Track plan for square room / layout ???

The old lionel showroom layout might be a good start.  Modify to fit your space.

16' x 14'  You better build a way to get to the middle of the layout.  You might try an L shaped layout a couple feet from the walls.

Others will want to know what the curve diameter will be used too.

Charlie

Depending on access considerations I'd do some variant of around-the-walls with a peninsula into the center viewing/operating area. The old Bantam book [Lionel] Model railroading has some track plans like that.

As previously noted, the main problem with a 14x17 platform is easily reaching anything more than 2.5 feet away from any edge.  And, if you only put buildings and scenery in the middle, you will be wasting a lot of good railroad space.  Narrower tables laid out and connected to form an E, G, M or S shape, either partially along the walls or built completely in the center of the room, will allow for easier access to correct any problems that might arise.  Even if you prefer continuous running to modeling "operations," you can place "bulb" tables (maybe 7x7 so you can use O72 curves) at strategic points near the end of some letter part (but not against a wall) to allow reverse-loop to reverse-loop running.

Of course, any honest answer you get should inquire about the size of equipment, the number of accessories, and how you like to run your railroad.  In fact, copies of your earlier track plans along with that info I just mentioned will help anybody that wants to answer your question do a better job.

Chuck

Without knowing your age... If you expect the layout to exist after age 55 or so, avoid any situations where you will have to crawl to reach an access hole.  Good suggestions above regarding around-the-walls with a peninsula for a loop.  If you need access, consider building a lift-up or lift-out bridge.  Trust me - do as I say, not as I did.

Build it high enough so that you can sit on a rolling stool to do wiring and other work under the table.

I go along with geyser gazer and say go around the walls with a peninsula.    You can keep the around the walls area as narrow as you like - 30 inches is an easy reach but narrower may work better with a peninsula     with o7 2 curves the peninsula would only need to be about 6 1/2 feet wide.   Put a divider down the middle so you can't see across and you get 2 nice 3 foot wide areas for track and scenery.     You could have 3 foot aisles on each side of the peninsula and still have room for 3 foot areas along the walls.

The around the walls and peninsula will also give  you about 60-70% longer run I think.

There are a lot of great track plans with minimal 072 curves that require minimal 12 feet on the shorter side of the room if you desire to have that as min curve and want return loops. This type of design will narrow your reach with the consideration of two ways to access the return loops.

How do you like to run your trains and what kind of equipment do you like to run?

Here's my suggestion and it is what I built.  It is basically 12x17, plus a few feet wider for that top parking area.  Two main lines plus two parking siding areas.    Anyway, it's not perfect, but a couple of the guys on here helped me design it and then I started the build around 2 yrs ago.

My layout room is square, but a little smaller than yours.  I had a lot of help from several Forum members to use the concept 42trainman used, keeping in mind the advice Mallard4468 gave about no crawling or popups; I'm 66 and have had orthopedic problems.  You never know what cards you will be dealt, as my late father-in-law used to say.  To get more runtime in we went with an upper and lower levels with 2 inclines connecting the two.

If I had more width, I would have added a peninsula as Lew suggested.  I used 054 curves, so it wasn't possible in an 11x11 room.