The future MV&P- Needs some help!

MilesWestern

Active Member
Wrecks are becomeing much too common on my layout and that EXTREMELY FRUSTRATES ME!!! :curse:

WRECK4.JPG


I couldn't even finish switching the local today, and that pisses me off!! I need a new, larger layout to run my large locomotives, the boggest of which is an AB pair of E7's.

I want to retian the overall flavor of my old layout whiles making it larger to support my rolling stock. Here's the old layout's trackplan.

http://www.the-gauge.com/showthread.php?t=22147

I've got this much space:
garagespace.JPG


...and intend to utilize a rough trianglar shape, plus the little 1X4 for a branch line to a packing plant.

I would like the following:
==Operation==
-A 10 car (assume 45' cars) passing siding
-A siding 5 (67') cars long for the main station
-A 6 track yard, for assembling frieghts
-An engine servicing facilty untilizing the already purchased ATLAS roundhouse and turntable
-lots of industrial spurs, one of which crosses over another at an angle

==Scenery==

-At least 2 or three stations for loacal passenger service, one being the American model builders SP type 22 depot: http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/152-134
(I've got the other, smaller depots too)

-A yard where I can assemble local frieghts

-A suger beet loader, and Suger beet plant

-An Orange Grove, and packing plants, Ice houses, ect.

-A junkyard

-a town near the large depot

-an industrial switching district near the yard.

==============

I know this sounds like alot, but is it possible?
 
Are the blue lines Windows.? Also do you have the full area or just that small bottom section where u just put that layout in?
 
Also what radius curves are we looking at here boss. Ill grab my paper and scratch some benchwork for ya. You can make a really nice layout with some nice runs between citys.
 

MilesWestern

Active Member
as far as radius goes well, what ever you can fit! I'm thinking 24" raduis maybe more, if it doesn't prevent me from getting a yard in there! :)

Yes the blue things are windows, and no, they need not be accessible! :) However, they protrude an unruley 4" or so from the wall! :(

But that shouldn't be too much of a problem! :)
 

railohio

Active Member
Looks good so far. I only see a few minor things to be amended. How about making the yard track closest to the main double ended? That would let it serve as another passing siding, a classification track, or an arrival/departure yard. Another addition should be a lead to the left of the ladder to allow for switching without fouling the main. I'm sure I'll think of a few more things once I study it more, tho. ;)
 

MilesWestern

Active Member
Sounds good! Should I have a yard lead for switching?

Any ideas for the engine servicing facility?

Also, could someone PLEASE draw an accurate version of this layout to see if it all can Fit?
 
Im gonna scratch a plan up now....I will only make the mainline and a yard....you can add the sidings where you want them. Im going to try for 28"r and see what i can come up with.!
 
111.jpg


Let me know if you like this.....I made it so it is a loop. However if you would like....Where the mainlines cross you could build a 2 level area with 2 end points with yards at either end and maybe some staging in that little 4x1 area. Let me know which you would like to see.
 
gottaBreal - that plan looks awesome! What sort of tools do you use to sketch? I'm contemplating buying the KISS method tools, or making similar templates on my own.

Galen
 
I just do it free hand with ruler and compass. By the way those are number 5 turnouts and 24"R min curves. I reall think a yard on the upper level would look sweet in this plan.

Again just gonna wait and see what boss says about point to point with the 2 level area at the bottom. Im a huge fan of doing 2 levels since you get 2 times as much fun.
 

MilesWestern

Active Member
WOW!! :eek: That's Great! Two Issues:

Where would the station go, and where is the city, yard, andI guess forget the turntable because it can't even turn the smallest of my Steamers 'round! :rolleyes:

lemme see if I can re-vamp the old plan, and see how I could improve yours, it's AWESOME!!! :thumb:
 
MilesWestern said:
WOW!! :eek: That's Great! Two Issues:

Where would the station go, and where is the city, yard, andI guess forget the turntable because it can't even turn the smallest of my Steamers 'round! :rolleyes:

lemme see if I can re-vamp the old plan, and see how I could improve yours, it's AWESOME!!! :thumb:

Ok The station Ive given you 2 passing sidings on the mainline. Its now your choice on what you wanna do with the bottom area of the layout. You can make it 2 levels and have end points at both. If you could fit this in i was thinking about another loop back right where u have the 1x4 shelf area so you could have a yard along the bottom wall and have a turn around up there.....I guess it all comes down with what your size is. That little room you have sure would open things up if we could have staging yards hidden in that room but again i cant really see what kinda space you have.

That is my suggestion tho....do the point to point layout with staging tracks and maybe even a return loop hidden in that storage room. You can have a nice Grade up and down to each levels and then model the north and the south of the area which you would like to do. Then the staging yards only really have to be 3 or 4 tracks and you can have ready to run full trains sitting back there ready to come into your world. You can have a really nice layout in that space just let me know if you dont mind having the 2 levels come to END points.
 
MilesWestern said:
Oh! and Also...

I was planning to alocate the 1X4 for a packing plant if possible, otherwise, if it's possible, the yard?

How could I reach the loop towards the back corners to clean track? In access hatch?

As far as scenery, I'm thinking all the below:

How will this plan easily fit central coastal california?

You've seemed to caputre that quite nicely.

Ok ya as for that 1x4 area you can do whatever you like with that area. I was thinking about having it run alot longer for your yard and or staging tracks. Again I need to know where you wanna access this layout from. Where the doors are in the spare room all that kinda info since as you can see Im able to put togather a good layout idea from my tiny little nooodle. if your not going to use a turntable....then maybe try and fit a WYE in some where for ya.

As for reaching the back corners its really not that far and if your talking about the tracks under the top loop then ya if you build this layout Cookie cutter style youll have no problems doing it from under the layout.

Ok next we need to find out what Citys you would like to model. Im thinking you can do about 2 MAJOR cities on the 2 level area and 3 smaller citys on the layout where it comes togather. Then you can find out what kinda industrys you need to service and what the local area looks like. Not hard these days with google earth and other things like that.
Now I know you might be thinking you dont really care about REAL citys but im telling you its a HUGE help in udnerstanding what youll need to make the operation of the layout alot more fun.
 

MilesWestern

Active Member
Ok.

Here goes.

I would like:

One large city: San Luis Obispo

Two medium cities: Arguello; San Miguel or Paso Robles

A bunch of whistle stops: Orange; Wye; Colton; Oak Springs; ect.

Hilly terrian, like before.

Would really like a yard in San Luis Obispo

Station stops in Arguello; San Miguel, Orange (no siding) and Oak springs (no siding)

Would like to serve the following industries:
-Passenger stations
-At least two orange packing plants (stub ended)
-ice house (passing track, short)
-Bulk oil dealer (stub ended)
-warehouses (shares spur with other industries?)
- Multiple spur "univeral industry" (stub end)
-MAYBE a sugar beet loader (passing siding) and Sugar mill (stub end)


(Thinking if bottom left loop) How about the over/under thing, have the bridge go under both the river and the tracks?

there you go!
 
Ok and would you mind a 2 level layout or would you rather just stick to table top flat level layout....Also point to point of da BIG LOOP?
 
One large city: San Luis Obispo

Two medium cities: Arguello; San Miguel or Paso Robles

A bunch of whistle stops: Orange; Wye; Colton; Oak Springs; ect.

So these cities run south to north or north to south..? What you could do for me is say North city is,,,,,,,then go south from there which citys you would like to see. Also with all this stuff I really have to ask....That layout u had drawn up looked like one big city to me. Sounds to me like you woudlnt mind a point to point with long mainline and enuf stops to make it fun.
 

MilesWestern

Active Member
The one nearest your signature. I would like to KISS and only have a table top layout, looking at the original track plan, it's nearly there. Any drastic changes you need to make? I can eliminate a couple of whistle stops, and maybe Arguello, if need be.

Keep in mind it also might need to be semi-modular, if we move (not currently inthe future, but it may happen, we rent)
 
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