5'x10' FasTrack layout complete (for now!)

That's an interesting track plan. I drew up a somewhat similar two-stage version with conventional O31 track to fit a 4'x 8'. 

Ace:

Yep, I pretty much tried to copy your plan but in FasTrack. Had to tweak it since there are no FasTrack O54 curves and the spacing around the 45 crossing can be fiddly - lots of trial and error and it never does link up in the SCARM program I used. What I loved about your plan is that you can reverse the direction of the trains with only two switches. Adds a lot of variety to the plan at a fairly low cost. Nice thing about FasTrack switches is you can run the train through them when they're in the wrong position and it won't derail so my kids can just set the trains running and not have to worry about switches. No way this would fit 4x8 in FasTrack, at least not without swapping out all my O36 curves for the new O31s which would be pricey.

I thought I'd try laying this out with FasTrack. I'm running up against the 50 piece limit (of the free version of AnyRail) so I've listed individual pieces that I overlaid with a single filler piece as a work-around.

This plan fits into 5'x 9'.

I played with Ace's plan in RR-Track. Nice plan Ace. I came up with this for Fastrack in a 5x10 size.

Using the new 031 curves on the inside, it is possible to build a Fastrack version in 4x8.

I actually like this one:

due to it's unique used of wide outer curves and the possibility of running two trains:

1. Inner crossover
2. outer line with passing siding

In any event the biggest interest will be to use scenic dividers in the scenery so one does NOT see the train all the time. This gives the layout a mistique!

You guys have really gone to town with this plan. I've fit in the crossover for easy two-train operation like SeattleSUP showed earlier with O36 minimum curves, but this version is 5'x 9', a foot shorter.

I just noticed today that my AnyRail software has updated to include the new O31 FasTrack curves.

Here is a 6x11 MTH Real Trax version with 042 minimum radius.

Dave, attached is the RR-Track file.

Thanks. Unfortunately, my version won't load it, I only have the ReakTrax library. But I saved it for when I buy the upgrade.

It's such a great plan because it has a lot of variety without needing a lot of expensive switches in its most basic form but can then be expanded to include sidings or two train operations as your budget allows. Not too many designs allow for that. I also like using the O72 and O36 curves - I think if you used all curves of the same radius it would be a little too symmetrical/monotonous looking. I plan to put tunnels and a plateau over the upper left O72 and O36 curves. Coming down off the plateau between the two curves will be a river so I can put a small bridge where the bottom 10" straight section is. I only added those two 10" sections because I had them left over.

I've tweaked this 5x9  O36 FasTrack version for somewhat better curve alignments at the upper left.

Ace,

   Great 5'x9' FasTrack layout, I really like it.  I will need to alter it some what for my

old Lionel 072 & 711 switches, with transition track, but I think I can make it work.

Serious little layout!

PCRR/Dave

Thanks for this post. I have been looking for something like this for my 4'X19'

footprint..

Between Ace's curve easments and my already on order 31" fasttrack curves. I think I can be happy building something incorporating Mike Donahue's 4x8 as a center piece.

If some one would publish a track listing for the 4x8 I would be greatful

Thanks Again   

I have attached the track listing for the 4x8 version. Hope this helps.

You guys rock! Can someone send me the file for fastrack. I have an 8 x 12 that I am just starting and would love to use this as my guide. Love this site 

steve

Thanks Mike

I have been fighting with this for a couple of years.. just never happy with the results... but this looks like a winner to me.

Most of the track I have in house still waiting for the 31 curves hopefully next week.

I will update as I go..

Steve - Which Fastrack file are you looking for? There are several on here.

Mike- the closest one to an 8 x 12 for fastrack would be the 5 x 10 you did for fastrack. Thanks for asking Mike.

steve

Ironside,

The layout was secured to the walls with simple 2 1/2" drywall screws. I built the frame of the layout out of 1 x 4's, and screwed another 1 x 4 ledger to the 3 walls to support the layout. I think I set the layout at a kid-friendly 24" high, to allow my nieces to reach the back side of the layout (I built 2 pop-out sections to allow them to access the back areas).

Geno

Because I just can't stop fiddling with it, I tweaked the design a little more to give two fully independent loops and two decent sized sidings, all in a 5'x10' FastTrack space.

After endless fiddling with SCARM I finally settled on a design and have built it out. I decided to add an elevated return loop on top of the tunnels to add some interest. It's a 4% grade which definitely requires some attention when coming down off the plateau though my 6 year old daughter hasn't derailed it yet (knock on wood). It's a fun layout with lots of variety but only two remote switches and two manual switches (the switch for the elevated loop is manual). Now on to landscaping....

Outstanding!   Love the plan.   Nice work.

Bill- I have attached the labeled plan. Hope this helps.

Thank You Mike

Bill

Because I just can't stop fiddling with it, I tweaked the design a little more to give two fully independent loops and two decent sized sidings, all in a 5'x10' FastTrack space.

I was thinking of using this layout for my son train. I got him the polar express for christmas with oval track but like to expand it for him. I was wondering if you could post parts list for this setup. I was also thinking of getting him another train that has better sound but if that is DCS can I run that on same track as the polar express

I've attached a color coded picture so you can see discern the 1 3/8" (yellow) and 1 3/4" sections (pink). The rest is pretty well labeled. Not all sections link up in the SCARM software I used but they connected just fine on my table. 

I actually wound up not going with this set-up. My daughter wanted an elevated section instead of sidings so I went with the second layout which uses the new O31 curves for the upper return loop. Both plans are nice because they allow the trains to change direction so you're not just watching it go in a clockwise oval over and over and over again. The elevated loop plan I built is also nice because it only requires to remote switches. The remaining two are manual - one is right at the front of the layout and the one on the elevated loop is on a return loop so it really doesn't matter what direction it's switched to. 

Ooops. Just to clarify, the color coding only applies to the top, non-elevated plan.

Thanks for the info but I can't seem to read the parts on the bottom link ... could you post a higher resolution of the bottom one. 

Thanks again 

Here's the parts list for the bottom plan with the elevation:
16 10" straight sections

15 O36 curves

1 Remote O36 left switch 

1 Remote O36 right switch 

1 Manual O36 left switch

1 Manual O36 right switch

1 90 degree cross

1 45 degree cross

8 5" straight sections

4 1 3/4" straight sections

6 O72 curves

3 30" straights

3 1 3/8" straights

7 O31 curves

Pretty slick. I really like it. You get a lot of run in a smallish space with some switching fun. It also fit something I wanted in a small layout, an incline to 2nd level with return loop.

I have a thread with a few ideas for a smallish corner layout and two 5x9 layouts. Looks like space will be too tight for the L's but I have expanded the one 5x9 to 6x10 and it will go in a murphy bed style fold up!

Looks awesome!  I came across your thread and think I might just have to snag some of your ideas for my upcoming garage layout.  I see a Santa's Flyer  Just got that exact set for my 4 y/o daughter this past Christmas.  

What is the green 'carpet' covering your table?  I can't quite make it out from the pic.  Does it work well with damping some of the fastrack noise?

Oh and about the Santa's Flyer, if yours has trouble with making smoke let me know.  Mine wasn't working at all, so I opened it up and went through a couple of steps to get it going.  Works about as good as can be expect now, perhaps even better!

The green carpet is nothing more than felt purchased at a fabric store. Dirt cheap and not too bad looking. Don't know if it helped the noise or not. My table is built on a 2x6 frame with 1x4 cross supports every 18 inches. The top is 1/2" OSB secured to the table every 12" with wood screws. The underside of the table is used for storage and that also helps keep the sound from resonating too much. It's noisy but not unduly so. I'm just about done carving/rounding out the mountains using a surform which is perfect for the job. 

I also had issues with the Santa Flyer loco but was able to get it working after following some tips I saw posted.

That looks nice, good job and great idea on the felt, We had used white for our little christmas layout.  Nick

jjmagoo:

My layout was built for my 6 year old daughter and 1 year old son. The money is a very real concern and you can rapidly sink a small fortune on even a fairly compact layout. One thing I like about my layout is that I was able to build it in stages. I started with a basic Santa's Flyer starter set. From there I added the figure 8 expansion set. The next phase was to add the big O72 curves on the left, the X45 cross and the two remote switches. The individual pieces are pretty affordable. The switches are especially expensive and they were the only two parts I wound up buying on e-Bay. I got lucky and won both from the same seller which saved on shipping. Even then it was only ~$20 cheaper than my local train store. The final phase was the elevated return loop. Nice part here is that I could use manual switches which are MUCH cheaper. The lower switch is right at the side of the track and the top switch while out of reach doesn't really need to be activated since it's on a return loop. 

Below I've pasted an updated track plan. The red pieces are 1 3/4", blue are 1 3/8" and green are the O31 curves. It doesn't match up in SCAR but does in real life. This weekend I threw out the felt and laid down a layer of green paint I found on the left over paint shelf at Home Despot for $4. Reasonably grass like and I'll add some proper turf cover in due time. I also finally found some Structolite. None of the big box stores in Seattle carry it but the local gravel store did. Bonus is they were able to sell me a 10 pound mini bag for $5. I also drilled holes and routed all the wires under the table. Next up is applying Structolite and FusionFiber to the remaining pink foam mountains and making more wood trestles.

Going to work on my version.. this weekend . Tomorrow if we get snowed in.
I will post some pictures once I figure out how to do that!
The ideas in this thread with the foot print I have, have given me a definite plan.

Thanks to all who have contributed.

Well after getting 36" of snow on Friday night and the city still in a travel lock down.

I went to work on the layout.

Thanks to everyone here.

I have the outer loop 17' x 4' and the inner reversing loop done off the crossover.

I decided to go with a elevated return loop similar to SeattleSup.

ran a couple test and looks good.

Looks like I can have sidings for 6 trains. 4 freight and 2 passengers.

working from home tomorrow so back downstairs for a little while.

I'm running this off 2 power drops now but have placed about 6 terminal tracks around both loops and will add at least one to the elevated return.

better to have more than not enough I guess.

bptbill 

dblackw;

Look 3 posts up from yours, Scarm list of parts is there.

Scarm is a free layout software you can download.

Russell, I think that parts list is for the 5x10 modified version of this. I've been trying to reproduce the 4x8 version he wants in RR-Track, but I haven't quite been successful yet, things aren't lining up the way they do in the photo.

Neat layout!!!

Just making sure...the inner loop is the O 36 curved, not the O 31, as Mike mentioned?  Thanks for responding!!!

So an update on the layout that got this thread going. Since getting into this hobby I've learned a lot and had many, ahem, learning moments. From my original layout I ditched the elevated reversing loop and instead dropped the elevated track and connected it to the O72 curve in the upper left corner. I then made a second O31 reverse loop and connected it to the first reverse loop to create a second independent track. It's been fun but there have been a number of issue. The first I discovered when I bought by first big locomotive - a MTH SD45. It's several inches longer than my other locomotives and I discovered a host of clearance problems the hard way! Also the second elevated loop is almost comically short. Finally, I'm regretting using FasTrack for a variety of reasons and want my next layout to use Atlas track. 

Taking all this into account I wrote up the following list of demands:

1) Need to be able to run two full size locomotives simultaneously. That might start in conventional mode but eventually I'll go DCS. 

2) A switching yard to build trains and also store excess rolling stock. 

3) Reversing loops because watching trains run in one direction gets old, especially on a small layout.

4) Room for my operating accessories. 

5) Have all visible track be Atlas O but also make use of my existing FasTrack, especially the switches. 

Simple, right? After a LOT of playing around in SCARM I decided to build a reversing loop and yard under my layout. I'll have to sit down to see the yard but that's OK. Trains will then ascend up a ramp in back and pop out of a tunnel onto the main layout which is nothing more than two concentric loops. I angled them a bit to give clearance for the ramp and also to break up the symmetry a bit. I do have a decent length storage spur up top and a shorter spur in the middle. The 90 degree crossover was the key to getting everything to fit. The ramp was the tricky part. I wanted at least 6.5" of overhead space in the yard to clear my tallest car. I also had to account for 2" of pink foam, .75" of plywood and 2" of benchwork. That's a total drop of 11.25". By looping around the front and bending towards the back I was able to keep the grade to just under 4%. I know that's on the steep side but I rarely pull more than 5 cars so I'm not too worried. There will also be a safety barrier at the corners should a piece of rolling stock detach and go hurtling down the ramp. Here are some pics of the current layout and my proposed new plan. 

Wow!  That is an amazing twisting turning crossing plan!

Yeah, I like to think of it as a 20 foot garage plan in a 10 foot living room.

The double crossover and O72 turns going through the left corner tunnel behind the sawmill make for a longer route so you don't feel like you're seeing the same train run around in a tiny circle. The reverse loop also keeps things interesting. Biggest problem right now is no yard for switching so I'm always having to pull extra cars off a shelf and also no ability to run two trains at once. The upper loop is comically too short. It was a case of "just because you can doesn't mean you should". 

Sorry for any delay. Haven't been on here in awhile due to other priorities. The parts breakdown for the 4x8 version in Fastrack is on page 1 of this post, as well as the plan with the pieces labeled.

Bill - I have attached the rrtrack file for the component listing.

Here's my layout in SCARM. I've color coded the critical sections to make it easier to understand:

RED= 1 3/8" (on the sidings these are to create blocks, on the O72 switches these are the special no/half roadbed pieces that come with the switches)

BLUE= 1 3/4"

YELLOW= 4 1/2"

GREEN=O72 

Everything else is O36 curves and 5", 10" and 30" straights. Switches are all O36 except the two O72 switches that create the top crossover. 

One thing to keep in mind with SCARM and FasTrack is that SCARM doesn't reflect the true width of FasTrack. In SCARM the FasTrack shows only the width at the ties (2.25") rather than the true width to the edge of the roadbed (3.35"). I think this is why things don't always link up neatly in SCARM. 

Great plans here for my nephews first layout ..Thanks

Excellent small layout plan with ability to run 2 independent trains at same time. I showed it to my neighbor and he's going for it. But he says he is having problem with blowing the plan up to make list of needed track it blurs. I sent him your track list, maybe it will help. Again, great plan with lots of potential.

Any chance you would post the actual SCARM file for us to play with?

I've attached the SCARM file. Enjoy!