doodles in my cupboard

[AngusDe]

All,

 

I've been thinking over the weekend as to how I might fit a layout into "my" cupboard, which is a little bit over 6' x 5', and L shaped as the utility meters etc have a smaller cupboard of their own eating into my space.

 

As I've said before in recent years I've been strictly a armchair modeller, and incorrigible layout doodler. My interests (and past layouts) have included, N American diesel HO and N, UK Steam and diesel N, OO and EM, and German diesel/steam HO and N. Nowadays I find N just too small since I started needing reading glasses and I've given most of my UK OO and US HO to my nephew in Vancouver (I also built him a layout last time we visited) so in reality I've a bit of a blank canvas in my space.

 

I do enjoy watching a train go round and round, so my first thoughts turned to something with a continuous run but using 2nd Radius setrack curves and Peco small (2') radius streamline points whilst trying to avoid any reverse curves proved just too tight as I'd have to (possibly/probably) gouge out bits of plasterboard at the curves to fit the overhang of the stock etc, but here's the best I could come up with:-

 

 

Unfortunately the "room" is also home to my computer and book cases round the 2 long walls so such a solid layout seems unsuitable.

 

Next thoughts were a bookshelf terminus, and as Kyle is my all time favourite so I came up with this:-

 

 

The plan requires a fold out/down fiddle yard running into the hall, and the big flaw in this design is its inoperable without the fiddle yard in place.

 

As I said American HO is another of my interests, so I've also sketched out a switching plank for the space, in my minds eye the setting would be in the docks areas of Vancouver or Seattle. The beauty of this (I think) is that it is self contained in the room, and a quick look suggests that N American DCC sound locos are a bit cheaper than UK ones.... Anyway here's my thinking:-

 

 

Anyway, these are just for fun and hopefully a help or inspiration for others.

 

Any thoughts or observations appreciated,

 

Cheers,

 

Angus

[Donw]

If you real interest is building and you like fiddling around with detailing. You would probably get a lot of fun even if the fy was only in place nowand then if on the other hand you want to pop to the cupbaord and run a train or two it becomes a hassle.

Don

[Kris]

How easy is it going to be to clean the track in the hidden sidings, or rescue stock that has derailed?