Practicing my track design abilities within the 50 piece limit of free AnyRail software. Small passing siding, a spur to an engine shed or industry, and a yard for switching. If I paid for the software and could go past 50 pieces, I would build another passing siding into the top of the layout to give an engine a runaround loop without having to go around the track.
You can get around the 50 part limit (to a degree) by planning the layout in sections. For instance, once you have your end curves established, you can delete them and then concentrate on the parts you'll use for the straightaways (it helps to "glue" a couple of track parts down so things don't wander around). Oh, and regarding your current plan, you've got the curves placed much too close to the ends of the layout. Shorten the straightaways, or lengthen the layout. For that matter, all of the track is a bit too close to the edges.
I see you formed a runaround using what looks like a double-track that's supposed to go through the scene (??), but you only left about a foot and a half of runaround space. To put this in perspective, I recently measured two Kato SD40-2s end to end to help with planning runaround length, and they came out to about 11ish inches. The majority of my modern rolling stock is between 4.5-5" in length, and my much older 40-foot boxcars, if you're modeling that time period, come out to about 3.5" (including couplers). So keep that in mind when you're planning something like this and have so many opposing turnouts. The plan overall is not horrible and not at all complex, but the lack of a suitable runaround paired with the opposing turnouts on the right side could make for some frustrating switching. Also, the spur in the top right corner, go ahead and remove those two turnouts that form a 2nd runaround. It's not very prototypical and is really a waste of space and money. Use that space to move the mainline runaround further back. It looks like the bottom right two tracks are supposed to be a small yard or something similar, in which case I would recommend ending that side of the layout with a bridge or something similar to conceal the end of the tracks and make the observer feel like those tracks, as well as the mainline, extend well past the modeled portion. You should also try to extend the line on the left side to help allow a full train to actually be pulled out of the yard and serve the lines on the right side of the track, which could be done with a removable cassette if space was very limited, or form an L to have a more semi-permanent or storable staging yard and give the train(s) somewhere to go when they finish their job. This wouldn't have to be a scenicked portion, just something simple. That's my input, but in the end, it's your plan! Alex
That's good to know! I figure the only way I'm going to learn how to design a good layout will be to practice, learn what's wrong with what I've drawn, and try again. Can you recommend a good website or book for some design basics?
Using the layered approach now. Hard to spend $59 on a license key when that represents my modeling budget for the month of February. The idea here is overlapping functions. The feature to the bottom right could be a yard/interchange. The branch going from the bottom toward the top left could function as an industry, with one siding outside a building and the other siding going inside. The branch coming down and to the bottom right could serve as another industry. How am I doing? Any improvement?
http://www.kalmbachstore.com/12148.html http://www.kalmbachstore.com/12012.html http://www.kalmbachstore.com/12443.html What is your goal? Are you attempting to design a layout to build, or just practicing making random track plans?
I'm working toward designing a functional layout. Zoning in on the HCD format in N. A stepping stone between my current HO on the floor and the 10' X 4' awesomeness that you designed. Trying to focus on improving how I draw up various components, what the generally accepted conventions are, etc. So, drawing a switching yard, a shelf style layout, a roundy-round, etc.
80" x 36" format still. The interchange can function as on-scene staging and as a yard. Run-around loop is built into the two track main. A team track for variety in freight cars, and the two-track industry. The left side of the layout just seems... empty. Edit: Looking at it again, I would place the switch connecting the interchange to the loop farther to the left in order to make the interchange tracks longer. Starting to get a little spaghetti bowl
Let's see what we can do with that last one... First, let's break the racetrack syndrome a little bit, make it a kidney and tilt the whole loop for more interesting appearance. Rearrange the sidings for the industry so they make a little more sense. Drop two crossovers, as four aren't really needed. Make what was the interchange into a small yard, and make the nameless sidings next to them the interchange. Have them cross for added interest and maximize their length, connect them both to the mainline so they can both be fully used rather than waste track on an awkward switchback, and pull them both away from the mainline so as to avoid trains colliding where they nearly touch.
thx, Don't be too discouraged by David's plans! He has quite a bit of practice at this Your last plan was a major improvement to some of your others and you are starting to really understand the fundamentals of what can and can't happen on a model railroad, and you will only learn more. If you aim to improve their functionality, take a look at a lot of the model railroading books and forums offered out there, including this one! Seeing what successful model railroaders have done in their layouts is a great way to improve your own plans. If you want to make your plans more accurately resemble something that could be found in real life, try just paying attention to the local tracks and industries, spend some time on google maps, etc etc. It's a great way to see how the prototypes do it, and can improve your planning as well. Anyways, keep the track plans coming, they're always fun to look at! Alex
Based on Lynn H Wescott's plan $14 from, "101 Track Plans": Using a variation on this concept you could fill in the center of your layout. Crude Example:
Locomotives would operate in a clockwise fashion. Back down into the yard to assemble a local freight, pull onto the main, up and around the curve, then back down into industry 2. Drop off a cut of cars, pick up more, and proceed to the team track. Head back out onto the main, come around the bend, haul onto the passing siding and back down to industry 1 to drop off and pick up. Pull clear, then drop into the yard to split and sort before doing it all over again. From time to the the local commuter pulls though, stops at the station, loops around, then heads out again. Not sure if I would need to reverse the right-side switches connecting the main to the yard. Might make more sense and be easier to allow the commuter to change over to the interchange and leave the scene.
Problem with sectional track is it doesn't let you do "nonstandard" things. In this case, putting a LH turnout in the main just before the "Passing siding" then sends the straight leg to the "Interchange" where it would meet a RH turnout that joins it to the yard throat. This not only eliminates an S-curve through the existing crossover, it lets you move the entire yard and throat at least one straight section to the left, giving you a bigger yard. Curve existing "Interchange" to follow along the outside of the main, which now makes that longer and usable as a yard lead so you don't have to use the main to switch the yard. Now flip the mainline crossover on the Right side of the plan from a RH-RH to LH-LH to complement the other crossover (making yet another passing siding/runaround track for a short section of triple-track main), and move it to just past the first switch in the yard throat (2nd track down under "Station") so it frees up the whole first track for switching/storage. Also you can curve the ends of the yard tracks to parallel the main and give yourself even more yard trackage. Planning an Engine facility? Anywhere? Have a switchback come down off the new curving "Interchange" to reach a small facility in that space between the yard throat and the L front edge of the layout. And how about a small commuter station inside the oxbow at the top of the plan? Or, f it's a short commuter, you could think about having a switch off the main that cuts into the open oxbow, with a small station on a spur that the commuter terminates at, sits overnight, and leaves in the morning. Then you won't have to worry about sticking the commuter somewhere in the yard between rush hours (or worse yet, left sitting out on the main). But be warned: this is going to be a really crowded layout (even if you don;t modify it) once you start putting structures, roads and scenery in so don't be dreaming you'll see wide-open rural scenes on it.
@[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Georgia, Verdana]thx712517[/FONT] - I'm a little confused as to your ntenions. Are you just 'practicing' for the fun of it or seriously working toward for a plan to build? If you are looking for a plan are you open to using a mix of sectional and flex track? I use Paint to do my plans with the idea of using Unitrak and flex track.
I'm practicing with the idea of improving my understanding of designing and operating a layout. I have a few layout plans that David has drawn that are very impressive as far as meeting my wants, but it's fun to learn how to use the software and to learn what goes into a good design versus an okay one. As far as track experience, I've worked with LGB G-scale and Bachmann EZ Track in HO, both DC. Kato Unitrak looks appealing based on the lack of having to build track beds and ballast and worrying about gauging. However, I don't have any N scale anything aside from a little Amtrak P42, and I got that discounted enough that if it needs to stay a shelf queen it can. I'm open to learning about flex and DCC. My hurdle at this point is cost. I feel like I would get more use out of an N-scale HCD layout based on variety of operations, but a shelf layout would be cheaper and could provide more switching interest. Whether or not that's a false economy, I don't know yet. I have a "land grant" for a 10' x 4' table, but not the "financial grant" that would allow me to get a good solid start on it. Since I'm interested in modern era, wider curves seem the smarter thing to do as it gives me the most options in motive power. I'm zoning in on the Northeast somewhere, near a small town.
50 pieces. No overlapping layers, just a straight up 50 piece layout. Two industries, a team track, and a yard. Still feels boring. David, your kidney bean looks cool but I would want to drop the crossover and the associated interchange and tie the yard directly to the main. I bet I could build the inner loop portion of that kidney bean layout first, using whatever length straight it would need to be to equal those switches tying into the outer loop. That would get me started, and as money, birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays rolled in I could build the outer loop, add scenery, and pile on the motive power and rolling stock.
