The future MV&P- Needs some help!

MilesWestern

Active Member
Well, it isn't that small! a 6X9X11X12 trapezoid isn't small at all!

I enjoy switching more, but I still want a continouous run. I prefer scenery to a spaghetti bowl as well. "scenic fedelity" would be more preferred.

possiblelayout.JPG


This is the shape and the extremely rough version of the trackplan. Let's tweak this to make it more workable!
 
Okay...this may not be all that helpful...but maybe someone out there can chime in and complete the details of this thought.

I'm thinking of a plan/layout from MR a few years back built by a club in Central or coastal California somewhere. The layout was built as a test bed for their signaling system, construction techniques, dispatching, track-laying, etc. It was freestanding, included a small yard, a twice-around plan, I think a turntable, and was sectional in construction in case of a move, I think. I really think it may appeal to you if you saw it. Can anybody out there help remember?

I'll go search the MRMI and see what I can find.

Galen
 

kitsune

Member
You probably won't fit the yard where you want it, Miles. The ladder won't get you that many tracks, and they won't be very long because of the curve.

John Armstrong's old rule was pick the longest wall to build the yard on. I'm guessing the righthand wall is longest? I suggest putting the yard there. Make at least one, preferrably two of the yard tracks double ended, you'll be very thankful later. I also suggest throwing some stub spurs along the back there, behind the main, so you can squeeze some industry flats in.

How many "towns" do you want? What kind of action do you need, e.g. do you need ain interchange or a branchline terminal or...?

More to the point, is this supposed to be a mainline, a branchline, a shortline? I assume it's still the 50s....
 

kitsune

Member
I'd stick the bridge on the north (top) segment. This side is viewed from both sides, and so it can't host flats. It's unlikely you'll be able to fit many spurs here and still have room for buildings.

The tunnel I suggest putting on a curve. Inside curves are better looking that outside curves because of radius tightness, so I suggest sticking the tunnel on the upper right curve.

i'd make the yard's single end tracks feed from the top. This way they could curve around to the bottom if necessary to get a bit longer. The turntable could go in the triangle of land made behind the ladder, since it's not easily useable for anything else anyway. Plus taht puts it up front where it can be seen.

I like the lefthand wall as it is. I'd make the back track longer though. You can never have a spur too long. besides, the longer the spur, the more cars it holds, the more cars each switch (and money) can handle. This and the little peninsula at left can become town #2, witht he yard and it's backdrop flat industries being town #1.

If your flagstops are passenger flagstops, you can just stick those anyplace there's room for a little shelter that looks cool.

The spur track on the left that goes down, diamonds, and keeps going down. How about duving that at the end and making a longer spur that goes along the bottom leg? Then you could hide the back track here with a large industry that would generate business and divide the layout in two. This way, the yard would be one "end point", and the diamon-spurred town would be the other, with the tunnel and bridge in between. You could even treat it like it's an interchange track with a different railroad, swapping cars from one end to the other, or when you feel more laid back, just clear it and run things in circles.
 

kitsune

Member
Flip the yard ladder.

You may want to skip the thouroughfare track behind the ladder, since you may not have room for it.

Make the siding on the left wall longer.

Otherwise more-or-less, yes.
 

MilesWestern

Active Member
Yeah...hmm...do you think I could do a walk around version, not as large at the amazingly nice one Gotta B real did! :thumb:
 
MilesWestern said:
Yeah...hmm...do you think I could do a walk around version, not as large at the amazingly nice one Gotta B real did! :thumb:

Well take a look at what you have at this point. Im sure you had a 4x8 layout which was really nice b4 this one. Now u just have a bigger 4x8 layout with a pop up in the middle.

Try and think about what you want out of your layout. If u just wanna run trains all day and night and not really go anywhere then a loop is what you want. If you wanna break up trains and switch cars into spots and interchange and stage trains then you should relook at what your doing.
 

MilesWestern

Active Member
hmm good point, I only really ran my trains aroud my 4X8 to create distance...and now I'll have the space, and the distance...start shootin' ideas, this point to point could be alotta fun!! :thumb:
 
What you could do Miles is model a single town with a interchange to the rest of the world.

You can Stage trains in the hidden yard then pull them into the town and switch loco's to your own railroad to do the local switching. You can have many different industries which you can have loaded cars which need shipping and have empty cars which need loading.

This would let you interchange with you fav "real" railroad and be able to run some other equipment for a some fun.

Think of having a layout with purpose rather than loops and see what you come up with,.
 
Or, strike a balance with a "loop and a wye to staging" setup with a hidden return. This gives you the look of a point-to-point, really, from staging to staging traveling over your road, but with a hidden cutoff to allow loop running. I'm working on a similar idea now for my space...when I get it scanned in I'll share a link.

Still haven't found that CA layout yet...still trolling old issues.

Galen
 

MilesWestern

Active Member
Ok, the benchwork will proceed in that shape. The yard is still a tossup. I'm keeping the industial district where it it, moving the river to the bottom, and placing a station scene with an ATSF interchange at the angled piece. Still needs some fine tuning, but that's where you guys come in! ;)
 

MilesWestern

Active Member
Here's the BASIC layout. This cannot change.

possiblelayout3.JPG


However ALOT needs to be added. This is where you come in! :) I need switching where is says "industrial" and a yard somewhere on the layout, preferably with an engine servicing facility! ;)

The dimensions (clockwise from the right wall, around) are 11' X 9X 6X 12 for the angle, and all the benchwork is 3 feet deep, even though I didn't draw it that way. :rolleyes: sorry guys! Is this asking too much?
 

Russ Bellinis

Active Member
I think you might be asking to put too much in your available space. You could force it in, but it would look comical. I think I would forgo the yard and engine facility and focus on industrial switching, and a variety of scenery. Make the yard off scene, and then just stage a train to come on scene and work those industries.
 

MilesWestern

Active Member
Excellent idea, both of you. The interchange wuld be ideal there, as would the yard bring "off stage." What could I do about the yard? Hve a grade descend below the table to an under layout staging yard?
 
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