So, what would you do with an 11-acre layout?

[DKS]

I've recently acquired 11 acres of woods that will be leased to a business. There's a very good possibility, however, that I may be able to share the space with my future tenants. So I've been tinkering with a track plan. Roads are pre-existing, so they can't move. Also, the property is more or less divided in half by a large drainage ditch, which is impractical to cross anywhere but along the front. And along the back is a stream, so I can't get too close to that.



If this is a possibility, it could not be built all at once; I'd work in stages, beginning with the circle and the yard at the lower right, then add the extensions and outer loops in the coming years. It could be a lot of fun!

[Dave Schneider]

Wow. That will require a lot of ground-foam and static grass.
This is a bit of a leap from the current 2x4 foot layout, not to mention "the world's smallest operating model railroad"! Couldn't you just change your prescription a bit? 

Best wishes, Dave

[Chris333]

Wait till he starts moving and re-arranging buildings   

[DKS]

This has been in the works for some time. The deal finally came together this week.

Here are a few quick views of the property. This is one of the three driveways:



Most of the land looks just like this (this was taken almost dead-center):



This is the area long the stream. It's quite a little wonderland:



Business development will take a good year minimum, so groundbreaking for a railroad (if it can happen) won't take place until sometime late next year.

[wazzou]

We talking LGB here or what? 

[DKS]

We talking LGB here or what?

Bigger. Much bigger.

[conrail98]

Live steam? If so I know a guy very, very, VERY, active in it that helps out on all the layouts I've operated on down here in south jersey who may be able to assist with things and/or point you in the right directions. If bigger then Live Steam, wow!

Phil

[C855B]

1:12, I take it. There of course will be slopes to the drainage ditch and creek, but what is the rest of the topography like? The photos seem to hint at fairly level.

(I'll get it over with and be the first to say "Model the entire U.S. in N". However, that would take 95,000 acres. Not there... yet.)

[DKS]

The topography is relatively flat. It drops about six feet across the full width of the property (almost 600'). Even the drainage ditch is only 3-4 feet deep at the front. Can't get too close to the stream as the land does drop off rather precipitously a good 15 feet or so. Biggest problem is that the right third of the property tends to get pretty squishy after very heavy rainfall, so I'd need to bring in a lot of rock (probably qp gravel) to raise and stabilize the roadbed. Oh, and my goal is to build in the largest scale practical for the space. Think 12-15 inch gauge.

[peteski]

I've recently acquired 11 acres of woods that will be leased to a business. There's a very good possibility, however, that I may be able to share the space with my future tenants. So I've been tinkering with a track plan. Roads are pre-existing, so they can't move. Also, the property is more or less divided in half by a large drainage ditch, which is impractical to cross anywhere but along the front. And along the back is a stream, so I can't get too close to that.


If this is a possibility, it could not be built all at once; I'd work in stages, beginning with the circle and the yard at the lower right, then add the extensions and outer loops in the coming years. It could be a lot of fun!

Holly crap!  That is the largest outdoor T-gauge layout I have ever seen! Um, or is it Z scale? No, no, it is N scale of course. Still, it is the largest one I've seen! 

[wcfn100]

Life sized JCIR.

Jason

[dougnelson]

All aboard!

The only problem is that is not so much a hobby as it is a lifestyle.

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[Scottl]

This is really interesting and parallels my own "fantasy" to do something similar on our 12 acres.  Ours has too much relief, but I will follow this with a lot of interest.

The track plan ends up being quite close to the property edge. What are the adjoining land uses?  It would be a pity to spoil the hard work and cost of building this if the neighboring properties became junk yards, logged, or something else.   I envision part of the joy of this will be the trains in a tranquil woods setting.  Did you consider inverting the plan to have the yard and buildings more towards the center and the loops and roads towards the edges?  Just a thought- I suppose you get more mileage out of your plan.

[DKS]

The track plan ends up being quite close to the property edge. What are the adjoining land uses?  It would be a pity to spoil the hard work and cost of building this if the neighboring properties became junk yards, logged, or something else.   I envision part of the joy of this will be the trains in a tranquil woods setting.  Did you consider inverting the plan to have the yard and buildings more towards the center and the loops and roads towards the edges?  Just a thought- I suppose you get more mileage out of your plan.

All of the properties along this stretch of road are commercial. There is a farm on one side and a container testing company on the other. Neither property is likely to change for a long time, and the land along the property lines is still wooded for the most part. As for the locations of key features, I must be mindful of how the property will be developed by the tenant, which has already been designed but not shown on the track plan.

[peteski]

DKS: If this becomes reality, does that man that there will be no more new products coming from NZT?  After all, large scale model railroad (especially of that size) will require a very large investment of time.  Or will you incorporate this project into your business stratergy and offer large scale detailing products?  Will NZT become GNZT?