I have based my track plan on one done by MC Fujiwara in this thread: http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showthread.php?134375-Help-me-design-my-layout/page2 I have 2" foam on a 3/8" plywood table. Over all dimensions are 3'x10'. I have access from the front only. I have checked the reach and it works for me. It is a freelanced N&W with some Virginian and Southern. Mostly 50' boxcars and and coal hoppers. I do have a J class and a full set of Con-Cor N&W heavyweight passenger cars. I am hoping there is enough switching and coal loads to move to keep two operators busy. Everything is on Digitrax DCC with sound. All Uni-track I tried to keep the radii as large as possible on the main loop and only used two #4 switches at the coal mine. Let me know what you think and make suggestions. I am ready to start shaping foam and dropping feeders. Thanks in advance! View attachment VABEAST_6MAR2013.bmp Can't figure out how to get the Xtrk CAD file to upload. If someone can tell me how tonight, I will upload it in the morning.
I think you're going to have a hard time reaching that back runaround / passing on the mine branch. Especially if you have any kind of scenery and structures. The original plan had a notch cut out to bring the depth down to 2'. Part of the original "concept" was to have the rear main service big industries in the back of town and the front main have the yard and a waterfront. Same town but visually and operationally separate. Helps create distance and space. The crossover across the center is not really needed unless you like to watch your trains go around and around and change direction once. I'd take it out and put in a runaround / passing siding at the bottom for the yard so you're not blocking the main every time you go in & out of the yard. And you do have the space to curve the bottom main more in to have a deeper notch.
Your small yard in the middle of the right end seems awfully short. I think it would be advantageous to have your yad ladder as close as possible to the connection to the "main" (ie the continuous loop) and I would tend to omit or relocate what I assume to be an industry spur at the bottom right of the plan, that is shown between the main and the little yard. I would put those yard tracks right nup against the main at bottom right, and parallel to the main. That would make them easier to access, and to see what you are switching. I notice a cutoff across the middle of the layout that forms a reverse connection. It allows a train running counterclockwise to change direction to clockwide. I do not see how this is very helpful on this plan. Let me discuss why... A train heading out of the little yard will be running clockwise. It cannot directly use the reversing cutoff except maybe by backing through it. About the only destination for that train on this AS YOU DRAW IT is the mine branch. To get to the mine branch, the train can go to the passing siding at the top of the plan and run around its cars, then pull them up to the mine. There it can runaround again on the mine passing siding in order the switch the mine tracks. Then it can come down to reenter the main, heading clockwise on the main. Again, it is going the wrong direction to have much need for the reversing connection. It can continue clockwise and back its train into a yard track. SINCE your mine branch climbs high enough to cross the main loop on a bridge, it is high enough to have another track running directly UNDER the branch on the right end of the plan(though it would require the branch to built on something fairly thin at that point, probably not foam...) This track could connect to the main just to the left of the branch junction, and could run ninto a tunnel. This could be used as a staging track to "the rest of the world." A train could be staged here, set up before an operating session, headed out COUNTERclockwise. When time comes to run that train, it could some out counterclockwise and NOW there would be a reason for the reversing connection. The train can run through the reverse loop to get in position to back into the yard. When time omes for the outbound train to staging, it can run out of the yard clockwise and continue that direction INTO hidden staging. (You would probably want to wait til after the session to back it out and set it up for nest time...) I cannot get your plan to display large enough to read the small writing so I don't know what you have planned for inside the loop on the left end. You could put a switch on the left end of the top passing siding to run under the bridge to the area inside the left loop for spur access to an industry there. Just my little analysus of what MIGHT be done with this plan.
First, I smoothed out all of the curves to eliminate S-turns and tight spots; mainline minimum is 15, branchline is 13.5 except for the corner by the mine, which is 12. Then I lengthened the branchline as much as possible to reduce the grade. The passing siding on the branch will still be a bit of a reach, but better now that the notch in the front is somewhat bigger. Tidied up the yard area, added a healthy passing siding along the front so the yard should be able to be worked without interfering with the mainline. Interchange adds operations options.
very much along the lines of MC Fujiwara and DK Smith: I added 2 staging tracks under the coal branch; very hard to reach, though allowing you to have some empties out, loads in traffic of coal hoppers. Having the possibility to get a passenger train out of the way untill it makes its appearance is another added bonus. Important however is going back to mr Fujiwara's original idea to use the upper part of the oval for some switching as well. Keeping the yard close to the main will give you some more space for coherent scenery (roads). Having a long run-around (or even a passing siding) at the bottom of the oval surely is an asset. BTW in Both DK Smith and my drawing all spurs are easily reachable. R min on the main is 15 (13,75 under the branch); R min of the branch is 12,5; mainline turnouts are #7, #5 on the branch. Smile Paul
Nice, Paul, except the OP is using Unitrack, which puts the kibosh on a number of your ideas. I like the angled mine track (even though it shortens the runaround), but I'm not at all keen on the staging yard switches hidden directly under the mine branch--I could see that being an access nightmare. Here's a tweak done mainly to try and get the notch bigger.
I do agree with you about the underground staging. Having a cassette or an addition as was done on last year's MR project railroad "the Virginian" would be my choice for staging. BTW my entry was merely directed towards issues like having the yard close to the main and having a run-around near the yard then towards precise arrangements of tracks. Smile Paul
Wow. You guys rock! I will sit down and take some notes on your suggestions and apply them to the track plan. You all seem concerned with the reach to the passing siding on the back but it really is not an issue. I have the current track plan built and running with the elevation supported on blocks. So the bench work is already done. The table height is only 41". There is a window in the wall on the backside of the layout that I am not allowed to block as it is on the front of the house. I don't think staging under the branch line is a good idea as it will be an access nightmare of removable scenery. As it is, I only have a small window in the lower right 45 angle to see into the current tunnel. Also, I need the interchange to point down or "south" on the left side. I have been given some more real estate in the room and can add 10"x48"' shelf for staging and a car float. I should have a revised plan up by early evening.
That is good to know, but bear in mind things will be different after buildings, trees and other scenery items have been added to the layout.
Unless you can physically access the back side of the layout, what David says above will be very true.
What about using the left hand industry spur (center of table) to go up to the coal mine? This would provide a much longer climb to the coal mine (reduced grade percentage) and additional length to the coal mine siding. Then flip the right hand (old coal mine access) to a left hand switch for an industry spur. Just an idea. Jerry
Unfortunately, real life sometimes interferes with the best of intentions. We had a one heck of a windy storm here in Virginia Beach last night and I had quite a bit of downed branches and debris to clean up today compounded with an emergency vet visit for our dog. She is OK. Canine pink eye. Just to go review a few things. Bench-work is already built with 2" foam base glued to it. No access from left, back or right. 41" table height. I do have an old Kik-Step handy right under the table for easy access to the back track. I am using Uni-track with remote controlled switches and Digitrax DCC. The current branchline grade is about 2.5%. All sidings and spurs have magnetic uncouplers. The area on the left is to be a small town. My goals for tonight are to remove the reversing section then add a passing siding to the front so as to not foul the main while switching. I will then try to adjust the yard to bring it closer to the front and lengthen it. Thank you all for the great insight and suggestions. Hopefully I will have a revised plan up tonight. Anyone now how to upload the .xtc file?
You cannot upload or attach an .xtc file. You'll need to convert it to another format, such as a jpg. If nothing else, maybe try a screen capture and save as a jpg.
I have updated the bench work with the new shelf area for an interchange/car float. I have removed the reversing section and the yard for now to work on the front passing siding. I am not really happy with the way it came out. The main line runs on the diverging route of the switches. I will work on it some more over the weekend.
I would like to thank all of you for your fantastic input, but it looks like the bench work is coming down this week. My daughter and her fiance let us know this weekend they will be moving several hours away for his job. This means they will be coming into town about twice a month to work on their wedding plans. The result is that my available real estate has changed considerably. The study/train room is now going to be a guest room. I am now looking at an around the wall shelf layout. Once I figure out what space I have available, I will start a new post. Thank you all again.
Yesss (!) that is good news for your layout. "around the wall" layouts are my favorites. I am eager to see your new space available.
Every layout a person attempts to build turns into a teaching layout. It will teach you things you never knew about. Yourself, your potential and the fun you can have. I'ma suggesting you get busy and build something even if it's a roundy rounder and let it teach you what you need to know. You can: Take a class in wood working and electrical wiring. Sit in on scenic seminars and work shops at various train shows. Visit your local LHS. Buy books, books, and more books. May I suggest you don't just look at the pictures...lol. Bring your questions here. Lot's of experience as well as newbies here. And allow newbies to help you make the same mistakes they have. Ahh err, I don't thing that's what I meant. In my day we didn't have computers and I depended on the model railroad wig wags (magazines) of the time. I'd kind of sort of recommend you go and read some of the older mag's out there. Not to happy with what I see in print today. Some good new ideas but......if you get my drift. Build, build and build again. You'll catch on.
I had to jump in here..You realize that you essentially have a continual type MRR.. You will always have to run clockwise in order to back into mine tracks. This activity I enjoy, backing or shoving into a spur or such..But If it were me ,no judgement meant, and as I understand the enjoyment of watching trains roll, too. But, again , for me , after a while the round and around thing gets old...My RR is point to point with no turnaround loop, wye (maybe one in final peninsula later) or even turntable..It's only a scale 2.50-3 mi. branch line which I might soon call a 'bridge route' instead, as one end has a live interchange and other end, a peninsula may too have a line cutting through it for interchange, too..It's also a switchback in that all trains have to enter the tail of the switchback, about midway down/up RR and reverse direction for remainder of trip..Some frown on this as being either unrealistic or tedious...There were several standard gauge switchbacks such as the Baltimore and Susquahana...and I like watching engines run in reverse anyhoo..It too gets boring at times. But this is more to do with length of run than how it operates..But it's about all I can fit in an apartment. The switchback adds work time to the runs...What i'm getting at is you might (might) want to rethink the whole RR idea in that the real ones do not run in a circle except for urban rapid transit systems/trolley/subways..You could design a MRR which is point to point with either turntables at each end, a balloon track (is a loop, but within a terminus area), say. OR merely run end to end and reverse direction back...Many small lines did this in rural, bucolic areas...You just might find this activity, which adds a level of danger, to be more rewarding than a continual loop...Just a thought...
