deleted because of tired of people saying go read this guys book
Sorry I tried to show an idea!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay, it's a good start but I have some concerns. First of all you have a lot of space, but all your turns are 9 3/4 and your turnouts are #4s so you won't be running any 6 axle stuff. That severely limits what you can model.
You have a lot of small "yards" but the yard tracks are all very short. The longest look to hold maybe 5 cars.
The one big "yard" has the main line, an A/D track and one yard track. The other is needed for access to the smaller "yards."
I guess the main thing is that there doesn't seem to be a cohesive theme. Maybe you could tell us what you have in mind as to how it operates.
Chip
Building the Rock Ridge Railroad with the slowest construction crew west of the Pecos.
A couple of things I noted.
Also check your grid or room size. I count 8 1/2 squares horizontally and 9 1/2 squares vertically.
Good luck,-John
I would suggest you get John Armstrong's book Track Planning for Realistic Operation. It's an excellent book on track planning.
Your layout is not bad for a relatively uncluttered approach to a railfan layout with possibilities for a little switching. A couple of points: having the yard on the back side puts many turnouts far from the layout edge which makes maintenance difficult. Second your yard is part of the mainline so you can not switch the yard while running a train. John's book above has an excellent section on model railroad yards.
Enjoy
Paul
The turns are actually 16" radius...for some reason the true grid pattern did not copy over??? Look at the pic and you can see how the grid is not even either! Freeware sucks!
The turnouts are all #5's customs...but I might end up going to a 6.
The top left two miniyards will serve a petrochemical plant which makes plastic pellets...with the two lower ones for empty and loaded petro tank cars and the upper two for loaded and empty hoppers...
The lower left yard is for unknown right now as well as the one on the other side small yard. Location on those are just general right now.
The large yard was moved to the back simply to allow more room for staging and shuffling...putting it onto the front track will require a lot of loss of track length. There are three staging tracks with access to a car shop at the lower end of the run around and access to the engine shop and service at the top of the run around. You have to look close but there is actually 5 tracks there.
The top middle will be curved...couldnt figure out how to do it on the program because it does not allow cutting of flextrack...freeware is not easyware!
Oh forgot to mention...this will be N scale...not HO!
The main or normal direction of travel allows the mainline to back directly to the siding...so a run around is not needed...
EyesOfFreedom wrote: The main or normal direction of travel allows the mainline to back directly to the siding...so a run around is not needed...
So you train only runs one direction?
A 16 " radius turn would take 33" to make a U turn like your's. It would take up a third of your layout. Your radii are more like 8 or 9".
SpaceMouse wrote: EyesOfFreedom wrote: The main or normal direction of travel allows the mainline to back directly to the siding...so a run around is not needed...So you train only runs one direction? A 16 " radius turn would take 33" to make a U turn like your's. It would take up a third of your layout. Your radii are more like 8 or 9".
???
Radius is a quarter of a circle...
Diameter of a u-turn (half a circle) is 32". The layout is sectional, at 36" wide and sections are 3' long except one is 4' long. The room is 9 foot wide so there is a 3' isle in the middle...
As for direction the mainline is simply a modified loop so it will basically be going one direction...yes.
Railroads usually come and go. If you design your layout like a railroad it will run like a railroad. It you design it like a toy,it will run like a toy.
If you have not done so, it might be an idea to read my beginner's guide clickable from my signature. It will take you about 5 minutes to read.
Also there was recently a design contest for a 10 x 12 room. It is a little larger than what you have, but many of the designs in N scale will work for you. Certainly all the HO scale designs will work.
http://www.chipengelmann.com/Trains/10x12Contest.html
SpaceMouse
I take my hat off to you sir. Your beginners guide to layout design is outstanding. You have given me much to think about, especially staging. As I have three of six modules built and as I type, the thought of a helix in module six at this point would seem to be the way to drop down to staging under module five has begun to creep into my mind. Yep, that'll work. A simple helix in module six leading to staging under module five. Opps! Module four is already built! Not a problem, just add a second level to module four. (that was close I started to sweat there for a second)
Ok! Change in plans, add lower second level to modules four and five. Build a helix as module six to lead down to staging level, with an industrial park above.
Thanks SpaceMouse
Johnnny_reb Once a word is spoken it can not be unspoken!
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SpaceMouse wrote: If you have not done so, it might be an idea to read my beginner's guide clickable from my signature. It will take you about 5 minutes to read.
I have several books on layout planning. Like I said before this is my third layout...my first room sized plan...I originally posted this to get input on the design and flow...not anything else
PLSWJR wrote:If your curve radius is 16" then the grid is on 24" centers. Left to right the curved portions add up to 96", this does not allow for the straight section in the middle.
Like I said before the grid that is in the pic is not the grid...I dont know why the correct grid did not copy over...the original design grid was 18"...but I saved the pic to a bitmap to upload it to photobucket to post it here and somewhere the grid got retarded!
If you look at the pic...the left side is 3 foot wide and the right side is 3 foot wide leaving a 3 foot isle in the 9 foot wide room
The uturns at the bottom of each side are 32" leaving 2" on each side from the wall and the edge...so that is a 32" diameter or 16" radius curve. I dont know how to explain it any simpler than that.
Since I will no longer be following this post replies are useless!