Greetings all, I'm getting ready to move (2 weeks) into a new apartment that will have room for a layout after 4 years of just collecting equipment (locomotives, rolling stock, etc...). I won't have much space, but I've negotiated space for a 36" x 84" door and since I model N scale that should be fine. I'm modeling the Indiana Rail Road (INRD) and now I'm searching for a track plan. I'm looking for something that will give me some operation, a coal mine or coal customer (power plant) if possible, and is flat. I'd prefer a small yard if possible too. Looking through some idea generators (track plan books) I've become somewhat partial to the Texas Subdivision by Andy Sperandeo, the Appalachian Central by Lionel Strang, and the Somers Junction RR by Bill Baron. I guess the only other requirement other than the flat and the 36"x84" space is that I'd like to be able to operate a brass SD90 my wife gave me several years ago, which makes the minimum mainline radius 12-12.5". I'm going to use Atlas code 55 track. Laying flex isn't an issue. Any suggestions? I'd like to avoid the overcrowded track look while still getting as much operation as possible.
Scroll to the end and take a look at some of the door size track plans. http://www.naisp.net/mfischer/m_train2.htm
Since you want to model the Indiana Railroad, are there some industries that would help to make it convey the "feeling" of the railroad? That might be a good place to start before you go to the trackplan phase. I think that shortlines are the best way to go and this will be a great layout.
I've looked at the Mad Trackplanner. Nice plans. I'm curious, do most people build loops though? I'm tempted to build something that is point to point with staging off-layout (either detachable or in casettes). I agree. Shortlines/Regionals are the way to go. If I was to pick the major industries it would be coal (60+% of the INRD traffice is coal related), manifest bridge traffic, and plastic pellets. I'd like to have a coal mine if possible. Are yards, even small ones, paractical on a door sized layout? The real INRD has a few small yards... like 2-3 tracks. Most of the coal traffic goes from the on-line mines to the on-line power plants, and the manifest traffic/plastics come on line, drop at the new yard (acquired from CP near Jasonville IN) and then are dispered to customers or continue on to CSX.
IIRC, Railfan & Railroad did an article on the INRD, which also included traffic and commodities hauled. One item that stuck out was coal trains, which were pulled by INRD's SD40-2s. If you can email Carstens Publications, they may help you out there. The INRD website is also good: I offer the following quote from said site: The Indiana Rail Road conducts business daily with a wide range of customers from small independently owned companies to several top Fortune 100 companies. One of INRD's primary businesses is transporting coal from southwestern Indiana as well as from The Powder River Basin. Our coal customers include: Indianapolis Power & Light generating station in Indianapolis, Indiana, Hoosier Energy generating station in Merom, Indiana, AmerenEnergy generating station in Newton, Illinois, and Duke Energy's Wabash River Generating Station in Terre Haute. Additional major revenue sources include chemicals and petroleum products from Marathon Petroleum's major refinery at Robinson, Illinois. The company's traffic mix has grown to include a significant amount of time-sensitive, high-value products, such as refrigerators from General Electric's manufacturing facility in Bloomington, Indiana. INRD also moves raw materials into the Hershey chocolate plant at Robinson, Illinois. Other commodities handled include lumber, plastics, food products, scrap metal and recyclables as well as grain and grain products. The Indiana Reload Center is an extension of Indiana Rail Road and provides transloading, storage bays and warehousing for lumber and a wide variety of other commodities. Looks like they use GP38s and SD40-2s primarily, but there's nothing keeping you from, say, painting that SD90 in blue, decaling it for CEFX, and using it as a leaser.
Yup... the company site is great.... so is http://inrd.gotdns.com/index.htm I'm kinda concerned about trying to keep the feel of the railroad and not cram everything that the INRD does into the space of a door. I've got 4 of 6 SD40-2's in hand right now, and I've ordered 5 SD60's as well as decals for them. The GP's will be next. Just from experience, in a small space like I have, should I be looking at putting a backdrop down the middle and setting two scenes that way or is the space more effective if used as one scene with staging or hidden tracks at the rear?
Saw the last site- you've been doing your homework.:thumbs_up: A divider running down the center may work- another possibility is putting the divider at an angle from one corner diaginally to another. If you have the possibility of walking around, you have two scenes to work with. Put a building complex on one side with, say, a power plant on one end, a coal mine on another.
Oh yeah... I've got all the INRD resources I need... including books, magazines, photos, etc... A divider down the middlw with a loads in/empties out industry of coal mine on one side and power plant on the other might work. I've seen nice plans in 2x7. With the extra foot, I could add my coveted yard.... I'll be storing the layout in the den and it needs to be transported to the living-room for set up on operating nights. Access to all sides is possible (i.e. there's enough room to walk all the way around the layout).
Here are a couple of my plan ideas (so far). You'll have to forgive how rough they are... I don't currently have any track planning software and my son has run off with my template (probably burried in a book somewhere in his room). Rough Plan 1 was modified from a 4x8 plan. I really like this one, but it's 4x8. I figured that the curves in the original were 14+" and if I shrunk those well... I can't think it would work. If someone wants to take the time to try to make it work, I'd love to see it redrawn by someone better at it than I. Rough Plan 2 is something I modified too. It actually is 7' x 3'. Again, it needs to be redrawn. I might be able to do that better once I get the door and can use photocopies of the turnouts and my rulers etc... to draw on the door. Any help here would be appreciated.
I'll be storing the layout in the den and it needs to be transported to the living-room for set up on operating nights. Access to all sides is possible (i.e. there's enough room to walk all the way around the layout).[/QUOTE] I hope you are going to be able to have some help moving that door! They really are the most *@$£& awkward things, and I personally NEVER RECOMMEND THEM! Try taking one off one room, and getting it into another room ON YOUR OWN! Now imagine it is covered in scenery/buildings/trackwork and you will understand the problem that you are going to let yourself in for! I'd go for linked modules, and something like Nick Palettes "Conrails Hallsville PA HO layout that was in MR away back - if you want a scan email me direct chacmool at lineone dot net Shortliner(Jack)away up here in the Highlands
Looks good. Nice railroad to be modeling! Like all the red. SD40-2s are always nice, too! :thumbs_up:
I really like "Plan 1". I think it would work but might get crowded. My strongest suggestion is a variation on this: This provides: Main line running Small yard Switching You can stretch or squeeze it as you need to. Tighten the curves and add a second loop Just some thoughts.
I've always liked plan 14 from 101 track plans. I built it in HO scale many years ago as a logging road. Thanks for the suggestion though. I like my 1st plan (Rough Plan 1) the best of both the two I've come up with so far. Here's a version with the mine loop removed and moved to a 3 track mine service. My fear is that I'm going to start getting to the point where this is "the" plan and I'll be disappointed when I start building and it won't fit. Maybe I could combine the two ideas? Use parts of plan 1 and make it more like plan 2. Have to try that and post it later today.
Ok... didn't take as long as I thought it would. Put a divider down the middle (in your immagination). Think this could be done in 3x7?
YES! Any yard is valuable as it lets you store some rolling stock or locos while running the trains. It also gives the layout a more "busy" look. Heck, I have a yard on my portable 2'x4' layout!
I'm no expert at RTS 7.0, but I did download it today and fudged in a version of the plan I posted earlier. It isn't quite as spacious in 3x7 as the earlier drawing, and the plan used 100% "snap track" versions of the code 55 track instead of the flextrack that I intend to use to get better spacing and angles etc... BUT.... it fits! Yeah! Can't wait to get started. Anybody with any other comments? I think Rough Plan 3 is going to be the winner. :teeth:
Hand drawing and computer programs can trick you about the actual dimensions. Your best friend when it comes to designing a track plan is real track. If you lay out switches and get out some cars as measuring tools you get an idea of exactly how much layout you are getting. I always measure spurs with actual cars. Mocking things up will keep you from making critical mistakes you may not be able to see in a drawing. Keep some structures handy and set them next to your plan as a scale in determining how big the layout is. I am currently running into structure placement problems on my layout. I may have to relay the entire industrial district because of it. I have found that structures are one of the hardest things to fit into a trackplan. I wish I had taken my own advice.
If youre going to use a divider, I'd do it at an angle so ti will give the viewer from either side the illusion of more space. I'd move the yard next to the divider and use a pre-printed background to add depth. As far as the industry sidings go, do they represent some of the actual industries on the railroad? Also, I know you're trying to copy the actual roster, but I'd stick to the smaller power for the smaller layout. Larger locos (and BELIEVE ME, I've got my share of SD90's, AC4400's and others) sometimes look out of place on a small layout. I'm going to use a hidden staging area and that might be something to think about since you might use a divider anyway. You could run a loaded coal drag into the hidden staging and then run an unloaded train the other way for the "return trip". Even on a small layout, staging can keep one operator buisy with mainline traffic while another switches industries and interchanges with other railroads. Just some thoughts. I'm not trying to confuse you, but I just didn't see much as far as operational possibilities in what you've got down (but I do like the trackplan for running). Take it for what it's worth.
