Feeling the pull of the dark side

[ednadolski]

I like the flow of the original plan better.  the new one looks too rigid.  I don't think you'll need to worry that much about the S curves you had. 

It is certainly possible to achieve flow without introducing S-curves.  For S-curves, just include a straight section between the reverse curves of the 'S', and make it at least the length of your longest car/loco, and you should be OK.

For flow, you can do things like large radius cosmetic curves, and avoid placing straight track parallel to the bench edges.

Ed

[ednadolski]

if you extend the leg there past Jax Jct., and put a couple more yard tracks in the closet, you create the "other end" of the railroad.

That's a great point!   

Ed

[MichaelT]

There it is!  Big as life.  You would have found it after you started blowing up rail joiners and power packs.

Anyway, if you extend the leg there past Jax Jct., and put a couple more yard tracks in the closet, you create the "other end" of the railroad.

Lee

Yep, saw it after you mentioned it in the last post, I went back and traced it...lol

Adding another yard area sounds inviting...maybe I'll make the two yards if I have room in the closet, one a four track, the other a three track.

[MichaelT]

My other wonder is; how much of this is not going to fit when I go from paper to actual laying the track out and testing things...

that's gonna be interesting!  ;D

[DKS]

Here's something to consider.
 


For this quick draft, I've done the following--

- Moved the switches for the hidden yard out into the open for easier access.
- Modified the wye so it's more workable as a wye.
- Added a long siding that can be worked like a little branchline.
- Moved all but one of the industries away from the back edges of the layout for better access.
- Modified the passing sidings so they were all of workable lengths.
- Moved the siding at the lower left so it crosses the wye to add interest.
- Kept switches off of the joints for the lift-out.

The drawing was done at lightning pace without the benefit of track planning software, so I have no idea if things like minimum radii, parallel track spacing or switch lengths are realistic.

[Hiroe]

Wow, this modded version captures some of the things i was going to comment on, before my boss rudely interrupted my posting and expected me to work. (How dare he!)

Anyway, i also like the wye design; and i would actually suggest adding a second 3-4 track 'yard' somewhere on the modeled portion of the layout. It gives you a local location to work out of, and the yard in the closet can represent interchange with the outside world.

For the long run away from the 'main' in the upper right corner, i'd give that an elevation change as well, to further separate it visually.

[MichaelT]

Wow, this modded version captures some of the things i was going to comment on, before my boss rudely interrupted my posting and expected me to work. (How dare he!)

Anyway, i also like the wye design; and i would actually suggest adding a second 3-4 track 'yard' somewhere on the modeled portion of the layout. It gives you a local location to work out of, and the yard in the closet can represent interchange with the outside world.

For the long run away from the 'main' in the upper right corner, i'd give that an elevation change as well, to further separate it visually.

While I do like the idea of the wye, and I'm working on possible elevation changes, yard tracks on the modeled portion would go well against the tenor of the actual shortline I am loosely desiring to model. My train bud and I spent some time going through the Jacksonville and Northern here in town, and there are no yard tracks. The closest "yard" here is the NLR yard which is a good 20 miles from town.

[wm3798]

Maybe we can get Ed to build that in N scale... It's infinitely more interesting than what he's offered us so far...

And Michael, there's infinite possibilities for elevation changes... there are several switch backs that could be used to change elevation, and a couple of spots where an industrial siding could dive down to street level and pass under the main line.  This could be a very interesting layout.

Lee

[MichaelT]

Maybe we can get Ed to build that in N scale... It's infinitely more interesting than what he's offered us so far...

And Michael, there's infinite possibilities for elevation changes... there are several switch backs that could be used to change elevation, and a couple of spots where an industrial siding could dive down to street level and pass under the main line.  This could be a very interesting layout.

Lee

I agree it could be, if it were someone else working on it besides me! LOL

I know some of it is that I'm in between doing yard work, catching up with projects that were put on hold when I broke my arm, but take last night for instance...I got in, cooled down, we had dinner, and I meandered to the train room, "thinking" I'd start laying down some roadbed...and what happens? I see an N scale engine and a few cars that I'd sat out a coupld weeks ago in one corner of the benchwork...and they look like they're mad at me...

This is INSANE! I can't even decide what SCALE to build in, much less WHAT to build......lol

I'm not as frustrated as I sound.....or maybe I am. But something has got to give and fast. I spent about five hours today working in the yard, moving a couple berms that needed to be graded down for water passage on the side yard, fixed a leaking gutter down spout, put some gravel under the downspout to help "path" the water, moved some fire bushes to better work in the front garden, and pulled some weeds.

So it got too warm to continue working in the front (the sun gets over the house about 3pm here, and the front yard gets scorching hot), and I knew there wasn't much to do in the back yard right now, so again I trampled into the train room, built the lift out section, and again looked at the HO track I've placed in a few places...but AGAIN I'm turning my head to look at the small N train assembled on the other side of the room...

This is crazy!!

Maybe I should take up needlepoint instead! HAHAHAHA ;D

[tom mann]

Maybe we can get Ed to build that in N scale... It's infinitely more interesting than what he's offered us so far...

I was thinking the same thing, but isn't Ed using unitrack and therefore he is restricted?

David's plan looks really cool.  One thing to consider:  There doesn't look like there is too much room for industry.

[DKS]

One thing to consider:  There doesn't look like there is too much room for industry.

You're being facetious, right...?

[tom mann]

One thing to consider:  There doesn't look like there is too much room for industry.

You're being facetious, right...?

If the grid is 12", then I don't think so.  At least not on the upper portion.

[DKS]

[ednadolski]

One thing to consider:  There doesn't look like there is too much room for industry.

You're being facetious, right...?

If the grid is 12", then I don't think so.  At least not on the upper portion.

I could be way off, but it's looking to me kinda like an N-scale plan in terms of sidings/spacings etc.

Ed

[DKS]

One thing to consider:  There doesn't look like there is too much room for industry.

You're being facetious, right...?

If the grid is 12", then I don't think so.  At least not on the upper portion.

I could be way off, but it's looking to me kinda like an N-scale plan in terms of sidings/spacings etc.

Ed

You're probably right. I just threw it together in a couple of minutes, and since my eye is "calibrated" mostly for N, it's probably not workable as-is in HO. I'll have to try and replicate it in track planning software with HO components.