Following in the footsteps of the Gore & Daphedid, this is the Enny and Effreyting RR layout in progress. The layout is in NScale. The sides are 30" x 55" long. The center is 24" x 75". Thus the back run is 135". Suggestions and thoughts most welcome. Benchwork has been completed and the buss wires strewn throughout. Next to paint the backboard and then glue the 2" foamboard in place with track layout right around the bend. The yellow tracks to serve as A/D. The turquoise track to serve as yard lead where I can build up or break down a train. Where the track doesn't connect or overlaps is where I just could not get the flex track to SCARM to work for me.
That's a nice amount of space for the layout, and I think you've maximized the mainline run without doing any kind of grade change and crossovers. This looks like Atlas Code 80 track based upon the turnouts that are shown. Sometimes it's easier to critique with terrain and structures included but I'll give you my thoughts... - This is DCC right? - Is the backside along a wall or can it be accessed from all sides? That's a long reach unless you plan on using remote turnout control. - With a layout this size, you might want to consider a reverse loop to have the ability to turn trains around. It's a fairly simple install. This is only my opinion...I'd move the yard front and center since that's where a majority of the action will take place and you'll be spending quite a bit of your operating time. With this layout, you're spending most of your time on the left side which is very cramped. The backside could then be used as hidden staging with simple scenery visual blocks. Industry or running through scenery can then be saved for the two wings. This layout feels like it has essentially 2 or 3 yards. Again, I'm making these comments not knowing your scenery or grade plans. You might try looking at Mike Fifer's layout. He has a similar footprint and has the yard located centrally. You can google search "Mike Fifer Layout" and you'll see his track plan down the page a bit. When I've started a layout design, I start with pencil and paper and draw a bubble diagram to help locate where items will best work for the layout. I hope this is received only as constructive. I think you're on the right track, I just think you'd be more satisfied with the overall layout with a few of these suggestions. Take care. Dave
Might be a bit of a reach to those back corners? Looks like everything entering that yard at left will be a shoving move. Nothing could ever enter engine leading, without needing to back out.
I don't know. These perfectly rectangular, 90% turn, parallel-to-the-wall schemes leave me cold. And that big curve in the upper right makes no sense unless it's the beginning of a grade to gain distance while ascending at a slower rate. And, unless the part that can't be seen has it, there is no track connecting to the outer world. How will cars from other regions/cities appear inbound or outbound from your RR.? If you are in Kentucky, how do you receive grain hoppers from Iowa for the flour Co. or bring in special woods for a piano factory on your line..How will cheeses from your dairy farm get to New Jersey?.....Mark
MarkInLA: And your suggestions are? What do you create track wise in place of the 90 degree turns to go aroundy round? All the layouts I looked at have turns. If you could post an idea or two I'd be most thankful. Track connecting to the outer world? You mean a track that just runs off the layout giving the illusion of going somewhere? There will be mountains in two corners where a train can "layover" while it goes to Iowa, California, Pennsylvania not to mention New York. Boxcab: The reach to the left is manageable....just. The reach to the right is accessible from the back of the layout. The back wall jogs about 2 feet halfway across and there's a window there so the whole back right half of the layout can be reached by reaching over the backboard because of the 2' x 5' space on that side of the room. mightypurdue: I had the yard in the center but to me visually I'd be looking at this big flat yard. By squeezing the yard to the left that allows me a lot of scenery options in the middle of the layout. The "turquoise" line allows building up and breaking down of trains. A train enters from the west. Drops off the cars on the yellow line. Uses the other yellow line to go to the engine yard. The switcher pushes the train from the east into the turquoise line and then can pull and place each car in the classification yard. Train enters from the east. Detaches and goes to engine yard. Same move. Switcher moves from west to east to end of train. Pushes into turquoise line. Breaks down etc. May not look prototypical but at least I can build and break down trains while another train is servicing industries on the inner line and some other train goes from here to there on the outer line. So I figure I could have 3 engines operating at any one time if I want that. I could even have two trains on the outer main and use the passing sidings to have a passenger pass a freight. Dem wuz me thoughts in the design. And again, if anyone has a better idea for those curves, a picture be appreciated.
Strongly suggest you "operate" you MR in your mind to see how all the moves that can be made can actually work. Have to agree w/ the one comment about moving all the sidings & the stub end yard to the front. Or could all that be put in the empty space in the middle. . Even if the layout is N scale there are some very long reaches especially if there are any structures in the way. If not see if the lauout can be completely walk around.
Since you mention John Allen's Gorre & Daphetid, there are some lessons to be learned from his track plans (see below for one version of the G&D). One thing Allen did was to minimize tracks that run parallel to the edges of the benchwork. Note that he did not eliminate them entirely. The idea is to build the illusion that the track follows actual terrain rather than simply following the rectangular limits of the benchwork. It's something to think about. - Jeff
For those who suggest the yard in the front, this is the plan I had, but to moi that eliminates a lot of scenery in the middle and maybe I'm wrong but looks like a boring layout in the middle.
How much aisle space do you have between the right side of the layout and the wall (to get to the 2x5 foot alcove at the top right of the layout)? If you have a workable right aisle width, would it be possible to stand in that aisle to work a yard that extends from the lower right corner to about the middle of the top side (all turnouts easily reachable from the right aisle or 2x5 alcove)? Regardless of whether you set your yard on the left, middle, or right side, you may want to configure your arrival/departure track(s), so arriving locos can leave their cars on the A/D track and get into the engine facility (and locos for departing trains can move from the engine facility to the head of the departing cars) without interfering with a switcher sorting cars on any of the classification tracks. This sort of arrangement often means both the engine fa
Those round the wall tracks? If anyone has any different track layout than my around the perimeter please post. I did this trying to get as much length as possible for train runs.
I wish I had a track plan to post, but I never had one to begin with. Back in the late 60's I did have the opportunity to have operated on John Allens layout and like it was mentioned, he didn't have a lot of tracks running along the edge of the layout and when I was building my layout, I did remember this fact. If you use the link below for the caboose ride, you will see that for the most part the main line is not at the edge of the layout, except for one town where I really had no choice because I did want to have a bit more room to build a town and have more room for industries. This type of layout probably wouldn't work for you as it seems that you are into continuous running with what seems to be 2 main line runs. My layout was built for switching and is a point to point layout, but it does have the ability for continuous running by using hidden staging tracks, with three tracks in the hidden staging area. I use hese tracks to store inbound and outbound trains. In the video, as the trai leaves the yard, the Northern Pacific switcher is coming out of the hidden staging. There the video ends, the train is going into the hidden tracks. Unfortunately the camera was too large to fit through tunnel portals.
My layout suffers from around the aisle edging syndrome. Move your elbow at the wrong time and the Super Chief won't be arriving on time. That elbow is infamous for taking out smoke stacks, station roof's, the club car and it wasn't drunk. It would be great fun to have unlimited space to build a train layout. Just not at my house. Montanan, I enjoyed those videos and my fear of heights jumped right out there. Had me hanging onto a my pet cat and computer bud. She set me straight with one of her paws. Did I mention the claws were out. Yeeeoooww!
Welp, one side and one corner will be mountain so the track will be hidden and (I hope) will do away with that roundy round the edge look. In my small knowledge ops world trains will layover on the hidden track as they go on their journey and return. Long way to go before the track is laid so maybe I'll come up with something in the interim. I do know I want a lot of industries to drop off pick up cars on the inner main while I can also watch my Super Chief enjoy the ride.
Finished all the wiring by using suitcase connectors. Decided to load the connector now and then push the wire "up" to the track and solder the wire to the track. Tested each and every suitcase connector after the wires were linked. Not a problem anywhere. Same voltage every connector I tested. Found the key is make sure that connector is crimped all the way tight. No 2750 Atlas turnouts anywhere!!! Ditched the Atlas turnouts in the diagram except for the remotes in the back. Will use Peco turnouts which I favored anyways. Those back left and right reaches will be a problem so my solution is to lay the track with that section of foam board "off" the layout. I'll turn it around so I can build the track along the back and wall, lay the corkbed, glue etc. and scenic behind the track along the wall. Most of the left hand side will be a mountain and tunnel so scenicing should not be a problem. The wiring: Close up of connectors: Moving along. Backdrop painted.
