Truro Junction Layout in Progress!

[Agatheron]

Woohoo! My layout is not only started... it's actually in progress... I've been trying to plan out how my layout might look by playing around with the Unitrack I have... which included building a yard. So far so good... I also ran a passenger train around to test a few things out.

Here's the broad picture:

After taking this picture, I rearranged the track closest to the camera to have a slight curve to it. So here's another shot of the redone track with a passenger train on it:

The staging yard isn't much to speak of at the moment, but it will be hidden behind the scenery... A total of 5 tracks... Trains will bypass the yard on the shortest yard track:

Here's two shots of the latest draft of the yard:

And lastly the extent of the yard lead:

I'm planning on doing a shortline run up the middle, which I don't have the track to do as of yet. It will be where my Cape Breton Central Nova Scotia locomotives will be running and servicing industries. I need to buy some more straight track to round out the yard... as well as some more turnouts to handle industries, as well as a passenger station near the yard.

All told, it's neat to see this come together... I will of course, be adding risers and such to give this some depth. There's room for both causeways and culverts here and there....

Feedback?

 

[OnTrack]

I like it, it looks really nice. Ive heard lots about Kato's Unitrack. Im sure it will treat you well. Keep us posted with any other progress you make. By the way how are those Kato SD40-2's treating you?

 

[eightyeightfan1]

Looks like an excellent start.
One thing. You have your staging yard in the back, up against the wall, that you plan on hiding with scenery.
Gonna make it kinda hard to place cars, connect/disconnect trains, and if what you have started is an indication, you don't want to wreck any excellent scenery that you have done because you have to reach over the layout(Knocking down buildings, trees, trains.)
I suggest having a "visual" staging yard. Not all staging yards have to be hidden. That yard you have up front would be an excellent one, and you can use it for interchange with the shorline you are planning.

 

[Agatheron]

I had thought about it, but I decided that whatever staging yard I would end up with would be a type where I construct the respective trains, and then feed them into the staging yard before a given operating session. During the operating Session in question, access to the yard would only be necessary if I had a derailment and such. I have a step stool where I can position myself over the layout to extend my reach hopefully without brushing on scenery and such.

Although if worse comes to worse, I can pull the layout out from the wall. Which I will probably need to do when I paint the staging yard area anyway. My plan is to physically mount a backdrop against the wall, but keep the layout itself separate from the backdrop... Will give an illusion of distance, I hope.

The design of the layout is to provide a place for the trains from Halifax (East) and Moncton (and the rest of Canada) (West) to go to and come from. The yard out front is to handle the junction traffic between the CBCNS shortline that will run up the middle of the board on a grade and have the most operational interest. The staging yards will hide 1-2 trains that represent the mainline traffic, and will have 2-3 trains that will function as wayfreight runs to off-layout destinations.

 

[Chessie6459]

It is looking good. You are off to an excellent start my friend. Keep us updated on the progress you make on this. We are looking forward to seeing your work.:thumb: :thumb: :thumb:

 

[Triplex]

Gonna make it kinda hard to place cars, connect/disconnect trains

That would be a fiddle yard, not a staging yard.

I had thought about it, but I decided that whatever staging yard I would end up with would be a type where I construct the respective trains, and then feed them into the staging yard before a given operating session.

 

[Agatheron]

Here's a link to a video of my first train operating on the layout.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KeA74Cxy5U

All told I'm pretty happy. I'm using the passenger train to help with curves and turnouts... because if they can handle it, everything else can.

 

[Agatheron]

I like it, it looks really nice. Ive heard lots about Kato's Unitrack. Im sure it will treat you well. Keep us posted with any other progress you make. By the way how are those Kato SD40-2's treating you?

I forgot to reply to this... Well... the Kato SD40-2 that's out in front is their earlier version. It already has an installed decoder. The one still in the box is the new one... which I've not had a chance to install the decoder in just yet.... but soon!

I'm planning on repainting the SD40-2 out front in CBCNS colours... along with an undecorated GP40 that's somewhere in there...

 

[train1]

What are the linear dimensions of the layout?

I wondered where all the CN Units that I didn't already own went.

 

[Agatheron]

The layout is about 113" across the back, the L shape is about 72" out from the wall and about 40" wide... the wide part on the far side is 48" deep, and the middle section narrows up to about 34" deep.

Does that help?

How many CN units do you have?? I have 2 SD40-2's (although I'm going to repaint one)... I have 3 of the Lifelike GP9rm's (one paint scheme of each, but not both road numbers), a custom painted SD70MAC (painted it myself, I know... heresy), an Athearn SD75i and a Kato C44-9W.

 

[train1]

I think I have about 50 or 60 various CN Units and some pics are posted on my images page which is linked to my signature. My favs are my fleet of C44's , some of which I had custom painted for me - plus a few fantasy locos.
If it's CN - I've pretty much got it.(Except for the one's you bought LOL) Now I just need a home layout to run it.
Keep up the good work - but slow that passenger down a touch to scale speed
- It's not Lionel (LOL)

 

[Agatheron]

Cool... thanks for the link... I've not done any scale speed stuff with any of my DCC locos yet. Eventually... especially with those I am intending to make consists with. I want to have all my mainline locos to be able to have the same overall speed performance if possible.

 

[Agatheron]

Just a quick update and a single picture... I'm still laying out track, so I have yet to add risers and such. Here's a pic with the CBCNS shortline being roughed in with track.

I still don't have enough track... the line in the center of the layout will be a 2-3% grade with a tire industry as labeled on the "L" part of the layout extending into the room.

What I haven't built yet, or have track for, is having the Shortline extend back to where it diverges from the mainline, continuing up the grade. There will hopefully be a papermill on that part of the layout, and then the track form a reversing loop, with some of the loop hidden behind scenery to have an "upper deck" single staging track.

Feedback?

 

[60103]

Just a comment on the staging yard. You're going to have 5 different lengths of track, the one at the front will be very short. If you switched the hand of the turnouts at one end so that they all went along the wall and then had a curve to run the tracks parallel, they would all come out the same length. Now, you may not need/want it this way, if you have one long freight and a two car passenger train.
If the yard is going to be open to the sky but behing a divider, you can make a cheap train detector from a solar cell between the tracks and a LED. The solar cell lights the LED until the train covers it; you just need a light source above.

 

[Agatheron]

In terms of the staging tracks, I've debated a few different configurations... I had thought about doing a diamond-style yard, to give me identical length tracks... but it would shorten the overall length of my bigger trains. Since I am planning on doing a few shorter wayfreights, I'm not as bothered to have a staging track that is really only about 29" long. My longest train at the moment will be up to 70" long...

That having been said, I could do one compromise in rearranging the yard, reduce my longest train length by about 12", but it would increase my shortest train length by about the same amount. Fortunately, nothing's glued down and I can play around with it.

The advantage of the current arrangement is that I will only need four Kato switches to control all 8 turnouts. If I do a diamond shaped yard, I will need one switch for each staging track... Current arrangement allows me to throw one switch for two... which for this newbie would reduce headaches!

Thanks for the tip on the solar cell... I do have light sources...

 

[Agatheron]

Here's some more progress shots... I've completed the staging yard, and am set to wire it up. As you can see, I've added 2 more inches of foam to bring the track up to a level where the risers will work nicely... I'll be putting foam underneath the Truro Junction Yard, and will be using the WS risers for just about everything else... More pictures will come soon.

First off... putting down the foam:

Next... building up the staging yard:

Finally, drilling holes through the styrofoam and wood so that I can feed the turnout controls underneath the layout. This shot is taken from the opposite side of the layout from the other two pictures.

 

[mcbane666]

I can't wait to see the kato track when you are finish, are you going to do anything to remove the plastic look? alittle ballast on top, or weathering?

I know the area that you are making, LOTS of traffic for such a small town. Maby next time i'm home in Sussex i'll come visit and "borrow a couple of CN locos"

Hey have you ever seen a NB southern loco? or anybody even do a NB southern layout?

I'll keep watching, keep up the nice work:thumb:

 

[mcbane666]

sign1 just saw that your not located in truro guess i won't be visiting

 

[grumbeast]

Hi,

Just got back on the gauge. I work in Truro (the mainline runs just behind the college) and I take quite a few pics around here when I get the chance. I have some on my website
http://grumbeast.fotopic.net/

If there is anything in particular you'd like a pic of and don't mind waiting till I get a chance to get out let me know! if you pvt message me I'll let you have my work email address etc.

cheers

Graham

 

[holdenburg]

I still don't have enough track...

Agatheron;

I can see the type of Kato track your using and am just starting out planning my new layout in N Gauge. This looks like the Kato snaptrack? How do you like this track? (you must like it as your using it!! )

I am just at the point of purchasing track and am trying to learn about what is available.

Your layout looks good and the curves look good with the passenger trains.

Good luck on your new layout and Happy New Year. Your DCC setup should add a lot to this layout ...

Herb