Opinions needed on first timers track plan....

[Troy]

Ive been working in conjunction with ScrewySquirrel over the last few days and he has been very helpful. He came up with a plan that is very close to what I want. Shamus also supplied me with a design that was quite nice. Both plans have some very nice features that I would like to incorporate into the one design. So I have been working away trying to do just that. Im not finished yet, still have to work out where Im going to put an industrial area and siding...

Anyway, my main concern at the moment is the grades Ive chosen for the Freight line that climbs up into the mountain?
The outer track for the passenger trains will be at sea level.

Could someone please comment?
Any opinions in general about the design?

Cheers,

Troy.

 

[jon-monon]

Looks great Troy!

You'll be pushing the enveloup with that grade, but it will just challenge the train crew; I say go fer it! You can usually go 2" per 8 ft on a straight section no problem. You're going 4" on about 14 ft on some curvey track.

Also you will want to be able to access it from all sides to keep thje reach across reasonable for building and maintaining it. Not to say a 4 X 8 can't be done in a corner. As a young pre-teen, I did a 4 X 8 HO layout with mountains, fully sceniced and operational with two sides completly blocked off and parts of the other two blocked off. Didn't bother me because I didn't know any better.

 

[screwysquirrel]

steep grades

your grades are really steep.

The initial rise from the crossover to 2", assuming it starts right after the crossover is 3%, about what you wanted for the coal mine.

The downgrade is a very steep 4% to make your bridge/tunnel, assuming it starts right After the turnout and stops just before the crossover.

the passenger track curves inside the 'inner track' which is a good place to put your industry district. I'd elevate that area just a LITTLE bit, maybe 1/4" to 1/2" at a very gentle grade to give it a little texture. a Little town in that area with an 'Inglenook' or 'timesaver' switching puzzle would provide plenty of switching action, and should fit nicely. However, as drawn the curve back onto the 'real' track looks a little sharp, be sure to test track in RTS in that area.

This is a pic of the 'Inglenook' puzzle:

this is a pic of the famous 'Timesaver', in N it fits in as small an area as 3 feet x 4 inches. It also shows the necessary lengths for the puzzle to work

 

[jon-monon]

4% is steep to mere mortals, but to loggers, it's nuttin' hehehe Seriously, yes it's steep, but he can run 4% if he wants to, many do, esp. on a smaller layout. Very common on a 4X8 HO.

I forgot to mention, on the yards, if you want to learn more, Troy, visit the Ten Commandments of MRR Yard Design. You won't likely want to implement all aspects here, lest the yard take over your layout, but it is good reading/learning. The expense and complexity as well as the possibility of getting too "tracky" is aslo a limitation in the MRR yard.

 

[jon-monon]

BTW: SS - I just grabbed a stack of used magazines at the LHS the other day, and low and behold, in the stack, I found an old MRR, Nov '72, with The Time Saver, by John Allen.