First Track - Making the most of a 8" x 4" board

[Dad will sort it]

The wife and myself have finally cleared our box room in preparation for providing our son's Hornby trains with a permenant home/layout. The room is long and narrow so we intend to build on a 8' x 4' (2.4m x 1.2m) board [albeit cut to approx 44"/110cm wide MAX and possibly 7'/2.1m - this is to allow space around the board]. Note: We anticipate cutting an access hole somewhere in the middle of the board!

My son has the following:

• West Coat Highlander Starter Pack + Extension Pack A (inc. std. DC controller)
• Flying Scotsman (and carriages)
• Extension Packs B, C, D
• Accessory Packs 1, 3, 5

His current layout (which live on our dining room table!) follows the standard Expansion Pack D layout BUT do not have the width to build the siding that is introduced with Extension Pack A.

How do we utilise the 8" length of the board? We'd like to use the engine shed in the manner shown in Expansion Pack F but we cannot go wider (so cannot add the point).

Is there a way of replacing a 3rd radius curve (R609) with a point and shorter curve - to allow us to mimic the branch for the engine shed?

Can anyone guide us towards the best single level layout (utilising the at least the bits that we have and the anticipated 44"/110cm wide MAX x  7'/2.1m long board).

Thanks in advance if you can!

[mjb1961]

Hi ,,if you are going to make a access hole in the board which will take up valuable space for scenery etc why don't you consider fitting castors on the legs of the board so you can move it around which will give you access to all sides of the layout or you could build the layout around the room with a access / operating area in the middle ,also if you take a look on ' Freetrackplans.com ' you will find loads of layouts to suit your board size ,,hope this as helped ,,,mjb

[Chrissaf]

In case you haven't seen it....... I wrote a 'Getting Started......." PDF written entirely around the Hornby track extension packs layout. You can download my PDF from the Hornby forum page linked below. Note: Subject to how your browser is configured, clicking the PDF download link may silently download my PDF in the background to your nominated browser download folder.

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https://www.hornby.com/uk-en/forum/track-extension-pack-guide/?p=1

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TIP: As a newbie poster on the forum, just be aware that the 'Blue Button with the White Arrow' is not a 'Reply to this post' button. If you want to reply to any of the posts, scroll down and write your reply in the reply text box at the bottom of the page and click the Green 'Reply' button.

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See also – further TIPs on how to get the best user experience from this forum.

https://www.hornby.com/uk-en/forum/tips-on-using-the-forum/

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[Dad will sort it]

Thanks both for the feedback. I've never had Hornby so this is a new (son inspired) hobby for us.

 

@Chrissaf

I've read and used your guide - very useful. Certainly helped as we expanded our son's track and needed to understand the logic of using a single controller, etc.

Our current challenge means we have to deviate away from the standard track layouts but as yet do not understand the different track pieces and how they interact, etc.

I suppose we're a little "trapped" between building the first layout while ensuring we leave options for the future (I.e. expansion, redesign, etc). I grew up with Lego and that offers endless flexibility as you never fix it to a board!!)

 

@mjb1961

The room is oblong and the board sizes are based on allowing access along one side and both ends of the board. The board would be fixed (possibly hinged) along one wall. The suggested access hole is probably more necessity than preference as the size of the board makes it difficult to reach the items (i.e. points or derailed locomotives).

I'll take a look at the Freetrackplans.com site - thanks for the heads up on that.

[Tony57]

Hi

If I had a oblong room I would look at a around the wall shelf type layout rather than a middle of the room type layout. Around the wall takes up less space. A double track can be laid and landscaped on a 9" wide shelf, a through station area on a 12" -18" wide shelf, a Terminus station on a 2' wide shelf, storage yard on a 18"wide to 2' wide shelf for a large one 12" - 18" for a compact version.

 

Also by doing a shelf layout the room can be used for other things as well as the railway.

[Buz]

Hi Dad will sort it!

While not agreeing with Tony57 on multi use space where model trains are concerned.

As I understand it box rooms are not very big so an 8' X 4' island layout is probably not the best use of the space, I would suggest as Tony57 has a wall hugging narrow shelf layout around the walls of the room.

An 8' X 4' actually needs 14' X 10' as you need to be able to get round the whole table to make good use of the board and run a scenic divider down the middleish sort of location to make it seem bigger than it is.

As a general rule a base board should not be wider than three feet so you can reach the back to do scenic work etc at the back.

There are a number of track planning books published which a trip to the local library should be able to turn up for you.

These will give you plenty of ideas best does not necessarily mean 30 miles of track crammed into a box room.

I would take a step back have a cup of tea and think about what you actually want to achieve a train set, a model railway, something in between both, what do you want on the layout what can you live without.

Looks like you have a train set controller this is not the best have a talk to a hobby shop about a better quality  one, unfortunately it is common to all brands train set controllers they are not adequate once you start expanding the set.

I would read up and decide what control system you want for the layout DC (analog) or DCC (digital) and then get the best controller you can that suits what you want to do.

That should give you enough to think about for now.

regards John

[Puffed Out]

Take it from me, as an old newbie.  Expectations are higher than reality.......My first error. 

I maybe talking rubbish, compared to the experts, but put your expected layout on the floor of your boxroom(make sure it's very clean) on your 8x4 board, then you can work it out from there, and any arrangements that you want, or are possible.

The only way to 'expand' you layout is inwards. You can then decide where to cut your access hole. And make allowances for any inward expansion. 

Another thing, your son will want to expand or change the layout at some point.......it's the nature of things.

I have 4 loops, R1, R2, R3, and R4, all connected.......4 sidings in the middle left side, and if I wanted an access hole, it would be just on the right of centre of length, by about 250mm.

[RDS]

I would not put an access hole in the middle of an 8' x 4' Board.  The access hole would have to be quite large to allow a person to turn around in it and you would be losing valuable board space.

 

My Board is 8' x 4' and I put a few sidings in the middle.

 

/media/tinymce_upload/dfd0b19ed434b509d6f51035bf8424a7.jpg  

[Puffed Out]

@RDS.

A few.... 😆. 😮

19, is never a few. What's it sat on.....girders. 😉 😀.........Now that shows what's possible. 

But you missed a trick....room for one more, in betwen the top left 2.  Shame on you. 😆 🤐.  You could squeeze 1 wagon on it. 😉

If his son isn't tall enough, then I guess he'll need access hole.!?!?

[96RAF]

I had a 6’ x 4’ layout on castors so it could be wheeled about for access to all sides. It was pushed against two walls and operated from one end.

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[RDS]

@ Puffed Out

If I find that 19 is not enough, I can squeeze 3 more in.  1 where you indicated and 2 more to replace the rather waste of space where the Programming Track is positioned, although my only scenery in the shape of a car park usually goes there.

 

Changes for the future maybe?

 

(I would get a Box for the son to stand on)

[samfieldhouse]

My only layout is 8x4. I'll post some pics tomorrow. mine is in a box that folds down from an angled ceiling in the loft. So it completely clears away. the lagout itself is built on 10mm ply. I have 2 'full length' loops, a 3rd radius circle and a smaller 2nd radius loop on a second level. There's also a recerse loop. my pleasure is in watching trains go round and round and this enables me to have 4 running continuously whilst a 5th can shunt on the hill up to the second level. mice just started an OO9 element in the middle too. pics to follow. 

[ackers5861]

I'm still working on a 6 x 4 roundy roundy garage layout. It doesn't unfortunately have castors, but there is walking space around the whole table (narrowest along the back wall being about 2.5 ft). You'd be surprised with what you can fit on when working with such a confined space to be honest. The layout plan is a basic double loop, with two sidings and a branch line. Being my first (and still only) layout, I admit it isn't perfect, but it gets the job done for my basic interests in train operation. The goods siding was designed to enable basic shunting operation without interfering with the main loops, allowing for a third loco to independently operate. The layout is also only DC, but uses a Gaugemaster double track (Model D) controller.

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[Buz]

Hi all

And on an ever shrinking note

My 4'6" X 4'6" light railway

/media/tinymce_upload/7896f4c98ae16540031064a6a555fd6f.JPG

This is an early picture can't find the more recent one with the village in place on the hill.

This one is only single line but has a station with goods yard, a loco depot and a stopping place you can just make that out on the far side of the layout next to the un- guarded level crossing.

A fiddle yard is under the hills.

This one is a Light Railway as per the Light Railways act so no gates on the crossing is fine and it also explains the strange mix of rolling stock and track speed of 25MPH Max.

It needs a good dust off at the moment before I can do more work on it.

regards John

[NWR-Gordon-4]

@ackers5861

 

Great layout. Thank you for posting that image.  😉  😀

 

@Buz

 

Nice layout!  😉  😀

 

I also spy the sheds, at the far right corner in front of the curtains, Bachmann Trains Thomas & Friends 77028 Henrietta, Toby’s coach.

 

GNR-Gordon-4 (HF)

[Buz]

Hi GNR-Gordon-4

One of a pair destined for finer balcony rails if I can re find the suppler

The real coaches where last used on the Kelvedon and Tollesbury light railway.

Can't remember the name of the tramway they came from other than the nick name the strawberry line.

regards John

[NWR-Gordon-4]

Hi Buz.  😀

 

Are you are looking for a second Henrietta model, so you have a pair? I assume you want to repaint Henrietta?

 

The problem is with the Bachmann Thomas models, is that they are very expensive and the paint liveries on them are very shiny, so against other standard range models from any manufacturer, they don’t go together very well.

 

GNR-Gordon-4 (HF)

[Buz]

Hi GNR-Gordon-4

No repaint the colour is about right will be staying shiny the second one is hidden behind the loco shed

Expencive?? your looking at the wrong places to buy I got the TTTE coaches Hornby and Bachmann that I wanted brand new at very reasonal prices.

I have a complete train of the green six wheelers waiting for lamp tops and class decals these will be the BIG market day train four or is it five coaches 😆

Wasn't quick enough with the Sodor Oil tankers a child got those to see the smile on his face was worth the loosing out.

regards John

[NWR-Gordon-4]

I see. Which locomotive do you have pull the two Henrietta’s? A steam tram?

 

Where have you bought your Bachmann Trains Thomas & Friends models from then? I have owned my Henrietta since around 2011, but I can’t remember where I purchased her from or how much I paid.

 

I would like to see Bachmann Trains modify their Henrietta model, to have a face at one end, like she does in the more recent episodes of the CGI TV series.

 

Over the years, I have bought them from The Diesel Works (Before the website was sold, but they no longer the sell the Thomas models) and from Tootally Thomas. I have bought one or two from Sawyer Models as well. I hope by the end of the year, that all the HO and Narrow Gauge models will be officially sold in the UK.

 

The dark green two-wheeled coaches you are talking about, are Emily’s Coaches. I have just have a train of two, so one 76042 Emily’s Coach and one 76043 Emily’s Brake Coach.

 

I don’t think Hornby Emily is strong enough to pull more than two of these coaches, but in the model TV series, she only had two coaches anyway, so I want to replicate that.

 

GNR-Gordon-4 (HF)

[samfieldhouse]

So my 8x4 folds against an anged ceiling in an angled box:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My great pleasure from 'the hobby' is just watching rains go round and round.... so I wanted as many going round as possible!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Therev are 4 complete loops: The outer is 3rd radius, the inner and top loops (accessed via an incline) 2nd radius (incorporating a reverse loop) and a 1st radius bottom loop at the top end.

There's also the OO9 inner figure of 8 and some shunting value to be hand from the incline and sidings at the top.

To avoid the 'loopy' look I've tried to build in as many scenic breaks as possible. 

I never call it a 'model railway' - it's very much a Scenic Trainset!  😆

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The scenery is getting there and I'm enjoying the process!

 

[samfieldhouse]

think about what you actually want to achieve a train set, a model railway, something in between both, what do you want on the layout what can you live without.

Agree with that. I set out with some very specific 'success criteria' for mine.

• As many trains going at once as possible.
• Reverse loop
• Multiple levels
• Rural setting
• No specific time/location to avoid contrived imaginary scenarios.

[Puffed Out]

@RDS.

I've been sat here looking at my sidings for quite a few days.....it just didn't look right somehow.  So last night, or should I say this morning(2 -3am), I re-arranged the sidings, and now it looks so much better.  BUT, (there's always a but, isn't there),.....I need to purchase RH & LH points to finish it off.

..

It's similar to your layout, on the LH upper side of the inner loop.  I now have four sidings going at the same angle as yours, but 2 running parallel to the straights.  The 2 parallel's will enter an engine shed eventually. So 6 sidings in all.

..

On the RH side of the layout is pretty empty, giving enough room for a 'graveyard' of Loco's/rolling stock/track/sleepers etc.  I am going to need 1 siding there, maybe 2, (off of the bottom RH loop)......so when I've worked that out, it's back to shopping for the track pieces.

..

There's not going much 'prettyness' with this layout.   (Photo's to follow, once sorted). 😉

[RDS]

@Puffed Out

I look forward to seeing your pictures.  I spent ages looking at mine and eventually decided on the 19 sidings.  I then put them in place afer removing the track that had previously occupied the space.  I ran it for a few days without wiring the points motors just to check it was what I wanted.  

 

No it's not mounted on girders but it is mounted on a very sturdy frame built from Beech, with eight 3" x 3" legs and 2" x 4" Beech to fasten them together.  It's not going anywhere!

[RDS]

@samfieldhouse

That is a great use of space. 

I guess you just need to check those tunnels very carefully before hinging it up though!

[Dad will sort it]

@samfieldhouse

Please add the photos. I've very intrerested to see what you described.

I am toying with the idea of pivoting our layout (along one of the longer sides) so that it be folder up(?) against the wall. Obviously, some form of frame is required and this causes its own problem (reduced height for scenary, fxed positioning of buildings, etc).

 

On a general note, what is the best way of attaching an image? I would like to add a drawing to show the challenge that I was originally trying to describe (i.e. room sizes, board sizes, etc.