hook couplers to the bottoms of cars, for instance, i.e., without even the coupler boxes). The Callahan Central is clearly a good plan, too. I keep hoping that, even though you have in mind getting rid of the layout in the foreseeable future, you can find a way to hold on to it and keep working on it. You'll treasure it down the road if you do!

[sailormatlac]

Never built a 4'x8' layout. Too big for our old house. I was happy for a long time with my 4' x 4' twice around. I rebuilt it a few times using the same sheet of plywood from 1989 to 2002. Just a siding, a bridge and a station, but I still have fond memories of it. Vegetation was made from cheap grass Life-Like mats, high grass with grass-imitation carpet (the one you see in front of home veranda) and street made of asphalted building paper.

From 1998 onward, I got a P2K CNR 0-8-0 and a GP18 in CPR, a few old time cars from Accurail and decided to upgrade to Code 83 and ballast it. It's a shame I don't have pictures of it. It came back to life for a short while about 4 years ago as a logging branchline, then disappeared to oblivion. It still have many scratchbuilt structures from this time including a wood truss bridge, a girder bridge still in use in the club layout and a large barn that was, for a time, part of the club layout too.

I can't count the hours I spent in the dark railfanning the train at eye-level, lighting provided with decolored christmas bulbs.

Matt

[Green_Elite_Cab]

Chris, that would be a good layout if built by someone of any age, but the fact that you started it in your early teens speaks volumes for your ability. I have only a few things left from anything I did in my early teens -- it just wouldn't have stood up (I started the hobby by simply gluing NMRA horn-hook couplers to the bottoms of cars, for instance, i.e., without even the coupler boxes). The Callahan Central is clearly a good plan, too. I keep hoping that, even though you have in mind getting rid of the layout in the foreseeable future, you can find a way to hold on to it and keep working on it. You'll treasure it down the road if you do!

You're definitely right, and this layout probably still has a few more years ahead of it, so long as it has a place to stay.

To be fair to my layout, I probably try to run equipment to large for it. Even in the book I used to build the layout, the equipment was a GP18, SW1, and mostly 40' cars, in smaller trains.

The original Callahan central called for 4 industries, a Cannery (1 reefer), an oil dealer (1 tank car), a warehouse (1 boxcar), and a team-track (2 cars).

I on the other hand, am trying to shove six cars worth of industry, and commuter trains, into the same space (prior to 2007, i tried to have 8 cars worth of industrial sidings!). Its just not practical to operate 8 car trains, GG1s and other large locomotives on a layout this size.

[jwb]

I don't know if it's the power of suggestion, but as a freight operation, the layout keeps reminding me of the Conrail DVDs I have from eastern Pennsylvania. It's worth keeping in mind that by the early 1980s, Conrail and Amtrak were separating passenger from freight big time. I don't see anything unprototypical about catenary posts without wires -- look at lines like the A&S, the Port Road, the Passaic & Harsimus, or the Amboy Secondary. Faced with what appears to be a well-built baseboard and trackwork, I'd look really hard at retaining that layout as a Conrail freight operation, with even "heritage" passenger facilities (like on the former Reading Harrisburg-Allentown line), and continue work on modules for passenger use.

Actually, I've thought about including catenary posts without wires on parts of my layout. For that matter, I've long considered one or more signal bridges without signals a la Guilford. I really think there's a lot of potential left in that layout!

[nachoman]

What: Mogollon Railroad (narrow gauge) and Gila and Southeastern (standard gauge).
When: 1915-1920
Where: Southeastern Arizona
How: It's 4x8, but not on a 4x8 sheet of plywood. The standard (dual) gauge makes a loop, and then the narrow gauge loops up a 4% grade to the town of Joy's Camp.

[Lester Perry]

I am impressed. You guys put a lot of action in a small space. As large as my layout is I have thought about making it bigger but have had a reality check, it is as much as I can handle, often more. I envy you guys for the simplicity of a small layout.

[kamerad47]

Here is a pic of NS delivering cars on the NJT Passaic Valley line to the interchange track for PRT (Passaic River terminal RR) on the 4x8. These cars are for the Passaic county owned Dundee Transload yard. Maybe next week some pics & some back story on the yard !

[nachoman]

Less, HOn3 helps me put more action in a small space. The 4x8 was dictated by the size of the spare bedroom I had available, and the desire to not to block any windows or doors. I like the idea of a small layout because it forces me to think creatively and cram in details, but I do wish I had wider curves and space for more on-layout car storage.

[sailormatlac]

Less, HOn3 helps me put more action in a small space. The 4x8 was dictated by the size of the spare bedroom I had available, and the desire to not to block any windows or doors. I like the idea of a small layout because it forces me to think creatively and cram in details, but I do wish I had wider curves and space for more on-layout car storage.

I never thought your layout was a 4x8! Your pictures habitually makes it looks like bigger, probably because of it's complex topography.

Matt

[Green_Elite_Cab]

Here is a pic of NS delivering cars on the NJT Passaic Valley line to the interchange track for PRT (Passaic River terminal RR) on the 4x8. These cars are for the Passaic county owned Dundee Transload yard. Maybe next week some pics & some back story on the yard !

My question is, are you operating on the Hoboken Division or the Newark Division?

[Green_Elite_Cab]

I don't know if it's the power of suggestion, but as a freight operation, the layout keeps reminding me of the Conrail DVDs I have from eastern Pennsylvania. It's worth keeping in mind that by the early 1980s, Conrail and Amtrak were separating passenger from freight big time. I don't see anything unprototypical about catenary posts without wires -- look at lines like the A&S, the Port Road, the Passaic & Harsimus, or the Amboy Secondary. Faced with what appears to be a well-built baseboard and trackwork, I'd look really hard at retaining that layout as a Conrail freight operation, with even "heritage" passenger facilities (like on the former Reading Harrisburg-Allentown line), and continue work on modules for passenger use.

Actually, I've thought about including catenary posts without wires on parts of my layout. For that matter, I've long considered one or more signal bridges without signals a la Guilford. I really think there's a lot of potential left in that layout!

All of those lines would make fascinating subjects to model, though I think I'd prefer to model them with wire than without. The Jamesburg Branch between Monmouth Junction and South Amboy might be interesting. I think that line actually retained its wire for a while (and the poles are still there even today). Its got just low enough freight traffic to be easy to model. I think some of the locals out of Morrisville and Browns yard would pass through, as would some coal train traffic. Occasionally, Amtrak would use the line to bypass derailments on the NEC.

The other thing I thought about, was modeling an Ex-Reading electrified line, which has simpler catenary. The Reading didn't really run long commuter trains, and the old "green" cars and blueliners were 60' cars, making them a little more space and curve friendly. My Conrail ETTs for the are seem like the commuter trains were particularly frequent either, so that might be a practical way to keep passenger trains without having to drastically change anything.

[kamerad47]

Hoboken , Here is a pic of NJT ( older pic). I know there not the right passegger cars , But I like the Bi level cars & I thought with the right decals they would pass for them ??? !

[kamerad47]

I don't know if you guys are interested in how I raise & lower my layout (4x8) So here are a couple of pics of the system I put together to do it. The first 2 pics are a boat trailer winch that I took the steel cable out of ( use rope) & handle off , took the nut , drilled a set screw in it & use a drill with a 3/4 socket to drive it !! next are some pulleys & a block & tackle That attach to some 2x4's with some eye bolts & it sits on some saw horses for now !!!!