Hello everyone. I have been slowly planning and building my first layout since September of this last year. I have the L-girder fram built, but that is about it. Below is a modified image of what I am planning to do. I am fairly limited in space. When I chose the original plan (FROM THE "Basic Model Railroading: Getting Started in the hobby" book by Kalmbach.) I had planned to do a lot of operations by myself. I had wanted something that could provide continuous running and a fair amount of switching. I felt this plan offered a good compromise for me. I envision having a combination of the Evergreen and Sooner, a short line moving a variety of goods from the industries in the center of the layout and an interchange with a Class 1, probably UP. I know there are several draw backs to the plan such as the following: <UL TYPE=SQUARE><LI>Steep grades (I haven't figured them out, but I am sure they're in excess of 2.5%)<LI>Clutter - with everything located in the 32 sqft, things will appear tight<LI>Difficult to reach all areas<LI>No real staging area [/list] Some of the things I already plan to change from the way it is drawn:<UL TYPE=SQUARE><LI>Remove one wye - probably the one created with the 90 degree crossover<LI>Modify the area around the yard and the main line (in red).<LI>Add further detail, spurs, and industries to the additional Class 1 main line. <LI>a 2 or 3 track staging area at the 0" elevation level as a spur to the existing tunnelled section. <LI>I am not set on the industries originally put on the layout. I would prefer something similar to what goes on here in Cedar Rapis, IA (lots of grain processing and corn syrup processing) but I know that takes a lot of yard space [/list] We just bought/moved into the house on Memorial Day Weekend, so I do not forsee being able to get started until the end of the summer. But I will use the time to finalize a beginning track plan and slowly accumulate the needed track. Any thoughts about my plan would be greatly appreciated. Am I totally off base with this plan? Is it too complicated for a first time layout? Is the center of the layout too "busy"? Thanks! Bry [ 19 June 2001: Message edited by: BryGy ]
Before I critique this one, let me make some suggestions which entail you abandoning this one. But let me say, to be perfectly frank with you, your track plan in this area is better than something I could have come up with, so kudos to you. Having said that, why abandon it? First, you need to know I abandoned many plans before I settled on my "final" (which has been modified slightly yet again) plan. So abandoning a plan isn't necessarly a bad thing or a reflection of your planning; sometimes priorities change and thus the plan becomes obsolete. And before I go on, I looked at your site and the pictures of your family, including the trip to San Diago. And I am guessing you might be raising a future model railroader (good pictures at the zoo by the way, not an easy place to photograph). If my hunch is correct, the first priority of your railroad is continous running, if not for you, then for your future railroader. Kids love continuous running. Secondly, why not take advantage of all the space you have available? I am going to be optomistic and assume a 4 by 12 space. About 4 years ago, MR ran a feature on a layout called the Chippiwwa (sp?) Central...or something like that. The reason I vaguely remember is that was one of the layouts I was going to build and it was 4 by 12. What I am proposing is benchwork that resembles "water wings." This can be found in the shapes suggested on page 54 of the 1994 printing of John Armstrong's book of Track Planning for Realistic Operations (Revised Edition). Each water wing would be approximately 4 by 4 with a waste of around 2 feet wide by around 4 feet long, maybe a little wider. Into one of these water wings a helix can be made to go down a level, underneath your table top layout. This area would be your staging. You could also use the helix as storage area. With 3 1/2 inch seperation, and 22 inch radius turn, your grade would be 2.4% Since you are running on a smaller layout, the length of your trains will be short enough that they will work fine on this grade. I am not recommending the track plan of the Chippiwa Central because it had a yard on a grade - a major "no no!" But if you can find it, the plan might give you some ideas of how to modify it to suit your needs. And with all that snow at your new house I saw, you qualify to be an "honourary Canadian"...lol. PS. I have the lumber still from one layout I eventually abandoned, but I didn't want to stay committed to layout just because I had partially build the benchwork. My benchwork is almost complete, except for my nolix area (no helix)and even that is cut out and ready to go. But I never did use the lumber from the other layout, as I went away from the normal lumber used to MDF, so the partially built layout still sits underneath the new one....lol. [ 19 June 2001: Message edited by: rsn48 ] [ 19 June 2001: Message edited by: rsn48 ]
I also am in the planning stages of a medium size pike, and I am on the fourth major over haul. The two topics that come up frequently in my research is making curves as wide as possible, and don't overdue grade. On my small HO layout I have a short 4% grade, and it causes many problems. Up and down. As was previously mentioned, keep in mind the little ones. Our 3 year old loves watching the trains go round & round. So on my N scale layout I am really emphasizing the continuous running. As for ambition, It looks like a great layout and I am sure you will have fun with it.
Hi barrydmd. I see from your member number you have been lurking for a while thanks for posting I look forward to hearing more about your N scale plans Bryguy - havn't seen you for a while - welcome back. OK - I assume this is HO scale? The thing I would be the most worried about is reach - you can't reach accross 4 feet (of course we can try the Jedi levitation but I find it unreliable myself) I do like the idea of pocking the main line through the living room though. I'm thinking some sort of two lap helix in the courner (there would be access room from the middle of it) to get a couple under layout staging tracks - or you can take that basic plan and blow it up big enought that you can make a donught and operate it from the middle (this means duckunder however) just a couple ideas off the top of my head.
Guys - Thanks for the great suggestions. I think I had resolved myself to sticking with my original layout concept and augmenting it by utilizing the extra space. I figured I was so close to haveing something running with the existing layout and frame, I didn't want to abandon it if I didn't have to. I should really consider designing something that can use the whole area more effectively. There are a couple of key concepts that I want to carry-over to layout version 2.0 such as: <UL TYPE=SQUARE><LI>Continous running<LI>Diorama through the living room<LI>Tunnels (I think kids love watching them disappear in one place and reappear somewhere else)<LI>Short Line RR theme with an interchange to a class 1[/list] Rick - you are absolutely correct in my budding little railfan. His name is Tyler (almost 3 yrs. old) and he has become a more voracious railfan than myself. We are close enough to a rail line that we can hear the horns blowing. He often hears them before I do and always asks to go see it. And then he always tells me that the train is going to the trainyard. My next train purchase will be a Hornby electric Thomas the Tank Engine for his birthday. I would love to have something running by then. Since you mentioned our photopoint.com album site, I remembered that I have a the blueprints of the basement and it shows the nook where I will build my layout. Its the area right at the top. If you rotate the my earlier diagram of the layout 90degrees clockwise that is where I was going to fit it. Rob - Its been awhile since I have really looked through the different forums and such. You know how life can get sometimes. I sneak time away from work to look through Trainboard.com and lately I haven't had as much time. I'm hoping that will change soon. Well anyways, thanks for the comments guys. I will probably do some rethinking about this and try some new possibilities. [ 20 June 2001: Message edited by: BryGy ]
Ohhh - I see the problem - where is says "Family Room" - that should read "Train Room" But seriously, what is in the area to the right of the train nook? Could you get your staging there? Or maybe that's a good place for a branch line or the interchange with Class 1?
The area to the right of the train nook will be an office. I will have the ability to expand a little into that area, but I am planning to be fairly contained in and around the nook. Bry
