Model Railway Forum

Hi again.
Currently got a temporary layout on the floor going around the walls with 2 looks at either end giving trains continuous run from one end to other but also allows access to the spare room.

I was originally going to.mount along all the walls leaving gap between the door for through access but I'm now wondering whether it'd be better to have it freestanding?
Room dimensions are 12ftx11ft
I could squeeze in a 10ft wide board with about 1ft either side or 8ft with 2ft gap either side. Width could be 9ft with 1ft either side or 4ft with the 2ft then when not in use pushed up to corner.

So which be best wall mount or free standing - no plans exhibit or need to move in short-medium term

Personally, I would always opt for a free standing layout and made up into join-able in sections if need be. Reason is if you move or want the room for something else in the future a fixed layout would have to be destroyed!

hi, i have both, 10x6, freestanding, and 18 inch double track round my 15x12 room. Totally agree, with Brian about the moving house bit. In my case, wont be moving, but wanted to let my big locos, stretch their legs, with longer run, hence, 54 foot run. I have a hinged bridge, to allow access from the room, with copper clad sleepers, soldered to track and screwed down, each side of the bridge. This allows my Beyer Garratt, Rivarossi, Big Boy, and Rivarossi Challenger, to run up to maximum speeds. This brings me on to controllers , and if you go for a round the room, i recommend the Morley, controller which, comes with 2 hand held controllers, with cables. You can buy extensions from Morley, so you are able to walk round the room, totally, keeping pace with locos, should you wish. Bear in mind that with freestanding, you have to be able to reach all tracks My layout, is 2 tiered, with DC, on bottom, and DCC, on top. Round the room, is DC, only. If you are not yet suited, with controllers, i would have a look at the morley range. They have both 2 and 4 track controllers. I belive that Guagemaster, the other quality controller, also do handheld, Hope all this helps.

Mine is fixed around an 8X8ft room. I have no intension of moving and if I have to for some reason the layout will not be going with me. If the room is needed gor some other reason the layout will have to go because there is nowhere else to put it.

Mine has room all around the edge - luckily because I’ve had to get behind to alter my lighting pelmet - mind you that was more down to bad planning/changes of mind as I went along.

Mine runs around three sides of a 10 x 7 room and is free-standing, but a perfect fit - so it does not move. It could be taken down fairly easily.

100_0371 by Barry Clayton, on Flickr

How do you fnd the height?
I'm now thinking 8ft wide by 4ft deep and be crossing the window, can't decide whether to go under the sill or across at bench height.

Remember, you will need to lean across and 4 foot deep seems a lot to me unless I’ve misunderstood your measurements. Whatever you decide, enjoy your modelling (with the warning that its highly addictive)!

The widest part of my layout is 3ft and it is just about manageable as there isn’t too much in front to destroy when I lean over it. Anything more than that will be OK if you are a gibbon or similar.

Twill, of course depend on height of Gibbon. a 6 foot one, will be able to lean further than a 5 foot one. I found that out, several years ago, with my original DCC layout. When twas up against the wall, just out of reach.