Any ideas on fun track plans that would fit in this space and be easy for a 6 year old to operate?
Pictures and diagrams would be appreciated.
Thanks,
BC
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BC,
Seven year ago, I made a kids layout for them to use while I worked on the big layout. My kids were just entering elementary school and it gave them ownership of the layout. I did two loops with two level. The bottom level had switches, and operating track sections. It has tunnels and bridges to allow the top level to run over the bottom level. We picked a winter scene. Another forum member MISS C. did a similar plan with a city scene.
I not sure if I have the RR trax plan anymore. The layout was dismantled and moved into my larger layout after we did work on the basement. At that time my kids wanted to just use the big layout.
Very nice Chris, thanks for the photos.
Did you have any accessories on this example? Our son really loves accessories, but I'm trying to figure out if we should put the on the main line or a side. He still has to work on his timing back up the trains!
Thanks again,
BC
Hi BC,
You could add four remote switches, 2 lefts and 2 rights connected curve to curve to join the two loops and operate one train with a small consist. This wold present the challenge of learning to manage the switches and create some fun for successfully doing so. That would build a foundation for future expansion. Add an operating track on the inner loop to dump logs. (easy to pick up and do again).The horse and milk box car with platform are cool too (a little tougher to load).
Just some thoughts from a guy with an 18 month old grandson. Built him a 4 x 8 loop with a Polar Express this past Christmas. Hit the whistle highballin' & smokin' and saw the look. I think we are both hooked.
Have you checked out Thor Trains? They have lots of 4x8 O Gauge track plans for classic (O27, O31) track, FasTrack, RealTrax, and Atlas O.
http://www.thortrains.com/
Cheers,
Ken
BC,
That is a 4x8. My previous layout was 7x12 so a 4x8 took some time to adjust to! . I think the "cliffs" along the sides make it look a bit bigger as they extend anywhere from a few to as many as 6 inches from the table. I'd like to do a small expansion, as I mentioned in my original post, as I'm getting a bit bored with it operationally. At this moment, I'm installing a few Z-stuff signals around the mainlines. Thanks for the kind words!
Very nice Chris, thanks for the photos.
Did you have any accessories on this example? Our son really loves accessories, but I'm trying to figure out if we should put the on the main line or a side. He still has to work on his timing back up the trains!
Thanks again,
BC
I had the track gang and the crew dismaltling the train car. I also used the ice loader and the signalman house. I did have track operating accessories on the switches.
Ace....what track are you using in your plan?
It's drawn for old-style conventional 3-rail with O31 minimum curves. There is another thread with related plans in FasTrack and other versions:
It's drawn for old-style conventional 3-rail with O31 minimum curves. There is another thread with related plans in FasTrack and other versions:
Take the 5x 10 space it will give you more options down the road.
Max,
I don't have a trackplan although I will do my best to describe it. The main tabletop is a "standard" oval of track with 0-42 curves. One Ross switch comes off of that for a long siding. A Lionel 0-27 switch is at the end of the long siding breaking the long siding into two small sidings. The tunnel covers about half of the layout. The upper loop is a simple 0-27 oval with one Lionel 0-27 switch tucked in for a small siding.
Hope that helps...let me know if you need more help. I may be able to dig up some pictures on my Facebook page or past forum posts to give a better glimpse. Unfortunately my camera lost a fight with a hardwood floor recently and my computer lost a fight with a roasting pan filled with turkey grease so both are out of commission for the time being.
A track-plan idea for a two-level 4x8 layout, drawn with old-style conventional 3-rail track.
click on image for larger view
I'm seeing a lot of good layout ideas! I especially like that return loop turned "inside out"--a real space-saver!
Aaron
A track-plan idea for a two-level 4x8 layout, drawn with old-style conventional 3-rail track.
click on image for larger view
ace can u do this is scarm i would like to build this and maybe a list of the track in 3 rail tube track with 031 curves and i do not understand the easement thing thank u
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