Anyone have any info on this plan? Is it a completed layout? If so, are there any pics available? http://layouts.railstuff.net/layout-full/foxriverrr.jpg It's a neat plan, but I think there is not enough industry.
You think industry's the problem? What about the no-staging problem? It's really a double-track main and not much else - small yard, little industry, no staging. Not my style at all. It does look nice, though. That's the advantage of MR's layout plans. Back to actual advice. The town has a good amount of industry; the problem is that there's only one town.
Moose, Other than logging, industries on the Fox River Valley Railroad were probably pretty scarce from the time it was built until long after. A Map of the Fox River Valley R.R. in Wisconsin with its connections. Shows area of southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois. Indicates county boundaries, larger cities, and some drainage. The line was chartered in 1852 and constructed in 1854. GM
Moose" You can be creative and add industries to that trackplan. I happen to like it's possibilities. I don't see anything wrong with a double main line. Stay cool and run steam....
I'd build up a viewblock behind the town, drop to a single-track main (with passing in the town) and add a couple of staging tracks behind the viewblock. The idea of having intermodal where they have it is a joke. Why the switchback? I think NOT! I'd have a factory there instead, and have one track access it between the building and front edge of the layout. Perhaps a second track could run into the building itself. The factory at the right needs a track. I'd consider moving it to the front and giving it a spur with room for 2-3 cars. Maybe more if you make it larger. This would create a frontal viewblock. The grain elevators are in good position... but that should be a siding, not a spur. Eliminating the double-track main would allow for that siding to begin in the curve. I would replace the feed mill with a passenger station. This would be on the passing siding for the town, and the mainline would be the next track out toward the front. The fuel oil and propane companies could be larger and require two tracks... Maybe a two car capacity on each. As for the "yard"... I'd make it a yard with tracks to hold 8-10 cars at most, and switching leads allowing switching. It would need 3-4 tracks to accommodate traffic from the local industries. Adam
It's not a bad layout. But I do agree it's more for simply running. Don't forget- There were two incarnations of Fox River Valley RR. Boxcab E50
I'm a big fan of double main lines myself, provided you can get industry on both tracks. This is a good layout utilizing limited space. Remember folks, not everyone is blessed with a 30 x 40 basement to build an empire. I wouldn't be totally satisfied with this layout, as I'd prefer to at least re-do some of the factory and industry as others have mentioned. This is a good running layout with some industry to keep it interesting, which is what I like.
As I recall it was in MR. built by a husband and wife team. You can probably get info about it from the Trains.com site. It was in June 2005. The people who built it are Ntrack-ers. Definately runners not operators, but hey do your own thing it's model railroading.
