Well........ I'm restarting my track planning. After alot of reading on operations (which is what I want from my RR) and yard design, I've started with laying out a pretty simple yard. to go into a 8'x1' area. I'm thinking that I should reduce the size of it by half. I really don't need to have a 30" long yard lead and yard trackage as i really don't have a very large room to build the empire in. I'll have to go at doing a half sixzed one tomorrow and see how it looks. Right now I'm just wondering what everyone thinks and if you have any suggestions, let'em fly. yard design [ November 01, 2005, 07:00 AM: Message edited by: Israel ]
Why don't you make two modules 1x3.5', instead of the four you planned? Stay cool and run steam......
Looks good. You might include 1 or more of the other.: Small engine terminal Caboose Track RIP track You could put them in the area between the run - a - round and the yard. You might consider making a compound yard.
It can certainly be made smaller while retaining capacity in the body tracks. That huge length of track between the drill track and the beginning of the ladder serves no purpose I can see.
This is a timely post as I am currently working on an addtion to my layout of 1x8' which is all yard. I went here and followed the design concepts pretty closely. The 1x7 space you are looking at is plenty big enough in N to get a good size yard with a minimum of compression. You might think that your yard is big enough, and maybe it is now, but build with the future in mind. I agree with Triplex about the empty space in the middle, you might move the ladder on the rightside towards the left, leaving each yard track longer. Yard design will also vary depending on era and locale. Keep us posted as to your design. Looking at your layout plans, you have a great space planned. The yard on the right side of picture 4 in your railimages folder could easily be split into two yards with one hidden behind some flat buildings, serving as staging. After seeing the B&M layout of Mike Hamer in MR a couple of years back, I am sold on staging surrounding the layout, and yours is a plan that could take great advantage of this. Kirk
Thanks for the suggestion guys. Updated the picture - added descriptions of what each track is. Bob - It actually two four foot module, just realized that after looking at it again. I put supports in the middle, most likely don't need them but they're there. Steve - Caboose track is there. A RIP track and service do need to be worked in. Triplex - If I move the drill track closer to the ladder it make the A/D track so short that it's worthless. Kirk - LMAO that's the same page I used to figure out how to lay out the yard.
Too funny. Just took another look at your design, the only other thought I have is to put the main behind the yard, especially if you are doing a lot of switching with the yard. Even though it is only a foot, you will end up reaching over fewer trains this way. Kirk
Why not move the ladder towards the drill track then? Same end result (more capacity, less empty space) To add interest, perhaps only the top track goes to the end of the section, with the other three stopping slightly shorter, and have an industry there. I guess I don't understand what you will be doing with the empty space above the words A&D track. Everything else in the yard seems to scale out nicely.
Throwing a quick question. Could anyone tell me what the Atlas Standard cutom line Turnouts are. Are they #4's or #6's. I have a few sitting in the parts box and it's also the only thing they have a the LHS. So I need to know what they are so i can see if i have to relay this thing out. Thanks, Israel [ November 03, 2005, 12:36 PM: Message edited by: Israel ]
I believe, but dont take this as gospel, that they are #6s... I know all the ones I have are. I'm sure someone will give us both the correct answer!
I've got both Atlas #6's and Standard N Line's here, and they aren't the same thing. I believe the standard ones rate somewhere between a #4 and a #4.5. 15 degrees on the curve and the point replaces the Atlas 19" curve set-track piece and the 5" straight perfectly. By comparison, the Atlas #6 is more like 6.1" long on the straight, dunno what radius curve and supposed to be 10.9 degrees at the frog (my protractor says 12) for reference, a "standard turnout left" is number 2700, and the "#6 turnout left" is number 2704. Although neither example I picked up has that stamped on it.
