I am at a point with my little 42x76 table top loop layout that I'm going to have to back up and regroup...at that size, my all foam base is not panning out to be ridged enough for times when I have to move the layout...but that is not the issue at hand. What has me puzzled is a trade off between industry sidings and my single staging/fiddle track. My original plan called for 5 industry sidings, a dead-end fiddle track of about 44" in length, and backing trains from the fiddle track for clock-wise running. What I am pondering would cut my usable fiddle track down to about 40", and require losing one siding (I'd have to double up an industry, probably a feed mill, and my small freight station onto a single siding). What I would gain is being able to run trains in both directions off my fiddle track without having to back whole trains into the loop. Is two directional access from the fiddle track worth losing a siding and having to double up another? If I do go the doubled up siding route, which would be the better order...mill first, then freight station...or freight first, and then mill?
Why don't you post up some pics of your layout so we can see what you're talking about? My first instinct is to make the fiddle track double access for east/west running. That way the train dissapears since it's going somehwere and comes back from where it's been. As far as doubling up a siding as you mentioned, I'd put the mill at he end of the siding--it's the larger industry and will have more cars switched out. It also makes switching more interesting to have to move a car to get to the mill and re-position it.
Bottom line: It's all about doing what you want to do...period. I did what I wanted to do and I have a little bit of everything. Finally! You can to. Help me out. What do you mean by fiddle track? A track for a violinist to play or maybe a string quartet? I've heard of a "Team Track" but "Fiddle track" is new. I know, me thinks I figured it out, it is where the grew fiddles around instead of getting the job done...right? No! I give up so what is it? No, I'm not poking fun at you personally. Just trying to figure out what you meant by it. Besides, if I was there in person trying to answer your question you'd get to enjoy my antics or throw me out the door...grin! Model Railroaders have come up with their own verbage, names, descriptive words and lingo. I tend to lean toward using the lingo of the railroads during the early years through the 60's. Little changed during those years. For example: "Switches" (railroad lingo) are called "Turnouts" by most model rails. So, a "Fiddle Track" may be a "Team Track" or a "Run Around track". I'm not sure what the application is as the verbal description is vague as to it's use and purpose. I think the biggest mistake we make is to limit our selfs and layouts to something minimal. If you are just starting out then by all means build the beginners loop and a few industry spurs. Throw in a station or perhaps a freight station and run mixed freights. Mixed freight: A locomotive, assorted freight cars and a passenger car or two. In time (after the kids have grown up, gone to college, married, and your mortgage is paid ...not to mention a secure retirement) you will eventually find the where with all to improve or increase the size of your "YOUR" layout. Keep that in mind when you put in your first loop. To make that first loop interesting but a scenic divider down the middle. You'd be surprised at the difference it makes. Reflection on the past: I was lucky I guess as I had a family of railroad employees. I learned about switching, how a switch yard should be set up, industrial switching including paper work (the part I didn't care much about) and pure OD railroad lingo. Details, details, details. It almost turned me off souring me on model railroading. The same can happen here. Each of us brings to the TB Table our favorite things. We can share them with you and un-intentionally turn you off to model railroading. The key is to start simple and grow with your model railroad. Pick up books on the subjects of classification yards, switching yards, industrial leads and the like. "Armstrong", is as relevant today as he was yesterday...as little has really changed in the world of one foot to the scale, railroading. Pick-up one of his books and give it a read. He was a big help to me when my rail families advice seemed alien. Post some pic's or drawings of your layout. So...we can be more specific. Rule #1 Have fun and enjoy your layout.
I wish I could say my fiddle track disappeared from the scene...LOL. Actually, it's just the opposite...it's along the front edge. I only have easy access to the front and right side of this little table top endeavor...that combined with having to operate from a wheeled chair, made hiding the fiddle track impractical. Now if I had another couple feet and another couple hundred in the budget.................................. The more I think about it, the more I'm agreeing with the mill being at the end of the siding...for the reason you state, and because of the freight station's loading dock configuration. No pictures as such...never taken an in focus pic in my life, and I've already began undoing what construction I had done, in preparation for round #2.
Fiddle track: A track for the assembling and breaking down of trains via the 5 fingers in the sky method. Since I have no room for a real yard, and still include things I do want, the fiddle track is my compromise. Actually, I'm tempted to name this thing "Compromise Junction". There are a lot of reasons behind going for the little N scale table top layout...space and money being the biggest and not likely to change limitations. Also, this is the first "real" layout...I did a couple Christmas layouts probably 20+ years ago...and several aborted at various stages false starts on large layouts over the past 25+ years. I'd actually given up on the idea of having a layout at all for many years, and this is kind of a one last try thing.
If you like it the way it is, you want to transport it, and you have the space in your viecle then put a frame around the layout or put another 2"s of blue foam under it.
Portability for me is not an issue of vehicle transport, it's an occasional "need the dining room table for what it was intended for" issue...LOL. More and more I'm liking the two-way fiddle track exit, and since I never made it to the point of gluing down track, backing up and reworking that section is not going to be a big deal. At the moment, my plan for solidifying things is to put a shortened 32" door under most of it (always had a thing for torsion boxes)...with the remaining 10" wide strip across the front framed in 1-bys. The "pocket" under the framed section nicely falls right under where probably 2/3s to 3/4s of my wiring connections will be.
