HCD layout adventure

[MichaelT]

A few months ago I mentioned one of our hobby guys had changed from N scale to On30, and he wanted to part with a HCD layout that he had started. I picked it up from him and have done a few things here and there but last night I decided to set it up in the train room where I could spend more time with it, so I hopped over to Lowes and picked up a set of banquet table folding legs and installed them last night. Now, I didn't even consider that the screws would not hold well to the HCD, but they are holding for now and it's temporary until I get some more framing on the underside of the door to hold the screws better.

I tried to copy as best I can the track layout in RR Track, but for some reason my c80 library is not working well, so I had to make due with c55 library, so the measurements are not exact, but here is a close rendition of the layout.



A couple notes. The thick line in the middle indicates a cliff/raised portion of the layout.
The purple track indicates grades up to 1.80 inches, or there close.
The dark blue indicate two bridges that overpass the track.
the light blue on the bottom right are tracks that I have not installed yet, but want to in the near future to give the layout a small interchange/yard section.

Here are a few shots taken last night of the current work and overall look.


On this area, the inside curve was just too short for my liking, a number of cars and even the GP15 were jumping off the track so I've tried to lessen the curve a little bit. This is going to give me some room between the inside tracks and the rock wall to install a couple sidings and what I'm thinking might be either a gravel plant or a small bauxite company.

 

Here is the other end of the layout, bottom right is where I want to add the interchange/junction/yard trackage, with the interchange able to connect to another HCD in the future. The back "mountain/hill" area I'm trying to figure out if/how I can get some logging action going in there (of course planting a forest would help), or if I'll just put in some trucks and loggers, and then have the trucks haul the logs down the mountain to the yard, or possibly to the sidings inside the loop there. You can't see it very well but between the sidings and the upper track/mountain there is a small creek/riverbed that will be worked into the scene.



This is just a quick picture of the center section of the layout with the raised area. I like having the elevation even though it cuts out some siding area...

Anyway, I have some changes that I am planning on making, nothing major, but hoping that they will give the layout a better look and operational feel. The wiring was all setup with Atlas connectors and slide switches, I'm going to take all that out and put in bus wiring and run feeders to use DCC for the layout. I have about 5 DCC engines in N, and hope to get a few more converted before too long, along with paint and new decals for the railroads that will run this HCD layout.

I'm still working on plans for the Train Show 30x43 layout, but this one is "almost" operational and it was just leaning against the wall in a corner in the train room...and it kept calling to me to "fix it"....LOL

[MichaelT]

The layout is all c80, that's what the guy installed before I got it, and don't see a need to rip it all out and start over when I have a few bare doors in the shed waiting for their turn.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I don't know, it's very different from what I'd do, but then again, I think that's me...

[Sokramiketes]

I don't know, it's very different from what I'd do, but then again, I think that's me...

Lol.  Yeah, this one has a door underneath the foam, that's like benchwork. 

[MichaelT]

I don't know, it's very different from what I'd do, but then again, I think that's me...

Well? By all means, don't hold back...I'm always up for suggestions..

[MichaelT]

Lol.  Yeah, this one has a door underneath the foam, that's like benchwork. 

The foam doesn't go on top of the door? Am I missing something....

[wazzou]

The foam doesn't go on top of the door? Am I missing something....

He's just referring to the fact that Ed has very little structure supporting the foam on his layout.  An inside joke if you will...

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Well? By all means, don't hold back...I'm always up for suggestions..

Basically, it's too busy for my tastes. The curves are tight, and it's tough to place decently sized prototype scenes on something compressed in the way it is.

But then gain, I'm a minimalist when it comes to this stuff.

Also, it has benchwork

[Dave V]

That same track plan was my first venture into N scale:









It was the tight curves and 3% grades that killed it for me.  In 2006 this layout was scrapped and donated most of its parts to the present-day Juniata Division.

[davefoxx]

Michael,

Obviously, this is not your dream layout, as evidenced by your statement that you have more HCDs ready for construction.  Therefore, don't lose sleep over the code 80 track, a spaghetti bowl plan, or non-prototype scenes.  Just have fun with it, so you have something to run trains on it.  Put as little money in it as you can, but fix it up and enjoy it until you start your "serious" layout.  Then, maybe you can even sell it and have a few extra bucks to put towards the next layout.  There are people out there that will easily pay at least several hundred dollars for complete layouts.  You can use the photo that Dr. Vollmer just posted as some guidance for ideas to spruce up this layout.

Dave Foxx

[wazzou]

Vollmer -

You pulled that plan off very nicely too.

[Dave V]

Here's another shot from one of the train shows I took it to.

[John]

Here's another shot from one of the train shows I took it to.

Did this ever make it up our way? It looks strangely familiar ..

[wm3798]

I dunno...  Michael, if short trains and lots of scenery options are your bag, then it's a pretty neat little plan.  You won't be running any passenger cars or 4 coupled steam, will you?

Dave, I like your treatment of the plan.  If my wife ever comes to her senses and throws me out of the house, I'd probably build that as the Laurel Valley!

Lee

[Dave V]

John, no...  That layout made the rounds on the Florida Space Coast.  I never took it very far from the house.  Once I moved it to North Carolina, I was already planning its replacement.

I'm sure it's familiar because it's no more that a slightly modified version of the Atlas Scenicked & Relaxed RR plan.  I've seen about half a dozen incarnations of this plan around the Interwebs.