N scale 30"x48"

Suit yourself. I've had no complaints. The plan is in an email and all I need do, is forward it.

 

Be that as it may, it would be nice if you shared it with everyone.

 

No scanner. As I said earlier, the plan is in an email. I obtained it from a member right here, on TB.

 

Digital camera? Cell phone with a camera? A scanner isn't necessary.

 

email is the easiest way.

 

Copy->paste it into a Word file and save it as a .pdf and share the file. Or take screen shots and put them into MSpaint and make picture files.

While your intentions may be genuine, constantly asking for people's e-mail addys so you can send them a file is the online etiquette equivalent of telling kids you have candy in your van.

 

Paranoia strikes deep. Into your life it will creep. It starts when you are always afraid. Step out of line & the man will come and take you away.

Anyone who is interested in this layout plan will have to wait, as it is in my Thunderbird email client on my laptop and it is down for repairs. Apologies to all.

 

The counterargument could be made that you're simply unwilling to go to a little bit of extra trouble to share your track plan online. Think how much more useful it would be to have it posted here where everyone can see it, versus reserving it for only those who are willing to yield their email address to you. And it's not as difficult as you seem to make it out to be. If you have an attachment sitting in your email client, it can be uploaded to TrainBoard just as easily as it is forwarded (once your laptop is back up and running again). Or it can be reproduced and uploaded in any one of a myriad of other ways.

 

I have emailed this plan numerous times over the years and, (check with admins) have never had a complaint. Your alternative to my emailing this plan, is to find the December 1970 copy of Model Railroader. Have fun!
Mark

 

Oh, for heaven sake. The East Glasstop? You uploaded it already, April 2011.

http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/attachment.php?attachmentid=22881&d=1295142595

 

Thanks, I had forgotten about that one. The one I'm speaking of, is MUCH bigger and in color. It is embedded into the email and NOT an attachment.

 

I remember that one from back in the day. Too much of a bowl of spaghetti for my taste, although it does have reversing loops.

Meh.

 

"Embedded" images are still accessible entities. Open the email. Right-click on the image. Select Save As. Upload saved file.

I agree on the spaghetti issue. But some modelers like their layouts with extra marinara and lots of cheese. The East Glasstop is really a folded dogbone with crossovers to form reversing loops so you can do out-and-back ops, FWIW. I think if you removed two thirds of the sidings, it's a more satisfying plan.

 

I agree it's a "spaghetti bowl," but there are numerous variations to be made from it.

 

Indeed...

 

So after getting the bad news I went back to the drawing board. I tinkered around with many 2x4 and even 2x3 plans. Of all my ideas, this one seams my best. You guys have been an amazing help spot problems in plans, so I'd love to hear what you think of this one. If this doesn't garner any attention here, I may spin it off into it's own new 2x4 Topic.



It is only one level, but does have a bridge as I plan to have a river and hills. I tried to avoid common problems I saw in many 2x4 plans, including:

• Avoid track right next to the edges.
• Don't make it a Spaghetti Bowl.
• Avoid to many long straight stretches directly parallel to the edges. The "Kidney Bean" shape is a result of this, while I am not 100% keen on the symmetric nature of it, I feel it does give the layout more visual interest.
• Simple, yet with enough switching to provide me at least a minor bit of interest to play around, including an interchange.

 

I think you have a nice one there. The only thing I'd do is move the switch currently located almost top dead center to the right one section, changing it from a right to a left. (It's kind of funky having the mainline follow the diverging route at a siding switch.) Also note that those #4s come with curve sections that you can use to replace the short curve parts you've got on the upper siding and the switchback--you won't need to buy any of these. And finally, I tried to take best advantage of the fact that most track parts come in four-packs.

 

I like it, but I made a few tweeks. I've got plenty of Kato Unitrack, there is really no need to worry about buying anything for a layout this small and if I did a pack or two of track is no big problem. My limiting factor is turnouts (I've got 8: 5 left, 3 right), as those add up quickly, but that has not been a problem while designing a layout this small.

I like the way you changed the turnouts on the sidings. Instead of using the 20160 curves I still used the tighter radius 20101. That is really scenery driven. The short siding of the switchback will be a team track, so it is just a ramp for truck unloading on the backside of it, so it can be closer to the mainline. There will be a river (the namesake "Cold Creek") coming under the bridge and following along that curve a bit, with the other siding along it's opposite bank. That river may just curve around to an end there, unless I can find a good curved bridge that will fit well under Kato Unitrack.

 

Trouble is, there's hardly any room for scenery... [big wink]