4x8 track plans

[jward]

that layout begs to be built as an over & under.

[Barney R]

I bet it does beg to be built as an over and under. As it is, the crossing point keeps you on your toes, however, it is just a great layout. I have a town center in the middle and a wooded area with a timber company. I then have a spur off near the town center that has a lumber mill and a fire wood shack. I have two train stations in the town and different parts are named after my grandchildren. So they all have a part of it. The town is "Kevinland" and the tree harvesting is done by the Elizabeth Lumber Company. Then there is The "Michael lumber yard" and "Mike's firewood Shack". I really need to take pictures and post them. I just bought a Bachmann 70 ton Climax for the lumber works.

[dheaton]

This is a good thread Jerry so thanks for stating it.  I look forward to seeing more layouts as you post them.  I live a long way from a hobby shop, and yes I could order a book online but seeing it here helps.  gave me some ideas.

Thanks again

David

[Jerrys HO]

David,

Glad you like them. I have fun just creating on anyrail.
The latest I have done I am thinking of one day building for myself. It will either be a small logging or mining layout. I was thing of running only Climax's on it if they can handle the tight 15 radius curves.
Feedback is welcome for those who wish.



Jerry

[jward]

here are a few classics redrawn for ez track.



this is the great northern pacific aka the ho railroad that grows. it had its own how to build it book, published in the late 1950s. for dc block control, the different blocks are colour coded, add insulated rail joiners at the colour boundaries. note that the dark blue and pastel blue sections are reversing loops requiring special wiring whether you use dc or dcc.






This one is the verdant valley, originally built as a varney display layout in the 1950s, with 15r curves. I've redrawn it for 18r curves, table size is 4 1/2 x 6. no reversing loops on this one so wiring is straightforward.






This one has no name, but is based on a design from Boy's Life magazine, December 1958. the original also used 15r curves, I've widened them to 18r. the crossover track at the bottom makes a reversing loop out of the bottom left track, im me for recommendations on wiring this one.


hope these give some ideas

[Johnson Bar Jeff]

So there are two plans from the 1950s that originally used 15-inch-radius curves. Were 15-R curves more commonly used "back then"? 

[hhartman]

So there are two plans from the 1950s that originally used 15-inch-radius curves. Were 15-R curves more commonly used "back then"?  

Yes, and sometimes as small as 13"R.  Most modelers didn't have the extra room for large train layouts back then so most layout designs were small (the 4x8 being very common).  In fact, Atlas's 22"R was considered a luxury back then.  Of course, we didn't run (nor were they commonly available back then anyway) UP Big Boys or Challengers on 4x8 layouts but the popular little 0-4-0 "Docksides", "Little Hustler" diesels, and 40ft freight cars operated just fine on the tighter curves.

Harvey

[Jerrys HO]

Jeff your making my plans look bad but I love it. Thanks for the help and I really like the GNP plan. Nice job on color coding the blocks.

Jerry

[Johnson Bar Jeff]

So there are two plans from the 1950s that originally used 15-inch-radius curves. Were 15-R curves more commonly used "back then"?  

Yes, and sometimes as small as 13"R.  Most modelers didn't have the extra room for large train layouts back then so most layout designs were small (the 4x8 being very common).  In fact, Atlas's 22"R was considered a luxury back then.  Of course, we didn't run (nor were they commonly available back then anyway) UP Big Boys or Challengers on 4x8 layouts but the popular little 0-4-0 "Docksides", "Little Hustler" diesels, and 40ft freight cars operated just fine on the tighter curves.

Harvey

Thanks! That's interesting to know. (Some of us don't have room for large layouts today, either.  ) That probably explains a couple of things: I'm sure I read somewhere that the minimum radius for Mantua's "General" is 12 inches, and also why the instruction sheet that came with my old Atlas pier set mentioned how to use the piers if you were using 15-inch-radius curves (would have made an awfully steep grade, I would think).

JBJ

[janedoedad]

here are a few classics redrawn for ez track.

this is the great northern pacific aka the ho railroad that grows. it had its own how to build it book, published in the late 1950s. for dc block control, the different blocks are colour coded, add insulated rail joiners at the colour boundaries. note that the dark blue and pastel blue sections are reversing loops requiring special wiring whether you use dc or dcc.

Very Cool!  I would like to use your conversion for my GNP layout.

I am new to the hobby and finding it fun and challenging.  A vendor at the Great Train Expo suggested this book as a good place to start.  I plan to build the GNP with just a few modifications.  Bought two Bachmann RTR sets to get started with and picking other parts and such as needed.

Thanks for doing this!

JDD

[jward]

Very Cool!  I would like to use your conversion for my GNP layout.

I am new to the hobby and finding it fun and challenging.  A vendor at the Great Train Expo suggested this book as a good place to start.  I plan to build the GNP with just a few modifications.  Bought two Bachmann RTR sets to get started with and picking other parts and such as needed.

Thanks for doing this!

JDD

here are the track pieces you need.

Track & Objects
44501, H0 Bachmann E-Z Track 44501. Curve radius 18", angle 30º   31
44511, H0 Bachmann E-Z Track 44511. Straight 9".   20
44512, H0 Bachmann E-Z Track 44512. Straight 3".   5
44513, H0 Bachmann E-Z Track 44513. Straight 2.25".   4
44514, H0 Bachmann E-Z Track 44514. Straight 4.5".   4
44530, H0 Bachmann E-Z Track 44530. Curve (1/3) radius 18", angle 10º   2
44531, H0 Bachmann E-Z Track 44531. Curve (1/2) radius 18", angle 15º   2
44561, H0 Bachmann E-Z Track 44561. Left turnout 9". radius 18"  (remote)   4
44562, H0 Bachmann E-Z Track 44562. Right turnout 9". radius 18"  (remote)   6
44591, H0 Bachmann E-Z Track 44591. Buffer/Bumper 2.75".   4
44592-1, H0 Bachmann E-Z Track 44592-1. Straight 0.75".   2
44592-2, H0 Bachmann E-Z Track 44592-2. Straight 1".   3
44592-3, H0 Bachmann E-Z Track 44592-3. Straight 1.25".   3
44592-4, H0 Bachmann E-Z Track 44592-4. Straight 1.5".   1
44592-5, H0 Bachmann E-Z Track 44592-5. Straight 2".   1

Track lengths
44501, H0 Bachmann E-Z Track 44501. Curve radius 18", angle 30º   24.35'
44511, H0 Bachmann E-Z Track 44511. Straight 9".   15'
44512, H0 Bachmann E-Z Track 44512. Straight 3".   1.25'
44513, H0 Bachmann E-Z Track 44513. Straight 2.25".   0.75'
44514, H0 Bachmann E-Z Track 44514. Straight 4.5".   1.5'
44530, H0 Bachmann E-Z Track 44530. Curve (1/3) radius 18", angle 10º   0.52'
44531, H0 Bachmann E-Z Track 44531. Curve (1/2) radius 18", angle 15º   0.79'
44561, H0 Bachmann E-Z Track 44561. Left turnout 9". radius 18"  (remote)   6.14'
44562, H0 Bachmann E-Z Track 44562. Right turnout 9". radius 18"  (remote)   9.21'
44591, H0 Bachmann E-Z Track 44591. Buffer/Bumper 2.75".   0.92'
44592-1, H0 Bachmann E-Z Track 44592-1. Straight 0.75".   0.13'
44592-2, H0 Bachmann E-Z Track 44592-2. Straight 1".   0.25'
44592-3, H0 Bachmann E-Z Track 44592-3. Straight 1.25".   0.31'
44592-4, H0 Bachmann E-Z Track 44592-4. Straight 1.5".   0.13'
44592-5, H0 Bachmann E-Z Track 44592-5. Straight 2".   0.17'

Total track length:    61.41'

for wiring, I would use 2 atlas controllers for the reversing sections, and 2 atlas selectors for the block wiring.

[jbrock27]

This is very helpful.  Thank you Jeff.

[janedoedad]

Thank You, Mr. Ward!


JDD

[jward]

So there are two plans from the 1950s that originally used 15-inch-radius curves. Were 15-R curves more commonly used "back then"? 

in the 1950s and earlier, many laid their own track by hand like I do now. they could and often did choose whatever radius suited them. before the late 1950s, there were also no standard couplers, every manufacturer used its own. many were hook and loop types which handled sharp curves better. also, most locomotives and cars were smaller, with things like 4-6-2 steamers and f7s for diesels. with the exception of passenger cars, most equipment seems to have been in the 40 foot range.

starting in the 1960s, on the real railroads the cars and locomotives got longer. some were downright huge in fact, like 16 wheel tank cars about 100 feet long. naturally, the models got bigger too.

[jward]

David,

Glad you like them. I have fun just creating on anyrail.
The latest I have done I am thinking of one day building for myself. It will either be a small logging or mining layout. I was thing of running only Climax's on it if they can handle the tight 15 radius curves.
Feedback is welcome for those who wish.



outside of the 15r curves which I really don't like, the biggest problem I see is that the connection track between the upper and lower lines, at the bottom, is going to be way too steep. my estimate is for grades on the order of 6-8%. a climax or shay will pull those grades, but with an abrupt transition from level to a steep grade your couplers might slip over one another. it would be better to redesign the connector to be a little longer. remember, a rough estimate is 1/4" rise per full section of track for a 3% grade, 3/8 rise per section for 4%.

Jerry