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You can solve this easily with a pair of small engines - one to get behind a car and pull it out from behind the other engine as done on the "Crooked Creek" railroad published in MR. I've been using a pair of engines facing opposite directions and a short connector between 2 yards. A train comes in, the engine goes over to the other yard and it's facing the right direction for the next outbound train. I call this, "the Poor Man's Turntable", so much easier than the wye, turntable or reverse loop which I've also used.
This site doesn't allow a pdf attachment (too bad), but if you email me I'll send you the Crooked Creek railroad track plan if you can't find it in MR. msarazin @ comcast.net Also I may start a list for this site of all the small published plans that I have -- been in trains since 1936.
Max on Cape Cod

OK. Made my first attempt to adapt the Gumstump and Snowshoe into my 4x4 L shape. A jpg of the plan is posted in the Photos section of the web site.
Some notes: The grid lines are 6 inches apart. All the sidings will take at least one 40 foot car and a switcher. Grade on the hill is 3 to 4 %. Minimum radius is 15 inch.
What I don't like is the lack of a runaround. I just couldn't figure out a way to fit one in.

Let comments and arrows fly!

Cliff Smith

A look at the associated SLD file groups might be worth the time.

/g/sldfiles

/g/sldfiles2

/g/SLDFiles3

Bruce Wilson
Barrie, Ontario, Canada
Life Member NMRA
Member Scale 7 Group Gauge 0 Guild 7mmNGA
Member Bird Studies Canada Ontario Bird Banding Association
Nature Barrie Simcoe County Banding Group

I seem to recall a plan in Model Trains International for this size of area.? Switchem Corner designed by Jack Trollope.

Clive Burdikin

Hi Cliff
A layout of about your size though straight was Leonard Blumenschine's Beaver Bay Transfer Co. that appeared in MRR in November 1976. He actually built it in his office in a Madison Ave. advertising company during his lunch breaks.

For operating sessions it was mounted on a couple of shel brackets that normally supported a shelf over his desk. It was in two sections bolted together with bolts and wing nuts and the buildings were added. I think the truss girder bridge dropped in place and the upper section "Beaver Bay" was 1.5 inches above the TL&FJ branch transfer yard? and separated by retaining walls(TL&FJ was the Tupper Lake and Faust Junction - Blumenshine's home layout)
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The layout was only 10 inches wide and I think you could bend it onto an L at the split without needing outrageously sharpt curves.
I've redrawn it for a length of 8ft using Peco 83 line #4 Y turnouts and #5 left and right turnouts. ISTR that Leonard Blumenschine used Atlas #4 turnouts but I'll try to dig out the original article.I could envisage reversing it so Beaver bay is lower level (and at the front) and representing a quayside with cars brought down from a main line yard above (There was such a set up in Newcastle England with a very steep connecting grade from the main line down to the River Tyne operated by a couple of electric locos)?

Leonard Blumenschine wrote several articles in MRR and actually managed to operate some kind of layout in his cabin on the USS Boxer, on which he served as a Lt. (JG) during the Korean War. ?

Cliff,

15"-16" curves should allow you to do a curved Gumstump and Snowshoe. If you can fit a 2-3 car runaround track on the 18" board, do so. It will enhance the operation of the layout.

Best wishes,

Joe

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On 4/6/19 5:37 PM, Cliff Smith wrote:

You may be right about the Gumstump and Snowshoe. A variation of that just might be made to fit if I keep the curve radii tight since there are no turnouts in the middle where the bends would be located.

Another thing you might try, in addition to a runaround, is a small yard on the 18" wide portion.?? Two tracks plus the main could make an Inglenook for more operating fun.

As you can probably tell, a variation of the GS&S is on my to-do list after I finish my interchange layout :-).

"Port Ogden and Northern track plan" is no. 8 in 101 track plans.? Google the six words in my quotes and add the word "images" and you will find it.? Too long for the subject at hand at 16 ft x one foot.? It was my second layout when I was 15 and laid entirely with Atlas steel track.? Fortunately I had a Varney dockside that ran pretty well.? It's a neat plan for switching industrial sidings.? Steep grades at around 4% and practically limited to #4 turnouts and short rolling stock.? The grades didn't bother the heavy dockside 0-4-0 on steel track.? That thing with added weight could pull a "house".

There is a line drawing of the layout which accompanies the plan.? The drawing is deceptive in that it shows an impossible slanted bank at the near end separating the upper and lower levels.? At one foot wide that separation has to be a vertical retaining wall.? The separation of the upper and lower tracks at the far end is a bit of a fantasy.? But allowing for that it is practical to build in HO.? That's how I did it and it worked.? If you add 3 or four inches to the width the whole thing gets easier to do and the scenery can be logical rather than fantasy.

101 track plans has other "L" shaped plans at nos. 51, 55 and 68.? All still too big; but worth a look.? The whole book is an inspiration and worth having in your library if you can find an affordable copy.

Ed Weldon

You may be right about the Gumstump and Snowshoe. A variation of that just might be made to fit if I keep the curve radii tight since there are no turnouts in the middle where the bends would be located.
I'll see what I can come up with. Thank you to everyone and if anyone has a better idea don't hesitate to to chime in.

Cliff Smith

Unfortunately no room at the ends.

Cliff Smith

Please be my guest.

Thank you.
Cliff Smith

On 4/5/19 1:12 PM, TILLMAN, JOE via Groups.Io wrote:

Depending on your width, you might even be able to install something like the Gumstump and Snowshoe on the L-shaped layout. Check out June 2005 Special Edition on the link below for the 1' x 6' version.

GS&S is always good, and a lot better if a runaround can be included.?? There's also a long narrow track plan or two in 101 Track Plans, and there was a coastal layout in MR a few years back that could probably be made to work.?? Sorry for the vagueness on layout names - I suffer from CRS :-).

Given the 4' lengths and the L-shape, an hour or so looking over the Carl Arendt scrapbook might give you some great inspiration. You could combine a couple layouts and have something pretty unique and very functional. Depending on your width, you might even be able to install something like the Gumstump and Snowshoe on the L-shaped layout. Check out June 2005 Special Edition on the link below for the 1' x 6' version.?

http://www.carendt.com/category/small-layout-scrapbook/

Sincerely,

Joe

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I have a like/detest relationship with Facebook, but will have to check these both out as well.?

Thanks Bruce.?

Paul Pearson
Denver, Colorado

You might want to take a look at the Small/ Microlayouts FB page as there are some good ideas there



and also the HO Scale Shelf Layouts on FB



Bruce Wilson
Barrie, ON