N Scale Layout Trackplan

Cool, thanks for the help on the river Trainnut:thumb: :thumb: :D :D :D :D I think it looks better to and I will be using backdrops fo that is even better. Thanks Again for the help.:D :D :D

So, what does everyone think of the track plan?? Very busy huh!!
 
Aside from one switch all the way down at the edge by the refinery, it looks as if there is no way to cross the double mainline. Was this intentional? It would make sense to have a couple crossovers somewhere on the mainline.
 
:eek: :eek: OOPPS, That's what I forgot to do, I knew I was forgetting something. I'll have to fix that later today.

Should I stick with the just a left/right turnouts to cross the mainline or should I put in a double crossover in addition to some left/right turnouts?
 
Given the space constraints, a double crossover sounds appealing however, you may look at how your operations across the tracks will work and put specific switches in specific locations to ease the cross traffic on the mainline. Does that make any sense?
 
TruckLover said:
:eek: :eek: OOPPS, That's what I forgot to do, I knew I was forgetting something. I'll have to fix that later today.

Should I stick with the just a left/right turnouts to cross the mainline or should I put in a double crossover in addition to some left/right turnouts?
Click to expand...

What are you trying to simulate? Since the mainline begins at one end of the layout and ends at the other, you obviously won't be running through freights on the main as you work the switching sections. If you are simulating a part of the mainline wher the railroad would use passing sidings, you will need to use the switches to do that. If you don't need passing sidings there, just use the double cross over. Finally, if that section of mainline is not modeling a heavily traveled main, so that you can spot cars on the main line while working industries, you could perhaps save some space and expense by using some switches for crossovers & run arounds on the main line. If the third option is viable, it would seem to me that a run around set of cross overs on the mainline between the rolling mill and the ADM grain elevator would facilitate working the refinery tracks. In that case I would save some money by not bothering with a double crossover.
 
There are over 50 turnouts on this layout, plus what appears to be some crossings. I am not up on Nscale costs, but in HO, good turnouts average about $20. So you have about $1000 in turnouts alone...!

I know you said you have drawn this to scale, but I would highly recommend that you try it in a track planning program that will allow the trackwork to be drawn to scale.

If your goals include a realistic (i.e. prototypical) switching layout, you may need to review how the railroad would tackle this. They are well known for keeping costs under control, and any unnecessary trackage would likely not be laid. Same goes for the industrial trackage that may have been laid by the companies themselves. My suggestion is to look again at the plan, and see if you can eliminate some of the connections.

Simplifying the trackage does not mean it will be any less challenging to operate, in fact it could be more so.

I hope that helps. If I can borrow a line from Fred (pgandq) "my thoughts, your choices".

Andrew
 
I know you said you have drawn this to scale, but I would highly recommend that you try it in a track planning program that will allow the trackwork to be drawn to scale.
Click to expand...
I really think it's been drawn too small. Specifically, turnouts are too short. Some curves are also ridiculously sharp. Take the tracks leading into the refinery. There's no way you can get 90 degrees of curvature, a switch, and spurs big enough to hold anything in the space available.
 
As for the double crossover, I don't think that I am going to put one in on the layout, just switches between the mainline were they might be needed to serve the industry on the other side.

Thanks everyone for the posts
 

Attachments

  • N-Scale Layout Trackplan - New.jpg
    N-Scale Layout Trackplan - New.jpg
    61.2 KB · Views: 71
MasonJar said:
There are over 50 turnouts on this layout, plus what appears to be some crossings. I am not up on Nscale costs, but in HO, good turnouts average about $20. So you have about $1000 in turnouts alone...!
Click to expand...

I know that there is a ton of money in switches on the layout but I am going to take this layout in small steps.

MasonJar said:
I know you said you have drawn this to scale, but I would highly recommend that you try it in a track planning program that will allow the trackwork to be drawn to scale.
Click to expand...

I have downloaded a program (forgot what it was called) and I have not gotten use to it yet, a little confusing. I see what it is called.

Thanks for your help
 
Triplex said:
I really think it's been drawn too small. Specifically, turnouts are too short. Some curves are also ridiculously sharp. Take the tracks leading into the refinery. There's no way you can get 90 degrees of curvature, a switch, and spurs big enough to hold anything in the space available.
Click to expand...

I know that some areas are very small, especially the refinery area. I am thinking of making the little exention just a couple of inches wider and puting the refinery at an angle so the track does not have to curve 90 degrees to get there.
 
Russ Bellinis said:
What are you trying to simulate? Since the mainline begins at one end of the layout and ends at the other, you obviously won't be running through freights on the main as you work the switching sections. If you are simulating a part of the mainline wher the railroad would use passing sidings, you will need to use the switches to do that. If you don't need passing sidings there, just use the double cross over. Finally, if that section of mainline is not modeling a heavily traveled main, so that you can spot cars on the main line while working industries, you could perhaps save some space and expense by using some switches for crossovers & run arounds on the main line. If the third option is viable, it would seem to me that a run around set of cross overs on the mainline between the rolling mill and the ADM grain elevator would facilitate working the refinery tracks. In that case I would save some money by not bothering with a double crossover.
Click to expand...

This layout will hopefully become part of a bigger layout and that is why I put the switches in on the mainline, otherwise, yes, I would not put switches in between the mainline.
 
I think that the track program I have is Xtrackcad. I don't have the program on my computer at my house, it is on my grandparents computer and I am going to put it on a disk and bring it home and get familiar with it.
 
Here is what I did with the refinery, I made the extention from 13" to 17" and put a 15" 45 degree angle piece in to make more room for it. Now the tracks don't bend very much and I can have longer, more modern cars. Next, I need to fix the Superior Paper Complex tracks to a bigger radius. I am going to try and download that Xtrackcab program here at my house and play with it.
 

Attachments

  • N-Scale Layout Trackplan - New.jpg
    N-Scale Layout Trackplan - New.jpg
    64.7 KB · Views: 106
Trucklover,
If you look at my plan in this thread...
http://www.the-gauge.com/showthread.php?t=22333
the bottom horizontal leg is very similar to the size of your layout as it is 9' long by 2'4" deep. I also agree that you have got a lot (probably too much) crammed in that space. Again, I only point this plan out for the simlarity in size to give you an idea of how mine is turning out with the amount of track I have in that space. The big difference between ours is that it seems yours will be somewhat flat and I have got quite a bit of relief. I've also got some photos of that leg a little further on in progress later in the thread to help give you more of a mental image of how your space relates. Hope it helps.
 
Sooooo, what's going on? Have you made any progress on your plan? I'm looking forward to seeing what you have come up with.
 
Ok, I have decided that I am going to make a module for the Steel Mill Complex instead of a layout right now. 2 big layouts at once is not going to work very well. I am still going to make this trackplan in Xtrackcad and I will be using it on a future layout minus the steel mill stuff.

Here is the link to the other thread of the steel mill complex module:
http://www.the-gauge.com/showthread.php?p=225031#post225031
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom