The New Northern Central

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Here's a photo of the room from the door. The tracks will enter from the right side wall just about where those oNeTRAK modules are stored. There's also a sump not visible where that vertical pipe goes down into the floor next to the panels.



Because of obstructions in the lower left of the corner of the drawing (a giant electrical panel) I can't really do a full balloon there so I have to push it around some, hence the reason I'm using the area behind and to the left of the photo for that. It's above a sink that I'm heavily leaning towards replacing (it's one of those cement two tubbers and has seen way better days).

Guys, your feedback is all awesome and really helpful in thinking through all of this.

I've given it another round of simplification and filled in some more details.





First, I have combined MOST of the staging tracks to make them useful for either end. This, of course, makes total sense since I'm going to be using the same train sets to generally represent a pair of trains (ie, ENBA and BAEN, which will both look the same minus cars for York on the head end). I also need the ability to recycle the same train in the same direction (ie, loaded coal always goes south, empty north). This all just makes sense, thank you for pointing it out.

I'm also incorporating Gary's serial staging. I believe each track should be long enough to hold two trains. Or, at least a long and a short one. I'm HOPING for 10' trains on this thing. Staging might actually be the limiting factor (since the visible sidings are generally long enough for 10'ers, but the staging tracks are just about 20' end to end).

Note that trains for the north end of the layout (York) run pretty much directly from the layout into staging. It's only the south end that uses the helix. For THAT reason I've double tracked that sucker. That lets me keep something "on deck" and ready to enter the layout as soon as something else clears. I'd imagine that pulling stuff out of staging would be my job while doing ops. Keep in mind that the ops tempo is not going to be too high. Think two trains on the layout at a time. I think that slow pace will solve a lot of issues.

Ironically, as I was writing this I realized that I needed some tracks to hold blocks of cars for York to add to recycled road trains. These aren't pretty, but they should work.


To answer the question about what I'm using: it's Railmodeler Pro.

[nuno81291]

Not sure if relevant but possible to take a photo in laundry area looking the other way? What about the layout room itself? Curious to try to picture the whole arrangement and green box area. Looks like your plan is coming along. Will there be a dispatchers desk or standing room only in the laundry/staging area?

[davefoxx]

Ed,

Have you considered moving the washer/dryer upstairs where it will not only be out of the way of the layout, but much more convenient to you?  I once owned a house with laundry in the basement.  It's kind of a pain in the a$$, hauling laundry up and down the stairs.  Heck, the laundry machines in my current home are on the first floor, but, of course, the bedrooms are on the second floor.  So, we're still hauling laundry up and down the stairs.    If this is even a possibility for you, instead spending money for a new washing machine, you could put that towards the plumber and electrician.

DFF

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Ok, more photos of the space.

First, the "green zone". The square in the drawing demonstrates the area from the steps, past the pole, to the door on the right (which leads to the laundry room). This is why it's a soft barrier. The tracks on the plan, for example, wrap around the other side of the pole but still leave room to get into the laundry room from the steps.



This is roughly from the laundry room door looking into the layout space.

Windsor Street would be where those tubs are along the wall on the left.



This is from the steps looking into the room.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Ed,

Have you considered moving the washer/dryer upstairs where it will not only be out of the way of the layout, but much more convenient to you?  I once owned a house with laundry in the basement.  It's kind of a pain in the a$$, hauling laundry up and down the stairs.  Heck, the laundry machines in my current home are on the first floor, but, of course, the bedrooms are on the second floor.  So, we're still hauling laundry up and down the stairs.    If this is even a possibility for you, instead spending money for a new washing machine, you could put that towards the plumber and electrician.

DFF

I've thought about that. But there isn't a good other place to put them.

Oh, also, Dispatcher's desk: not in the room. I'm hoping to be able to do it remotely from the office upstairs or even from somewhere else. Worst case scenario, there's a nice crew lounge just up the steps where it'll happen from.

[C855B]

... It's kind of a pain in the a$$, hauling laundry up and down the stairs.  Heck, the laundry machines in my current home are on the first floor, but, of course, the bedrooms are on the second floor.  So, we're still hauling laundry up and down the stairs. ...

I'll second this, in spades. Our previous two homes had the laundry in the basement and the one before those two had it next to the master bedroom. Robyn put her foot down when shopping for our current house and declared "Laundry? NO STAIRS!" Actually, it was no stairs, period, thinking ahead to our "golden years"... oh... that's 'bout now. 

Frankly, I have considerable trepidation about that breaker box in the corner and the sump pump underneath given the prospect of a whole bunch of helix, etc., benchwork compromising access to what my experience indicates will be a high-maintenance area. Yes, I know I'm one to talk given the vast space allocated to my MRR, but from a household servicing standpoint I would nix any railroad at all in that room. You might put a workbench or something at the end opposite from the electrical panel, but you also should consider what happens to the space when one of you figures out you need a small table across from the laundry pair for simple things like a spot to set the laundry basket while loading/unloading the machines.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Frankly, I have considerable trepidation about that breaker box in the corner and the sump pump underneath given the prospect of a whole bunch of helix, etc., benchwork compromising access to what my experience indicates will be a high-maintenance area. Yes, I know I'm one to talk given the vast space allocated to my MRR, but from a household servicing standpoint I would nix any railroad at all in that room. You might put a workbench or something at the end opposite from the electrical panel, but you also should consider what happens to the space when one of you figures out you need a small table across from the laundry pair for simple things like a spot to set the laundry basket while loading/unloading the machines.

There's quite a bit of wisdom there, and I know this is all fall from optimal. But it's really the only viable option and I don't want to let it prevent the whole project from moving forward.

I'm hoping construction methodologies (making it all reasonably removable) will help build in some insurance for having issues.

[Philip H]

Have you considered moving the washer/dryer upstairs where it will not only be out of the way of the layout, but much more convenient to you?  I once owned a house with laundry in the basement.  It's kind of a pain in the a$$, hauling laundry up and down the stairs.

@davefoxx you have to remember he doesn't have kids to chase around or clean clothes for, so this is part of his work from home exercise scheme.

[davefoxx]

Ed,

What's behind Door No.1 in the picture above?  In your plan, I believe that you have track in front of that door.  Is the plan just to remove the door, so it's not blocked shut?

DFF

[davefoxx]

@davefoxx you have to remember he doesn't have kids to chase around or clean clothes for, so this is part of his work from home exercise scheme.

Haha!

[Dave V]

Ed,

What's behind Door No.1 in the picture above?  In your plan, I believe that you have track in front of that door.  Is the plan just to remove the door, so it's not blocked shut?

DFF

That's the Red Room.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Amityville_Horror

[davefoxx]

That's the Red Room.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Amityville_Horror

That's not nearly as horrifying as Josh's Murder Room. 

DFF

[Dave V]

That's not nearly as horrifying as Josh's Murder Room. 

DFF

Could always be the Sex Cauldron:

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Ed,

What's behind Door No.1 in the picture above?  In your plan, I believe that you have track in front of that door.  Is the plan just to remove the door, so it's not blocked shut?

DFF

It's the "Josh Room".

No, in reality it's just enclosing the water meter and shutoff valve. I'm going to replace it with a curtain (thanks @DeltaBravo ) and go on with my life.

[C855B]

... it's just enclosing the water meter and shutoff valve. I'm going to replace it with a curtain (thanks @DeltaBravo ) and go on with my life.

Thought so. We had something like that three houses ago. Total waste of a door.