Ideas for my new layout

[Anonymous]

I have been working on my garden railroad for about three years now. The biggest down fall that I have is my layout. [8] In the beginning I laid out a small loop around the parameter of the yard. Next I added to the loop and made it bigger. Neither of the two kept my interest. To me it was like watching a train going around in a circle.
I have been working on a layout that would be more interesting to me but could not be satisfied. So without knowing what I was going to do I purchased 180 foot of track. I told myself to buy more track and something will come to you. I am still waiting for it to come to me. Next I thought about just start laying down some of the new track and see where it takes me. Guess what? Again it took me to a bigger loop.
One section of my layout I am totally satisfied with. This is the section that finally makes it way into the landscaping. See Photo1 and Photo2
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/fossilgold/Trains/photo1.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/fossilgold/Trains/photo2.jpg
In this section I have a small pond with a steel bridge going across it.
The other part that I like about my layout is the train storage area. I keep them in the garage. See photo3.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/fossilgold/Trains/photo3.jpg
Beside these two areas I am open to any ideas. I would like to keep the track off of the driveway and avoid any walkways.
My yard is very flat and is about 180 foot north to south and about 60 foot east to west. I have a Gazebo, Koi Pond, a small performed pond, Garage, Storage shed, Wooden Deck and a Arbor swing. See Photo4.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/fossilgold/Trains/photo4.jpg
I like the idea of having multiple tracks. I have a Bridgewerks 15 amp power supply. This would only allow me to run multiple track at the same speed. I am okay with this. When I run my trains I like to turn them on an watch them go. I do interact very much. I have a mixed bag of Aristocraft and Bachmann cars. My engines are Aristocraft fb1’s and fb2’s. (a-b-a). I really like running long trains Usually about 25 feet.
I am open to using any part of the yard. I really do not have any restrictions beside the occasional mole. [:(] I would also like to have multiple bridges and tunnels.
I have posted additional pictures to give a better feel of how the yard is laid out.

I would be deeply indebted to post the progress of the layout if I could get some really good ideas besides basic loops. I am good at these.
Photo5 is the track leaving the garage.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/fossilgold/Trains/phot05.jpg

Photo6 is the track headed to the part of the landscaping that is like.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/fossilgold/Trains/photo6.jpg

See photo1 and photo2. Part of the layout that I am satisfied with.
Photo 7 runs north to south of the property. Not very interesting. A long straight away.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/fossilgold/Trains/photo7.jpg

Photos 8-10 were taken from the back of the lot. It is about 90 foot from the back of the lot to the garage.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/fossilgold/Trains/photo8.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/fossilgold/Trains/photo9.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/fossilgold/Trains/photo10.jpg

Photo11 was taken mid ways of the back lot facing east. The track in this photo is part of my bigger loop.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/fossilgold/Trains/photo11.jpg

I would be happy to post more pictures if it would be helpful. [:D]

[Anonymous]

Garden trains dont have to be large to be interesting,i notice taht your track seems to go a long way to get nowhere. Try incorperating a waterfall into your koi pond, and have the train interact with it. also, try to keep the track off the grass, and pavement, grass may cause a derailment, and pavement just looks tacky. your best bet would to be clearing out an area of grass, landscape it with some small hills, and lay track in, and over it.

-Richard

[Anonymous]

I agree with Richard, you need more detail, don't just lay track. Think of the GRR as a very large living Diorama. I have a small loop and I just keep adding detail.
http://community.webshots.com/myphotos?action=viewAllPhotos&albumID=547283539&security=pPilnH

I have added more detail since I took the pics at WebShots. This weekend I'm planning on picking up some miniature plants to grow inbetween the large stones. I also have a scale barn I'm adding and other structures all lit with solar powerred LED's.

Section out an area, and add dirt and large stones for mountains, just use your imagination. Sometimes I just sit and look at my layout and think.....and aske myself "what can I do next?"

good luck

dan

[vsmith]

Part of it is that you need to think of it as a vista,IOW a view to be seen.The trouble to me is that the yard is a little bland to start with (no offense ment) so just laying track down in long straights in a typical suburban green lawn yard might end up looking a bit bland. I would suggest two ways of looking at it.

Either as a GARDEN railroad, or as a RAILROAD in the garden.

As a GARDEN railroad, its primarily that, a GARDEN with trains running thru it. So instead of long straight rather blend in some broad arcs and add stonework and planters to the places where you have track. The garden planting dominates. the track and train become accents in the garden. This is the primary setup for what I call the "Observer" garden RRer, IOWs those who enjoy just watching the train run thru the scenery, sidings, switches and operations are reduced to simple round and round while sitting in your lawnchair sipping an iced tea.

As a RAILROAD in the garden, the trains dominate, you keep the straights but add sidings, buildings like warehouses, stations, switchtowers, DESTINATIONS! This type of railroad allows you to model more prototypicly, allows for switching operations at these destinations, and for multi train scheduling where one train has to wait or another at these destinations. This type of layout is the tenant of the "Operator" garden RRer. In other word the layout is modeled to more closely resemble a real RR, planting can be lush but it can also be kept to an absolute minimum. letting the structures, sidings, etc. BE the scenery itself. Operators enjoy moving cars, switching them, often using a card system, even working to a strict time schedule.

I get the impression that maybe this might be a bit more appealing to you if the round and round is boring you.

Without an overall track plan of what you have its kinda hard to visualize your total layout to make other suggestions.

[tangerine-jack]

I agree with Vic, well said! My own railroad is going through a similar type of rethink and redesign (see the thread http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=59536 for more detail)

It is important to have a theme and a purpose for your line. Giving it a name also gives it life. The rest is up to you for as far as you want to take it, I’ll leave the creativity license to you and you alone. View your railroad as an incorporated entity with the landscaping when you plan and design it. Whether you have more railroad and less garden or vice versa is of no concern, just make sure you don’t forget that one depends on the other for overall “effect”.

Good luck and keep us posted!

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by tangerine-jack

I agree with Vic, well said! My own railroad is going through a similar type of rethink and redesign (see the thread http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=59536 for more detail)

It is important to have a theme and a purpose for your line. Giving it a name also gives it life. The rest is up to you for as far as you want to take it, I’ll leave the creativity license to you and you alone. View your railroad as an incorporated entity with the landscaping when you plan and design it. Whether you have more railroad and less garden or vice versa is of no concern, just make sure you don’t forget that one depends on the other for overall “effect”.

Good luck and keep us posted!

Good tips guys---may I add some?

First, write down (make a list) of what interests you about trains....why you love them so much. You mention you love your Aristo diesels....why is this? Did you see the real thing when you were a kid? Do you love the "heft" of rumbling diesels on the main?

But when we have great memories of the "real thing"--its usually the setting that also interests us---the trackside setting, the railway crossings, the railway industries. So its not just the trains passing that we "take in".

So its good to write down all the things that really interest you about trains. Then, from this list, hopefully you have written down some type of industry ---logging, mining, etc.
Or at least you wrote down "coal cars" or "gravel cars" --some type of consists that you like to see on the train. If you love "coal drags"...then by rights you should develop a complete coal industry on your garden railway. This means a coal mine, and a place to process the coal (the destination somewhere else on the pike). Now you have a reason for your trains to run from one spot to another! Not only that---once they get to the destination--they must dump the consist and empties need to be returned...there is work to be done! This can be "imaginary"--simply run the full consist behind the industry and then pickup a train of empties to take back to the mine. The mine has a hidden track with a full coal train as well.

If you didn't write down coal or gravel trains, but love to see long passenger coaches....then by rights you need a switching yard behind your "stations" to bring up the daily traffic behind the engines. The shunting yard does not need to be as huge as the one in real-life Chicago! But you should have ample tracks to take at least one passenger train and park it, take the engines and run them around to the other side or park them and have new engines hook up. Then off to the other station (on the other end of your layout) and do the same.

When you have "reasons" and industrys for the railway, the track plan will suggest itself....don't fret too much about the actual right-of-way. Concentrate on the reasons for the railroad!

Regards,

Thomas M.

[Ray Dunakin]

Thomas, I like your comment about making a short list of the things that interest you about trains. That's basically how I approached my layout design.

[Kiwi Down Under]

Real interesting thoughts, but , in my mind, the main one gets missed. Sure we like trains for one reason or another, but a lot dont and get bored easily. I work mine in reverse in that there are other things to look at. For example grandard fishing and he hauls up a boot. Also while at the pond a wino drinking at the end of a wharf and a shark comes out of the water. Another building has a painter on a ladder but the ladders falling off the building... the main thing is to have something else moving other than a train going past. Its easy to achieve, the self contained low voltage barbeque rottiserie motors are perfect and goes for hours on a single "D" size battery, or hard wire them.
Its surprising how many kids watch the train for say 10 minutes but will watch grandad fishing for 15, then as the train goes by on an adjacent bridge its back to the train. try it, you will see what I mean.

Have a look at www.gscalechuffchuff.com .

Tony

Tony