The idea here

The idea here is to create a topic full of track plans. Big or Small - Post it!

This is not a forum for critiquing or long discussions, just a repository of MRH member track plans.

BNML

I'll go first.

Name: BNSF MANITOBA LIMITED
HO Scale
Era: 2008 to Present
Minimum Radius 32.5”
Mainline Run: 152ft
Dimensions: 55ft x35ft

Trackplan updated on Nov 7, 2013 with new Emerson arrangement.

Main Level (click to zoom):

Staging Level:

You can read about and comment on my layout plans here.

This is one of mine

Im only bringing this out due to the above request. This track plan is something that I would be happy with, so not everyone is going to think this is the best plan every, but I designed it for me, and I like it.

I have not built this, this is only one option I am looking at, since I havent actually built the building that will someday house the layout. I drew this with openoffice draw, and is not to scale. The conversion to jpeg made it too wide, so its a bit skeewed. The plans room is 18x31ft. There is a 2x31 staging yard that would have been on the otherside of the left wall.

My idea was to have a 2 main track railroad, where trains could be looped for open houses and railfanning, but for operations, trains would come out of staging, run over the line, and either end at the modeled yard or back to staging. There is also a branch line that ends at a coal flood loader, to add lots of unit coal trains. Exactly my type of railroading!

Someday I hope to have a layout representing the UP triple track main from Gibbon to N. Platte, hump yard and all! Parades of long modern trains running at track speed is my kind of railroading

Per Don's suggestion. Layout stats: Main room size 18x31ft

Min. Radius: 32" main, 26" other

Turnout size, #10 crossovers, #8 mainline spurs, #8 and #6 in yards and industrial areas

HO Scale

Mainline run: 140'

Steven

LK&O

HO freelanced
28'x32'
8's and 10's mains
6's spurs
10's staging
30" radius min (two 24" hidden) main
24" radius min spurs

Upper

Lower

A little N scale switching

A little N scale switching layout I've designed for a good friend. 140 cm x 25 cm deep ( 4.5' x 10" ) !

Atlas code 55 flex, Atlas code 55 5 turnouts

Some local industries, a warehouse, a little loco shop and an interchange track.

A cassette removable staging feed the operations.  

Folded Dogbone

I went with this. It provides continuous running along with switching opportunities.

SP : San Francisco - San Jose

Well here my "dream" ... track laying is still progressing (but I spend lot of time for hand made turnouts)

N scale, ME flex and Fastracks code 55 (some spurs in code 40)

Era : 1950 - room size 3.50 mt x 4.50 mt ( approx 11.5' x 14.8' )

The one that got away

I designed this, and even started construction, before changing locations (moved to a different bedroom in the house) and having to start over.  I really like the plan for some reason, and I think it would make a nice little layout for one or two operators.

HO scale, standard gauge

24" minimum radius

#6 turnouts

11'6" x 13'6" room

No specific prototype, western North Carolina setting, transition era.

The track in the tunnel at the top is there so that the layout could operate even with the peninsula removed (I planned to have a bed beneath it, and make it raise up out of the way if we had guests), but really wouldn't serve any purpose with the peninsula a permanent part of the layout.  The track bridging the entry is just an idea to allow continuous running, mainly for breaking in engines, and would not be much use for a regular operating session.

Cleveland & Eastern RR

Here's a sketch of what I'm working on now

Till I get bored with it :> )   Bonneville and Guadalajara  short line. N scale , 15 foot by 5 foot L shelf, wall mounted 57 inches above floor.  Code 55 track (Atlas and Micro engineering) #7 and #10 switches some hand built, some will be Atlas if they ever get back in stock. 20 inch min radius. Box grid 1X4  framing,1/2 inch plywood top. Track lighting on ceiling. Mostly a display layout for N scale rolling stock collection. SP or UP main on left side with interchange, ATSF or BNSF main on right side with interchange. Operations will be switching the interchange tracks and working the on scene industries and building B&G train for off scene industries beyond the ATSF crossing....DaveBranum

Is there a way to post this

Is there a way to post this by a different format?  I can see by the attached images so far that this could become quite lengthy.  Wondering if there is a way to post the basic info as per your inital post:

Please include as much of the following with your plan as possible:

• Prototype modeled (if any)
• Scale
• Minimum radius
• Room size
• Turnout sizes

And then attach but not embed the layout image.  I know this flies in the face of other posting recommendations, but if this grows to be a large thread, a short text with attachment may be a more useful format.

My 2'x8' shelf layout.

Prototype Modeled: Freelanced

Scale : HO

Minimum radius: I have no idea

Room Size: NA

Turnouts: All #6

It is rough but is an "as built" as far as the track is concerned. See my MRH Blog here.

Images

I think the images are the most important part - that way people can browse for inspiration without very many clicks. Becoming a huge thread does not really matter to me. Post away and let people explore - but without too many hoops to jump through.

Moderator: Perhaps you could move the comments that do not include trackplans out of this thread into a new thread called "trackplan database comments" ?

The Great Western Railway (U.S.)

Prototype modeled: The Great Western Railway in Northern Colorado with connections to the Colorado and Southern (CB&Q subsidiary) and the Union Pacific

Scale: HO

Minimum radius: 28" mainline, whatever works on sidings and secondary track

Room size: 24' x 32'

Turnout sizes: Mostly #4 Atlas code 83, some #6

What about a published plan?....

No not MR. My plan is one that is posted on the web site of Byron Henderson. I assume I would have to get permission to actually post it here? I usually just post the link but it would be nice to see it here. At any rate, here's the link     http://www.layoutvision.com/id56.html

Michael

CB&Q in Iowa

This layout was designed in 1985 for a friend as his first layout and was operational before he bought a new house and moved. It supported one or two operators and ran twice around, point-to-point from Creston to Pacific Junction with a continuous run option. 

Prototype: CB&Q in Iowa

Scale: HO

Room size: 13 x 10.5

Min, Radius: 22

Turnouts: #4

Here is the Ruphe and Tumbelle plan

The Railway is freelanced, we like to say it is situated somewhere between Skagway Alaska and Chama NM.

scale is On30

Min. radius is 30"

switches are all no. 6 save for a few no. 4s in the staging area.

Pioneer Pass is essentially "finished"

Coronita Creek is almost finished.

both Tumbelle and Ruphe have some buildings and some finished scenery but much work is yet to be done.

CSX's Shenandoah Sub

Here is a first draft (ok, probably not the real 1st.  But the first seen draft!) of the layout I am designing for my garage.  There may be an opportunity to lengthen it and put the northern most tracks on a separate isle.  The plan is one based upon one done up in Model Railroader for the same are, but I redesigned the yard to be almost accurate to the actual track plan, and streamlined the industries.  The Genstar facility is not quite as expansive in Stephens City as the plan allows, but I really liked his original concept and wanted to have enough operations to keep 1-3 people busy.  The industry that got left off in the bottom left hand corner is the Rubbermaid Commercial factory which will receive loads of plastic pellets.  Hopefully the moving of the Winchester & Western portion (on the top or north) part will be moved out so the area will be less cramped.  This allows me to have compressed realistic operations while having visually interesting focus areas (the W&W line, Down Town Winchester (CSX yard), and Stephens City).

my $500 layout

14"x86" layout, N Scale, #6 switches

JL&T Railroad Track Plan...

Name:  JL&T Railroad - Harrisburg & Shippensburg Division - 1973.

Reading Lines to Conrail Merger era (1970 - 1976) predomitely modelling the Reading .  With interchanges with Western Maryland, Penn Central, N&W, Chessie System, CN&J, D&H & Lehigh Valley...

Scale:  HO

Minimum Radius:  28" Mainline.

Building Size:  36' x 13' (11m x 4m) - 468 sq ft (44 m2).

Turnout Size:  PECO Code 83 - #8, #6, #7 Turnouts & Flextrack.

NCE - PowerPro DCC Command Station - 5 Amp system / SB5 - 5 amp Booster.  

JMRI Computer Control with WiThrottle.

JMRI - Panel Pro for detection, signalling & switch motor control.

ProtoThrottle - Locomotive Controllers.

Digitrax - Block Detection & Signalling via SE8C's & BDL168's.

Standalone LocoNet. 

DCC Specialities - Power Managment, Reverse Section Control.

The above track plans, including the Staging Deck are the latest versions as of May 2021.  They include the additions of Rutherford Yard, the extra spur from Rutherford Yard to the engine servicing facility with the extra river crossing, and the addition of Hershey & The Hershey Chocolate Factory & the newly designed Carlisle Junction - Interlocking.

Also the completed Staging Deck & Helix, including the six storage tracks, arrival & departure track, and the twin return loops.

Jas.

CT River Valley RR (proposed layout)

The planned HO layout is 1 1/2 levels heavy on urban and town scenery.  There is no specific prototype for this modern era layout, rather various scenes (dioramas) are based on places I have live in CT.  The room is 30ft wide and either 9ft or 13ft deep.  First level varies from 44 inches in Springfield to 40 inches in Waterbury etc.  The first level would support point to point to/from Waterbury and continuous running.  The second level climbs from Springfield to upper Thomaston where a "railroad museum" is located (as are the special excursion trains, e.g., the Burlington Zephyr and a NYC 20th century limited; these operate only in a clockwise direction).
Other than a few spurs in the yards, all radii are a minimum of 30 inches with minor easements; some radii exceed 80 inches.  Turnout sizes are noted on the track plans; inclines (grades) limited to 2% nominal.

LEVEL ONE
 

LEVEL TWO
 

Small and very small?

These are some very interesting trackplans-I like them.  Could anyone else with some small to very small trackplans please post them?

Small Interchange

This is a 12' x 18" freelance interchange track plan I created for another thread in the MRH forums

N&W Pokey District, Sub 1 3/4

I model a multi-level freelanced N&W layout in HO scale. It's L shaped with outside dimensions of 13'x24'. Minimum radius is 24" with a maximum grade of 2%. Turnouts are handlaid #5s with a few #6s where the mailine runs through the diverging route. Lower level staging can handle 4 35 car trains and provides for continuous running with a 230' loop. I try to divide the mainline into scenic sections that break up the length of the train which keeps railfanning interest high because you never quite see as much of the train as you would like, whetting your appetite for more.

Here's the plan: