I have never seen these before. it is a page of very small switching layouts: http://andrews-trains.fotopic.net/c374578.html I'm still going through them. Enjoy
Steve, An awesome site I'm considering building a module this year so it has some great ideas. The length of the layouts are mentioned but what scale are they?
I _think_ it is relative. The designs are "scalable". Mostly it depends on turnout sizes. The distance between each turnout mostly adjustable more or less Update: looking at the very first plan it takes a foot for a 4 track yard. To me that implies "HO" scale. In 9 inches I can put 5 or more yard tracks using Kato #6 turnouts. So in N scale the first one would fit nicely into about 5 x 1 and could be sqqeeezzed into 4 x 9, (but would not look good like that). [ February 03, 2006, 09:14 PM: Message edited by: Grey One ]
Steve: Thanks for the link to those small switching plans. They will be useful as I'm planning a point to point addition to the JJJ&E with a small staging area. Stay cool and run steam.....
Steve - thanks for the link some really good ideas there. I will browse at my leasure. By the way they all look like HO to me, but as you say Steve they can all be scaled down or up.
You are all quite welcome. Make sure Fotheringill takes a peak. BTW: That link was provided in a "small layouts planning" yahoo group. Correction, I'll post that today: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/small-layout-design I thought everyone knew about them. I'm sorry i did not do share sooner. [ February 03, 2006, 08:15 PM: Message edited by: Grey One ]
What I like about the designs is their versitility. They can either be built as stand alone units, or be an area on a larger layout, or the center of a simple loop. Very Cool!
Two things that stand out about the layouts: 1) All have a run - a - around track 2) Most are designed in some way with a plan for opperations. Many include a concept of a train Ariving Dropping off cars Picking up cars A few include dealing with interferance by through trains such as passenger.
Steve: I'm probably going to use one of these for the addition I'm planning for the JJJ&E. Stay cool and run steam......
I've known about this site for a while, and have already appropriated some of his ideas in my planning. As the basis for areas of larger layouts - like you said, John. My one complaint is his strong preference for food-related industries. But hey, you can replace the industries on almost any track arrangement.
Triplex: Think about it. You can use any industry on most track plans in that thread. Stay cool and run steam.....
Food is popular since there are so many main and support industries involved, from fertilizer to farm to processing to canning to paper for labels to main distribution points to secondary line distribution to trucking to wholesale and retail. I will be incorporating a pineapple farm and factory in the expanding LLL in the coal hills of Pennsylvania.
Remember to plant your pineapples on the south sides of the coal hills...they'll need all the warmth they can get in PA!
I have a door table layout left over from an N scale project, and I've decided to do an HO scale switching layout, using Unitrack and BLI sound-equipped switchers. I'll be running it with the new NCE PowerCab. I've been slowly picking up Athearn RTR cars on eBay, and added a few more just now while some train store.com is running an Athearn clearance sale. I decided to use Scot Osterweil's switching layout which can be seen at http://users.rcn.com/weyand/tractronics/switching_layout/switching_layout.htm The neat thing about Scot's layout is, that all the dimensions can be duplicated, within an inch or so, using standard Unitrack. Good site though Steve, I wish I would have seen it before I bought all my track.
Hi all; New to your forum, but wanted to post some information as you seem to have some questions on my layout designs. I am the designer behind the layouts at: http://andrews-trains.fotopic.net/ All of the layouts are HO scale and are designed using either #4 or #5 switches. Deisgned on a 12" grid with a predisposition for the food industry since my favourite cars are boxcars and shorty tank cars - think corn syrup. I also like Appliance and Newspaper docks since they too can take short cars - think 40 foot High cube RBL boxes for both of these industries. If you have any questions please let me know and I'll do what I can to answer you. Yours sincerely Andrew Martin
Andrew, Great work, too bad it is in the wrong scale.LOL The idea I had was to make print outs of them,,, then see on joining them together to make one huge switching layout. Matter of fact you could have ,, a L shape with curves on the ends going to staging behind the backdrop/buildings. Just a idea. Adios Wyatt
