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One of the reason I started this Thread was to find out if 2R Home Layouts (not shelf switching layouts) are practical without needing a huge space.

Why the distinction between "home layout" & "shelf switching layout"..??? They are all model railroad layouts, aren't they? Or is it to do with the mindset promoted in the smaller scales that only multi-level basement empires are "proper" layouts worthy of the name?

My 2-rail O layout is 17ft x 8ft, modern Era Short Line (plus my Soo Line stuff which is my other interest) It's a roundy-roundy with 36" radius curves, #6 switches, and train lengths of 5 to 7 cars. A well designed shelf switcher can be as absorbing to run as a 'large' layout - read the blog & books of Lance Mindheim for more information.

My layout is also in England, UK (like me!!) where 2-rail O scale is currently booming, despite the fact our houses are on average much smaller than those in the USA. Perhaps our ready acceptance of Shelf Switcher layouts and their limitations is part of that boom, rather than slowly dying out as 2-rail O seems to be doing on your side of The Pond?

Last edited by SundayShunter

Why the distinction between "home layout" & "shelf switching layout"..??? They are all model railroad layouts, aren't they? Or is it to do with the mindset promoted in the smaller scales that only multi-level basement empires are "proper" layouts worthy of the name?

My 2-rail O layout is 17ft x 8ft, modern Era Short Line (plus my Soo Line stuff which is my other interest) It's a roundy-roundy with 36" radius curves, #6 switches, and train lengths of 5 to 7 cars. A well designed shelf switcher can be as absorbing to run as a 'large' layout - read the blog & books of Lance Mindheim for more information.

My layout is also in England, UK (like me!!) where 2-rail O scale is currently booming, despite the fact our houses are on average much smaller than those in the USA. Perhaps our ready acceptance of Shelf Switcher layouts and their limitations is part of that boom, rather than slowly dying out as 2-rail O seems to be doing on your side of The Pond?

Sorry for the mis-communication.  Yes switching Layouts do count as real layouts!  I did not me to disparage in any way.

I didn't say it in this thread but I am moving to O from the HO world.  I have found that I personally prefer "Circuit Running" as opposed to switching operations.   Many would say what I do gets old quickly, but for me when running my trains I don't want to have to think that much.  The white noise generated and watching the train goes round and round relaxes me.  So while maybe not as absorbing, "it is my cup of tea".

And Thank you, it is interesting  you have a 2R circuit layout that works in a 17x8 foot space.  Maybe I should look "across the pond" for inspiration.

@MainLine Steam No worries mate, the written word on it's own can easily be mis-interpreted.

Each to their own, this hobby caters for all sorts. Here's a plan of my 17ft x 8ft layout (not to scale). It's just a single oval, with a siding and diverging branch on one side, which leads round to some industrial spurs behind the 'main' on the other side. There is no hidden staging, "inbound" trains are just staged on the main in front of the spurs, and run round the oval a bit to rack up some miles, maybe while outbound cars are collected from the spurs & brought round to the interchange yard - just the siding & main in reality, but 'yard' sounds grander!!!

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The two main types of operation it's designed for is interchange of trains between a Class 1 & my freelance Short Line on the one side, and then switching cars on the spurs the other side. These ops can easily take an hour or two to complete, or I can just run stuff roundy-roundy if I feel like it.

It's actually comparable in proportion to a 'sacred sheet' 8ft x 4ft layout in HO, but I was determined not to overfill it with track. All the track was hand spiked, & switches mostly use Right-O-Way parts, apart from the curved switch frog and two representations of Self-guarding frogs on the industry spurs that I made myself.

It took a couple of years to complete the spiking. I did it in stages so I always had chance to run something during construction. I started with the spurs, worked round to the switch with the main, laid the main in both directions around the room to meet on the other side, and included the switches for the siding, which was laid last of all. Most of it has been ballasted now, but scenic work & plenty of weeds on the 'bad' tracks are still in progress.

Hope that's of interest to everyone.

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During an NMRA event a few months ago, I attended an open house at a local O-scale 2-rail layout.  It was the largest completed O-scale layout I've ever visited in a private home.  Meticulous modeling - several scenes were based on prototype locations.  Unfortunately, the owner was unable to get any of his trains to run.  Note the white gloves visible in the first and last picture. 

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More INCREDIBLE Layouts and photography.  I am so glad I started this topic. To all that have posted.

Grantham watched the video, keep pushing ahead.  I am still in the planning stage.  BTW loved the mixed consist, must have been during the VERY early Amtrak days, when they were running Steam Powered Heavyweights.  May 1 1971 err 1951?

With a move on the horizon we've been getting our home ready for the past few months.  However, before that happened I was actively building a Seaboard Air Line O Scale 2-Rail layout depicting Florida in the upstairs portion of our home.  I had designed it so I could also change eras and it could be Santa Fe or Southern Pacific in Southern California as well.

As I've been very industrious throughout my life and I designed the railroad as a large dog bone going down a hallway, through closet, three bedrooms, and across the top of the stairs yet also giving the feeling that you were going somewhere etc.  It was pretty laborious engineering going through walls to make everything look good, though I don't think I will do that again.  In fact one span across a guest bedroom was designed to fold up if we had overnight guests and it worked very well in a couple of tests.   

I also had a Southern Railway switching layout under the loop in one bedroom, but didn't get very far.  And yes, even below that I had a protolanced Florida East Coast in the 1960s (the prototype was destroyed by a hurricane in the early 1930s) in Key West, which did not get very far along either. 

For futures I will definitely go the linear route as I love walking with my train and popping in and out of bedrooms would not have satisfied me long term.  Not to mention guests who were trying to sleep with a 16 car 3 E unit consist of Seaboard's Silver Meteor blasting through in a fury! 

Happy Railroading!3DA4CC33-FE6D-4E22-A392-D60A1920EC2AF99665C2-0499-4B06-9D78-833D1AA08480E4C78818-C58A-4B42-91F7-BDD0BE24FB344326942C-57F1-4DF3-B6F7-8576992FC29D7C3282CB-46C5-49FB-88CB-05596B4E3FDC20D22238-C8DF-4F78-9395-858BA8EC0496F211A209-5BE6-47D1-8151-39BC51721CD7

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  • 3DA4CC33-FE6D-4E22-A392-D60A1920EC2A: Mock up of Silver Meteor headed to Miami!
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  • E4C78818-C58A-4B42-91F7-BDD0BE24FB34: Auburndale, Florida Mock Up
  • 4326942C-57F1-4DF3-B6F7-8576992FC29D: Auburndale, Florida Mock Up
  • 7C3282CB-46C5-49FB-88CB-05596B4E3FDC: Through the Guest Bedroom and collapsable benchwork
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  • F211A209-5BE6-47D1-8151-39BC51721CD7: Staging Loop in Master Bedroom (Teddy Bear was for wife to avoid walking into the railroad!)

Here’s a couple of videos of home 2-rail layouts. The first is mine, the next several are friend’s of mine, and the last are the excellent Terry Terrance videos that highlight quite a few home layouts. Well worth the watch.

Mine: https://youtu.be/XcRfqYVhcIU

Friends:

https://youtu.be/zi5-Bagz4qI

https://youtu.be/hISD1OBBPK8

https://youtu.be/zDw-lvR4u74

https://youtu.be/sQ3SJ9lgSq0

Terry’s videos:

https://youtu.be/HAjrZ_t6w28

https://youtu.be/WOTT4et0wFw

Here’s a couple of videos of home 2-rail layouts. The first is mine, the next several are friend’s of mine, and the last are the excellent Terry Terrance videos that highlight quite a few home layouts. Well worth the watch.

Mine: https://youtu.be/XcRfqYVhcIU

Friends:

https://youtu.be/zi5-Bagz4qI

https://youtu.be/hISD1OBBPK8

https://youtu.be/zDw-lvR4u74

https://youtu.be/sQ3SJ9lgSq0

Terry’s videos:

https://youtu.be/HAjrZ_t6w28

https://youtu.be/WOTT4et0wFw

Some serious modeling here.  I don't recall seeing any of these in a major magazine - they deserve some ink.

Here's a treat for everyone. This is the layout of Don Smith. I have been watching this layout for years. I have watched each video no less than 30 times. Not only because of the superb modeling but also because it reminds me of what I saw as a youngster in West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. I have been asking him for over a year now to do a tour of his layout and I'm so happy he finally did it. The presentation will speak for itself. THIS IS SICK!!!

Dave

Ryan,

Nice work on these scenes. The first one is kind of "Howard Zanish" and in the second one I really like how you blended the river into the backdrop. That's not always easy to do. Thanks for sharing.

Dave

Thanks Dave! Howard is a good friend of mine so I’ve certainly learned some scenery techniques being around him. I’ve still got to add trees, bushes, etc. I appreciate the compliments. I really enjoy doing scenery. It’s one of my favorite parts of the hobby.

Dave, thanks for posting that. Just incredible modeling and detailing. Love the way it goes from rural to city but when viewing the photos it’s a subtle transition where you really can’t see it happening with the view blocks in the layout design. You tend to focus on the scene in front of you. Twenty minutes and I didn’t even need to see a train run to enjoy it.

Years ago I saw a few of his videos and become a fan.  I lucked out as he was selling some weathered cars on eBay. I won one. Not a car I really desired. I do my own weathering and I consider him one of the masters. But it basically was just to study it. It came tagged Industrial Models.

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@Dave_C posted:

Dave, thanks for posting that. Just incredible modeling and detailing. Love the way it goes from rural to city but when viewing the photos it’s a subtle transition where you really can’t see it happening with the view blocks in the layout design. You tend to focus on the scene in front of you. Twenty minutes and I didn’t even need to see a train run to enjoy it.

Years ago I saw a few of his videos and become a fan.  I lucked out as he was selling some weathered cars on eBay. I won one. Not a car I really desired. I do my own weathering and I consider him one of the masters. But it basically was just to study it. It came tagged Industrial Models.

07ADF23F-03DE-4138-9558-CC2D4763C764

No problem! Agreed, the transitions are well done. I love scenery and details so I was right at home with the video. Lucky you with one of his models! I missed that period of time.

Dave

Thanks Dave! Howard is a good friend of mine so I’ve certainly learned some scenery techniques being around him. I’ve still got to add trees, bushes, etc. I appreciate the compliments. I really enjoy doing scenery. It’s one of my favorite parts of the hobby.

No problem! He's definitely one we could all learn from. Do you have any of his 1 million dollar buildings on your layout, lol? They are really nice but geez!

Dave

@marty track posted:

This is  Probably what most far layouts look like yes or no please reply20220311_17364220211117_20512920210808_10141120220130_12141320210808_101420

Based on my experience, most O-scale layouts either look like that or they are very small.  Not intended as a criticism, since my 3-rail empire isn't much different - building a layout takes a lot of time, effort, and money.  That's what makes the completeness of the layouts in this thread so amazing.

I've subscribed to Model Railroader for decades and receive the monthly NMRA magazine - don't recall ever seeing most of these layouts in either place, which surprises me.  Perhaps that's due to the focus on HO and N in those publications. 

Seems like an opportunity for OGR - @Allan Miller and @OGR CEO-PUBLISHER, I hope you plan to contact some of these folks regarding articles and/or producing a video.  I know that OGR normally relies on reader submissions, but several of these layouts might be worth some special effort to pursue.  (If I knew any of these layout owners personally, I'd try to do it, but I don't.)

There are some great layouts here! Simply amazing work. Mine is a little different, it is called Georgenstadt and is set in northern Bavaria during the late 1960s. It measures approximately 10 feet by 20 feet, but what makes it different is that it is totally sectional and is broken down every three years due to moves associated with my job. When I retire in 18 months I plan to set it up permanently in my “forever” home with possibly some additions. Miketg

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@Mallard4468 posted:

I've subscribed to Model Railroader for decades and receive the monthly NMRA magazine - don't recall ever seeing most of these layouts in either place, which surprises me.  Perhaps that's due to the focus on HO and N in those publications.

Seems like an opportunity for OGR - @Allan Miller and @OGR CEO-PUBLISHER, I hope you plan to contact some of these folks regarding articles and/or producing a video.  I know that OGR normally relies on reader submissions, but several of these layouts might be worth some special effort to pursue.  (If I knew any of these layout owners personally, I'd try to do it, but I don't.)

I agree that these would be great to have in the magazine however it is very difficult to make contact with folks these days due to the lack of accurately published phone numbers, etc.  If someone on this board knows someone with a great layout, by all means contact them and see if you can share their phone number with us!

@mwb posted:

This is not an accurate statement; after a litany of excuses why you could not provide anything, there were no more responds to multiple invitations.  In fact, many are invited, but few respond.

Same here.  I know through private email I have encouraged you to submit to the magazine so I believe your memory is a little faulty here.  We have a very easy set of guidelines and all one has to do is follow those guidelines.  I have never received a submittal from you but I encourage you to do so.  Here is the link:  https://www.ogaugerr.com/faq/get-published/

Guys,

I'm sad to see the who did what and when over being published or not show up in this thread. We have a pretty good thread going here.

I agree wholeheratedly with Chris's statement about this being a pretty good thread. It has also, I think, shown a lot of non-2 railers who are unfamilar with our work what can, and has and is being done. Let's not let this thread get "derailed."

Thanks to the OGR forum for providing this opportunity.

@Miketg posted:

There are some great layouts here! Simply amazing work. Mine is a little different, it is called Georgenstadt and is set in northern Bavaria during the late 1960s. It measures approximately 10 feet by 20 feet, but what makes it different is that it is totally sectional and is broken down every three years due to moves associated with my job. When I retire in 18 months I plan to set it up permanently in my “forever” home with possibly some additions. Miketg

97FC7EFF-4C4F-4568-BE88-A3C44C532BE4

this is wonderful Mike!

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