Need help with 2' X 8' in HO

[Luke1984]

Hi all. I have been racking my brain on and off for about a year. I really want to build a model railway but there are a number of problems. I want to use HO simply because of the cost (cheapish right?) and the modeling possibilities I can cram in. Thing is I only have about 8 foot by 2 to play with realisticaly which as far as I can see, dramaticaly reduces the amount of track to loco ratio.

I want to create some sort of 1990s - present industrial plant siding/shunting yard scene. one loco is fine, maybe another one for choice but basically I want a grotty industrial plant with plenty of modern unit-type buidings, piles of stuff (ballast, coal, cement, whatever) and wasteground.

I guess I need a layout plan that is fairly realistic and allows me at least some scope for a bit of funtime shunting wagons from one place to another and off down to the mainline.

Also what kind of industry should I go for? cement works? Oil terminal? freightyard? Quarry?


Any help at all would be fab.

[rustynath]

Have you tried looking on picture seach engines (google/yahoo etc) for the different railway industries you listed? There are many pictures of layouts that can provide a healthy inspiration! For example I searched for "cement railway" and found the following set of images quickly: cement works (http://uk.images.search.yahoo.com/images/view?back=http%3A%2F%2Fuk.images.search.yahoo.com% 2Fsearch%2Fimages%3Fp%3Dcement%2Brailway%26ei%3Dut f-8%26fr%3Dyfp-t-501&w=500&h=334&imgurl=static.flickr.com%2F3259%2F3163002484_1475f 22f7d.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fnevard media%2F3163002484%2F&size=155k&name=nevard+080601+ce...&p=cement+railway&oid=54a875eddd43f480&fr2=&fusr=nevardmedia&no=4&tt=1068&sigr=11kpoivuk&sigi=11gpu18d4&sigb=12mnpoim1#FCar=54a875eddd43f480)

[Luke1984]

Hey thats pretty cool, very similar to what I am after. After a quick brainwave I decided to google earth daw mill colliery ( a local colliery to me) and had look at their sidings and loading tower and it gave me a good idea of teh sort of thing I should do. i'll have to compress it down a little bit and i am imagining maybe H scale now. I'll have to go put pencil to paper and see what I can think of.

[Mike-Greg]

Well I have done the same type of thing ( or in the process of doing)
a mainly industrial seting although i have a single platform for passanger and a small village setting included,

its in 2.5 mtrs x 1.7 mtrs