I was desperate so I threw together this layout

I like scenery, I like gentle curves, I like mountain passes and mainline running, and southern california is what I like. So I just randomly started building this "layout". It's basically an L shaped point to point right now, lol. I can't run anything on it because the track is just laying there.

 

Here is the base of the hillside pass, and I was thinking of putting a yard or something there. The elevated track which the train would climb during its meandering journey up the hillside eventually doubles back over this area, and that is a problem. I might just hide that track with a tunnel and backdrop.



Here was the original idea behind this layout:

 

Man I just couldn't keep my hands off the bid button last year. I love locos.



Hopefully I will get motivated and work on this project now that summer is over. Here is a shot of what the mainline action would look like.



The two locos have lights that appear to be shining, but they are just little crystal shaped stickers that the previous owner installed, and they sort of look like the SP mars lights.

 

I really like the overal mainline. Be careful with the tunnel in the upper left corner. Make sure you have plenty of room to get derailments and to clean the track. I have some track on my layou that sucks because I can't get to it very well. Thank goodness for the Atlas track cleaning car.

Looks like you are having a lot of fun as your layout evolves. Enjoy iy.

Eric

 

FD - looks great so far! That single track mainline winding through those foothills looks very SP and Southern California! Some dry grass, a few oak trees and you're going to be on your way!!

 

Thanks!

I'm thinking of scratch building or kit bashing a three span steel bridge over that front section. Something like the Stennar creek bridge north of SLO on the cuesta pass.

This is more of a large module than a permanent layout. I'm in college and live in a small room, and I just wanted something that I could add to later. I've been through the stage of tearing down layouts that were not transportable or able to be integrated into larger schematics, and it's a real waste.

 

If I wasn't such a Donner Pass fan, I'd due Cuesta for sure! I lived just behind the SLO depot my last 2 years in college, and used to watch the headlights of trains as they came down the past Chorro and around horseshoe curve.

Maybe I'll do that too....

 

That layout is awesome. To someone like me who has very little space for a layout, your "thrown together" layout seems like an empire.

Very very nice, and you got 18 " min curves? wow!

 

Yep, 18" min with large easements. The hillside section is about five feet wide, and ended up larger than the dimensions on my drawing.

I've done a couple smaller N layouts with sectional track and the ~10" radii curves just never looked good with Amtrak Superliners running around them, so I decided that I wouldn't build something that small again. That was a long time ago when I was about 14 . . 12 years ago.

Putting the layout over the couch and bed, just below eye level, makes it possible to get a lot of space for a layout. Layouts look good when they are less than a foot below eye level anyhow.

 

Are you going to be superelevating those curves??
It may just be the photo,but the track appears to have a lean to the outside rather than the inside

 

You will need to elevate the outside track on that curve, especially if you are running steam.

 

I would also suggest one wye at each of the dog bone necks in case you wish to reverse direction.

 

Thanks for sharing.
Is it just the sketch or did you use a lot of curved tunouts. If so how are they working out?

 

Nine layers of foam, by my count--I'll bet an elephant could stand on it.

Mixing blue and pink foam--wow, you must have a good supplier in your area.

Seriously, this is looking good!

 

Yes that curve in the picture looks horrible because the entire hillside was leaning slightly and the curve has not yet had its profile angle (angle of superelevation) finalized. I'd like to use the AMI instant roadbed but I don't know if I like the semi-compressible nature of it in regards to setting a precise bank angle on the track.

I have not done the yard yet but I was planning on making use of peco curved c55 turnouts wherever possible. They free up a trememdous amount of yard space and allow longer yard tracks by a decent percentage.

As far as turnarounds, yes there is no way for a train to be turned on my sketch, and that is a problem. I might just expand the layout into a nolix based bilevel with reversing loops at each end of the main line. The downside of that would be lack of continuous running, but it would be a more realistic schematic and the main line would be long enough for about a 10 minute run at 40ish scale mph.

Thanks for all the input. The layers of foam aren't solid in the center of the hill but it is very rigid. Laying the track directly on the scenery was an experiment in what I call "autonomous foam structural scenery", where the foam scenery is rigid enough to just be placed on a simple frame. This allows it to be moved very easily because of the light weight and durability of it.

 

Here are a couple more shots of the hillside from the other end. That is an Atlas SD60M at the front of the train, for size comparison.