June-July Track Planning Contest

[jon-monon]

Track Planning Contest

This contest will run from now until the end of July, giving everyone a chance to work out a plan.

This is meant to a learnin' experiance, for those that need learnin' (who doesn't?) and a competition for those that don't need much learnin'. It's also a chance to help other's learn. It's also for FUN

Unlike most photo contests, you may post as many as you like, as long as you are working towards a final design. Only the final revision will be voted on. (After the contest is over, the final plans will be copied to a new thread for voting pruposes, and the old kept intact for reference)

You can also ask questions and seek/offer advice in the thread if you like. Let's just have fun with it and help each other improve our skills.

If you already have a trackplan, you may enter it, even if it was previously posted. You may design a new track plan for later use on a real layout or just for the contest. It can be your wildest dream layout if you like, or a sub-mini-micro-module, or anything in between. Your ideas can come from anywhere as long as you redraw it yourself and don't post any copyright infringments.

You may use any software, hand drawn and scanned or whatever means to get it into a jpeg for posting, as long as it's your own work. If you hand draw and don't have a scanner you can mail it to me or get someone else to scan it for you. If you have it in another format than jpeg, and have trouble converting it, I would be happy to help with that to, just e-mail it to me.

Building, scenery, labeling, etc. is the designers option to include

Size limit: 640 X 480 please, as attachment or inserted from your own site.

OK, let's see some track plans!

 

[SAL Comet]

OK, I'll throw one out, here's the latest version of the plan I'm working on. I'd like some input on any improvments someone may have-(see my previous posts for background info).

 

[jon-monon]

:thumb: :thumb: :thumb: Congrats, Sal, you made the first ever Gauge layout contest entry! And a fine one atr that

 

[SAL Comet]

Thanks but, I posted the wrong plan, here's the one I ment to-

 

[Tileguy]

Was it something i said Jon
I'm working on it!! might take a week or 2 but it is in R&D right now

Sal, as to the silver comet line,if you will be operating you may want to consider 1 or 2 items on the above plan.
#1 your yard area needs a switching lead to keep your yard engine from fouling the mainline.

#2 in the top right,you have a facing point without a runaround making switching these spurs a nightmare.try to add a runaround track to deal with any facing spurs or redesign into trailing spurs

 

[Ho Modeler]

My Layout

I figured I might post mine while i am at it

I am always open to comments!!
It is a Late steam-Early Diesel, Logging/ Mining layout
It is HO Scale
Eric

 

[Will_annand]

Well, here is my N scale empire. This is the latest "final" version.

(Is anything really final )

Even at that, after checking prototype pictures, I have changed the location of the Station and Frieght shed at Cheltenham, they are now on the outside of the curve.

 

[cidchase]

I like it Will!! Are you putting in the trestle something like
on your website? That would be too !

 

[Will_annand]

Yes, the trestle would be above the farm at the back, just beside where it says "Forks of The Credit". It would start behind the farm and end almost at the Forks Station. A larger version of the track plan can be seen on the website

 

[shamus]

Might as well have a go at this one. This is my old Badger Creek layout for H0. :thumb:

Shamus

 

[rksstl]

I might as well post this considering I'm just finishing up the bench work.

 

[Tileguy]

Wow Rich, that looks very much like one i am working on right now(did you peek)
Mine is longer on the ends though and a bit larger penninsula on the right but many similarities for sure.I started off thinking a twice around but changed to a single as my radius on the inside got below my minimums.
Now if i can just get this dang ol scanner to work i'll be in business

 

[jon-monon]

Lots a neat plans coming in!

Sal, just wondering, how hard will it be to reach the hidden track on the right hand side? Some of it is against the wall, and I wonder if it will be hard to clean or fetch derailed cars.

 

[MasonJar]

Hi Will,

I know that you have had to flip Orangeville, and highly modify it for the space you have, but could you connect the "bottom" end of the yard back into the main so you could have a double ended yard, as per the prototype?

Andrew

 

[alphanumeric]

hey rich I really like that layout.. what are hte demensions in Feet? I think you just solved my wonder, in what style of layout I want to do..

 

[rksstl]

Tileguy its amazing how good satalite cams are nowadays that"ll be cool to see how close yours is. Good luck with the scanner. size is about 6'x12'x6' and the shelfs are 26" wide.

 

[Will_annand]

Hi Will,

I know that you have had to flip Orangeville, and highly modify it for the space you have, but could you connect the "bottom" end of the yard back into the main so you could have a double ended yard, as per the prototype?

Andrew

Actually, the prototype of the Credit Valley line was a stub ended yard as it was the end of the line. It was located where McDonald's now stands, and possible all the way up to the Dairy Queen.

The yard you are refering to, south of Hwy 9 is actually the original TG&B yard, now CP.

The plan as I have it is a composite of the two.

 

[MasonJar]

Actually, the prototype of the Credit Valley line was a stub ended yard as it was the end of the line. It was located where McDonald's now stands, and possible all the way up to the Dairy Queen.

The yard you are refering to, south of Hwy 9 is actually the original TG&B yard, now CP.

The plan as I have it is a composite of the two.

Hi WIll,

Does that mean that you have unearthed some more info on the Credit Valley yard? That's great! I thought you were going with the premise that the CV took over the TG&B (instead of CPR), and that would give you "rationale" for using that particular yard (not that you need it - it is your world ).

I think the plan looks good - lots of possibilities for operations, with a nice number of "cut-offs" or loops to get you to whichever starting point you need.

Andrew

 

[Will_annand]

No plans unearthed, just a couple of fellows from the Yahoo Groups "Bruce Railways" SIG. Found mention of the CVR yard. I looked in the Peel Region Atlas of 1880 and the CVR yard was just a block on the map. The fellows said theat it would be a stub yard with a turntable as it was the end of the line. A old fellow remembered his Grandad talking about a turntable and telling him about the team track and engine serivcing facilities he used to play around when he was a kid.

 

[Pitchwife]

After much fiddling and revisions this is the current "final" version. I have to admit that I have never seen a stageing yard layout quite like this in any book or magazine, and I can't tell you where it came from, other than that it was born from necessity.

Several other things will jump out at you as being unusual, if not just plain wrong. First is the reversing loop and the X section of track under the mountain at the top of the layout. The reason for the loop is that the BNSF will be running a short commuter train to and from the industrial area as well as longer through passenger trains and freights. The loop serves to turn the commuter around, providing a place to store it in the "outlaying town" and keeping it out of the way of other traffic on the mainline. The cross tracks are simply to add versitility to the layout.

The other is the unorthodox entry into the turntable. The reason for this is that I wanted to keep the roundhouse and engine shop in the vacinity of the rest of the industrial complex. I attempted to allow the largest yard body possable without building a hidden area while still alowing both mainlines to loop around. It took some imagination to accompish all of the desired operations, and it seems as though it will do everything I had in mind. I relied heavily on the article, The Ten Commandments of Model Railroad Yard Design. Also there are the two caboose tracks. I kind of had in mind one each for the UP and the BNSF. It's probably not prototypical, but then little or nothing else on the layout is so it should fit right in. If anyone finds other problem areas, please let me know so that I can remedy it in the planning stage rather than when it is ¾ finished.

To see a larger version please visit LARGER VERSION . For a RTS diagram please visit the Yahoo group/files/track plans/RTS/Bench 090.ral