I like it a lot! I'm considering building a new N Scale road and your design incorporates a lot of design features I like, but haven't been able to work out in my designs. Some years ago, I recall reading track planning advice in a publication that advised modelers to omit yards as a waste of space, but I like to see a yard. Looking at the colorful freight cars makes me smile, switching a yard making up trains is fun and less time is spent carrying rolling stock from railroad to shelving and back. In your yard, you might want to add an "escape track" so that power from incoming trains can be cut off and returned to the engine terminal. Are those No. 6 turnouts on the mainline? Great work -- thank you for posting this!
Thank you..... Yes, all turnouts are #6 I'm thinking replacing the 1st one from the yard by a wye turnout...but I've read somewhere somebody was having a lot of derailment with it Would you be able to make a quick sketch showing where you would put that escape track you are talking about? Thanks
I love it. You've done what I rarely see in a layout, which is to keep from having tracks running along the edge of the table top. Nice job.
I was thinking about something like what I've added here. The train would arrive on the receiving track, the locomotive would cut off its train at around A and run ahead to B and stop. The escape track turnouts would be thrown, then the locomotive would reverse using the escape track to C and make its way out down the yard lead. The only monkey in the wrench is that the yard tracks may be a bit too short to allow enough length to hold the inbound train and provide space for the escape track. You could instead not use an escape track and leave the locomotive trapped, and work the train with a switch engine from the rear. After the receiving track was cleared of cars, then the road power could then reverse and make its way out. No matter what, you've engineered a stellar track plan!
I forgot to ask, but do the tracks not line up in the area on the layout's left I've circled? Not a big deal if so; I'm just curious. Thanks again.
I'm not too concerned about that.....I should have enough "flex" in the longer double track section to make them fit But I will have to pay attention at the 15 deg crossing section, where there will be no flex at all.....I need to go to my store to get the tracks I don't have yet to test that section What do you think about the grade to reach the yard? I hope it's not too steep.....I will have to check in XtrkCAD on how to use that function I think 2% is the best grade in n-scale, right?
A 2% grade is quite satisfactory; even 3% is often fine in modeling. I really like that your yard lead is also long enough for tracks to be worked without fouling the mainline tracks. That's a neat idea to look at using No. 4s in the yard. My N pike is 30 Years old and uses Shinohara track. I use No. 6s on all mainline turnouts and No. 4s in yards and industrial spurs and the reliability has been very good. (Shinohara also offered curved No. 6 turnouts which I also used with success in challenging spots.) You'll be able to reduce spacing between your yard tracks as well (33mm track centers with No. 4s vs 49.5mm track centers with No. 6s) to maybe gain room for another track.
Quick question about rolling stock: is there any chance I could find French rolling stock ("SNCF" - locomotive, passenger cars) in the US market?
Other than the reverse loop, is there anything specific I should pay attention for DCC wiring? And about the wiring loop, how should I do it? I'm using a NCE PowerCab, and I know I have to use a auto reverse loop module (Digitraz AR-1for example) But where should I place the insulated unijoiner? IS something like that the right way?
