progress on my layout

green_elite_cab

Keep It Moving!
i also noticed there was a question of pictures of BN 3043.

RRpicturearchives is the best for this kind of research. while it doesn't have a log for that locomotive, it should be know that it is a former SLSF ( Frisco) unit, and that not all the GP40-2s are alike. the SLSF versions is what you want to model after.
 
green_elite_cab said:
yeah, a mess is the quickest way to get shut down.

Ya im just trying to give buddy a hand so he can build a RailRoad which he can Grow with rather than build over the weekend and run trains in a loop all day and night.

I have said this b4 but i dont understand why guys dont build more 2 level layouts.

Its the way to go you get 2 times the mainline and its really not that hard. Soon I shall put up my plan which is rather tiny with a Helix joining the 2 levels with Staging yards on either end to represent points off the layout.

My 2 cents
 

Canopus

Member
Steven, I've been thinking about it and I reckon I got a recommendation for you. It doesn't require any buying (well, not unless you choose to buy something), so just hear me out and then make a decision. :)

Here's what I think you should do; go to the walthers website, and do a search for their Cornerstone range. Look through each industry, decide on one that you really like and that you feel would fit your layout. Now, consider this - you buy the model, get it home, put it together, paint it, get it looking good and ready to go. Place it on your blank baseboard anywhere that takes your fancy, and decide how the railroad would be laid out to serve it, what type of freight it would require in order to run, and what kind of freight would have to be shipped out, and where all that would come from/go to.

Take that, and start drawing up track plans, just go nuts, maybe read a few books on the way real life railroads are laid out or something... anything to get your imagination fired up. Then once you've settled on one, show us, and we'll point out any potential pitfalls - if there are none, then you're sorted!

What do you say? I'd say it's worth a shot at least...
 
I second Canopus' suggestion...a very creative and 'out-of-the-box' (pun intended) method. One of the hardest thing any artist can face (and as modelers we are artists working with a three-dimensional medium) is a blank canvas.

A variation on this idea - make mock-ups out of cans of food, shoe boxes, etc., to visualize and represent different industries.

Galen
 
Did I mention I also really like Green Elite Cab's point-to-point plan? I sat here a few minutes staring at it and running a local in my mind from blocking a train in the yard at right, over the road to the passing track to switch the industries around the backdrop, then setting up the train to switch the trailing points on the way back. This could certainly keep a person quite busy for an enjoyable evening of running trains...especially with sound-equipped locos and smooth, slow speed operation.

Galen
 

viperman

Active Member
Here's some out-loud (or whatever) thinking...

I do like GEC's plan too, but I MUCH prefer continuous run, with sidings. I like the idea of having a yard on the 2x4 section of the table, connecting to the mainline in the 4x4 section. Maybe have the track go through a tunnel that is part of a scenic divider between the 4x8/4x4 and the 2x4. But then the only way to access the yard is to back-up through the tunnel again. After that, I'm still not sure. I like the idea of having a town/village. The fishing port mentioned earlier is a cool idea, but would put that off to the side of the layout, probably with its own siding, on the outskirts of town. I also like the idea of a hilly area with lots of vegetation, grass, rocks, live and dead trees, a cave, maybe even a stream running down it, hiking/mountain biking trails. Maybe have the stream from the hill run to the small port where the fishing is, and have a part with a car show along the line. Maybe have a waterfall instead of a stream, and instead of running through the town, have it run off to the side to the fishing port. I also would like to have a cemetery, perhaps an old run down/abandoned, and have some sort of a ghost, maybe even a runsted/falling apart hearse.
 
viperman said:
I'll see if I can get some room cleared up this weekend, but I'm not going to be out there very long

Right so go this weekend and see what you can do and how much you can clean up and organize. Again they will like the idea of making room .
 

viperman

Active Member
Can anyone tell me where to get a program on the net that will allow me to plan trackplans? I am drawing them out now, but would like to try the program to check to see if the track pieces would work the way I draw one out
 

TruckLover

Mack CH613 & 53' Trailer
Some people like the Atlas freeware and some don't. I am one of those people that don't like it very much, and it sounds like you arn't liking it very much either.
 

rfmicro

New Member
I have tried the free Atlas Program but found it limiting in the provided library.

I then tried a program called 3rd Railroad Concept and Design. It has provided libraries of differnt track, and it allows you to create your own library should it differ from those provided. If you spend the time it has report printouts that can provide you a summary of the track you need to buy and a total cost as well as a printout of the track plan. Problems I have found are the track samples some times change shape as you add the sample track to the layout plan. I will need to plrint one out to see if the track shapes are consistent or not. The 'Save As' feature only allows saving in the program's proprietary format (i.e. not transportable to other software programs). It has both 2D and 3D functions as well as the ability to place building, scenery, Helix, benchwork, etc, etc.

I also have XTrkCAD and 3rd Planit, but haven't hsd the time to fully check the out. Both have similar functions as 3rd Raulroad but are not as intuitive to learn.

V/R
Trent
 

Canopus

Member
I have to say, I'm a little hazy on what you're actually planning to do. If I recall, you decided to scrap the current layout and relay it just how you wanted - I made a suggestion for figuring out trackplans but then you came back talking about fitting in a fishing port, town, industry, yard, and scenic area all in the same layout.

Seriously you're not going to be able to fit all that without drastically miniaturising all of it. Also you've not even decided where the tracks are going to go yet! I think you need to slow down, sit down, and think.

Lets get back to basics; You want an enjoyable layout. The most fun layouts (in my opinion) are the ones that "do a job", where freight visably moves from one point to another. That means industries or passengers. Industries are more fun because you get to do switching, so lets say you want a few industries on the layout. Now, to add to the fun, you could say that all the freight coming from and going to the industries must first stop at the yard to be arranged into trains. More operational use will be had out of the layout this way. You need somewhere for your freight to go, so lets say a freight terminal or harbour - this will need switching too. Now you've got your harbour, you might want a few fishing boats in there too, and a few buildings to land the catch - this could be served by the railroad, generating additional traffic and interest.

So far, you've gotten at least two industries, a yard, a harbour, and a fish industry. There are at least 5 points on the layout where switching can take place, and I gaurantee you'd be able to fit that into the space you've got.

Just have a think about it, it's not all that difficult. All you've got to do is put some industries down that require a railroad, then provide that railroad in a way that you'll have some fun operating.
 
Great post Canopus thats just what I have been thinking the whole time. SLOW DOWN and think. I have been trying to push cleaning up the basement to get an idea howmuch space he has to work with.
 

Canopus

Member
gottaBreal said:
Great post Canopus thats just what I have been thinking the whole time. SLOW DOWN and think. I have been trying to push cleaning up the basement to get an idea howmuch space he has to work with.

Yeah I think that's key - once we know how much space is there we can really start to say for sure what's going to fit and what's not - at the moment I'm just guessing based on pictures.

Also I'll be able to do a trackplan. :thumb:
 

viperman

Active Member
Like I stated, tthat was all just outloud thinking. Something to give everyone else an idea what points I would find interesting, or would like to see/model.

I'll still be stuck in hell here for a couple days yet, and hopefully be able to head to my parents this upcoming Sat night (its the fiance's b-day on Sat, so we'll see). I have a couple areas in mind that I could try to clear out some room, but have no idea how much room I'd be able to make, or the dimensions of those areas yet.
 
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