Since there's a planning zeitgeist ...

[Alcuin]

Perhaps a few of you wouldn't mind taking the time to have a look at this plan that I've been monkeying with:


I'll just say a few words about my thinking. Basically I'm primarily interested in watching trains go, so I wanted a mainline of decent length (within the space I have to work with) with not-too-sharp curves so my sd80macs won't look silly. Right now the minimum radius is 15". I also wanted a bit of switching potential with at least one facing point spur. There's quite a bit of staging track in there, but I figured that in order to minimize the oval effect I'd have to hide a good bit of the track along the back anyway, so I might as well make it useful. Finally, I guess it's pretty plane jane looking, but I prefer a fairly low track:scenery ratio.

I'm still a long way from beginning contruction, so nothing whatsoever is set in stone. Comments, suggestions (especially about scenery possibilities) and criticisms are most welcome, even if it's to say, "It's ridiculous, scrap it and start over."

[Kisatchie]

I've never built a layout that has a 3 foot reach to the rearmost tracks (like you have on the top and right of the layout. I would avoid that if possible, especially with multiple tracks full of staged trains. If one of them has a derailment, you have BIG problems --- possibly causing more derailments in the trains on either side. And just try to get your fingers between cars that far away to rerail the cars. I wouldn't go deeper than 30" along a wall.

[DKS]

Perhaps a few of you wouldn't mind taking the time to have a look at this plan that I've been monkeying with:


I'll just say a few words about my thinking. Basically I'm primarily interested in watching trains go, so I wanted a mainline of decent length (within the space I have to work with) with not-too-sharp curves so my sd80macs won't look silly. Right now the minimum radius is 15". I also wanted a bit of switching potential with at least one facing point spur. There's quite a bit of staging track in there, but I figured that in order to minimize the oval effect I'd have to hide a good bit of the track along the back anyway, so I might as well make it useful. Finally, I guess it's pretty plane jane looking, but I prefer a fairly low track:scenery ratio.

I'm still a long way from beginning contruction, so nothing whatsoever is set in stone. Comments, suggestions (especially about scenery possibilities) and criticisms are most welcome, even if it's to say, "It's ridiculous, scrap it and start over."

Hmmm, that's almost the overall size and shape of my WR&N... is that six foot depth a fixed dimension? Can it be stretched out at all, even a few inches? The longer that side is, the narrower the layout can get in the middle, where the reach is over 30 inches.

[Alcuin]

Hmmm, that's almost the overall size and shape of my WR&N... is that six foot depth a fixed dimension? Can it be stretched out at all, even a few inches? The longer that side is, the narrower the layout can get in the middle, where the reach is over 30 inches.

How's this? I took off about 9" in the middle to shorten that reach a bit. I'll have to rearrange the industrial spurs accordingly.

[Alcuin]

Of course, what I can also do is keep the original plan and not have it up against the wall. Instead of using that extra foot to lengthen the right hand side, I can just pull it away from the wall and leave enough space to squeeze back there in case of emergency.

[DKS]

Spooky...

http://whiteriverandnorthern.net/images/wrn4_large.gif

Of course, my minimum radius was a much-tighter 12", so it's not something you can use. Still, to add some interest, I might suggest shortening the staging tracks to just the long side (the tracks will still be 4 to 4-1/2 feet long, and they can all be the same length by setting up the turnouts the way I did). Then bring the track from the back roght corner out and to the left side of the bottom "lobe", swing it back around and cross it... aw, heck, easier to draw it...

[DKS]

To reduce the big obvious loop in the lower right, I'd bury half of it under a (removable) town. The crossing might be an interesting feature amidst an industrial area, and the track headed toward the back right corner could just disappear into a cluster of factories. The other loop, top left, can disappear behind a rolling hill. I'd leave the staging yard either open and dropped behind foreground scenery, or covered with a lift-off panel, as opposed to placing it behind a backdrop. Curves, by the way, are roughly min. 15 inches, I think.

[David Leonard]

I've got the same geist inspiring me. The same basic concept and philosophy applies to the layout I'm building. The biggest difference is that I'm planning a double track dogbone. The staging yards (which will be disguised as crew change tracks) will lie around the back corner, much as you and others have designed. In order to have access to all parts of the layout I had to build in a cutout (yellow outline in the photo) so I can reach the back corner and the storage shelves on the walls. The whole layout can be moved away from the wall for constuction purposes (or an emergency!) but when the back edge track, scenery and backdrop are completed, I have provision for attaching the layout to the joists in the walls. That should be stable enough. (Even then, the layout could be detached and moved away from the walls if need be.)

I'll have a total of six staging tracks (counting the "main line") but one siding in each direction will be blocked for two small trains. That way I can handle 8 trains with six tracks.

At least that's the plan. We'll see how I do with all that wiring.

[Alcuin]

To reduce the big obvious loop in the lower right, I'd bury half of it under a (removable) town. The crossing might be an interesting feature amidst an industrial area, and the track headed toward the back right corner could just disappear into a cluster of factories. The other loop, top left, can disappear behind a rolling hill. I'd leave the staging yard either open and dropped behind foreground scenery, or covered with a lift-off panel, as opposed to placing it behind a backdrop. Curves, by the way, are roughly min. 15 inches, I think.

OK, except for some modifications to the industrial spurs, this seems pretty close to what you came up with:

The crossing you suggested helps a lot with minimizing that long reach. It has two facing point spurs now instead of one, but that's OK. More fun doing run-around moves. I also like the placing of the interchange better than the earlier plan. Best thing about it is that (with the exception of the staging yard) I'd be able to use my current stock of Peco turnouts.