I have been working on the benchwork design for the new layout and have come up with 2 designs.
So to start off here is the Famous Givens/DruthersRailroad Name is unknownScale: HOPrototype: Era: Steam to diesel transitionRegion: MountainousRailroad: Southern Pacific and Union PacificSpace: 15 x 31 utilizing 2 decks.Governing Rolling Stock: Coal and logging with a passenger runRelative Emphasis:|________________________V________________| Track/Operation Scenic realism|__________________V______________________| Mainline Running SwitchingOperation Priorities: 1. 2 separate main lines serving different areas2. Helper District Operations for a Summit3. Main-Line Passenger Train Operation 4. Long Freight Train Operations 5. Engine Terminal Movements 6. Logging and Mining OperationsTypical operating Crew: 2desired minimum radius 26"+.desired normal train length o 15+ carsmaximum acceptable mainline grade o 2% but want to use a helper district so could go to 3.5%primary track system? Flex couplers/uncoupling system? By hand with magnet in future DCC Controlare duckunders acceptable? NO o Willingness to build liftout, hinged bridge or gate? If neededacceptable distances between decks? 16" or so..
so which 1 is better?
I like the first one.
Number one has some peninsula sections that you could do some bigger scenes with if you wanted. The big drawback that I see with number one is that it looks like there are a couple of places that may be hard to reach, so you might have to put in an access hatch or two.
Number two has an isle way that I think is too long. But number two has good reach access from the isle way with no access hatches needed. Also, it has what appears to be a duck under or lift bridge by the red arrow.
Elmer.
The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.
(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.
By the way, UP coal mining was in the Hanna Basin in Wyoming, nowhere near the SP. If you want to haul something in hoppers, copper ore or some other ore would be more prototypical. Out of 50,000 freight cars the UP only had 4-5,000 hoppers. The SP in 1956 had virtually no hoppers whatsoever, only gondolas. Both roads were heavily slanted towards boxcars so choosing a boxcar industry would be more typical.
Dave H.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
Southern4449 wrote:
I dig it. What are the sidings for? Is this a mostly scenic R.R.? I like the simplicity of the plan. A lot of potential for industries, towns, or beautiful vistas.
Mike
My first thought was to do a lot of mining, but I am leaning towards Logging. From cutting em down to the furntiture store in town.
I would like a nice mixture of scenery and operations, I put the sidings in mostly for planning locations for towns and industries.
hey man what program are you using to make those track plans?
anyway, if what you want is mainline running, mostly, you've got a good start with the 2nd plan. However, you NEED some passing tracks. Otherwise, you're limited to being able to only run one train, or two in the same direction, which would be kind of weird given the size. The best place to put the passing tracks would be along the narrow walls.
Also, where you have labeled "Town," you could do more to enhance your operational enjoyment. You might not realize it now, but once youve seen your trains traverse the layout 11 or 12 times, a sameness will set in because you can't really do anything more. Anyway, I would suggest connecting the yard ladder to the loop in the upper left. This way, you could have mainline runs completely by-pass the town, enabling you to add some spurs and industries that could be switched without blocking the flow of mainline traffic.
You're also going to want to rework your yard a bit. What is the point of your yard? Is it a division point where trains terminate and originate from? Either way, you'll need to create a "yard lead" or "drill track" to allow a yard switcher to pull whole cuts of cars out in order for them the be sorted and classified. If you don't want to connect the loops that would bypass Town, then you should make the drill track extend from the left side of the yard straight back, as you want to eliminate as many curves as possible when dealing with pushing and pulling long cuts of cars.
you've got a good start though
XTrkCad is the software. Once you get the hang of it, you can move pretty fast.
I was just starting with the main line, and still need to add the sidings and put some industry in.
I moved the yard back to the other corner, since it was longer. it still needs work.
Put the town over near the staging entrance. It will provide a longer run for locals running from the yard to the town, plus the peninsula with a tracks on both sides will be harder to scenic with a town on it.
I found a better way to lengthen the main line. This still gives me aisle space and the yard is bigger. I still need to add the industries.
How about this.. ???
Looking good!
A question and an observation.......