im stuck on my layout

[bigsteel]

hey guys im building a 10.5 by 10.5 layout in my basement,its based on 1960's to early 70's.ive pretty much figured out the switching portion for my steel mill. BUT ive gotton stuck on the other half of the layout.i wanted to have a small engine terminal with a turntable and servicing areas.if it was possible i would also want a small mine.but i just cant figure this out !!:curse: here is the layout so far the duck under is actually a bridge so its removable.

 

[CNWman]

Looks prety good to me. What kind of track are you using, and what kind of trains will you run?

 

[bigsteel]

im using code 100 and most of my trains will be about3 feet long or about 6 3 bay hoppers.nothing much larger.but i have know idea on how to do the other side with the stuff i wanted as stated in my first post.so if somebody can make one with xtrk or something it would be great

 

[Triplex]

im using code 100 and most of my trains will be about3 feet long or about 6 3 bay hoppers.

Assuming those hoppers are around 40 scale feet, then that 3' doesn't include engine or caboose. Those will add more than another foot.

 

[bigsteel]

i guess your right triplex,i forgot the loco and caboose so i guess around 5 feet of train instead.but if anyone ha ideas on how to set up the unfinished side it would be a great help.

 

[MadHatter]

Why not let the main line go up a small gradient and build the coal mine on a "hill". Then let a line branch off, staying level, to you loco facility?

 

[MadHatter]

Or do you want the loco facility near the coal mine?

 

[UKSteam]

I have worked up a quick design for you bigsteel, but can't get it on to the page as it's 303kb. Notice that you original was around the same size before my additions. If someone can tell me how to DL it i will post it in this thread.

 

[UKSteam]

track plan suggestion

Just a quick doodle bigsteel. Reverse loop for out and back operations as you have designed such a great shunting yard (switching I believe you call it over here) Small area for a mine in bottom left corner, raised slightly or at tabletop level depending on whether you are going to go pit and shaft design or open cast. Lower left of reverse loop hidden by hill for mine just to add a bit of depth and feature. Passing siding as a suggestion to pass ore trains, a few shorter sidings to shunt smaller ores carts around.
Drew in a quick rendition of the turntable you requested, but used a space saving trick I've seen used on other layouts.
UKSteam

Updated (poorly) with mspaint

 

[Squidbait]

Bigsteel,

I think you're trying to get too much in the space you've got. You're going to wind up with two huge areas that hold the trains, and not much going on in between except them shuttling back and forth.

How much of the space you've shown can you devote to the layout? I'm confused why you have a duckunder/bridge when you have a walk-in between the peninsula and the steel mill.

 

[Squidbait]

Why not maximize your use of space like this:

 

[bigsteel]

oh i thinkk you guys got it backwards,the octagon is a operating pit and the bridge is lift out,and its an aile way that your looking at UKsteam also the bench work is the only way i could get the most out of it since there is a wall on the left and top sides andits as big as my wife would let me do.and i think your right about too much so it think ill have just a long windy mainline that leas too a single small mine.im working on an updated design now and will post it by the end of the day.

 

[Torpedo]

If the heavy lines delineate the edge of the benchwork, as you seem to indicate, and at the lower left is an aisle that is connected to the octaganol pit by a bridge, then your track on the right is also drawn in an aisle. I know that is not what you intended, but that is what you are showing.

I suspect we are all confused as to just where the bechwork really is.

 

[tetters]

Looks like a lot of far reaching too which could be difficult to do maintenance on. If the octagon is your operating pit. Especially in the upper corners, there is like over four feet of reach.

 

[Squidbait]

So have you negotiated right-of-way for the whole 10'6"x10'6". or just the table space you've drawn?

 

[UKSteam]

Yeah I think I must be confused also about the actual benchwork area too. I thought the bridge and lift section was the section on the east west axis from 3'-7'. From what I read above it now seems you really have north south 10'6" and 7'6" east west and the switching is really an aisle ? Draw us a plan with shaded benchwork to show actual working area and I'll have another crack at it after i get back from FL in a few days.
Good luck with the redesign.

 

[bigsteel]

ok ill post the bench work so you can see what im talking about

 

[bigsteel]

alright i tried the rest on my own.so i hope you guys can see where the bench work is now.in the upper right there is a wountain with an opening under neith since it was too far.but the outer track leads up at a 3 percent grade starting at the bidge to the mine in the lower middle.the inner track leads around to the mainline for the steel mill.i added crossovers to places to make getting around the layout easier for me and the train.the engine terminal has a 3 stall roundhouse and 2 outer ones for the smaller switch engines.the servicing facilities arent quite done but the small 3 track yard will have sand, coal, deisel servicing,and a wash rack.the empty spots near the coal mine and the corner near the bridge will have small mining towns.

 

[bigsteel]

alright had to get a crash course on posting pics.here it is with a little more detail.where the hidden lines are from one side to the other ill probably add a staging yard to make the layout seem bigger than it is.

 

[Squidbait]

Unless you've got arms like Micheal Jordan, or it's open on all 4 sides, your benchwork is way too deep. You'll be struggling to reach anything from the hole in the middle, and uncoupling in the steel mill is going to be a real pain. I'd reconsider the way you've laid it out... although the way you're talking, it sounds like you've already got your benchwork in place?