New Guy,
As promised, here are some simple layout ideas.
First, here is a crude hand-drawn sketch of a classic figure 8 in oval layout. The sections marked in dark are especially important places where straight pieces must be used. This can be built with all standard 031 curves standard straights. No cutting.
Here are two pictures of the core part of my layout, which is a variation. Note that there are four hand switches, right up front, within easy reach. The length of the track of the layout (not the table) is 8ft 5inch, and the wide of the track is 3 ft 8 inches. You could fit this layout on your table, but you would only have one-half inch of table left on each side of the outer ends of the large oval. If you have already built your table, this could be remedied by just tacking an additional 2x4 to each of the table, small edge up.
There are only five custom cut pieces in the layout, and I have marked them with white paper. On each end of the layout ,there is an inserted short section of 3 inches. In the center of the layout, there are three cuts, from left to right, being 6 inches, four inches, and one inch.
You could modify this layout, to fit better on your table, by simply reducing the 6 inch cut piece to 2 inches (or eliminating the piece altogether, but this would mean having the two center switches hook end to end, which may be a rough ride on any train leaving the center and going out to the big oval. If you change the 6 inch cut to a 2 inch piece, then you can slide the right hand side of the figure eight, and the right half of the big oval, a distance of 4 inches towards the left, which would mean that you would have 2.25 inches of table edge on the outside edge of each end of the layout. (If you do this, then you would have to change the switch handle mechanism on the fourth switch, so that it is on the outside of the track, so that the right hand circle of the figure 8 will have room to move down.
Note in the pictures, that if you use any of these layouts, you will have alot of table room left on the back of the layout, about 16 inches, which you can use to build a little town, or to lay yet another long track which will be a long siding track, with an exit off on and off, from the long straight away at the back of the layout.
I made my layout for very young kids to use, so I kept it simple. What you will find is that designing the layout and laying the track, LEGO style, is very simple and quick. It is the design, creation and execution of fantastic, realistic scenery, that takes super skill and really long periods of time. I just don't the talent for it, so I will just go with some brush and buildings. (Not to mention a circle of cowboys sitting on a fence, watching two gladiators fight!)
Mannyrock
