Duh! It just hit me when I looked at the rough sketch I did. That's the way it was supposed to be, I just overlooked it. Thank goodness for checks and balances and other views.:tb-biggrin:
The thing that I see as a possible addition is to add an over under on the mainline. A good place for this would be where your main tracks leave the yard have them come to the front of the layout and where the industrial area to the left has it's main coming along the front middle section, have it go to that back of the layout. Itdoesn't have to be a huge grade with the long run you have, but it might be more visually interesting to have trains crossing over each other on that middle section. I really liked the simplicity of version 7. But it had a need for an extra cross over on the sidings near the yard. Everything else was great. My advice is to start building the mainline and iron out some of the track work details as you deal with the reality of structure placement and train running on a real layout. I have always had trouble with layouts when I got too stuck on a plan and then things didn't look as big in real life as they did on paper and buildings wouldn't fit right or trains didn't have all the switches they needed to run the layout correctly.
Updated Plan Okay, I updated the plan by changing things in the engine service yard. I placed two tracks leading to the 2-stall engine house (I have one in inventory), moved and shortened the caboose track and added a RIP track. I had thought of adding a car shop but I don't think there will be enough room without overcrowding. Besides, I figure that if it is in that bad of shape it can be sent to a facility off-site.
Thanks Mark! BTW, I did download TrainPlayer and the initial run showed a problem area down in the lower left where the main goes off into the yard. A couple of other areas showed up also. I wasn't sure if it was really a problem or if it was running the program under emulation in Linux. I made a correction only at the lower left by lengthening the distance somewhat between two turnouts and ran it again. This time it sailed right through with no problems. Then I went to the next problem area and made some minor adjustments but still was a problem. Then I found out that there are some issues with Atlas turnouts occasionally when you export the AnyRail file. It's not a problem with AnyRail but rather one with TrainPlayer. Apparently they are aware of it and are working on a solution. From viewing the plan in AnyRail those areas I made some mods appear better aesthetically. So I am satisfied with everything up to this point. The real test will come when I reach the point of laying track and testing each section as I go. I am going to continue to work on planning all of the aspects of the benchwork and wiring issues. Like I mentioned it still will be a couple of months or so before I actually start any work. I want this project to be as perfect as possible given my skills (which are improving) before the "groundwork" begins.
Updated....again! I made a slight modification. The track I designated as the Interchange/Programming has been changed to just denote the interchange. I felt it was too much of a reach to be used as programming. I created what I will call an abandoned spur on the left, front, center section and use that as the programming track. Easier to reach.:tb-biggrin:
I'm not really a late-comer in this discussion since I've been silently foolowing along and watchin the progress, but I must say you've really done a remarkable job with the planning and re-planning of the layout. It appears you've been able to put everything n you need to give you interesting operations and a beleivable ficticious railroad. Maybe a small suggestion: on the programming/interchange abandoned track, why not make it appear overgrown and even turn off the benchwork with just ties/weeds, etc so it appears to have been a long unused branch line that once tied into the railroad. It would give your railroad a bit of history and also add some visible reminders of what used to be. Thanks for the lessons I've learned while watching you plan your layout. Soon as I figure out how to run XTRKCAD, I'll be posting up my layout plan and I hope to be able to be as successful as you have been with coming up with a final plan. Good luck with your layout!
Thanks everyone for the kind comments. It all wouldn't be possible without help from the wonderful people here. That's what I intend to do. There's an abandoned section of track nearby that I will photograph and try to replicate.
Another step closer... ...by getting everything moved out of the room. Cleaned the carpet and now just a couple of spots to touch up with paint where furniture scuffed up the walls. While it is in this stage I will spend some time deciding how I am going to do backdrops considering the window placements. I have some 1 x 4's lying around and may at least start some of the modules. Also, I have tweaked the plan some more. Primarily I moved the interchange over to the left front leg of the benchwork. Felt that if I extended any it would be out toward the center of the room rather than having to deal with the doorway on the right side. There were also some subtle tweaks in the rest of the track. The full start of this project still may be a month or so out, but with some of the activity in other threads on layout progress it is really making me want to get started but I do not want to rush this one.
Construction will soon begin I cut the lumber of the first two modules. The first modules I will do are 12" x 24" modules based on the overall benchwork. There will be four of these modules. Granted I could have made them 12 x 48 but I wanted to use some scraps I already had. Waste not, want not!:tb-biggrin: I filled some small imperfections with wood putty, let it dry and then sanded the pieces. I'll probably pre-drill holes this evening or first thing in the morning and then paint the pieces before assembly. I don't have any pieces long enough for legs yet and I haven't really decided how I am going to do the legs just yet. At least there is a beginning now...
