My New Layout

F

Freelancer

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Oct 24, 2002
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Utah
www.yardlimit.com
Or at least part of it! I am currently in the process of designing a new layout, and I need some major help. As you can see below I haven't made much progress. :confused: I am trying to do an around the wall layout, or walk-in layout. (Don't know what the Difference is.) I would like to have a two track mainline continuous run, which means I will be needing a liftout section. To make up for the loss of operation due to the continuous run, I would like to have a few branch line operations, a yard and a lot of industries for lots of switching. I don't want any grades on the main line, but some minor grades on the branch lines are ok. I would like to keep the minimum radius to 22" I suppose that 18" might be acceptable on a branch line. Some of the industries that I would like to have are:
-Coal mine, as planned I have one, but if space allows I would like to have a total of two or three.
-Lumber Mill & Seperate Lumber Yard
-Flour Mill
-Precious Minerals Mine
-Various city and small town industries, I am open for suggestions
-Some kind of industry to serve a purpose for my coal industries, I am open for suggestions with that also
-I would also like:
-At least two towns, or cities
-A six stall roundhouse w/turntable, maybe more stalls if space allows
-Engine servicing facility
-A yard
I may think of some more later, but that is good for now.

Am I asking for too much, is it even possible? Can you guys help me? :confused:

I will post some plans with some explanations in a bit.

Thanks, Freelancer
 
1st plan

Here is the first plan that I have come up with. I am favoring this plan over the others right now, and I think that this may be the one that I am going to stick with, it all depends on how everything works out though. The room is roughly 12'x23'-26'.

A- is the proposed area for the roundhouse, turntable, and engine servicing facility.
B- is where I was hoping to put the yard.
C- is where I am thinking of putting a helix. A branch off of the mainline would grade down along one side of the 7' peninsula and go into a helix at the end of the peninsula, then it would go into a staging yard that is underneith the layout. I would like to try and do scenery all the way to the ground right there to hide the helix, and just for the fun of doing the scenery that far down.
D- is the location of the liftout section.

When I get an idea I tend to stick with the general aspects of it, so the following plans really don't change all that much, basically it is just a rearangement of what I have in the first one. The isles are from 3ft-4ft wide.

So what do you think!? Is it remotely possible to work with? I know that it is basic (extremly basic) and that is why I am looking for help.

Freelancer
 

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Oops!

Oops, I completely forgot the most important part, thanks for asking Russ. This will be in HO.

Also, there will be no doors to deal with. Two windows and an angled ceiling. The total ceiling height will be 8', what the angle is I don't know just yet, so layout height will have to be determined later. This will be going into a new house, that has yet to be built. However I will be starting benchwork in the basement of another building and then transporting it to the new house when it is finished. (In about 8 months :cry: )

Freelancer
 
It looks good to me. It could be made with modules for easy assembly and disassembly for moving. If you eliminate the peninsula to the right of the bay window, and put a 4x4 peninsula just above "D". Then elliminate D, and leave it as an opening into the room. You could put a return loop in that peninsula. If you put another 4x4 section next to the bathroom wall, you could put in a second return loop and make the layout loop to loop for continuous running without having to deal with a lift out for access.
 
Russ thanks for the input, I like your idea, so I proposed it to my other two partners in crime, but they said that they didn't want the return loops becuase that would cause that there would be four mainline tracks running the length of the layout instead of the two. They said that they would rather deal with the liftout and alow more space along the rest of the layout then to eliminate the liftout and have less space along the layout to work with industries and branch lines. I also asked them about narrowing it down to a single main line, but they were pretty sold on the idea of having two. Would it be possible to make the liftout section, not really a liftout, but have it be kind of like a hinged bridge? making it easier to get in and out?

I also like the idea of making it in modules, that way I don't have to stop after getting the track laid, I can continue on with some senery without having to worry about ruining it. Thanks for the tip.

Freelancer
 
Plan2

Here is another variation from the first plan. Like I said, it isn't much different, basically it is just some rearanging of the peninsula's. I like how the peninsula's on the first plan are on opposite walls, because the chances of a town or industry being placed there are pretty good, and that way cars can be sent from town to town with a seaming purpose.

Freelancer
 

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Plan3

Obviously as you can tell I don't have much of an imagination. Once again, it is just a few rearangements. :oops: This just shows how desparately I need help coming up with a track plan to go on this.

Freelancer
 

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Hey Jim, I am doing an around the wall layout, the shaded area is the isles in between. I am sorry, I should have pointed that out earlier. Everyonce in a while, it catches me off guard and I think, wait a sec. that isn't my plan, then I realize that I am looking at it wrong again. Kind of like some sort of 3D trick is being played on the eyes.

Before the gauge went down, I saw how your layout was coming together, so I was hoping that I could get the same responses with mine, yours is turning out to be one heck of a layout. I think that I am going to go along the same lines as you with the liftout section with hinges, I think that is a good idea.

Freelancer
 
I will start working on a track plan today, don't know how long it will take me to get the basic idea, but I will post it ASAP so that you guys can tweak it and get me on the right track.

Thanks, Freelancer
 
Oops! Sorry about that. I saw it as being in the center of the room. My fault.

Thanks for the compliment on the progress of my new layout. Many others have helped and I think it’s taking shape. Tweak something here, move something there etc. Lots of little things to do. I do know that so far I have not planned for any passing sidings so I might have to do some major changes down the road here soon.

I’ll re-look at your plan that you posted and see if I can’t come up with some ideas.

Jim
 
You asked about a gate of some sort instead of a liftout. You could do a draw bridge, just remember that the hinges have to be above the top of the tracks for the bridge to work correctly. There was also an article in Model Railroader a few years ago about a swing in gate that swung into the layout to allow access, and then could be closed to allow train operation.
 
I tinkered with the first one a little to get better aisle width. I was trying to
keep 22" radius, 30" reach-in, and 36" aisles, but the aisles get a little tight
in places. I think the preferred aisle width depends on :
1. how many people on the layout
2. how big around they are :D :D

The tight places are ok as long as there is room to pass each other.
The wasp-waisted peninsulas help keep the reach-in distance down,
also gives a little space at the end of the aisle. Otherwise, you really
need lift-outs to get to places, depending on how long your own
reach is.

I like the bottom one better too, Jim. The top one has a little more long
straight runs and climbing room, maybe. :) :)
 
To create a Gate
Our model club has one such thing which actually has two trakes one in a tunnel the other on top of the tunnel.
We just took a door and its hinges hut the door in half leaving two of the hinges and the door knob on the section we needed and then mounted the track and benchwork on the top of the door. Has worked great for abut 10 or so years now.
Just my thoughts
Eric
 
Roundhouse Issues

Thanks for the input guys and great work on the track plans cid! I too like the lower one better, I have taken a couple ideas from that and am currently working them into the plan.

Thanks for the link Trainclown, that will definitely help me when I am ready to build, I never thought about expansion and contraction having a play in this, now I will be able to compensate for that. Having pins in it to remove it is ingenious I will deffinitely have to try that, thanks!

Ho Modeler, I like your idea but I think that I will need something thicker than a typical door, but I like the idea of having a track go into a tunnel under the other. I now have put a branch line in that will run along the front of the layout a few inches below the top of the layout, say four or so inches. It will go about half way around the layout and through a tunnel on the liftout. Good think'in!

Now for my next issue which is keeping me from continuing on. The roundhouse that I have selected has its stalls angled at 15 degrees, but the turntable that went with it was too small, so I had to get a larger one. My dilema is that the turntable won't line up with the engine stalls. The track on the turntable doesn't line up straight with the track in the roundhouse. (Does that make sense!? :confused: ) I have found that if I cut the base inwards about 2 1/2" then the track will line up better, not perfect but better. However this leaves only an inch from the end of the roundhouse to the end of the turntable. So I guess my question is, how far is a roundhouse typically distanced from the turntable, or is it just personal preference. Also, is there any other way to get the track to line up without having to cut the roundhouse back? It's a stupid issue, but it sure has me stumped and dissappointed.

Thanks, Freelancer
 
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