Track Plan, 10 month anniversary -all comments welcomed- (updated 5/18/06)
Hello Gang,
Well today is our 10th month anniversary of starting out on a track and layout plan and what a long strange trip it’s been.
The OL and I started out knowing nothing about Model railroading or real life railroads and nothing much about our chosen line, location and setting. We started with a simple idea ‘The ATSF line sometimes in the 1950’s where it runs along sections of Route 66’, it seemed pretty simple and so off we set.
Along the way we left behind the idea of converting our garage to a train room because of expense and switched instead to using a spare bedroom which meant scraping the track plans we’d started for that space (four refined versions) and starting up a whole new one.
The move to a smaller space brought about a period of refinement – Just what was the right place to model in the space given that met our original idea? That meant learning as much about Route 66 and the ATSF as we could; along the way things narrowed and narrowed and we ended up with: 1954 late spring to early summer in northern Arizona, along the line between Pinta and Holbrook Arizona and a big change – a fictional town depicting as many of the elements we wanted as we could.
So we set out with a new set of design ideas for the new space. At first the idea of a small point to point was explored but many problems presented themselves. Concerns we had no idea of slowly surfaced, things like staging, passing sidings switchbacks, runarounds, yard designs – sometimes the lists of things to learn seemed endless but John Armstrong and Frank Ellison’s books were always close by and then came Ian Rice and many others.
Through it all there also was the single greatest and most invaluable aid – wonderful, giving, patient sagely members of the forums. From Trains.com to the Gauge, modelrailroadforums.com, and good folks along the way: Texas Zephyr, Leighant, SpaceMouse, Ereimer, Masonjar, Fred Wright, 60103, Joe Fugate, Byron Henderson and many, many more who I apologize to for not naming here. Without all of you all this would have come to nothing.
So now ten months, 5 major redesigns and 14 total plans later I’ve come back to feeling that I am potentially finished yet again so I come back again to my friends, mentors and ministers to show where I am and hear what comments, criticism and advice you can offer.
So here is to ten months and good pals! :thumb:
Here is the basic information with track plan picture below. As always any and all comments criticisms, advice or questions are welcomed and wanted.
Track Plan Info:
Scale: HO
Name: Route 66 Railway.
Locale: Northern Arizona alongside route 66. (In the fictional town of Gila, AZ)
Period: 1954, late spring to early summer.
Layout Height: Starting at 50".
Track: Code 83.
Turnouts: #6 on Mainline and inside Staging, #5 on industry spurs, #6 ½ curved leading to Staging, #7 ½ curved on Corner Crossovers, # 2 ½ wye on Wye and Industry spur.
Curve Radii: 28" outside mainline, 26" inside mainline, some curves much broader in other areas- broadest curve in plan 6’ 2”.
Outer Loop: Eastbound Traffic, Right handed (clockwise) running.
Inner Loop: Westbound Traffic, Left handed (counter-clockwise) running.
Industries: A - Scrap Yard, B – Fuel Oil Supplier, C - Shipping Warehouse, D – Bolt and Screw Factory, E – Station, F - Concrete Plant, G – Oil Field/Oil Tanks,
H – Freight House/Team Track, I - Stock pens, J – Agricultural Co Op, K – Gravel Company.
Points of Interest: A to C–2 to 13 Town of Gila, J-12 Blue Moon Drive In, G-2 E-2 Ranches.
View attachment 27398
(larger version can be viewed at http://mysite.verizon.net/coyote97/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/BedPlan10.jpg)
Peace.
Coyote
P.S. I apologize for the length of this post. I just had a lot to say for a change.
Hello Gang,
Well today is our 10th month anniversary of starting out on a track and layout plan and what a long strange trip it’s been.
The OL and I started out knowing nothing about Model railroading or real life railroads and nothing much about our chosen line, location and setting. We started with a simple idea ‘The ATSF line sometimes in the 1950’s where it runs along sections of Route 66’, it seemed pretty simple and so off we set.
Along the way we left behind the idea of converting our garage to a train room because of expense and switched instead to using a spare bedroom which meant scraping the track plans we’d started for that space (four refined versions) and starting up a whole new one.
The move to a smaller space brought about a period of refinement – Just what was the right place to model in the space given that met our original idea? That meant learning as much about Route 66 and the ATSF as we could; along the way things narrowed and narrowed and we ended up with: 1954 late spring to early summer in northern Arizona, along the line between Pinta and Holbrook Arizona and a big change – a fictional town depicting as many of the elements we wanted as we could.
So we set out with a new set of design ideas for the new space. At first the idea of a small point to point was explored but many problems presented themselves. Concerns we had no idea of slowly surfaced, things like staging, passing sidings switchbacks, runarounds, yard designs – sometimes the lists of things to learn seemed endless but John Armstrong and Frank Ellison’s books were always close by and then came Ian Rice and many others.
Through it all there also was the single greatest and most invaluable aid – wonderful, giving, patient sagely members of the forums. From Trains.com to the Gauge, modelrailroadforums.com, and good folks along the way: Texas Zephyr, Leighant, SpaceMouse, Ereimer, Masonjar, Fred Wright, 60103, Joe Fugate, Byron Henderson and many, many more who I apologize to for not naming here. Without all of you all this would have come to nothing.
So now ten months, 5 major redesigns and 14 total plans later I’ve come back to feeling that I am potentially finished yet again so I come back again to my friends, mentors and ministers to show where I am and hear what comments, criticism and advice you can offer.
So here is to ten months and good pals! :thumb:
Here is the basic information with track plan picture below. As always any and all comments criticisms, advice or questions are welcomed and wanted.
Track Plan Info:
Scale: HO
Name: Route 66 Railway.
Locale: Northern Arizona alongside route 66. (In the fictional town of Gila, AZ)
Period: 1954, late spring to early summer.
Layout Height: Starting at 50".
Track: Code 83.
Turnouts: #6 on Mainline and inside Staging, #5 on industry spurs, #6 ½ curved leading to Staging, #7 ½ curved on Corner Crossovers, # 2 ½ wye on Wye and Industry spur.
Curve Radii: 28" outside mainline, 26" inside mainline, some curves much broader in other areas- broadest curve in plan 6’ 2”.
Outer Loop: Eastbound Traffic, Right handed (clockwise) running.
Inner Loop: Westbound Traffic, Left handed (counter-clockwise) running.
Industries: A - Scrap Yard, B – Fuel Oil Supplier, C - Shipping Warehouse, D – Bolt and Screw Factory, E – Station, F - Concrete Plant, G – Oil Field/Oil Tanks,
H – Freight House/Team Track, I - Stock pens, J – Agricultural Co Op, K – Gravel Company.
Points of Interest: A to C–2 to 13 Town of Gila, J-12 Blue Moon Drive In, G-2 E-2 Ranches.
View attachment 27398
(larger version can be viewed at http://mysite.verizon.net/coyote97/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/BedPlan10.jpg)
Peace.
Coyote
P.S. I apologize for the length of this post. I just had a lot to say for a change.
there is also a Gila Crossing and Gila County in Arizona; to tell you the truth I've been considering renaming the town since it has thrown some people I just love the name though but I'm rolling the idea around. I'll let you know if I do. 
