CRG Layout - Room Planning

Looking at some layouts will help you. O gauge has a lot of structures and items for the steam era and the steam to diesel transition. Living the '70's as young man, the cities were mainly '30's to '50's leftovers with only some new construction beginning. Even a lot of rolling was still old and the diesel engines beginning to show refinement.

The forum's publisher Alan Arnold (as leavingtracks forum name), has a large urban layout, Craig and his W & W has urban areas and some elevation changes. The NJ Hi-Railers club has some nice city areas.

I would suggest not to focus on the track plan detail, but instead, the overall design concept. Defining the scenic items will then help with the outcome of the track.

I, too, think folding an oval fits best in your space. I have created just an O72 single main around room for a long passing siding on the inside of the fold. I like getting the elevation in at the elbow of the fold and then overlap the inside and outside in the elbow. I don't get real excited about elevating areas. One can get a similar visual effect with only a 3"-4" elevation of a line at an area. Although, Obsidian and Craig came up with nice design for his W & W South Fork RR.

I am not too concerned about the reach as you have enough space to access the layout from all sides, even if it is a skinny aisle. Access hatches designed in are almost a must have when you'll need to work on scenery. Scenery or buildings can be on top the access hatches, so there's no loss of space. 

If you get a track plan that you like, I can save you time by refining the elevations and scenic detail for a good 3D. Those little software techniques will bog down your design process. I have attached your last file with some changes to improve the 3D for visual eye candy. I also changed the max elevation to 7". 4.5" just isn't enough for O gauge. Take a look at the 3D and rotate it around.

Thanks Carl,

I had 7", but when I deleted a segment and made a change it set everything to the 4" height and at that point I was done for a while. Elevations seem to be tricky to work with. 

"I would suggest not to focus on the track plan detail, but instead, the overall design concept. Defining the scenic items will then help with the outcome of the track." - Yes sir, yesterday it hit me in a flash, and I can see a lot more of the layout taking shape in my mind. To me its a back and forth, see the space imagine elements, think of elements look at space, and at somepoint, it will start to click.

I am going to import the SCARM into a drawing package I use to annotate and make notes and then perhaps a SCARM wizard can help illustrate some of it for me. As I struggle along doing my best as well...

Thanks for all your input!.

That folded dogbone is a nice concept.  It gets a nice long run in your space.  I have seen other layouts where it really works out good.

12 M,

Perhaps just sketching it on paper would be a better medium.

The links in help of the SCARM menu take you to the SCARM website for basics of working with heights and objects. The SCARM Blog has additional tips and tricks.

Use the figures in the library to make placeholder shapes of the foot prints of structures. There are roads in the objects library to use the flex track tool from the tool box to shape them. There are trees and street lights and signals.

So, with a photo of a 2D sketch, I can create a working file for you with 3D objects in various layers.

I found that O72 fits the best and leaves the most aisle space around the outside.

I really liked this article from the Aussie NMRA chapter. It takes the concepts of many of the early layout designers and rolls the whole process into a succinct read for a method that creates focus of effort and saves time.

Hi 12M,

back to basics - here's an O72 that's folded to create a large elevated area and a grade up and down with a tunnel under the elevated area.

This provides a medium and large area at 0 elevation and a large area at 7" elevation for scenery. The aisle at the bottom and access hole plugs in the cliffsides provide access to the tunnel track.

The aisle around the perimeter eliminates a reach issue.

I can see a long passing siding on the inside aisle.

Try this as a concept for your scenery designs. May not get reversing loops in there, but it covers a lot of druthers that you have.

The elevated deck is layer 2. Selected layer 1 and uncheck layer 2 to expose the track detail in the tunnel. The slopes are ~ 4.2%.

Thanks, I haven't vanished but its that time. My sons birthday is this weekend, and well then the following week. 

I have been playing with ideas but haven't reached any "updates", I usually circle back to where I was.  Which is not entirely true, I do have some scenes in my head now. I have put a few variations to paper, I should clean one up for feedback. In the meantime, I will happily absorb  your latest effort into my thought process and see what it inspires. 

Thanks!

Yep, it's that time, which is why I wanted to put the over/under fold concept out there for consideration over the holiday time. If reversing direction on the fly becomes a druther, I have an idea for that with this concept.

Wish your son a Happy Birthday from the forum members and I.

I am following, so post when you feel it or have time.

I, too, am in the Christmas mode.

I am hoping to score a few O gauge building kits from the wife. (I am on a purchase ban for the month). I know I like working with HO scenery. I have no affinity for the trains though <for HO Trains>. It will really help with visualizing the space to have some buildings in hand & built, and detailed <O buildings as opposed to the HO>. 

Personally so far I like the Folded Bone, double main the most. I have some ideas for it. Including bringing it into my "man cave" / office and and have the upper most curve in there. that provides:

1. more main in the train room, with only one roundy section
2. my every day office then can have some train scenery that ties in
3. Allows me to put a staging yard, or switching yard in my office in the future if I feel so inclined, with a main line already there. 

 <edited text> for clarity.

I'm liking your ideas Carl and 12M!!  

Have a blessed Christmas!!

There is website that SCARM supporters created with some O gauge buildings and I have collected some other building files that some forum members have created. I can't find the bookmark or remember the site - I'll post it when I find it. Forum member Chiloquin Russ created some excellent structures also.

Heres a couple building files attached. Open them in a separate instance of SCARM, selected and copy and paste onto the layout that you are working . You can set the elevation is the properties of the building and right-clicking and rotating will position it.

here's the last file with the Lionel Rico station, a Korber 304 Diesel shed, the Atlas 6907 Lumber Yard Long shed and Sales Office and a Lionel Quonset Hut.

A second shot with an SD38-2 and train from the SCARM simulator

Some of these cats are good with 3D tools. Forum member ACE made some cool structures, engines and cars. 

here you go - buildings - SCARMHIRAILERS

1set Level

2nd level

3d image

___

So that is where I am at. Clearly most of my switching/industry isnt shown.

I would like to add in an area with about 3 industries. Another area will have the passenger platform.

I envision industries on the upper level at the L end. PAssenger platform in the long middle.

A business district surrounding the passenger terminal, and a housing district in the "other room north end".

It is 8' wide down the middle and that is a concern. I should probably try and shrink that. 

I am still drawing it in Fastrack, but considering Scaletrax.

So, this is going through the wall into another room?

If you use the O84, you have to live with the 8' wide end, but you can squeeze the the center heading to the elbow.

The way that you have the inside elbow would require that it all be trestle or elevated support. Keeping it as terrain creates a large visual block to the area behind it.

ScaleTrax would be ok. Sometimes hard to find. The switches are a limiting factor with the lack turnout options.

Ok, I messed around with some 3D effects - here's the file

Moonman, Thanks for all your efforts, it is appreciated.

So update:

My N layout was fictional Appalachian Coal. I thought I wanted to take this layout to a fictional Ozarks town. Living in flatland, and loving The hillsides, I enjoy modeling that. 

However, while N was all about the scenery and overall, I am really feeling the connection with the trains this time, and so, I am driven to model the home town of memphis.

And so my wife pointed out Wiki Trolley  is another feature of town. I never considered one of these, but its now on the list. 

So here it is:

Name - Memphis Junction, ?

Era - today

Proto - NS,BNSF main, guest appearances CN, UP, CSX. I frequently See NS/BNSF lashes. NS/UP lashes,  NS/CN lash (more rarely), & CN,BNSF,NS,CSX as 1 roadname lashes. With Railroad terminals in the area for BNSF,CN,CSX,NS,UP, we get to see a variety. Memphis Railfan Youtube (Not Mine)

Trains - 2 Passenger. (1) Hvy weight, (1) Amtrak - I love old heavyweight, and my wife and kids take amtrak twice a year to visit family.  The real question is do I pay tribute to Memphis Central, or just have the trains make guest appearances.

Freight - Coal Train, Mixed , eventually an Intermodal.

Trolley Line - requires city scene.

Reason - Still debating. Interchange, or just have mixed lashes staged, and have a small industry at the center. Maybe the passenger terminal as the central feature, except I am not a a diehard passenger guy, but I think it could be fun, so how much space does it game.

This is completely different than what I have done before so I need more research. My N was coal mines in the hills coming down through Mining Company town (shanties), to the Yard. 

Considering my space, any kind of decent yard would dominate, and reduce the number of scenic elements. I have two local towns that I could model. Memphis (the city) but also Collierville Square, where train passess through the hisotric district town Square. So I have two good choices. 

 <EDITE> NOTE : I am not in a rush, as I still have to clear out the space, remove the 220V electric lines from the woodshop, install a new wall at the opening of the garage,remove the garage door, repair the drywall. Then Add one or two interior secondary walls, and that is part of the planning process (don't get into Pedantic Semantics with me on Planning v Design), to determine what space I want to use for the train and the reduced workshop & storage. <EDIT>

Well, after some reflection, I am considering starting with a Switching layout. As I get the garage ready as "layout room" I might put a 20'x30" switching layout in my office. I can comfortably add a 7' Perpendicular peninsula that is 48" wide or even 60" perhaps (more of a T, than an L).

The Pro's are

#1 - getting comfortable with O gauge vs N

#2 experience with small qty of the O track I pick (probably Gar n Ross at this point, Scaletrax looks great, but all the pass avialaiblity leaves me gun shy). 

#3 More Practice, and some experience with Curves and O trains.

Clearly there is detailing and cleanup issues. Probably some access issues. 

Probably a little too much track, and a bit of a squeeze at the far left edge.  I figured a solid back drop down the left side middle of the peninsula. The back side would be behind the scenes.  The lower right corner is clearly unfinished, but a storage yard is the intent.

I went back and forth with which track goes over and which goes under. There are things I like and dislike each way.

I struggled with some of the track spacing and used curved switches. I have never used or planned curved switches before. 

I like the general feel of this layout. 

(I have settled on Gargraves and Ross)

The location of the switches pins down the opportunities for a 2%  or less  grade.  The 3 lines over should be elevated, but you can't get to 8" to allow a 6 1/2" underpass clearance. (8" considers the height to railhead on the bottom and the thickness of the deck on the top)

Great feedback. I have solutions, that not only simplify and solve that, but also improve it. 

I will post after I get it nicely cleaned up.

8" Min. No switches on slopes. A single reverse loop, probably convert it to an industry spur to a city in that area, or passenger station.

A single reverse loop of course needs a 2nd.... I could make the blue line a reverse loop and have a single main on that peninsula. I am not sure I want to do that.

The spur leading to the purple spot is a leftover from a previous idea, I just haven't removed it yet.