New N Scale BNSF Layout

[Hoss]

For those of you who don't often venture over into the track planning forum...

Well, after all of the trouble I recently went through tearing down my old garage layout, designing a new track plan to come inside the house, building the new benchwork and starting on the subroadbed...I decided to take it back to the garage.

For those of you who may remember the other layout, I just never could seem to get everything I wanted into the space I had and I never could settle on a track plan that I liked.

The track plan below is a new one that I've come up with that I hope to begin construction on this week (took the week off for Christmas and New Year's).

Most of the vital information is shown on the drawing, so I won't give any more details unless you have questions.

I left plenty of room for scenery, and I currently have six industry tracks (some of which have not yet been assigned an industry). I will have a large grain elevator and a flood loader for coal. You should be able to find those pretty easy. I will probably have a power plant and a lumber yard somewhere and the rest are still up for grabs.

This will be a combination of both city and rural areas, with the city area being primarily around the "north" end of the yard and yard lead tracks.

Okay...I've said enough. Have at it. What do you think?

FULL SIZE VERSION

 

[Hoss]

Here's a variation of the same plan which increases the main line distance.

See below or go HERE for the full size version.

What do y'all think??

 

[SD90]

Looking good!

Mike.

 

[rcwatkins]

looks good to me.

 

[hemiadda2d]

My old layout in Minot, ND was 17x9'....
I like the mainline layout. It gives so much more run! The coal flood loader track? I am thinking it should be a bit further from the mainline. As in, more scenery between it and the main. I like the first plan, since the fload loader is separated from the main, but I also like plan B for the extended mainline.
Is your space all used up with that plan, or do you have more available? Many western coal flood loaders are a reverse loop of track that enters/exits the main on the same track. Also, most that I have seen are geographically separated from the main. You may have another prototype in mind, and it may be proto to do it as you have it, but that's just my humble opinion, and you can do whatever you like--it's your layout!!!:thumb:

 

[Matthyro]

It's good to have that long mainline Hoss. My old eyes can't read the track colour code but I am sure you will have fun with the new version

 

[Hoss]

Thanks for the comments everyone.

Hemiadda2d, I know what you're talking about on the flood loaders. I basically have to make a choice between a longer mainline run or having the flood loader off by itself. I could separate the flood loading track from the main more by making its radius smaller, but I'm trying to stay away from tight curves.

Hey Matt, if you click the link in my post up there it will take you to the full size version. I couldn't post it because it was too big for the screen and would have made everyone scroll back and forth to read the posts.

 

[hemiadda2d]

If you build the loadout track around a hill, the hill itself could camouflage the tighter radii. (12-15" rad?) Coal trains have short length cars, unlike autoracks, and the engines avail. in N are readily able to handle such a tight curve.
I know you already have the benchwork up, but I am not digging that duckunder situation...
'Tis why the present layout upstairs is a liftout entrance...

 

[Hoss]

I suppose I could use something to hide the tighter radius. Something to look into I suppose.

I could easily install a liftout on the new benchwork. In fact, that was something I considered. My other thought was a low rolling stool....just sit down and slide right under without any bending or head knocking.

 

[hemiadda2d]

I really don't see where you'd put a liftout, where you wouldn't have such a lot of track to cut, and be able to run thru. My liftout has one track, and getting that one track 'dialed-in' and tweaked for reliable use, took a couple weeks of off and on tinkering.
A roll-under is a good option, as well. Just not so good for the senior modelers that may come to visit, or when you become one yourself!Just something to consider.

 

[Hoss]

Good point on the lift out and track. I guess I hadn't really thought about the track aspect of it...just the wood aspect.

It will be quite a while before I consider myself senior, but there may be occasions where I have senior visitors. I make take an old chair and put casters on it...allowing anyone to just sit down in the chair, roll under the layout and then stand up...just like they had sat down at the kitchen table or something. Heck...I'll just buy a nice, cushy office chair that already has wheels and use that. Now I'm thinking.

 

[Hoss]

Now...just to make things TOTALLY confusing I went and added a branch line going to a helix which will then take trains down to a big staging yard.

The lower part where the helix is and the flood loader is all looks like a heaping mass of confusion, but if you follow the tracks and note their elevations (in red) above the deck then you can probably figure out what's going on.

So....here you go....be confused.

FULL SIZE VERSION

Mini Version:

 

[Hoss]

Hehehe...I guess people are tired of my track plan posts...not many bites on this one. :sleeping:

Anyway, today at work I played around a little bit with a scenery plan just to kind of show everyone what I have in mind for this new track plan. The picture below is kind of crude, but I think it gets the point across.

Comments are more than welcome.

 

[SD90]

I like it Hoss, you've done a good job at getting lots of mainline out of the space you are working with. Make sure to post pictures of your progress! We all like pictures!

Mike

 

[Hoss]

Ahhh...yes, lots of pictures.