new layout

sidney Jan 16, 2023

  1. sidney

    sidney TrainBoard Member

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    so ive been working on new layouts for the new place and have three that i like so far.
    witch of the three do y'all like best. room i have is 7foot x 12 foot for these three layouts.
    im looking at a bunch of layouts an piecing the parts i like into one.
    no name yet just scribbles . i figger if i start planning the layout now may i can get something i love best.
    i like switching from time to time and also like to just let them run. my must haves are a loco repair building scrap yard , grain silos, of coarse a yard, small town area. i like the bigger layouts as i can run longer trains and let then run plus its more fun to build. this may go into a shed ,trailer and or its very own roon in the new house . but im leaning on a shed or trailer Witch is not built yet.
     

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  2. DeaconKC

    DeaconKC TrainBoard Member

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    Man, all 3 look good. Nice running and good switching on both sides.
     
  3. mtntrainman

    mtntrainman TrainBoard Supporter

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    I like #3...just sayin
     
  4. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    All look good. I kind of lean toward #1....
     
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  5. sidney

    sidney TrainBoard Member

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    Thank you .. i too am leaning more one #1 but i like #3 as well....
    ill keep working on these a bit longer. maybe ill fire up scarm and run a train around them and see witch i would like better.
    #1 gives me running of long trains and also pretty good switching i think.
    Thanks for imputs
     
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  6. BigJake

    BigJake TrainBoard Member

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    I like #1 & #3 best.

    From the commonality between all three, I assume the room entrance is at the right end, where a duck-under would be narrowest for all of them.

    How high is the layout there off the floor, for ducking under? How tall are you, and how long are you going to want to negotiate that duck-under to use your layout?

    Or do you plan a draw/swinging bridge, or lift-out section there?

    Have you thought about a plan that is open at that end, that turns around on both sides at that end? This would give you much more pleasurable entry/exit, and longer running (comparable to running both loops in series you have now.) The two turn-arounds could be staggered so they have more room while allowing easy access into the middle.

    Since this layout is in its own room, is it high enough for a work area and storage underneath? The more "self-contained" this hobby room is, the fewer times you will have to duck-under (even while carrying stuff) to get in & out. I might suggest a small fridge, but that could only cause other reasons to have to leave the area and come back.
     
  7. in2tech

    in2tech TrainBoard Member

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    Should be a nice layout, no matter what you choose. IF possible, build it in a climate controlled area in the house, IF you can. Just depends on your situation I guess? Of course it's your layout and home, so your choice :)
     
    Last edited: Jan 17, 2023
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  8. sidney

    sidney TrainBoard Member

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    Yes there on the right end will be removable. Not sure how yet.(n)

    height unknown yet still thinking about this. im just focusing on design of tracks first.:D

    Yes i have and decided i want it to be continuous all the way around..:D im pretty firm on that part.

    EXACTLY what i was thinking about too .(y) Have a work station that slides out from under the layout .. so by that it would have to be built around 52 inches hight there abouts. still working out these details in my head.(n)

    Thank you
     
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  9. sidney

    sidney TrainBoard Member

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    Well i have made a few changes to the #1 . I think its for the better. Not final yet but still a work in progress.
    Let me know what y'all think good or bad . Other ideas ect ect
     

    Attached Files:

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  10. CardScientist

    CardScientist TrainBoard Member

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    I am no master layout designer, but I personally like the look of #2. The double track loop allows you to run stuff while still leaving space and track available for you to not perform switching on the main line while something else may be running. I am assuming this will be set up running around the room along the wall?

    Sent from my LM-X410(FG) using Tapatalk
     
  11. MRLdave

    MRLdave TrainBoard Member

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    Before you get too far in on your sidings, you need to figure out your "must have" industries......and then find the models you want to represent them. Nothing more frustrating than getting your track done and then finding out the buildings you want to use won't fit. It's much easier to fit the track to your buildings than the other way around. I ended up building 55 buildings before I finalized my track. I kept finding things like the building fit, but the truck loading side of the building put the trucks right on top of the mainline. Or the road to service the building wouldn't work. It's sort of like a big jigsaw puzzle .
     
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  12. BigJake

    BigJake TrainBoard Member

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    Okay, first, this is getting better!

    Some additional thoughts...
    1. I'm assuming the outer loop is the "mainline" and the inner loop is either a feeder shortline or industrial district of the mainline. For brevity, I'll assume shortline below, but the suggestions don't change if an industrial district is intended.
    2. I would broaden the mainline curves considerably. You want trains at speed on the mainline, and they should have gradual curves to suit.
    3. The mainline's only directly served industry at top right is a little awkward, but not necessarily. I would make the siding to the top side, and keep the mainline straight through. The length of the spur is problematic (assuming a small industry in the corner). Why go so far to the left before going on the siding (right beside the mainline) so far back to the right to the industry? This could be rationalized if the spur is on a grade, separating the industry from the mainline, or if the spur is intentionally long, say for a coal flood loader, but those are usually set up to run through (slowly!), not a spur that you back a long coal train through and then pull forward again.
    4. In general, double crossovers are only used when there is not enough space for complementary single crossovers. They are much more expensive to build and maintain by the railroads, requiring 4 additional frogs that are not needed for a pair of single crossovers. As models, however, a double crossover is often cheaper to purchase than two singles.
    5. The double-crossover at lower left (below the yard) is in a very inconvenient location. A train exiting the yard for clockwise travel on the main, has to either back up and use the yard run-around track, or exit and travel on the shortline all the way around to the other end to get to the next crossover. I'd slide the double crossover around the left end (squeeze the shortline and mainline together there). It is possible that these two double crossovers could actually be replaced with individual singles, if not pairs of singles.
    6. Whether you have separate shortline and mainline railroads, or an industrial district of the mainline, mainline trains will rarely service shortline/district industries unless they are quite large (e.g. a flood loader). They will interchange in the yard, and smaller locos (and trains) will handle the last (and/or first) "mile" between yard and industry. Otherwise, there's no need for a yard there.
    I know all the above may sound really critical, but it is certainly not intended that way. This layout, as is, has a lot of promise. But this is YOUR layout, not mine. I've only told you what changes I would make if it were mine. Make it your own!
     
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  13. sidney

    sidney TrainBoard Member

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    yes Andy the outer loop is main line . ive reworked the curves a bit (that took a lot of time but they are broader now (pic later ) I realy love my double crossovers but have moved one of them to the left side.
    I have been pondering on the lift out on how to go about rigging that up and so found a couple ideas.
    one is a bridge type of thing with hinges (would need to make some sorta building to hide them ) and the other one is a swing to the side kinda arrangement, not sure on that one yet and of coarse maybe something simple that just lifts out when needed.
    so now for pics . 1st one is drawing currently and then the bridge idea...
    Andy im still pondering ideas ...... but i think its coming right along to something im liking more and more...
     

    Attached Files:

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  14. BigJake

    BigJake TrainBoard Member

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    Lookin' good!

    Yes, a drawbridge type of setup can work very well for the entrance! Keep in mind that a model drawbridge could swing down, rather than up (it's not like there's a real river there!), to allow passage. That way a quality entry passage door hinge can be used, but it also can leave the track susceptible to damage if you brush against it when it is swung down. You could add wooden guard boards on either side of it, creating a protective pocket for the bridge to swing down into.
     
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  15. NtheBasement

    NtheBasement TrainBoard Member

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    When I looked at bridges for spanning the train room entryway I wanted a prototype in the range of 400 feet. Turns out the longest bascules are close to that, but they lift on either side and the sections meet in the middle. Getting that to work reliably was a challenge I was not willing to accept. Another candidate is a lift bridge at the Soo.

    I ended up raising that particular track up on mountain terrain to make the duck under easier, and made a removable truss bridge. Prototype is a modern BNSF bridge in Sioux City. Most of the time the bridge sits on a shelf and the aisle is clear. Pic is from ten years back. IMG_1809.JPG
     
  16. sidney

    sidney TrainBoard Member

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    NtheBasement i really love that bridge. I was thinking about that kinda bridge build when i found the bridge mechanism that i posted above.
    Ill save a copy of you bridge pic and add that to my build file for future reference.
    Thank you for sharing that its a fantastic looking bridge. ( i think im going to need a conveyor belt 3d printer now ) that gives me an excuse to buy one any way (y)
    Also love the videos of coal cars ect. how in the world did you get the loader working like a real loader ? its very cool watching that.
     
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  17. Sumner

    Sumner TrainBoard Member

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    Like you latest track plan a lot better than the earlier ones!! Here are a few things you might consider...

    [​IMG]
    Flip the yard around so that you would have a long lead that would allow you to work the yard without having to go out onto the main. Also add an arrival/departure track for the same reason. Move the double crossover down if possible to make the track work easier at the entrance. Looks like it is going to be fun to operate. I like the industries.

    On gates and such when I was considering one a couple years ago I felt ( THIS ONE ) was pretty well engineered and liked what he did electrically. Look at his video ( HERE ).

    Sumner
     
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  18. sidney

    sidney TrainBoard Member

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    Thanks Sumner ill look into those changes. and i like that swing bridge idea too. ill keep those for later reference for when i get to start building.
    its getting better an better . im liking all the changes so far.
     
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  19. NtheBasement

    NtheBasement TrainBoard Member

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    Thanks! Looks like my original reply didn't make it. There are more videos on the channel: the spring auger loader was not hard to build. The dumpers on the other hand took about five iterations each.
     
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  20. NtheBasement

    NtheBasement TrainBoard Member

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