Layout #2 "It has begun"

N

nolatron

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Nov 17, 2004
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Katy, TX
railroad.sodh.net
Welp, last weekend I put the final piece of mainline down and completed the loop and could finally run a train all the way around the layout....and that's when the problems began showing themselves.

Too tight curves, grade problems with bridges, and 'bumps' due to my poor wordworking skills.

So, three days after that I decided to start over and went to the drawing board. I increased the layout size to be 3ft in depth, and 10ftx12ft. Basically to run on the two walls with no doors and stick out 3ft.

Min. radiud turn is now 13.75" on one turn, everything is 17.5-20" radius turns. I added a mini frieght yard with two stall engine house, and one track for intermodal cars. switched from N-scale atlas 80 to 55 track as well for the more available track pieces.

In the top left, will be a little suburban area. Was gonna put the walthers hardware/furniture building there for a little frieght traffic there and other city scenery for the rest.

The large block on the right is the planned passenger station, a kato suburban platform and station I have. Kinda of a tight fit, but a single road from the city area should make ok.

The track running in between the platform and yard is going to lead to down some industry down at the bottom. Not sure yet, maybe something oil related as I like tank cars for some reason. Just not sure what to use yet. Still kinda playing around with that track too. I think it looks kinda funny a little running all the way to the top for access. Maybe I could the passenger terminal all the way down, and put the industry at top, just under the mainline curve/incline. Give drivers to the station a nice refinery view as they drive by, like some areas around Luling/Norco here in New Orleans, heh.

more updates as they come :)

[edit]Image removed for updated post[/edit]

Old Layout:
http://gallery.ortolano.org/rr-layout1/railroad_L_80
 
The first problem that I see is accrssability. Reaching those back tracks 3 feet from the edge is going to give you headaches. I had to redesign my layout for just that same reason. :cry: Now if you cut access ports (otherwise known as holes :) ) that can be coverd up when not needed you'll be ok. To experiment try reaching a rail car that would be on the back track. If you can, go for it! :thumb: :thumb:
 
my current layout is 3 feet deep, but I only built it up 30" high, so reaching isn't a problem actually if I stick to that height.

However, I might be planning on purchase RTA benchwork which is at 40" high. So that's something I will certainly plan on if I go that route, adding some little access ports in the back there in case of a derail, etc...
 
shaun,
imho, access could definitely be a concern!
at the corner!
that track is (slightly) over 4' from the edge...
try to see if you can reach that far (like on a kitchen table) without putting the other hand down...
if you can...than its all good
 
Here's the latest design.

railroad_012304.sized.jpg


I took the Platform and shrunk it down to just the station and the end pieces. This will give a nice small station will some outgoing track for the train to still sit on off the mainline.

Re did the freight/staging yard a little bit, and gave the Intermodal Yard it's own access track. And but a Refinery down south for an industry.

*side note: anybody use the North island refinery with pics? Curious to how other's have there's laid out.

Also thinking of adding another small structure on the left side and the bottom, since I have some empty space there.

and just in case, 1sq. ft access panels are put in on the back corner parts.

i'm really like this layout now.

I'm really liking this design so far. Only other changes I'm really gonna see about now is moving the intermodal yard up to the top right, and adding another industry structure under the right access panel.
biggrin.gif
 
With your lower level being 3' deep, I suggest that you consider at least 18" of separation. Also, either the lower or the upper level should be skinnied down some so that you have more "working room" for yourself, otherwise it will be even more difficult to deal with "issues" at the back of the layout.
 
Time for a status update. This past weekend my benchwork arrived from Sievers and I got that all assembled. Piece of cake and looks great.

Last night, my track arrived so I started the 'rough draft' of the layout, laying out pieces to make sure everything fits as my planning software said it would. Tonight I'll probably start going through section and hooking track together rail joiners, and get everything more closely to the final. Then I can make roadbed traces, etc...

http://gallery.mytrains.org/layout2

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Please don't let this dscourage you...

Please don't let this dscourage you. How do you plan on making scenery for the two tracks that are going uphill against the backdrop? I had the exact same thing, but I couldnt do it well.
 
csxengineer said:
Please don't let this dscourage you. How do you plan on making scenery for the two tracks that are going uphill against the backdrop? I had the exact same thing, but I couldnt do it well.
Click to expand...
You know, I haven't thought about that much yet, heh.

My initial thought was for the outter most track was backdrop along the wall to give it some depth. The risers them selves I'll probably just blend together with grass and ballast.

Then for the inner track, instead of making the riser with a hillside like my first layout attempt, I was thinking of putting some kind back drop along the riser to give the lower level some depth, while making the track and 2nd level rising all on it's own kinda.

It sounds and looks better in my head, hehe, but does that make sense?
 
This past weekend I got all the foam glued down, and most of the tracks soldered together.

I dropped 3 of the who-knows-how-many feeders and connected to the power bus. Surprisingly I was able run a train the whole layout. Must be a good sign for good power feeding througout.

Cork roadbed should be here later this week I hope or early next. So then I'll just be tidying up the bench now :)

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Yeah. Once I get the bench cleaned up, I can layout the yard and the passenger station.

I have some extra track and maybe a little more space on the table to fill up, so I may play around with the yard design a bit. The yard lead is just before that yellow box car in the middle pic above. I was originally just planning on a simple 4-5 track yard with an engine house in there.
 
Layout is progressing rather nicely. yesterday I decided to had a turntable to the yard. I know it's not very prototypical in a modern diesel yard, but I needed:

a) a place to store locos
and
b) a way to turn locos around

So it works for me. I went with the not so great looking atlas mainly because it required no wood cutting. It just so happened that two spots I goud put the TT to make most use of spurs, I have beams running right under the tabletop. I didn't wanna turn this into a construction nightmare, so I picked up the Atlas TT and motor. I'll eventually have the motor wired to DPDT switch for rotating the table.

Once I get the reverse hooked up, the track finalized and secured, and everything wired, I think it's gonna look good. :)

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