Layout ideas for a 2200x1200 board ?

[Paul60]

Can anyone suggest some ideas for a layout with only a 2200x1200 base board ?

I'm trying to avoid that 'train set' look as best I can with limited room. Bit of a challenge I'd agree on a board this size.

I'm experimenting with that basic Hornby setup by extending it and getting rid of the end sidings.

Maybe a tunnel to break things up and such.?

 

[96RAF]

April issue of the Hornby magazine did an article on 6x4 boards with the comment that they could be extended if you had more space which you have.

 

variants included reverse loop and mulri-level.

[Paul60]

April issue of the Hornby magazine did an article on 6x4 boards with the comment that they could be extended if you had more space which you have.

 

variants included reverse loop and mulri-level.

Thanks Raf,

 

I'll have a look at that.

[mjb1961]

Hi ,Google ,,,Free Track Plans ,loads on there ,,,

[Paul60]

Hi ,Google ,,,Free Track Plans ,loads on there ,,,

Yes, I'd already done that. Zillions of them. I want to narrow it down with some expertise from folk here who can actually suggest something & have been there, done that so to speak.

[mjb1961]

Hi ,my first layout about 5 years ago was 6ft 2 X 4ft 4 ,bit of an odd size I know but it fitted under our double bed as that is all I could have at the time ,on that layout I had 2 ovals ,2nd and 3rd radius ,a small goods yard at one end ,a through station and a tunnel ,all track was set track ,also a three lane siding on the inside left ,the remaining space on the inside was used to create a residential area including a kiddies park ,gardens for the houses ,scripps garage from heartbeat ,fire station ,police station etc ,all skaledale and it was really good ,you have to try and use as much of the space up as possible ,maximise your track ,fit something into the corners etc,you have a bit longer board so that would help ,you can make it look non train set,ish but with the board size I think your a bit limited to be to ambitious ,my layout now is in a 10ft X 6ft shed and to be honest although it sounds big I still only have 2 ovals ,a bit bigger goods area and I've added a turntable and a canal down one side ,anyway all I can say is have a go at laying down the track a few different ways until you get something your happy with ,,,hope this helps ,,,,,mjb

[Paul60]

Hi ,my first layout about 5 years ago was 6ft 2 X 4ft 4 ,bit of an odd size I know but it fitted under our double bed as that is all I could have at the time ,on that layout I had 2 ovals ,2nd and 3rd radius ,a small goods yard at one end ,a through station and a tunnel ,all track was set track ,also a three lane siding on the inside left ,the remaining space on the inside was used to create a residential area including a kiddies park ,gardens for the houses ,scripps garage from heartbeat ,fire station ,police station etc ,all skaledale and it was really good ,you have to try and use as much of the space up as possible ,maximise your track ,fit something into the corners etc,you have a bit longer board so that would help ,you can make it look non train set,ish but with the board size I think your a bit limited to be to ambitious ,my layout now is in a 10ft X 6ft shed and to be honest although it sounds big I still only have 2 ovals ,a bit bigger goods area and I've added a turntable and a canal down one side ,anyway all I can say is have a go at laying down the track a few different ways until you get something your happy with ,,,hope this helps ,,,,,mjb

 

 

Thanks mjb,

 

Yes, I can see I'm limited with this.

Until I can find the extra room I am stuck with the 2200x1200

I might stick with the Hornby layout but extend it as much as I can in the space I have.

Cheers

Paul. 😀

 

[RB51]

@Paul60

 

This is my layout (drawn up in SCARM). It is 6' 6" x 4'. It may give you some inspiration. R-

/media/tinymce_upload/2933d3d1e17bef8faf53cf7d2ffcdb4a.PNG

[RB51]

@ Paul60

 

I have just posted an image of my layout - awaiting moderation. It may give you some inspiration (or not) although it is a bit longer (6")  than the space you have. Hope it helps. R-

[Paul60]

@ Paul60

 

I have just posted an image of my layout - awaiting moderation. It may give you some inspiration (or not) although it is a bit longer (6")  than the space you have. Hope it helps. R-

Thanks Roger

I'll have a look. Yes, inspiration is what I'm after !

[Paul60]

 Thanks Roger, indeed it does.

Very nice.

😎

[Buz]

 Hi Paul60

I recomend the old way of doing things called a book

My layout is only 4'6' square it came from a Peco publication layouts for small spaces, and rather surpisingly was expanded to fit the space I have.

It has an extra siding added at loco and to the station goods yard and is larger than the original plan.

The layout is single line has a station with passing loop and bay a two siding goods yard a two track loco depot.

It even has a second station on the other side of the layout if you can call it that.

The back of the layout is mostly hill with a village on top and a mess of hidden sidings underneath technicaly there is no tunnel but the reality of course is that there is it just doesn't look like one or rather won't when I can get some more trees into the area.

It has second radius curves as the minimum but the passing loop is third radius.

So even though it looks stupid you can run larger locomotives and thirteen wagon goods trains.

I would not recomend that on my layout only due to apearances but it is possible.

you are only limited by your peceptions and the limits of your imagination.

Given I like my tiny empire and it gives and has already given many  many hours of enjoyment.

How much more does your monster 6' X 4' have to offer.

I know space is at a premium but try to beg,borrow or steal an extra 6" of depth this makes the back further away It can be a pain when working on things but the extra depth adds a preception of things being a lot further than six inches away.

Your tunnel needs to be open at the back for acsess and I would suggest deep enough for a couple of hidden sidings make sure it is a high enough box to get you hands in comfortably to retrive errant trains.

Stong enough to lean on and thats just the tunnel box your bench work needs to strong enough for you to stand on at least.

Thats why when working on it it isn't going to collapse and you know it will most certainly suport the scenery you build on top.

Your scenery will be the key to the space working and not looking cramped oh and short trains with small loco's say nothing bigger than an 0-6-0 Tender loco or a class 20.

Your town or village is going to be on top of the tunnel so make sure you can wire it up without catching the train's below and again use your scenery to get a convicing building arrangement that makes the place look bigger than it is.

Forget train set plans as such,  go for something that looks like it could be real and can be convincingly sceniced.

Less will be more but keep it workable and interesting you should be able to have what I have not got on my layout and extra scource of traffic over and above the coal and what goes to the goods shed and still look convincing.

Rogers plan looks very nice but I think is a little to busy and track loaded for a 6' X 4'

Thats my 50c worth on things. (about 25p 😆)

regards John

[Paul60]

 Thanks John

 

You chaps are giving me all the ideas I was lacking.

 

I really want to have a look at what others have done before I lay any track down.

 

Appreciate all the great info and thoughts.

[RB51]

Your absolutey right Buz - it is very busy in the track department. When I drew it I didn't really know what I was doing and thought that lots of traffic movement was the best way! The sidings are arranged as they are so that traffic can go from one side to the other without reversing - but that makes the inner shunt loop R1, and we all know what that means. If I were starting with this size again I would probably do something like this. R-/media/tinymce_upload/859e2e3b1b91d65b9dcd268bb755d01f.PNG

[Buz]

Hi Roger 

I like the base idea of that plan.

I am viualising scenic divider of some sort down the middle area somewhere or perhaps angled corner to corner.

A dairy on the two sidings on the top tankers, milk vans and coal in freezers out for butter and other milk products.

Might have to be a custom job but station in the wide gap between the ovals of track??.

On the other side a station perhaps right hand bottom curve car park would occupy the odd outside corner bit.

A goods shed, yard crane, coal, provenders store perhaps in the goods yard..

It would only be something small or just a part of  but I recon something could go in the bottom left corner small Loco shed perhaps?.

Making one side as rural or semi rural and the other side more urban and visualy seperate 

regards John

[Paul60]

I like the ideas so far Buz & John

 

Thanks!

[Buz]

/media/tinymce_upload/11bb5800be32b99aa92b844122a5a4d7.jpg  

Hi paul60

This is what I meant by small loco depot in the corner,and it is amall but it works for me.

From left to right coaling road, shed road and curving away to the right is the main line note my mainline should look a bit on the overgrown side of things because of the theme I chose to follow.

Hiding in the shed is a Hornby NSWGR version of the 08 shunter.

[Buz]

/media/tinymce_upload/15d96a15abae615909818482e4d59784.jpg

Hi paul60

And to show how small loco really is.

When it all gets to hard and the brain freezes just do what Fred and Bert are doing. 

One of the advantages of a small layout is being able to take the time for the smaller things.

Fred and Bert are white metal figures painted by me as is the kettle.

When you get to doing things on the layout when you get that far don't forget to occasionaly

push your comfort zone a little you will get a better finished result and learn more for later projects.

Since the lads have got the tea made I am off to get one 😆

regards John

[Paul60]

 Hi John,

 

Thanks for showing us those pics. Very nice. Inspirational.

 

What scale are the 'lads' ?

[Buz]

Hi Paul60 

The lads are 1:76 or OO scale like they should be 😆

They may look a little bigger as they where the bit in the picture I really wanted to get.

Not made by Hornby but Langley miniatures for Fred in the tan hat and black jacket as is the kettle

Bert and his box are Shire Scenes.

Freds box is of unknown manufacture it came out of my odds and ends box which is where the watchmans hut Fred came from went for later use.

Add never throw left overs out to the list of things to remember

regards John 

[Paul60]

 Hi John,

 

The 'lads' look great and very scale. That's why I ask. I am a bit of a miniatures collector. WWII & mainly in 28mm.

 

It would be nice to add some nice scale metal figures as you have. Nicely painted too !

[Buz]

 Hi paul60

You might get a bit of a shock when it comes to painting, a regiment can be painted fairly quickly with only a little extra time for officers standards etc to get them up to a suitable gaming std.

Railway figures though tend to take more time as each one is an individual and different with only a few able to be batch painted like soldiers can be.

Police, Loco crews and station staff, the local Yoemanry is another if you decide to have them are about the only ones that can be batch painted as they use similar colours on each figure in the group.

Some very nice ones are avalable to I plan on having Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson up in the village checking out the local mischief.

But for love nor money have I been able to find a scale Sir Toppem Hat not a one found what I thought would make a good lady margorie??

I thought it might be fun to have him on the platform keeping an eye on things but at only around about 16mm tall not including top hat I don't even know a figure maker who could make him for me. 

I bet the price would be real ouch!! if I could.

regards John

[GWR LNER fan 4472]

I've got a little 10th Doctor, Sarah Jane Smith and Martha Jones in my village along with the Hornby TARDIS Police Box! I hadn't thought of a Sherlock, thanks Buz...

[Paul60]

 

 

 

Hi John & GWR,

 

I have all the Foundry Dad's Army characters including the civilians, Mr Bluit, Mrs Fox, The Vicar, Verger, Warden Hodges, Policeman etc.

 

Sadly though at 28mm (actually Foundry are closer to 25mm) are too big for 00 scale. My original plan was to base my layout on Walmington on Sea.

 

 

 

 

[Buz]

 Hi Paul60

Langley do a limited range of OO scale soldiers and a very big variety of figures so some suitabe figures should be able to be found there or perhaps shire scenes might do some suitable ones.

At least enough to set the theme Lnc corperal Jones with his fuzzie wuzzie spear could be a problem 😆

Trains not a problem though enough Southern Railways stock is avalable new second hand and in kit form

I have always envisiond Walminton on Sea being on the south coast somewhere.

If you forget the war time theme and move it slightly to the beating drums and sabre rataling time

A little bit of sneaky allusion like Jones Butcher's having the right name on the bank etc untill you turn up suitable figures could work

There was a pier in one episode that could become an entertainment pier but that could be a bit awkward though having a long narrow board the juts out of one side with a pier with a roundabout on it and a couple of other entertainments.

I can see a layout of this period and TV theme working on the space you have.

Worth a try

Regards John