I'm looking for input on some designs I've tried. Subject line says it all. Pictures of the 3 I've mocked up so far are here: Dwight's trackplans The first two are variations on the Carolina Central. The bottom one is from Mike's Small Trackplans site. I ran some trains on #1 last night. There are 4 sidings right now (I could probably have one or two more but I'm out of turnouts), and my current roster of rolling stock will fill them nicely, still leaving the bypass track in the foreground to stage another train. The mock-up is not to grade or anything, but the siding in the back inside will likely be a coal/gravel dump. It will hold 3 full size hoppers. I can't extend it due to the bridge, and I'm loathe to move the bridge as it will screw up my gradient. The foreground sidings are intended for industry, still to be decided. I'm thinking a machine shop/light manufacturing. Maybe a food distributor (an excuse to buy neato reefers) and possibly a scrap yard. Under the bridges would probably be a paved road, or a creek, or both. I'd like to get some terrain change without resorting to huge mountains or tunnels. Part of the problem is deciding what to put in the open space. I'm having a tough time envisioning the size of N scale buildings since I haven't bought any yet. Some of them have sizes in the Walthers catalog so I'm cutting paper templates to get a feel for it. I don't want a city scene, and still feel #3 is too much. My biggest problem with #3 is the closest end, it's too close to the edge of the table and the bank required for the higher level would be ridiculously vertical. Perhaps if I converted the outside track to running in a tunnel? #3 also doesn't offer much in a place to stage a second train. #2 could still work, but I prefer the siding design in #1 better. FWIW, I'm modelling the Western Maryland and am going for a "edge of town" sort of scenic look.
Choice two would be the most interesting operationally. I think choice three would get to be the most boring, the quickest - its primarily a running layout.
Here are three links you might want to check out, there may (or may not) be something you like: http://www.thortrains.net/npoor7.html http://www.thortrains.net/npoor2.html http://www.thortrains.net/npoor5.html
I think you've made a smart move by mocking up the various ideas so that you can see and touch them. Sometimes what looks good on paper does not translate well into the real thing. By combining #1 and #2 you could keep the siding design from #1, and get the opperational interest of #2. While #3 does have the spagetti bowl affect, it does offer a longer main line run that is more than just an oval, as well as more variety to the terrain. A siding could be added to the upper level to add opperational interest. I agree that a tunnel on the outer loop would help avoid a catastrophic fall, just rememer to allow access for cleaning and derailures.
Couldn't agree more! I've studied numerous plans on paper or on my monitor, but until I place them on the surface and try them it means little. I've found plans I was in love with are horrible in reality. Keep the ideas coming.
The Atlas site has some ideas for N scale layouts, including two that would fit a hollow-core door. In my last trip into N, I built a layout on a hollow-core door, with an oval plan. The back part was hidden by a backdrop and was used for staging. The front part was treated like a stage- trains entered the stage from one spot, did local work, and exited off the other side. Out front I had a feed mill, flour mill and large industry plus an interchange track for the trains to do their thing when they came into town. To simulate the passing of through freights, I'd just let the train run without stopping. Spending much of my youth in a small town in Oklahoma on the Frisco main line, I was treated to numerous through freights roaring through town, as well as the locals switching out the local Co-op and setting out cars for the drag freights. That's how I treated my little layout, as part of a larger railroad.
Here's what I've finally decided on: How to make an oval not look like an oval. The piers are temporary and are just to show the probable rise I'll build from foam. Yes, it's too steep and will have to be longer. Didn't have enough piers. The line at the upper left that crosses under will be the connection to "the rest of the world." I think it will be a tunnel going under the mainline and stay covered, except at the back for access (which will face the wall). This can be a connection to another layout later. The branch at the 'forward' part of the table to your viewing right I haven't decided on...may be another route off the table, or could go to an engine shed, or ?? Suggestions welcomed. The line that goes through the center is shown with a siding. I've since ditched that idea and will probably put a spur off to the left (where the siding is now). Could even be 2 sidings or a small rail yard in front of the mountain that will support the mainline. Kind of hard to tell from the dark image, but there are two bridges that will likely go over a road, maybe with a small creek alongside. Critiques welcomed. Some of the track is close to the edge, I know. Will have some kind of preventative measure along the edge as it progresses. Hey, it's a carpeted room anyway.
There was an N scale layout based on a New England branchline on a door in an issue of MR this past year I believe and it was built this way if I remember right. It had a small extention for use as staging and a backdrop down the middle. There's also an HO 4x8 layout in a Tony Koester book which was pretty much just a basic oval with a small midwestern town on one side and a staging yard on the other. I'm thinking of doing something of a combination of the two for my WP layout. I have room for a door ar maybe even a 4x6 with staging on one side and maybe Portola or Keddie on the front.
Since this trackplan has been driving me nuts for a few weeks now, I hunted through my back issues of MR to find it. It was in the Jan, 2003 issue and it's called the Naugatuck Valley. It was designed by David Popp to fit on a 32"x7' hollow core door, with a 16"x48" extension that had a six track staging yard. As designed, it has 12" radius curves. I'd like to make those a bit broader, since part of my plan is to run the Cali Zephyr, with Oroville as the main yard so I can swap Zephyr motive power. I'm thinking something with 19 or 20 inch radius.
Looking at the photo you posted, I suspect you might actually have a bit of a problem in the top right corner for anything continuing down the mainline. Thats VERY close to an s-bend.... You might want to try and get a bit more speration between the curve and the switch, or reverse the switch so the mainline goes straight through and the branch line takes the switch....that'll mean moving all the track on the right hand side a little, but I;m sure it will lessen the likelihood of derailements.
