Need help/ideas for a layout plan

[Little-Kinder]

Hello there,

I am in need of your assistance, i'm trying to improve make a bigger track plan while using part of what i already have.

This is all DC only, and on the tatami floor of the room.

 

I am currently running this layout (the grey area cannot be used but i can use it to go anywhere), as you can see i have a lot of space available, but i'm just not sure what to do with it

 

For now this is what I have, i mostly run TGV and shinkansen so i need the 281 curve minimum.

You can see that i incorporated the station from above, the goal is to have at least two loops (maybe three?) while being able to move/remove trains from the loop to the station. 

Since I have a unitram set i wanted to incorporate it, for now the train just go above it.

I tried to remove all the S curves, let me know if i missed some.

i'm not sure about the area to the right, i tried to use the space but i'm not convinced, i also placed an inglenook if i later have some cars to move around (ignore the turntable it's just to see how it looks in this space

 

It might be a long shot for sure, but i want to at least incorporate a V2 set or something to get some height to my current set

Let me know what you guys think.

 

Thank you

 

Edited February 8 by Little-Kinder

[Beaver]

Where is the door? Placing track close to the door will greatly increase the risk of it getting trodden on, especially if you have to step over the track to reach an open space where you can sit down.

[Little-Kinder]

30 minutes ago, Beaver said:

Where is the door? Placing track close to the door will greatly increase the risk of it getting trodden on, especially if you have to step over the track to reach an open space where you can sit down.

it's a tatami room, so the doors are the whole bottom wall (sliding doors)

Edited February 8 by Little-Kinder

[Beaver]

Excellent, so by opening those you can get to almost any point of the layout without stepping over it.

[Little-Kinder]

59 minutes ago, Beaver said:

Excellent, so by opening those you can get to almost any point of the layout without stepping over it.

Exactly.

 

I'm just leaving the area in grey do that I can access the storage area on the side if needed 

[cteno4]

Wonderful new area to run trains in! Good thing about running on the floor is you can make things a lot deeper as you can step into work on things where as on tables you can only go as far as you can easily reach. I guess the biggest thing will be appropriate sitting areas to enjoy and run the layout. The mainline looks nice to get some longer straight runs as well as some interesting curves that don’t feel like loop de loops.

 

Post some pictures as you bring this together!

 

cheers,

 

jeff

[Little-Kinder]

11 hours ago, cteno4 said:

Wonderful new area to run trains in! Good thing about running on the floor is you can make things a lot deeper as you can step into work on things where as on tables you can only go as far as you can easily reach. I guess the biggest thing will be appropriate sitting areas to enjoy and run the layout. The mainline looks nice to get some longer straight runs as well as some interesting curves that don’t feel like loop de loops.

 

Post some pictures as you bring this together!

 

cheers,

 

jeff

If you have any recommandations. Feel free to let me know.

[Beaver]

I recommend you add a headshunt to the inglenook sidings so that they can be shunted without intruding onto the main line.

[cteno4]

8 hours ago, Little-Kinder said:

If you have any recommandations. Feel free to let me know.

For this it’s going to just be trying things as it grows here to see where you like to look at things, how much room you need sitting (for me thats huge as even when i can get my legs folded my spider legs stick way out), and where egress is easy.

 

cheers,

 

jeff

[Little-Kinder]

Hello there,

 

New refined version of the track plan

 

 

I tried to have longer curves for TGV and shinkansen 

 

the goal is then to have the turntable and inglenook (not convinced for the inglenook)

 

 

Let me know what you guys think

 

[cteno4]

Yes the mainline feels smoother and less blocky with the larger radius and having things spread out some more. Looks like good access and sitting areas.

 

this is all on the tatami mat floor running, correct?

 

jeff

[Little-Kinder]

Yes this will all be on a tatami floor (at least for now)

[cteno4]

The left and center will not be bad to do on a layout table, but the right side would be really hard being so deep and in a corner to be able to get access to the back and even center areas of it, especially with the room obstruction in the lower right.

 

jeff

[Little-Kinder]

30 minutes ago, cteno4 said:

The left and center will not be bad to do on a layout table, but the right side would be really hard being so deep and in a corner to be able to get access to the back and even center areas of it, especially with the room obstruction in the lower right.

 

jeff

The lower right (grey square) cannot be used to put rails but can be used to access where I need to be. It's just a front of a storage area so I do not want to block it.

 

And I can always leave an access hole near it if I ever make a table etc etc 

 

Worst case scenario I can change my plans 

[cteno4]

Things just are different on the floor vs on a layout table. On the floor you can actually lean over further where you can easily place a hand to support your self while reaching out and even step into the layout. On a bench/table, its a lot harder to place a hand to steady yourself and you cant reach in past like 24” with much ease to work on things, especially with 2 hands at once. It’s sort of an odd thing working on a raised layout as we usually dont have to reach in to other things like this to work on things. Worse if you have any back issues as working with your arms stretched way out for long periods can be really hard on the back. Deep areas you can do pop out hatches but these take some work to do and hide in scenery and figure out a way to hold the hatch lid while you are in the hatchway. 

 

A good way to try this out is trying setting up some track and playing with things on different width tables along the back side. 

 

Cheers

 

jeff

[Ander88]

On 2/10/2025 at 1:50 PM, Little-Kinder said:

 

 

Let me know what you guys think

 

You know more than anyone what layout you like and what you are using it for. But have you thought of removing, the "duplicated" two tracks that are at the railyard? Don't know if they are very usefull but you could use the spare turnout to put it at the end of any track to get a way to change loco from back to front of a train. Something like:

 

 

Just as an idea. Since you are having a turntable I assumed you will have locos that would need to change from from rear to front of the train.

[Little-Kinder]

16 hours ago, Ander88 said:

You know more than anyone what layout you like and what you are using it for. But have you thought of removing, the "duplicated" two tracks that are at the railyard? Don't know if they are very usefull but you could use the spare turnout to put it at the end of any track to get a way to change loco from back to front of a train. Something like:

 

Just as an idea. Since you are having a turntable I assumed you will have locos that would need to change from from rear to front of the train.

I do not have trains can needs to change front to back right now that's why the idea is first without the turntable (only when i have trains that could use it would i purchase it), the turntable is just to imagine etc for now.

 

but i can consider that yes (currently i have only a dd16-304 with russel heads that could use this)

[Ander88]

Furthermore, my suggestion would not be helpfull if your trains are going to depart in "Japanese direction". Because my suggestion would leave the loco (once change from back to font), facing the wrong track to depart.

 

 

So these details are things that need to be though now when planning the layout to avoid trouble once starting to move trains.

[Little-Kinder]

1 hour ago, Ander88 said:

Furthermore, my suggestion would not be helpfull if your trains are going to depart in "Japanese direction". Because my suggestion would leave the loco (once change from back to font), facing the wrong track to depart.

 

 

So these details are things that need to be though now when planning the layout to avoid trouble once starting to move trains.

Btw it's not duplicates it's an X so the number 1 track can go to number 3 

 

And I don't really mind if it's not realistic 

 

Will see what I can do. I need to check for the elevation because I believe it will be too high (or close to being too high )

 

Edited February 12 by Little-Kinder

[Ander88]

I was not talking regarding realism (in fact the layout I have is the most unrealistic thing in the world). I was just suggesting options to have more "playability", that is, to be able to do more operations in the yard. 

[Little-Kinder]

10 hours ago, Ander88 said:

I was not talking regarding realism (in fact the layout I have is the most unrealistic thing in the world). I was just suggesting options to have more "playability", that is, to be able to do more operations in the yard. 

Ah I see thanks