Bought a new house and have some room to expand from my previous hollow-core door setup so I'm looking for opinions and advice on the track plan I'm toying with. It's a U-shaped layout with the left and rear sides against walls.The right side will be about 2.5 feet from the wall giving me access back there. On the SCARM diagram, the grid is set to 5". The most important requirement is for it to be continuous run because I enjoy keeping several trains running relatively hands-free. I really preferred the idea of 2 mainlines but this layout I found in a book intrigued me and I think it will do what I want. I have no real desire to get into switching. I'll probably have a few small trains to juggle between the industry spurs but I'll keep them whole and won't be swapping any cars around. Along the same lines, I like that this layout provides some long passing sidings and spurs to keep a number of trains active. I'm thinking it is capable of 4 short (36") trains for the industry spurs and 4-6 longer (72") trains that can swap between the passing sidings and passenger station. I've already got a significant investment in Kato Unitrack so I won't be changing that. I'm also running DCC - mix of Digitrax and NCE with JMRI running on a Raspberry Pi. Blue track is at "ground level", purple is a 2% grade up to about 2" height, green is all at 2" or above. Here's the inspiration - http://i.imgur.com/CrBmEnk.jpg Proposed track plan - http://i.imgur.com/C5ObUsr.png SCARM file to edit - http://s000.tinyupload.com/index.php?file_id=81557634842253195858 Thoughts? Thanks in advance!
You say you like running 'several trains relatively hands-free' but, for all that track, can only run one completely without human or computer input. There are two long loops folded and twisted into that, but they share a short section of single track in that lower left hand corner (looking at the imgur image of the proposed plan). Also, in that same vicinity, you have one track crossing over the other a short distance away from where they share a turnout. Assuming (for argument's sake) a radius of 20", the trains must diverge in elevation enough for a bridge in only about a foot and a half of forward running. That's a pretty good grade...
There's actually 2 tracks in the bottom left corner at different elevations keeping it 2 independent loops. With DCC speed matching I think I can get away with 2-3 trains on the single mainline and be relatively hands off. Which turnout are you referring to? I thought I kept it at no more than 2% grade throughout.
It certainly looks like a pleasure to run. All the industries can be worked without running around the train, and the bypass in front of the yard diverges far enough away to leave nice, long switching leads beyond each ladder. I still don't think I'm reading it right, as it doesn't look like two separate loops to me. It looks like a twice-around. There seems to be something going on deep under that lower left hand hill that I just can't see from here...
Here's 2 pics that zoom in of that side with each of the paths highlighted red - http://imgur.com/a/wRxNz
1. I usually work to avoid reverse curves by taking tracks off a loop through the straight leg of a switch. I'll move the switch as far back along the loop as necessary to get it lined up right. 2. This is a twice-around. A train covers the entire main line before it gets back where it started. Which is fine, but makes it a real challenge to run two trains simultaneously--especially in different directions.
1 - which curve are you talking about? Is it the "Y" maybe in the bottom right on the blue track of the zoom-in pic? 2 - I wasn't debating the twice-around part, just that the loops were at different elevations and not directly connected. I think I'll be fine running 2-3 trains as long as they're all in the same direction. I originally had 3 crossover points to switch directions but I took 2 of them out to simplify things. Given how it's laid out I don't think I ever have a reason to go the other direction. I left in the X crossover just because I already have the track piece.
1. Yes. 2. Sure, but that's not very hands-free, especially as you look to be set up to run every class from passenger to local freights. My advice is don't skimp on passing tracks! I have seen twice-around set up with a couple of bypasses which allow two trains to operate completely unattended on two separate loops. That's nice, but I'm not sure you could do it with those variations in elevation. Not that you necessarily want that. Just a thought.
You have those parallel green and purple tracks that go around most of the layout. If you modify the plans, you could have a two track mainline.
Is the light blue supposed to represent tracks in tunnels? With the little portal symbol, it looks to be that way. If so, there is a turnout underground on the left peninsula. (Inside the half circle curves at the end) If a train derails on it, or it stops working, it would be almost impossible to access it to retrieve a train or make repairs. You could have that track exposed under the layout (similar to how a lot of staging yards are built) if you want to keep it there, or you could move the switch to an above-ground location.
Good point. A hole in the middle of the loop so you can duck under and pop your head up in the middle is a good idea. Obviously there won't be much headroom with that industry on top, but anything is better than nothing.
Any transition from level track sections to graded track sections can be a trouble spot. You have one of these in a tunnel, at the right edge of the layout (where the light blue meets the light purple). I would suggest not having such a transition in a tunnel. Also in the right peninsula, you have two places where the transition from graded to level track occurs right next to a turnout. I don't know if this will work well. As a general comment, I don't know how to do such "grade transitions" properly with Unitrack. I tried it briefly and did not do it well. Maybe others can offer advice on how to transition from graded track to level track segments when using Unitrack.
Great comments, much appreciated! The underground switch on the left will definitely have access by a portal on the top. I kept the above ground tracks clear of it for that reason. Good advice about the inclines and turnouts. I'm not too worried about the incline in the tunnel since that side of the layout will be open for access but I'll try to work around the other ones. I was more guestimating about 100" for the incline section so I should have some wiggle room or I can move it down a bit onto the blue track.
I suggest that you seek to have some "considerable" length of level track before you get to any of your turnouts. It's not the incline that will kill you, but the transition from a section of inclined track at a constant grade to a section of level track. And I think it is harder to do this transition with Unitrack than with types of track which do not have a built-in roadbed/base.
You may want to adjust the centerlines of the blue and green loops (lower left of proposed plan above) so the lower loop is entirely outside of the upper loop (different radii, but common centerpoint) or else one loop is staggered to the side of the other (same radii but one loop centerpoint is a few inches to the right or left of the other). Either will make initial construction and subsequent maintenance/repair MUCH easier, but having the lower loop outside of the upper loop will let you "daylight" the lower loop so that more of the lower mainline can be seen as it comes from along the wall toward the front of the layout. A third option... if the center point of the lower loop remains on the same right-left line but is 6 to 8 inches down toward the bottom of the plan, you will be able to put building flats or tree flats between the two loops at the back of the shelf, and 3D buildings, hills, or trees in the lower left corner as view blocks to hide the outer loop from viewers standing in the middle of the room without having to design scenery that actually covers the tracks, so the outer loop remains easily viewable from the bottom aisle, and easily accessible for routine maintenance or repairs. (Instead of always being hidden and appearing from a tunnel portal at the front of the layout, trains on the lower loop could appear from behind the buildings, hills, trees, or from under a highway overpass in the lower left corner.) I've sketched up a 6 track yard in front of the station and a main running right to left behind the station. Note that the main running left to right at the front of the layout now comes from the outside (blue in your plan, 0 inch elevation) loop, crosses in front of the yard and connects to the inside (purple in your plan) loop on the right side of the U...without connecting to the yard at all. The outer loop on the right (purple in your plan) connects to the main that passes behind the station, but there is a lead into the yard tracks where the outside loop finishes its descent to 0 inches elevation. I couldn't open your SCARM file, so I don't have exact dimensions for your layout footprint, but, if space allows, for ease of future maintenance and repairs, you might want to have the right side yard lead connect into the main outer loop to the right of the right side bridge, and all of the turnouts for the right side of the yard located to the left of that bridge, so you have clear sight and easy working access to the turnouts. For convenience of construction, $$, and appearance, the bridge should probably cross the 3 lower tracks (left to right main, yard lead, right to left main) as close to 90 degrees as you can arrange while maintaining full vertical access to any turnouts in the yard. Typically, 1:1 RRs avoid building rail bridges over yard tracks because of the added expense of the longer bridges. Modelers avoid long bridges over yards for the same reason, but also because it is a pain in the caboose to identify, rerail, couple/uncouple, or "fiddle" cars when they are under a bridge. The yard drawn below has 6 tracks in a compound ladder arrangement and no S-curves. Photo Apr 15, 9 31 28 AM by ppuinn posted Apr 15, 2017 at 8:11 PM With 6 yard tracks, it would be possible to set up 3 right to left trains and 3 left to right trains; however, since you can only run one direction around the loop at a time, and since 3 trains running nose to tail will produce the appearance of going in both directions, anyhow, you may want to set up all trains going the same direction. (And you may want fewer than 6 tracks in your yard, so you can display locos or cars in a nearby engine facility or on a car repair track.)
I agree with CarlH: transitions from level to grade are sometimes problematic, especially when using Kato section track with roadbed attached to it, or when the transition takes place under a turnout. Just like track looks and works best when there is a gradual horizontal easement from straight track into a tight curve, track needs to have a gradual vertical easement from level track to track on a grade. When track moves from level to sloped, there needs to be a gradual change instead of a sudden one. 3 methods for easing this transition from Level to Grade: 1. A gradual change can be provided by strips of cardboard from the back of a pad of 8.5x11 paper, cut into strips the width of the track (or roadbed). The transition between level and slanted can by smoothed by straddling the point between the level and slanted track by a 2-3 inch long piece, which is under a 4 to 6 inch long piece, which is under an 8 to 12 inch long piece. 2. If the shelf is made of plywood, OSB panel (waferboard or wooden chip boards), or Homasote, then cutting the panel on either side of the track and gently lifting it to the desired grade makes a smoother transition. 3. Fill in the sudden transition with plaster or spackling compound and smooth out a gradual transition. I've found that the Atlas turnouts I use on my layout become unreliable (become a source of derailments) when mounted on a surface that bows up or dips down from one end of the turnout to the other, or when one side of the turnout is twisted higher than the other side. If the surface on which the turnout rests is perfectly flat from one end of the turnout all of the way to the other, then problems will be minimized. As long as the surface is flat, it does not matter if the turnout is on a flat level surface (0% grade) or on a flat surface that is on a slant/grade where one end of the turnout is higher than the other.
