Sometimes less is more! Its an old cliché. But in this case it was the truth. After I had installed my second level roundhouse, on my point to point G scale layout, I had second thoughts on how the turntable stuck out into the isle. I also had no real room to store 4 passenger cars so that other trains could come into the end of the line and turn the locomotive and then grab the train and return to the other end of the line. A simple siding down by the station would solve the passenger car storage problem. But then I was left with the turntable and how it stuck out into the walk way. When I designed the turntable and round house. I designed in a way that cut almost half of the turntables base off. I left just enough of the base of the turntable to support it, but the bridge would turn out into the isle or walk way. When the turntable was lined straight, it did not hang out in the walk way. This saved some space but I still had lost almost ½ the walk way in this area. See the images below. Then after much planning and replaning, I ripped up the track around the roundhouse and station. I cut the turntable out and then cut the layout so the turntable would slid all the way back to the wall. Then I moved the main switch all the way back past the passenger station, and added one short passing siding near the turntable. Then the roundhouse went from 3 stalls to 4 stalls. In the end results, I used 2 less switches and gained a longer passing siding for longer trains. I also found that the new track plan was much easier to use / run trains on. Then I found that just by chance the passenger train would fit between the turntable and the end of the short passing siding. Then to add one more plus to all of this, I got back my walk way. Then I discovered how nice it was to run trains and not have to deal with the bottle neck that the old track plan caused in the walk way. It was easer to run the trains in this area and was better for visitors to see the layout and walk pass each other. In short the new track plan used less track and less switches and dose so much more. A lot of planning and a lot of work went into this redo, but it showed both in operation and in function, that in this case less was really so much more!
Hello Sean, the new plan looks indeed much better! It shows that not being afraid to do changes can bring big and sometimes unexpected benefits! By they way: Are the tow layout levels connected? If yes, how do you get trains from one level to the other? Thanks Dirk
The 2 levels are connected. The layout is in 2 rooms or the basement is divvied into 2 rooms. In the second 92) room there is a long and steep grade along the back wall with half of a helix. The grade requires 2 locos to pull trains up it so crews musty work together to get up over the hill. The graded is a bit un realistic, but space was limited. I will see if I can find some photos to post to show the grade. Picture No. 1 Shows the helix and the starting point of the grade. The track on the lower left is coming from The first room ( Dunkirk NY. ) it is the lowest track in the picture. The tracks on the lower right are just after the town of ( Fredonia ) and show the start of the grade. The “ Bird House “ marks the spot where the Laona station will be. Not these photos are old and do not show the progress that has been made. The bridge in the center has been replaced 2 times by now. The Flat shelf above the bridge is called ( Norton’s ) this is where the helper shed is now. The bridge on the right is the halfway point. Picture no. 2 Shoes the grade against the lower level. Not the backdrop that this image shows. Picture No. 3 shows the end of the bridge shown in picture 2, it also shows the crest of the grade at Cassadaga NY. The passenger train in the bottom of this image is in the town of Fredonia. Picture No. 4 shows the 2 levels in this room and are directly the opposite direction from picture No. 1 .
Hello Sean, thanks for sharing! That is a substantial grade, so getting trains up or down must be a real fun excercise!! Cheers Dirk
