June-July Track Planning Contest
- Thread starter jon-monon
- Start date
Wow, Clark, you really did a great job with the graphics! The color coding really makes it easier to understand your plan! Good thing I didn't start on mine yet, or I would have to start over! 
Clark,
I don't know how well that crossover in the yard will serve, but how about a "wye" on the end of the turntable lead to act as a crossover for the two halves of the yard?
Andrew
I don't know how well that crossover in the yard will serve, but how about a "wye" on the end of the turntable lead to act as a crossover for the two halves of the yard?
Andrew
Defiance Industries, First Draft
This is my Sci-Fi/BattleTech universe Railroad plan. The Maglev railway is an important part of the defenses of Hesperus II. Home to Defiance Industries, and the largest battlemech factory in the Lyran Commonwealth, the planet has been assaulted 25 times throughout the succession wars. Desperate battles have been fought, but the world has never fallen to an attacker.
Included in the plan, going clockwise from the lower right:
The Spaceport, where cargo dropships land to bring in new defenders, offworld manufactures for the factory (like fusion engines, computers, and weapon systems), along with all the things needed for the citizens of the planet, including food. Completed battlemechs are also loaded onto dropships from here.
The Ore Mines: Much of the ore used in construction of battlemechs comes from these mines, The rail lines wind through towering mountains.
Marias Elegy: This small town serves as the planetary capital, and houses the factory workers and their families.
Defiance Industries: The factory itself is built into the side of a mountain, (which will be a cutaway to allow switching the interior)
Any suggestions welcome
This is my Sci-Fi/BattleTech universe Railroad plan. The Maglev railway is an important part of the defenses of Hesperus II. Home to Defiance Industries, and the largest battlemech factory in the Lyran Commonwealth, the planet has been assaulted 25 times throughout the succession wars. Desperate battles have been fought, but the world has never fallen to an attacker.
Included in the plan, going clockwise from the lower right:
The Spaceport, where cargo dropships land to bring in new defenders, offworld manufactures for the factory (like fusion engines, computers, and weapon systems), along with all the things needed for the citizens of the planet, including food. Completed battlemechs are also loaded onto dropships from here.
The Ore Mines: Much of the ore used in construction of battlemechs comes from these mines, The rail lines wind through towering mountains.
Marias Elegy: This small town serves as the planetary capital, and houses the factory workers and their families.
Defiance Industries: The factory itself is built into the side of a mountain, (which will be a cutaway to allow switching the interior)
Any suggestions welcome
Attachments
MasonJar said:
Hi Andrew. There are a couple of places that I would place a wye, unfortunatlly I am using Atlas' Right Track Program and Atlas, for some reason, decided that N scale layouts DON'T NEED WYES!!!
:curse: :curse: When I actually build this I will have to invest in a couple of Peco wyes, and yes, one will connect the turntable to both sides of the yard.
F
Fred_M
dash10 said:Yep, I have lots of them.
Fred's right, the whole thing has got to be maglev. Now, where do you find a maglev oar car?
dash10 said:Yep, I have lots of them.
Imagine Japanese bullet train engines pulling freight and you'd get the general idea.
Latest revision
After more fiddling, revisions and some jerry rigging this is the current "final" version.
Several things will jump out at you as being unusual, if not just plain wrong. First is the reversing loop and the X section of track under the mountain at the top of the layout. The reason for the loop is that the BNSF will be running a short commuter train to and from the industrial area as well as longer through passenger trains and freights. The loop serves to turn the commuter around, providing a place to store it in the "outlaying town" and keeping it out of the way of other traffic on the mainline. The cross tracks are simply to add versitility to the layout.
The other is the unorthodox entry into the turntable. The reason for this is that I wanted to keep the roundhouse and engine shop in the vacinity of the rest of the industrial complex.
In this version, since Atlas doesn't make a wye in N scale, I added a jerry rigged Peco wye where it would nominally be placed. I burned several brain cells trying to figure out what operations would need to preformed and how to best carry them out, this seems as though it will do everything I had in mind. I relied heavily on the article, The Ten Commandments of Model Railroad Yard Design. Also there are the two caboose tracks. I kind of had in mind one each for the UP and the BNSF. It's probably not prototypical, but then little or nothing else on the layout is so it should fit right in.
If anyone finds other problem areas, please let me know so that I can remedy it in the planning stage rather than when it is ¾ finished.
To see a larger version please visit LARGEER VERSION For a somewhat jerry rigged RTS diagram please visit the Yahoo group/files/track plans/RTS/Bench 099.ral
After more fiddling, revisions and some jerry rigging this is the current "final" version.
Several things will jump out at you as being unusual, if not just plain wrong. First is the reversing loop and the X section of track under the mountain at the top of the layout. The reason for the loop is that the BNSF will be running a short commuter train to and from the industrial area as well as longer through passenger trains and freights. The loop serves to turn the commuter around, providing a place to store it in the "outlaying town" and keeping it out of the way of other traffic on the mainline. The cross tracks are simply to add versitility to the layout.
The other is the unorthodox entry into the turntable. The reason for this is that I wanted to keep the roundhouse and engine shop in the vacinity of the rest of the industrial complex.
In this version, since Atlas doesn't make a wye in N scale, I added a jerry rigged Peco wye where it would nominally be placed. I burned several brain cells trying to figure out what operations would need to preformed and how to best carry them out, this seems as though it will do everything I had in mind. I relied heavily on the article, The Ten Commandments of Model Railroad Yard Design. Also there are the two caboose tracks. I kind of had in mind one each for the UP and the BNSF. It's probably not prototypical, but then little or nothing else on the layout is so it should fit right in.
If anyone finds other problem areas, please let me know so that I can remedy it in the planning stage rather than when it is ¾ finished.
To see a larger version please visit LARGEER VERSION For a somewhat jerry rigged RTS diagram please visit the Yahoo group/files/track plans/RTS/Bench 099.ral
Clark, thats a great looking plan!! Have you considered the wiring implications??I'm no engineer,but it looks like you may need to be
Shamus,simple ellegance in an operations oriented layout.Outstanding my friend!!!
Shamus,simple ellegance in an operations oriented layout.Outstanding my friend!!!
Thanks Tileguy. I haven't gotten too specific on the wiring yet but I don't believe it will be as complicated as it looks. I have two MRC Tec280 dual controlers. One will be dedicated to each of the mainlines with switching between each mainline and the interchange and arrival/departure tracks of each yard so that either mainline will be able to pick up/drop off cars where it enters and exits a yard. The remainder of yard operations will be handled by the two switching locos, one for each of the two yards. Theoreticly the layout could accomodate up to five operators, one on each yard, one on each mainline and a signal operator. Otherwise the two mainlines could be set to run continuously while one or two operators could work the yards. The control pannels will be the toughest to set up, so that each operator has access to the one they need. On the other hand, that could be left to the yard controller. Anyway, that's the theory!
Update
Rather than clog up this thread with a bunch of slightly revised versions of my plans, I just edited and updated the last one that I posted. It's at Latest Version .
I have a bad habit on making small changes and then redoing the whole plan.
ops: Just thought I'd save everyone the headache of slogging through numerous small revisions. :sleeping:
Thanks for bearing with me.
Rather than clog up this thread with a bunch of slightly revised versions of my plans, I just edited and updated the last one that I posted. It's at Latest Version .
I have a bad habit on making small changes and then redoing the whole plan.
ops: Just thought I'd save everyone the headache of slogging through numerous small revisions. :sleeping: Thanks for bearing with me.
Still another update at Yet another one . Good thing I'm not posting every change or this thread would be 60 pages long. 
Here are two track plans - but for one N scale layout. This was my former Trim Creek Southern RR.
The first drawing shows the surface of the layout. The basic table was 5 ft x 10 ft. As I went along I added some extensions at Marian City and Trim Creek. The track in the street, in front of the Trim Creek depot, was the departure track for a branch line which led off the table at the right upper corner (but which was never built!
This extension would have covered the staging yard along the wall.)
The two crossover tracks above and to the right of Norpoll Crossing (thin lines)allowed interesting operational possibilities. They lengthened the main line run, but mainly you could turn the trains.
Ron
The first drawing shows the surface of the layout. The basic table was 5 ft x 10 ft. As I went along I added some extensions at Marian City and Trim Creek. The track in the street, in front of the Trim Creek depot, was the departure track for a branch line which led off the table at the right upper corner (but which was never built!
This extension would have covered the staging yard along the wall.)The two crossover tracks above and to the right of Norpoll Crossing (thin lines)allowed interesting operational possibilities. They lengthened the main line run, but mainly you could turn the trains.
Ron
Attachments
And here is the second part - the 'underworld' of the TCS.
Between the four tunnel portals there is a shortcut for continuous running (e.g. for breaking in locos).
Along the wall I installed a staging yard. To gain space I adapted an idea of John Armstrong - the Reverted Loop (which he also used on his Canadaigua Southern). It worked like a charm, and I could stow away 8 complete trains.
This layout offered lots of operation. I built it in our spare bedroom - but when we expected our first child, the trains had to go... :cry: (After all, a bright, sunny room is more important for kids than for railroads.)
Ron
Between the four tunnel portals there is a shortcut for continuous running (e.g. for breaking in locos).
Along the wall I installed a staging yard. To gain space I adapted an idea of John Armstrong - the Reverted Loop (which he also used on his Canadaigua Southern). It worked like a charm, and I could stow away 8 complete trains.
This layout offered lots of operation. I built it in our spare bedroom - but when we expected our first child, the trains had to go... :cry: (After all, a bright, sunny room is more important for kids than for railroads.
)Ron
