N scale shelf layout
We are all surrounded by shelves, aren’t we? Bookshelves, cupboard shelves or office shelves make our lives easier. So why not place a model railroad layout on a shelf? It’s an interesting concept because we use the existing furnishings of a room. It requires little space and our model trains become an integral part of the room. Here an idea on 31.5” x 19.7”:
Shelf layout track plan N scale
Facts
- Size: 31.5” x 19.7”. This corresponds to 80 x 40 cm
- Tracks: Fleischmann N scale (tracks with ballast bed)
- 2 turnouts, 2 double slip switches
What is it all about? A small switching layout on 31.5 x 19.7 inches that fits on a bookshelf. There is space for a little loco and 3 short freight wagons. The task is: Move each wagon to its destination! We have silos, a crane, a small factory and a siding that branches off to a warehouse in a 45° angle. Check out the interesting shunting options!
Scenery here is a harbour. But this track plan could be embedded in any other industrial setting. On the left hand side we have a bridge. The track above is without function, but the bridge itself has an important function. It serves as a visual scenic divider and it conceals a fiddle yard. The tracks behind the bridge are necessary to pull out wagons for shunting operations.
Download this track plan here:
Download PDF (private use only)
Enough tech-talk. You want to see something:
N gauge shelf layout
I realized that track plan many years ago with Fleischmann tracks. More Impressions:
What is a shelf-layout?
When placing a model railway layout on a shelf, the dimensions have to be small in depth. However, a shelf layout can be large in length. It can be designed as an L-shape or U-shape running along the entire wall of a room. Or you build a mini layout to be placed on a small windowsill.
Shelf layout track plans are often based on a point-to-point concept. Model trains run from A to B and back again.