As if there weren't enough layouts needing your input, here's another. The land grant is pretty well fixed but the track plan isn't necessarily so. The peninsula was fashioned after David Popp's Naugatuck Valley. I prefer single track main to double and an very fond of yards for switching, staging, and display purposes. One area on this plan that needs help is where to put the passing sidings? All input is welcomed. Thanks in advance.
Passing Sidings Passing sidings on railroads are places where trains can meet when traveling towards each other or to pass when one train overtakes another. With that in mind, passing sidings are nearly always placed where the topography lends itself to economical construction. The most sought after sites for passing sidings are ones that are approximately half way between here and there based upon the normal traveling speed of the approaching trains. On a model railroad, most people place them where the trains can be best viewed. In your case, I would be tempted to try to determine what trains would be traveling at the same time, on which tracks and in what direction to finalize the placement of the sidings. I hope that helps Jerry
We probably need to know a little about your layout plan in order to work with it. Is the blue colored track the "yard"? It looks like a series of parallel double-ended tracks, all approximately equal in orientation and usage. Is one track a mainline through/beside the yard? Is there a yard LEAD so that the yard can be switched while a through train passes the area? You mentioned "yards for switching, staging, and display purposes". I guess I think of yards as almost entirely for switching, that is, what I call "real" "working" yards. Staging is something I usually want to do somewhere else, away from the yard. Staging is a place to originate trains that are going to come into the yard, and a place to send trains that leave the yard. Is the light green-chartreuse-and turquiose trackage the visible mainline? Is the red track hidden track? Is it on the back of the layout, a side from which the layout is not operated? Or is the red track the main visible portion of the mainline, perhaps slightly elevated so it can be seen as visually separated from the yard. Is the purple track an alternate mainline around the yard, or is it a branch that cuts off towards the right of the layout, running behind the yard to the area at the left of the layout where there are two spurs in dark green? I can easily envison a layout WITHOUT any passing sidings outside the yard that are visible and operational, as long as there is an "operational/practical/working" yard AND a good amount of staging somewhere outside the yard. The mainline through the yard and an arrival/departure track could function as a passing siding IN the yard. But that is just theory. I think the #1 need on your plan is staging OUTSIDE the yard, so trains can run from the yard and supposedly go someplace. Actually, the staging would be a combination "yard" and multiple "passing siding" except that trains would not normally just go through. They would come FROM or go TO staging and usually not appear again except representing "another train". Second, a yard with a mainline going through or alongside, a double-ended arrival/departure which can be used for arrival/departure, for runarounds in making and switching trains, AND as a passing siding point (three functions), some classification tracks which can be double-ended or stub spurs, and a switching lead where a switcher can access both the arrival/departure track and the classification tracks without blocking the mainline. A good place of locating a passing siding would be toward the right end of the layout, either the far right end IF the red track is hidden, and/or the location where the purple track cuts off, IF it is intended as a branch. The same double-ended pair of (roughly) parallel tracks would function both as a passing siding AND as a runaround for switching nearby dead-end spurs that "face the wrong way", and for turning a branch local train that leads the yard running to the right, to run to the left up the branch.
Thank you for the comments! The color scheme I used was to give me a visual breakup of the layout and not necessarily to denote hidden track, mainline, etc., although that is probably how I should have done it. I will go back and make some adjustments and re-post the layout. Also, I will try to find a way to make the pict come out bigger so it will be easier on the eyes.
Did you think of taking that red line, at least 43 feet from what I can determine, up a 2% grade to a second level?
CofGa, Looks like a fair amount of traffic here. You could have quite a long passing siding on that red main line and have one of the outside tracks of the blue track yard as a 'thru track' for main line running also. I am guessing by the 3 foot of squares at the return loops, that this is N Scale with 15" R curves. You do need to consider a yard lead track at each end of the blue yard to prevent fouling a mainline, and a 'run around' track for switching. Anxious to see what the changes you have come up with. The drawing is fine, it will enlarge when we click on the thumbnail OK.
I think my biggest question is: what is the scenery going to be like? Is this a flat, Great Plains look, or are there going to be mountains? I see a lot of straight track, which lends itself to the plains look. If that's what you're going for, great. Put a passing siding smack dab in the middle, I guess. Otherwise, I think that red line, if it's going to go up a grade, could take a more creative route. Previous comments are correct about needing a yard lead. If that yard is going to be out in view, I think you really should develop it into a realistic, working yard, complete with engine facility and so on. Right now it just looks like a staging area.
Ok, after much thought and the tough realization that the left side of the layout would be in conflict with the only area of the basement that is plumbed for a toilet (bad irony! ) I have redrawn the layout and incorporated some of the suggestions posted last night. The town area to the right is by no means detailed. The left side with the curved passing tracks is still undecided as far as scenic treatment goes. Your comments are welcome! Thanks in advance.... Fotheringill, a reverse loop might be something to consider at a future date but for now I can already smell the wires burning! :embarassed: My electrical skills are pretty dull. Pete,Double decker layouts have always intrigued me but at this time it's a bit out of my comfort level. This layout will be the biggest one I've attempted to date. If it goes well that might be something to add later on. Watash,You are correct! It is N-Scale and the minimum radius on the main is 15". Unfortunately, it looks like I'll have to relegate the yard to staging. I lost 8' of lenght after considering the plumbing issue. Oh well! jagged ben , Agreed on the scenery. I've "bent" some rails!
CofG: By relocating the working yard to the back of the layout, you are shifting away from a plan that supports the concept of a yard for switching (and possibly for display) that you mentioned in your first post, to a set of tracks that is more convenient for staging. That seems like a large change in your fundamental operating concept. Is that your intention? Perhaps you could retain the enjoyable aspect of switching a yard while also keeping the benefits of having hidden staging by 1. locating your town about where the large yard was in the first version, 2. keeping the staging tracks in red about where they are in the second version, 3. adding one end of a yard along the right hand wall about where the town (orange-ish rectangle) is positioned in the 2nd version. a. add an arrival departure track paralleling the hidden main that is hidden where it begins shortly to the right of the staging tracks, becomes visible near the upper right corner, and ends about 1/3 the way down the right hand wall, b. add a yard lead extending beyond the right hand visible end of the arr-dep track, so you can pull cars from the Arr-Dep track down the long yard lead that parallels the main all the way to the bottom of that right hand side, then push/drill the cars into 3 or 4 classification tracks in that upper right hand corner. c. position the turnouts for the classification tracks so they are visible for ease of operating and maintaining, but the classification tracks themselves could be stub-ended and most of their length hidden behind trees, buildings, or low hills. d. make the classification track that is closest to the arrival departure track tie in with a turnout at the left hand hidden end of the arr-dep track so trains arriving counter-clockwise into the arr-dep track from the bottom of the right hand side can escape from their trains to run around to the engine facilities without going on the main. e. put in some engine facilities, car barn, ready track, RIP track, etc in the center of the right hand wall. When placing buildings and scenery on the right wall shelf, you may want to establish some visual separation between the front and back of the layout so you disguise the fact that a train passes through the same scene twice--once to the right and then immediately to the left. 1. After making the half circle turn at the bottom of the right hand shelf, see if you can have the front track subtlely bend farther and farther away from the back track. It may only be an inch or so as it moves back up the front of the shelf, but combining that with a row of trees and some scattered buildings will give a sense that there is more "distance" between the front and back tracks. 2. Make the "spacer" buildings and trees a little dull and less detailed. 3. Make the buildings closest to the back tracks (as well as the building flats against the backdrop behind the back track) bright colors and well-detailed. 4. Super-detail the area on the front side of the front main as it subtlely arcs across the front of the shelf. You want the viewers' eyes drawn to the back of the layout, bored by the middle area, and attracted by the front of the layout. That way they notice the train when it is in the distance and when it is close but their eye doesn't get snagged in the middle where it might start assessing how close those two main tracks actually are to each other. That spoils the illusion you are trying to create of trains moving purposefully from place to (distant) place. I like the track arrangements for the peninsula industries, and that you gave yourself 4 foot aisles so 2 people can simultaneously work the right hand shelf and the right side of the peninsula. Is there space to permit sliding the peninsula even farther left so another little industry/siding/interchange could be added on the back shelf just to the right of the peninsula to increase switching opportunities outside of the classification yard? You've left the left side of the layout fairly open. Is that just a temporary phase until you have a chance to think of what you want to put there, or do you want to have some long sweeping curves for composing great camera shots of mainline running?
[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Georgia, Verdana]ppuinn[/FONT], you have given me some good things to think about. Especially placing the yard where the current town is. I will rework the plan and post what I've come up with.Thanks for the input!
