I am trying to finalize the spur/service track plan for one area on my layout that is under construction. The area in question is the lower level around the center platform. The single track mainline enters from the right side after exiting the loco service/yard area and then it proceeds around the center platform before passing through the backdrop (blue line) and entering the helix which takes it up to the middle level.
I have attached a diagram showing this area of the track plan.
My design proposal has a long siding off the mainline with two spurs in order to service industries/businesses located in the 3 green areas. There is also a road (gray with black line down the middle) that services this area. The long siding is intended to allow switching operations without fouling the mainline. I haven't decided exactly what businesses/industries will be located in these areas other than they will be limited to what fits in the real estate available. These structure locations aren't very deep, but I figure I can locate parking lots/etc on the sides of the structures?
One aspect of this design/area (for better or worse) is that the 'fronts' of these businesses/structures will face the aisle and the backside will face the service track.
There is also spur that comes off left of the mainline that will service the Laser 3 John H Murray Coal structure that I have already purchased. This spur could foul the mainline but it could also run across the mainline to the long siding to get out of the way as needed?
The yellow areas are potential locations for structures serviced by the road but not rail.
Thoughts/Advice on this track plan?Thanks.
Doug
Modeling an HO gauge freelance version of the Union Pacific Oregon Short Line and the Utah Railway around 1957 in a world where Pirates from the Great Salt Lake founded Ogden, UT.
- Photo album of layout construction -
I like the fact that you have the spurs coming off the siding rather than off the mainline. An issue this creates in my mind is that while this is consistent with the wide open spaces you are modeling, the use of the switchback in the industrial area implies a congested area.
I would probably put building flats on the backdrop (front visible) with the road running in front of them, then put the rail served industries between the road and the main (fronts facing the road) and have the spurs that serve the docks on the backs of these industries close to the main.
Another personal preference of mine is that the curve right in the middle of the main on the lower section of the plan provides the opportunity for what John Armstrong calls a "cosmetic curve". I think widening that radius up to 100" or so would make a really nice train watching location.
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Thanks for the quick and useful reply. :)
carl425 I like the fact that you have the spurs coming off the siding rather than off the mainline. An issue this creates in my mind is that while this is consistent with the wide open spaces you are modeling, the use of the switchback in the industrial area implies a congested area.
This area of the layout is planned to be portrayed as a fairly urban industrial area. The middle and upper levels will be more open country 'feel'.
I will draw this and see how it fits.
In 'downtown' Ogden I plan to have about a 20 foot stretch with a pattern of backdrop/flats, rail, street, buildings/industries, rail, buildings/industry, street, buildings/industry. That area is 30" deep.
That is one of the 2 purposes of that curve in the mainline: #1) Photogenic #2) It gives 'motion' versus the more static/boring straight line following the benchwork edge. The radius of that curve is 88" (+easements).
Thanks!
Hopefully other people will provide critique and suggestions.
I wouldn't do a switch back, I'd use switches point to point.
I'd put the spurs along the main/siding and put the backs of the buildings to the spur with the unmodeled front of the building in the backdrop.
I would also not have the road go through the whole scene, I would break it up in smaller segments that weren't connected to make the layout look bigge.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
In general I think you are on your way to having a really great layout.
The problem with having the spurs come off of the siding is that you can't pull cars off of both ends of the train so you can't switch the industry on the lower right side with the switchback. Best practice according to David Barrow (Cat Mountain and Santa Fe) is to have the siding on the opposite side of the mainline as the spur. If the spur comes off of the mainline then you can park your train on the siding and have full access to both ends of the train without blocking the mainline.
As far as industries which are in front of the track instead of in back of them: Team tracks, intermodal yards and other short/ground level industries work better because they don’t block the track. Big tall buildings might make it tough to clean the track or put a derailed car back on the track. So you might want to rethink some of them.
I hope this helps.
j...........
Three different variations:
The first one moves the service spurs forward and orients the buildings/structures so the back faces the spur/aisle. Also keeps the road and has (front) flats on the backdrop. The issues I have with this is that there isn't much space at all for the structures between the service spurs and the road. Also, my artistic vision has the fronts of the structures facing the aisles in the area.
I also added a crossover between the mainline and siding to allow a shorter running around distance when servicing the coal delivery business spur.
The second one moves the service spurs forward and orients the buildings/structures so the back faces the spur/aisle and also keeps the road. Again, my artistic vision has the fronts of the structures facing the aisles in the area. One of my pet peeves with some layouts is the lack of roads to service industries/businesses so I think roads are important, however having the road squished up against the backdrop is not overly appealing.
The third one is close to the original but I reversed the right service spur so both spurs are facing each other. And I shortened the service spurs to keep their ends farther away from the mainline on the corners. This design appeals to me artistically because it puts the fronts of the structures facing the aisle but as noted it makes access to the service spurs behind the structures more challenging.
How about a hybrid of #2 and #3?
Take the road that runs near the backdrop on the bottom section, have it cross the tracks in the lower left corner, curve to the right and disappear of the edge of the layout to give the impression that the road is in the aisle.
It won't save a ton of space, but you could also use some forced perspective and make the road near the backdrop narrower than scale.