Operational switching layouts

Russ Bellinis

Active Member
Where is the breaker box in relation to the layout? Will 10 inches allow you to access it if you need to reset some breakers? Could you post the yard you want to put in again. This thread has gotten long enough that it is difficult to remember what yard you were looking at.
 

KCS

Member
The 8' section is in reference to two 4' modules. With 3' wide on the 17' section adding it in making 4'+4'=8' leading to 10' over all. N, the bench work won't be started ntil I have a sure deal design that I'm going to stick with for my main design other wise I'd hate to build benchwork and have a design come up and not fit on it. Lemme locate and mark the location of the breaker box on the last design I laid out.
 

KCS

Member
OK, the blue box at the end of the layout is "roughly" where the breaker box is located. I'm taking the 4'x5' module island out of the design do to other thing's I have to have in the room but if I can fit it in I want to fit in an island just big enough to hold a turn around "Y" to reverse two locomotives. I don't want to get in to close to the breaker box do to someone who is clumsy and might end up breaking something on my layout trying to get to it do to his lack of not caring about anyone else's things.

Here is a link to the yard layout.
Click here: ideal_yard_layout.JPG :: My dream yard design @ Fotopic.Net
I am hopping to use #6 switch's and 22" curves as a minimum. Now this yard does call for some #4 switch's but I'm not sure on which one's they are. As long as my 6 axle locomotives can handle them and look decent. I'm using sergent couplers and my equipment so there isn't any side play in-between the knuckles of the couplers like Kadee's, but when the plan is completed and I get ready to lay track then I can fudge some things to make it work out just right.
 

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KCS

Member
No, I don'y want the whole thing to be a yard just part. In with a 4 track classifacation yard and an entrance track coming up to the switching lead like that plan is designed. I only need one RIP track but I need to locomotive servicing tracks. An A & D track would be nice. I've been doing alot of researching and I'm semi sorta getting some idea's but some how to me they don't seem to be worth a damn in the long run when I really think about it. I lack poor qaulity in track design. I will be running DCC and using signal's if this is of any help.
 

KCS

Member
OK, after daaay's of many hour's sitting here trying to decide I finally got my bench work how I want it and it is a permanent stay. I've gotten the yard drawn out how I want it but I can't seem to get two locomotive servicing tracks, one A & one D track (two tracks total for the A&D) and a RIP track to fit in without interfering with the switching lead. I want to be able to bring a train in a pull a train out of the yard while the yard switching isn't disturbed. How to tie this yard together with the corresponding thing's I have no idea. I was going to throw in a locomotive escape track but that I don't also know about where to put it.

I have decided to keep the layout single level do to the weight of a multi deck layout plus the complication of building it in modular form so I am leaving this bench work plan as is because one day after it is built I will move and I plan on adding to it later. Speakin' of adding on to it later on. I want to keep at least one line as a true main line because I will want a continuous run later on down the road but for right now just a mainline with lot's of switching.

The following diagram goes as follow's.: Red-main line track but I would like to have the RIP, servicing and A&D tracks tied to the classification yard with the main line running on the outside of the layout. Dark Gray: classifaction yard. Light Gray: switching lead.(note: need's to be longer to fit a train long enough for the yard. Blue: "roughly" where I want the A&D tracks, locomotive servicing tracks, and RIP track to be. Dark Blue (70% of layout) for any switching idea's you guy's might have or be able to come up with. I have drawn up a couple design's but I junked them simply because they looked like a track plan for something in the 40's and 50's era. I'm looking for more of something to fit into the "NOW" era. lol.

I swear up and down.:curse: :curse: :curse: I've been trying to build a layout for almost 6 years now and my room dimensions keep getting changed because of moving or somethng big and new like a $5,000 drum set keep's running me out of room. I'll be damned this time though. I'll build it and if space becomes a problem hen we move in our own place then I'll just go buy a 15'x24' already built portable shed building for MY layout room.announce1 :D I pln on doing this anyway, that's why I'm leaving it to be added on to later. Just not this year.
 

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LoudMusic

Member
You definitely don't want the yard to be on the backside of the layout. It makes it hard to reach and if anything fails you'll be cursing the whole thing. Also, there's no need to make the rails parrallel to the table edge. Try running them a few degrees off the parralel so that the first turnout is closer to the inside corner of the curve.
 

KCS

Member
Thank's for that link Shortliner. Someone (may have been you) posted that lin about a year ago and for the life of me I could never find it and it happens to be one of the main one's I have been looking for, for a long time now. Loudmusic, I thought about that. I really wanted the class. yard towards the outter edge of the benchwork. Pretty much just flipped over with all the other tracks near the wall. I just couldn't see how to make it work without having a tight curve into it. Lemme play around. I think I just saw an idea.
 

KCS

Member
I give up. I've been sitting on this computer day after day for hour's at a time trying to get something together and just when I think I have it a problem presents itself. I've had several already made design's that I tried to incorprate into the yard I want and it's just not working. Boy have I got writer's block bad. Or is it track design block? I'm starting to get fed up with it. It's even started becoming a frustrating problem to where my signifacant other and I are bickering. When I leave the computer to go do other thin's it bug's me bad because I have accomplished nothing. I was trying to go for a home layout because waiting month's to go with the club to a show and run. I'm at a loss..... Sorry if it sound's like self pitty.
 

Gary S.

Senior Member
Don't feel too bad about the lack of progress. I've been working on the design of my around-the-room shelf layout for almost a year now :cry: . Very frustrating.

My problem is: This is my first layout, and I just am not certain that I know what will work and what won't for an "operations oriented point to point" RR. I am to the point of enlisting professional help. Over the weekend, I built a 1" = 1 foot mock-up of my space, built little scale buildings, etc. Maybe I can come up with something.

Now, the past year hasn't been a loss. I got the shelves built, made lots of trees, put together and painted a few large structures (background flats), acquired some RTR rolling stock and repaired some I obtained from the LHS "bargain table", got all the DCC bus wiring done under the shelves, and read and read and read everything I could get my hands on.

Now that I think about it, my first year in model railroading has actually been darned interesting!:)
 
attitude

KCS - don't despair! Thomas Edison spent more time developing light bulbs that never worked and when he was asked how it was that he could keep going he replied that with each 'failure' he now knew one more way how NOT to make a light bulb (or something like that...I'm terrible with getting quotes exactly right).

So don't give up. Get back to your passion. When you close your eyes and imagine a model railroad, what does it look like? Spend time Dreaming about that then decide step by step how you're going to get there. Write each step down and assign dates to them. Then show it to your significant other and impress on her just how important this is to you. Get her on board with your excitement and enthusiasm. Don't forget to compromise.

With my layout plans, I have set out some broad brush strokes on what should happen when. The first stage is underway, with soliciting help and ideas from The Gauge members. Also, I'm cleaning out the space and doing all the prep work (taking care of storage, finding a place for everything). And since long before I was ever engaged to be married I was making it clear to my future bride that model trains are an important part of my sanity.

What my wife gets out of the deal is a committment from me to be home for dinner (my work schedule is crazy flexible and prone to run over) and put my son to bed (with a story from Rev. Awdry...), among other things on the honeydo list. What I get in return is amazing support and consideration of my hobby. We also get a more organized house in general, since the garage is the catch-all for stuff that doesn't have a home. This is hard work for a person like me that doesn't like to work at being organized.

Anyway, thanks for listening to my rant, and I hope you consider the advice...it's free, of course, and up to you to take it.

Galen
 

KCS

Member
Well, after taking a day off away from any planning here is something I came up with. This yard design that I took from another layout drawing gave me 6 tracks and 1' extra to play with and fit in the A&D and RIP tracks. The green track I added from another drawing. Now I'm stumped as to what kinda industry switching I can add and make work with what have. On the left of the picture the mainlin will continue strait for future addtions. Anyone have any idea's of what else could be put in? I need a locomotive escape track in the yard still but don't know where to put it until I have a A&D track. Maybe an A&D and RIP track on the other side of the locomotive servicing tracks? If so how could I get it in there without once again disturbing the switching lead but yet still have access to the whole yard without a cross over? Any suggestions coment's and idea's would be great. Thanks.
 

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