What goes into it?? Some answers......

[waltrapp]

I thought I'd try something a little different for this thread. People have asked me how I go about planning my Christmas layout each year. So I thought I'd put some of my thoughts down, along with a sketch of my upcoming 2005 layout.

I spent a good 5-6 months drawing sketches, refining and changing my goals as new ideas pop into my head. After the sketch is finalized, I spend another month figuring out how to wire it (I try to make it so that NO wires are visible if possible).

The layout consumes my entire living room. I remove all vestiges of furnishing and start with an empty 15' x 14' room.

Knowing what equipment I have helps:
* 4 PS2 engines - 3 will pull 9 cars and one will pull 12.
* 1 PS1 Santa Fe F3 ABBA consist that pulls a passenger train
* 1 older NYC F3 MTH engine with no fancy electronics with all NYC freight cars.
* 1 Post War “family” train.
* I have more Pittsburgh cars than I can pull at one time, over 40 of them.
* A 12-car coal drag that just HAS to be included and pulled by my PS2 steamer.
* My track is mostly O27.
* I have DCS with one TIU and one AIU.

The equipment is important because I have to know how long each train will be so as to allow for proper length staging, and also for when the track crosses over itself - the train's caboose has to have time to clear the crossing.

Here are my overall, original goals that were 'MUSTs'.

ORIGINAL OVERALL GOALS for 2005 layout:
* The layout has to be FUN to run.

* Have as many trains run at one time as is possible – create motion in other words. I will have 5 running concurrently this year.

* The longest runs are reserved for the PS2 trains.

* Have a 4’ x 8’ elevated plateau. (it’s shaded light pink in the sketch)

* Locate the plateau where it’s shown in the drawing to the right center.

* Have separate ramps up to and down from it. (the dashed lines in the drawing)

* You can’t tell, but the dashed line in the back (says “up ->”) is a 10’ long ramp that I built. Use it.

* Christmas tree goes on elevated plateau so as to be centrally located in the living room. Acts somewhat like a view block.

* Have my 'main' main line (purple) connect with another main line (orange) but also make it so that they are independent from each other. (that’s what “CONN” stands for in the sketch – connecting trackage)

* Try to avoid having switches in the back since it’s hard to get back there.

* For this one year forget about having a planned space for all my accessories, houses, and other scenery items. I’m going to use a lot of trees instead. Except that I want to use my park pavilion and playground (kind of goes with trees) and also my new Lionel pharmacy building (my daughter became a licensed pharmacist last Fall)

* Have the ½ of the plateau that is not supporting the Christmas tree have my lighted church and SNOW! SNOW on the plateau was a must. Christmas midnight mass maybe???

I also factor in such things as how many portals I have versus how many I will need; where the support legs for the plateau “benchwork" are versus where I run the track under it; try not to use my Lionel O42 switches unless I have to (I used 3 of them with 12 K-Line 27" ones); have a 2’ wide walkway in the front of the living room; and some other givens.

So I try to keep all of these thoughts in my head as I draw. Eventually I land up saying “THIS IS IT!!! I CAN’T DO ANY BETTER THAN THIS – IT HAS EVERYTHING I WANT” and I stop. Until another new idea hits me [:)]

DARN: I forgot to bring my sketch in to scan it so that I could include it here. I'll do a followup tomorrow with the sketch and some additional comments about each set of trackage which I can't make without referring to the sketch.

Obviously I won't have pictures until early December! [:D]

So come back tomorrow for part 2 of the story - it might be the more interesting half [:)]

Hope I didn't completely bore you!

- walt

[wrmcclellan]

Walt - I am looking forward to seeing your Christmas pageant creation this year. The views of the past ones and your plan ensure we will all see something quite spectacular!

[cnw1995]

A great list of 'givens and druthers' that could apply to any layout. Can't wait to see it

[waltrapp]

Continuing:


PURPLE TRACKAGE (DCS controlled running 2 PS2 engines concurrently)
* This is the 'main' main line. It's run had to be as long as possible. You can see that it runs around the perimeter twice, has extra trackage on the plateau, and has the little inner loop centrally located on the layout on the lower level.

* It will run 2 PS2 trains concurrently - 3 if I'm careful

* It is 2 separate DCS 'districts' - each controlled by its own Fixed Port on the TIU. For the non-DCS, basically it's 2 electrical blocks so that the load gets spread between 2 transformer posts.

* It reverse direction (up on the plateau I can run it straight thru, albeit a curvey straight thru, or I can make it reverse direction). The little loop in the center, lower level acts as a passing track when I reverse a train.

* Have an extra staging area in case I only want to run 1 train.

* Have the main line run in between 2 staging tracks that will have cars parked on them (shown on the left side). I just like that look when a train rolls between 2 staging tracks with cars.

* Have part of the main line run behind my 10' long ramp in the back so it 'hides' itself sort of.

* Use my 90 degree curved trestle if possible and also use my other trestle that supports a switch.

ORANGE TRACKAGE (DCS controlled, VAR 1 set on Fixed, running 1 PS2 engine)
* Try to make it more than just a simple oval, even thought it won't have switches.

* Have it connect with the 'main' main line (purple) so I can swap trains between the 2 sets of tracks.

* Keep it simple so that a visiting youngster can run it with the DCS remote.

GREEN TRACKAGE (DCS controlled, VAR 2 set on Fixed, running 1 PS2 engine)
* Try to make its track design hard to figure out for a guest. The part under the plateau is hidden don't forget.

* Have it cross over itself multiple times (4 was the final number)

* The train reverses direction. It's really just 2 big loops connected with each loop crossing over the other multiple times. It reverses itself automatically but one could control the direction is desired.

* Expose as many of the crossovers as possible to make it seem more complicated.

* Keep it simple to run so that a visiting youngster can run it with the DCS remote.

RED TRACKAGE (Conventional control) - this track is full 'O' gauge Post War track.
* Runs one train at a time with 2 in staging. Trains are PW, NYC, SF.

* Have it just be a big outer loop with the track in the back going behind the 10' ramp to as to out of view temporarily.

YELLOW TRACKAGE (Conventional control)
* Since I had the space, run my gang car here. Maybe visiting kids will enjoy using their hands to let it bump into to change direction.

Well, that' it. I actually kept ALL of those goals in mind. Now let's see how it looks for real in December!

- walt