Hi All, Thank You to all of you who gave me input on this project. All your suggestions and comments are appreciated. I have made decision[FONT=&], or I think [/FONT]I have, as to what changes I'm going to make. I'm going to use my last drawing as the basis for the changes. View attachment 47077 :happy:At this time I'm getting the needed supplies together. I just won on that auction site 3 "New" Peco left hand curved switches for the less then the price of 2. :headspin:As for the switches that I mentioned in a previous post that I might change, at this time I'm going to leave them alone. For the one that I need to add, I may use that 3rd curved one. I have not decided if the green blob is going to be a cut or a tunnel. I'm leaning towards a cut at this time. Again, thank you for your help. Regards, Gary
Gary: A thought I had to make your open staging addition more prototypical would be to incorporate a siding as part of your staging yard and treat it as an interchange yard. Your addition seems to be the perfect candidate for this option. Just food for thought. Jerry
Hi Jerry, Thanks for the input. I choose to use the Inglenook design for my small yard as a space saving feature about 5 years ago. When I installed the yard the bench work at the time ended at right end of the yard. Using a traditional yard ladder would have taken up to much real estate. The yard started out as two 2 track staging areas (see image below) and came off of the 180 degree curve. During an operating session the layout was used as a point to point, the two staging areas were then at each end of the line. Locos were turned by hand if needed and cars were added or removed using the five finger method. Image is NOT to scale As things evolved the two staging areas metamorphosed into the current design. The Inglenook design is not as common as the traditional yard ladder design, but it is prototypical. Though most likely used more in Europe then in North America, the Inglenook has been used by the 1:1 railroads on this side of the pond. Here a few that I have found Milwaukee RR @ Tacoma, WA BNSF @ Shelby, SD Canadian National @ Halifax, Nova Scotia At this time I do not have any plans to rebuild the yard. If and when I do a total rebuild I will most likely use the more traditional ladder design with the leads going to both legs of the loop, something as seen below. Until then I may cut the yard into to both legs of the loop at the stub end of the yard. As for my staging area it will be a removable sector plate located at the left side of the drawing spanning the door opening, the door swings out of the Train Building. Because of the height of the layout and the distance of the floor above the outside ground level I can easily duck under the sector plate when it is in place. I do not plan to leave the staging area in place when not running the layout, but there are times when I have to leave the Train Building during an operating session. Regards, Gary
The Change Has Begun Hi, Today I started working on the bench work required for my changes. I made a few changes to the bench work plan while working. Last discussed drawing Extended the bench work to match the end on the top of the layout this will give more room for one of the customers The layers of material I use for my bench work From the bottom up I use the following for my bench work. 1 X 4 lumber 1/2 plywood 2X4 ceiling tiles upside down The following images show the beginnings of the new bench work. At the time of the photos it was just clamped in place and has since been screwed in place The sidings seen here are the current customer #10 (center of image just above the clamp) and 11 (between the red tools) on my track plan. Both customers will be relocated with the changes. The track at falls off the photo on the left goes to the future staging/fiddle tracks. I need to add the support, but first need to move the desk with all the junk. The sidings seen here are the current customer #10 and 11. Bench work addition passing the small yard. Some car storage below the yard. All the bench work for the layout has been built in the same manure. Each section can be removed in the event I need to relocate it again. It would require some track cutting and wire cutting, but those are fixable. Here are the different sections of bench work as they were added. Order of addition Yellow first section built in 2004 Green Orange Blue Red - The part next to the green was at one time turned 90 degrees to the left and attached to the part of the green that sticks out to the right. Pink started today (08/07/12) All of the plywood cut, but am waiting for the glue joints in the frame to dry before adding it. I was able to make the frame with wood I had on hand other then one 1X4X6 ($1.70). The plywood was cut from 2 scraps that were hiding in the garage. For the ceiling tiles, I have a stash of them from when I was working. If I need more I think I still have a connection. Regards, Gary
The best laid plan of mice and men Hi All, As of today this is the finalized track plan. Latest plan and is being worked on Track for the loop is laid and with the help of jumper wires trains have been able to run around the complete loop. So far I have only had to make 1 track adjustment. Some minor changes have been made to the plan. While working I decided to keep the passing siding that was already in place and extend it. A few years ago Mark Watson (TrainBoard fame) had suggested that I extend the siding to the short spur just right of the yard (see: Last operating track plan) and add another switch so that the siding could connect to the yard. Since I am going to remove the siding and the two switches that came off of the main I'm going to take Mark's suggestion (I do listen to your suggestions ) with a slight variation and move the left switch closer to the yard (easier to reach with the change in bench work) and add the extra switch to reach the yard. I will use that change as a locomotive escape when trains are entering the yard from the left. Other then that, the yard will be operated as before, entering and departing via the Y. The left end of the top yard track, had been where the engine house stood. The new track (LOOP) might be too close so the building may be relocated to the other end where there appears to be more room. Last operating track plan I'll be posting more photos of the construction and track work over at the thread The Greenbriar Delta & Rutland. Again I want to THANK all of you for your suggestions over the past 6 weeks and some longer while I wrestled with this project. Regards, Gary PS As to the green blob (shape TBD) that first showed up in post #40 of the thread, I believe that it will be a tunnel at this point. The portal on the top will be a double and each track on the bottom will have it's own (have all of them in stock). Image only for reference of "Green Blob"
