N Scale Layout Trackplan

[TruckLover]

Hi everyone, I have sort of a big question!!

Can somebody come up with a good switching layout trackplan using the following info? I would appreciate any help and suggestions.

I have changed the dimentions and space available for the N Scale layout I am going to build.

I am going to build a benchwork that is 9' long x 2.5' wide. It is going to have legs that are about 6-8 inches in height and it will go under the HO scale layout I have right now. I also am going to mount 2 or 3 lights under the HO scale layout so that I can see better on the N Scale layout and also for taking better pictures. I also have to cut notches in the N Scale layout for the legs on the HO scale layout to slide into.

announce1 I DO not want this to be a continuous run layout, I want it to be a switching layout (Point to Point) with a double mainline (front of table or back of table).

The buildings I want want to have are as follows:

• Double Track Truss Bridge (I want to have a valley or 2 cliffs on the far left end of the layout with a river running through it, this is where I want the bridge to cross. I don't want the valley to be very wide, maybe 8-10 inches, the bridge measures 10 inches long)
• Walton & Sons Lumber, Mountain Lumber Company Sawmill
• Rolling Mill, Coke Oven & Quencher, Electric Furnace
• ADM Grain Elevator, Red Wing Flour Mill
• A warehouse for trucks and rail service - http://www.nu-linestructures.com/N-1001.htm (I can kitbash the building to have the rail doors and truck doors to be anywhere around the building)
• And if there is still any room left, I would like to have the United Petroleum Refinery (Walthers) with 1 or 2 storage tanks

If I need to add anymore to the length to make at least the above buildings fit, I can go to a maximum legnth of 10' but I cannot go any wider with it so 2.5' is the max.

I will most likely be using CODE 80 but I might consider using CODE 55. I am going to have 6 Axle diesels and 4 axle diesels so the switches off the mainline shound be #6's and the others should be #5's. The minimum radius is 19" on the mainline if the mainline has any turns, and on the sidings with long cars such as the lumber sidings 17" radius and shorter cars such as the Rolling Mill 15" radius.

I am looking for a cool and interesting trackplan, something that I can build and not get bored with.:thumb:

Thanks in advance for any help and suggestions you guys might have for me :thumb:

 

[TruckLover]

Ok, sincenobody was up for the challange, I did one up in photoshop. It is all drawn to scale (10' x 2.5') and the buildings are also pretty close to scale.

Starting from left to right:

1. The mainlines are the 2 bottom tracks (i forgot to add a double crossover in there on the mainline)
2. Valley with river flowing though it (about 8" wide) and the double track truss bridge goes over it (mainline)
3. Mountain Lumber Company and the Walton & Sons Lumber Warehouse are paired up in the same complex. There are 2 sidings for the Mountain Lumber Company for unloading log cars and a siding that goes straight into the Walton & Sons Lumber Warehouse for centerbeam lumber cars.
4. Nextis the ADM Grain Elevator and the Red Wing Flour Mill. These are also a complex. Hoppers are unloaded in both sheds (top and bottom) and there is a siding for the complex at the top center of the drawling. There is also a siding for the Red Wing Flour Mill for unloading boxcars.
5. The track next to the Mountain Lumber Company (Top, center, left) goes into the wall and disapears.
6. Next is the Nu-Line Structures Warehouse Building. It will serve for rail and trucks. Boxcars will unload/load ing the back of the building and trucks will unload/load in the 8-10 loading dock doors in the front with a main enterance on the side of the building.
7. Last but not least is the Steel Mill Complex (without Blast Furnace) The Coke Oven & Quencher is in the top right and has a track for unloading coal cars next to it were the pit is. There is also another track nex to it and 2 more tracks for inbound trains to the blast furnace and switching yard (not shown,it's in the wall lol). Then we have the Rolling Mill and Electric Furnace one infront od the other. 2 tracks serve these 2 buildings and run all the way through them.

What do you guys think?

If anyone would like to attempt at editing this plan/making it better, please do so.

Thanks Again

 

[pgandw]

A couple of thoughts to consider:

For switching: How are you going to uncouple cars, and how are you going to throw your turnouts? If you are using ground throws, skewers, 0-5-0, or other reach-in methods, you probably will want to put the spurs up front, and the main line in the back. This puts the through trains on the main behind the train you are working with. Having the main in back avoids having to reach over the through trains to work the switching train. This may not be important now, but will be when you connect this section to the rest of your eventual main line.

Another advantage of having the main line in back is that your structures and scenic detailing will be right up front where it can be most appreciated. Finally, objects in front of the main line will break up the view of a train on the main, and make it seem longer.

You also might want to consider not having a straight main line running parallel to the edges. Put a big sweeping curve (30" radius or more) in the main line, or maybe a very gentle S configuration so it changes alignment to cross the river. Also, angle the river so that the far end can be lost behind the main line. Not seeing the far end of the river will help to disguise how shallow your layout really is.

The same applies to your structures and spurs. Unless you are modeling a prairie town or modern industrial park, places where the railroads ran were seldom laid out in a rectangular grid. Have the spurs, structures, and industries at different angles to each other and to the layout edge. Use small rises and fall in the topography, and perhaps small changes in levels to give reason to why things are laid out the way they are.

The various angles and curves, especially if in concert with the scenic topography, will make the layout apear much bigger and less "toy like".

 

[sumpter250]

In a small area, even if the buildings are layed out in a grid, angling them corner to corner makes the area look bigger. You could run your mainline in a gentle curve, from corner to corner, maybe with a street or highway parrallel to it, and one cross street, perhaps colser to one end.

 

[MasonJar]

Unless you intend to have modular interfaces at each each end to couple with an expansion, I would change the track configuration along the lines as suggested above...

I would take the main and run it up between the Coke oven and Warehouse. Also, using two separate crossovers on the main gives you an automatic run-around, rather than using a double crossover in one spot.

Hope that helps.

Andrew

 

[TruckLover]

Thanks Fred, Stumper and Andrew for the advise. Shoot, Iwish I would have read these before I started working on the edited version of the above plan:curse:

Anyways, here is another drawling and I added a small section to the right end of the layout (United Petroluem Refinery and few stroage tanks) and I also decided to ade the red wing flour mill bigger by combining 2 kits, changed the track in the middle of the drawling too. Here is the one I just did but Iam going to do another using the pointers given above.

If anyone else wants to give this a try,please feel free, I would greatly appreciate it because I am not all that great at this stuff.

 

[gottaBreal]

Looks Great

 

[TruckLover]

Ok, how is this for a curved mainline?? The valley and rivver will still bein the same spot as above

 

[pgandw]

Josh

I think the new layout will prove to be more interesting. Some industries will be one side of the main, and some on the other. Provided you leave room and places for the turnouts, I would make the curves even broader, minimizing the straight trackage on the main to just where necessary. This will contrast nicely with your industries and spurs.

I would not bother with trying to make continous loops through your industries as in the first plan unless you are really intent on creating an "empties in/loads out" scenario.

I second Andrew's comment about using 2 single cross-overs instead of a double cross-over. Making the crossovers part of a curve will make them more interesting, and no S curves to boot.

my thoughts, your choices

 

[TruckLover]

Thanks Fred for your advise, I have found all your guys advise very helpful, Thanks Again

Ok, here is the updated version, I added the Coke Oven, Rolling Mill, and Electric Furbace and planned all the track for it. I also added the valley w/river and double tracj truss bridge. What do you guys think so far?

 

[Russ Bellinis]

Thanks Fred for your advise, I have found all your guys advise very helpful, Thanks Again

Ok, here is the updated version, I added the Coke Oven, Rolling Mill, and Electric Furbace and planned all the track for it. I also added the valley w/river and double tracj truss bridge. What do you guys think so far?

I don't model in n scale, so I don't know how much space you need for the cars, but the tail tracks between the coke oven and quencher and the electric furnace seem to be awfully short to be able to serve any purpose. If the upper cross over is put in nearer to the curve at the l ower left corner of the box marked "coke oven & quencher, you have more room to use that siding for more cars if needed. If the other tail track is intended to just allow a locomotive to move across and run around a cut of cars going to the electric furnace, it will work. The lower track into the electric furnace looks a bit awkward to use. It would appear that you are going to have to use the tracks through the rolling mill to work the electric furnace. If you moved your big "S" curve back to the left a couple of feet, it would open up the steel mill plant for easier switching. I'm also not familier with steel mill operations too much. I'm noticing that there are no tracks going into the coke oven & quencher. If cars are not going into the building, making it a flat or low relief backdrop structure would open up more space for the switching leads & spurs.

 

[TruckLover]

the tail tracks between the coke oven and quencher and the electric furnace seem to be awfully short to be able to serve any purpose. If the upper cross over is put in nearer to the curve at the l ower left corner of the box marked "coke oven & quencher, you have more room to use that siding for more cars if needed. If the other tail track is intended to just allow a locomotive to move across and run around a cut of cars going to the electric furnace, it will work.

The only problem with moving the top crossover in between the coke oven and electric furnace is that there is a pit for unloading hoppers right there (lower left cornerof the coke oven) so that would not work. I do want a loco to be able to look like itcan switch between tracks in the middle of the 2 buildings but there is not enough room for that so just imagine that the track goes into the wall and there is more room for switching between the tracks.

The lower track into the electric furnace looks a bit awkward to use. It would appear that you are going to have to use the tracks through the rolling mill to work the electric furnace. If you moved your big "S" curve back to the left a couple of feet, it would open up the steel mill plant for easier switching.

The tracks going into the electric furnace will have to be used by a train that goes though the rolling mill but that is ok because someof the cars will go through both so it is ok.

I'm noticing that there are no tracks going into the coke oven & quencher. If cars are not going into the building, making it a flat or low relief backdrop structure would open up more space for the switching leads & spurs.

The reason that there is no tracks going physically into the coke oven is because they don't go in the building, there is a pit that I had mentioned above that hoppers unload into on the side of the building.

Thanks Again for your help.

 

[TruckLover]

Here is another updated version of the trackplan.

Ok, I thought about Russ said about the electric furnace tracks and how the train will have to go through the rolling mill first. I added a track that comes off the mainline over by the rolling mill and crosses the track at around a 30-40 degree angle (I can make it work with a 30 degree angle) and goes to the bottom track thatleads to the electric furnace. I also added another small siding up at the top next to the coke oven.

I added the North Island Refinery and 4 Small stoarage tanks in the bottom right extention.

Here are the links to the structures used so far
1. Coke Oven - http://walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-3806
2. Rolling Mill - http://walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-3250
3. Electric Furnace - http://walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-3807
4. North Island Redinery - http://walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-3219
5. Starage Tanks - http://walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-3223

 

[TruckLover]

Next is the Mountain Lumber Company and the Walton & Sons Lumber Warehouse.

I added a track coming from the other end of the layout that will sereve as a team track and serve both the lumber company and the ADM Grain Buildings. There is also a siding that comes from the top left right after the bridge and curves around the Mountain Lumber Sawmill and goes to the bottom of the layout into a WYE switch. There is a log car siding that branches off this track and connects back to the bottom warehose siding. The warehouse siding goes all the way though the building and joins back to the team track (off layout).

Mountain Lumber Company Sawmill - http://walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-3236
Walton & Sons Lumber Warehouse - http://walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-3235

 

[TruckLover]

After looking at the track plan for around the Mountain Lumber Company and the Walton & Sons Lumber Warehouse and looking at the picture on Walthers web site of the Mountain Lumber Sawmill, I relized that the log car siding was going to have the same problem as the steel mill complex. I noticed that in the picture of the Mountain Lumber Sawmill, the log car siding goes under the Sawdust Burner. So that is what I did. Here is the edited version of the lumber trackplan. There is a 90 degree crossing for the log car siding to connect to the team track followed by a WYE switch in the track plan.

Now to work on the ADM Grain Elevator and the Red Wing Flour Mill Complex

I am actually having fun doing thissign1 sign1

 

[TrainNut]

I hate to say this as it is obvious that you have put so much work into this already but the main point of curving your river is so that it meets the BACKDROP at an angle. One of the things you try and avoid in model railroading is dead-ending a river/creek right into the backdrop. It is better to have it hit the backdrop at an angle so as to give the perspective of a deeper space instead of just dead ending it. Somebody earlier mentioned this and they worded it much more eloquently than I have. You got the curve in but you put it in upside down. Rotate that river 180 degrees and then rework it just a little bit. Clear as mud? Again, just a point for you to consider.

 

[TruckLover]

Ok, thanks for pointing that out again, I will try and do it again to what you guys are saying. Meanwhile, Here is the ADM Grain Elevator and Red Wing Flour Mill Complex. The red wing building is 2 kits combined to make a longer building. I also added the Nu-Line Structures warehouse with 2 sidings for it. Here is the updated one.

It is getting hard to see the mainline now. LOL

 

[TruckLover]

So for the river thing are you saying that I should make it go in this general direction as in the picture below?

 

[TruckLover]

Ok, here is the final track plan I was ableto come up with. The last building I added was the superior paper company complex. I also curved the river the other way and made it go intothe backrop at an angle as you guys had described above (I thinkops: )

So, what do you guys think of this plan. It is a lot of switching and very busy and will keep me busy, and member that everything is drawn to scale (buildings, benchwork, bridge.....) using photoshop.:thumb:

 

[TrainNut]

Yes! Now it will be much easier for you to make use of forced perspective as well. As the river tapers off to the right, you can hide its entrance and force that perspective with shrubbery or whatever giving the perspective that it kind of meanders in from somewhere deepening your space instead of HERE I AM. Plus if you do a backdrop, it is so much easier to handle a river entering at an angle instead of one entering straight on.