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WANTING TO STEP IT UP

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  • Member since
    December 2005
  • From: west of Portland Oreg.( the city of Roses
  • 599 posts
WANTING TO STEP IT UP
Posted by TrainsRMe1 on Saturday, December 21, 2019 3:42 PM

Happy Holidays!!!!!

Hope all your MRRding dreams come true,  here’s a question, I have a track plan that I like very much, it’s a HO plan 22 x 20, but I measured it to Nscale [which I’am working in] 11 x 10, my room size is 10 x 20, I might have asked this question before, but is it possible to turn this plan to a 2 level plan,?? I have two peninsulas in the middle, and two staging yards at each end, with reversal loops,I  wish I could download a picture of this plan, but I always have trouble doing so,

once again, Have a very Merry Christmas & and a SAFE N HAPPY RAILINGCool  NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!

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Posted by cowman on Saturday, December 21, 2019 4:36 PM

First thhing to remember is that a plan does not reduce exactly 1/2 when changing scales.  Your aisles still need  to be sized for the same operators.

It is difficult to know how easy it is to make it a double deck plan without seeing it.  Hopefully someone can give you understandable instructions on how to download a picture of your plan.  (That ain't me.)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you too.

Have fun,

Richard

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    December 2015
  • From: Shenandoah Valley
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Posted by BigDaddy on Saturday, December 21, 2019 5:30 PM

TrainsRMe1
but is it possible to turn this plan to a 2 level plan,?

Restating the question: can I take a plan and make it different.  I suppose so but the layout congniceti won't have much to say unless they can see it.  What is the plan and where did you see it?  What I lack in electrical skill, I make up for in computer skills.

The conversion factor from HO to N is .54375 so it is a little bigger than you think.

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

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Posted by riogrande5761 on Saturday, December 21, 2019 6:21 PM

And that conversion factor doesn't factor in the aisle either as pointed out above.  A 22x20 plan does not scale to even 12x11 because humans dont scale down.

Rio Grande.  The Action Road  - Focus 1977-1983

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  • From: Northern CA Bay Area
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Posted by cuyama on Saturday, December 21, 2019 8:20 PM

TrainsRMe1
I have a track plan that I like very much, it’s a HO plan 22 x 20, but I measured it to Nscale [which I’am working in] 11 x 10, my room size is 10 x 20, I might have asked this question before, but is it possible to turn this plan to a 2 level plan,??

I guess you posted about a different (22'X50') HO plan that you liked in this earlier thread:
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/11/t/278685.aspx

At that time it was pointed out to you that an N scale layout is not half the size of the equivalent HO layout, but a little larger. (About 54.4%, from 87.1/160)

And because humans don't scale down with their model trains, you might have to allow for even more width to accommodate aisles.

So a 22X20 HO plan scales to at least 10' 10½" X 11' 10½" – and after allowing for wider aisles, it may not fit your room as originally drawn – but could possibly be reworked for your relatively longer room.

Most layout concepts can be reworked for multiple scenicked decks, but your plan would be starting from scratch and you'll need a lot of running length for the climb.

Plus, you didn't indicate what layout you're taking about now, so there's no way for anyone to know what the possibilities might be.

If you provide more information, folks may be able to help you.

Good luck with your layout.

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Posted by doctorwayne on Saturday, December 21, 2019 11:43 PM

TrainsRMe1
...I wish I could download a picture of this plan, but I always have trouble doing so...

Here's a link to some free image hosting sites.

I'm not familiar with any of them, so am not qualified to recommend a particular one.

I've used photobucket, which is a paid site, for over 15 years, although only the last few years have required payment, which is quite reasonable, in my opinion.


Once you've chosen and joined a site, find their instructions for adding photos to your account, and also instructions for posting them here.

In my photobucket account, I simply choose the "album" from which I want the photo, then click on that photo's thumbnail image, which yields an enlarged view, with a bunch of lines of data beside it.
I simply click on the line which begins with "img..." and that line of data is copied. I then come here to my reply, and "paste" that data in the place where I want the picture to appear.  It will show as a line of data, but will appear as a picture when you either "Preview" or "Post" your offering.

Wayne

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Posted by gregc on Sunday, December 22, 2019 6:24 AM

TrainsRMe1
my room size is 10 x 20, ... but is it possible to turn this plan to a 2 level plan?

track length around a 10x20 room is at most ~60ft, requiring a 2.5% grade to reach 18" with no flat areas for sidings or spurs where cars could be spotted w/o rolling.

greg - Philadelphia & Reading / Reading

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Posted by rrinker on Sunday, December 22, 2019 11:17 AM

An 11x20 space is big enough that even with HO you could combine some grade around the room, but have some flat areas, along with a smaller (fewer turns) helix in one corner to get the elevation required. For N scale, a helix of 24" radius would need 6 turns at about a 2.1% grade to get 18" separation. But if just half of the 60' around the room were on a s.5% grade, you would only need 3 turns of the helix to make up the difference. and 24" radius is a pretty wide curve for N scale. 

 11x20 is a pretty decent area, the only real issue is that the 11' width does not allow a peninsula with a turnback curve, with decent aisles. You might squeeze it in with a tight pinch point at the end of the peninsula, but you would probably come to regret that. It IS wide enough to do a yard on a peninsula, or a switching area, or industrial branch. 

                            --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

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Posted by gregc on Sunday, December 22, 2019 11:23 AM

rrinker
you could combine some grade around the room, but have some flat areas, along with a smaller (fewer turns) helix in one corner to get the elevation required

doesn't this mean the helix would be ~9" tall and that would be the difference between decks leading up to the helix?

greg - Philadelphia & Reading / Reading

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Posted by rrinker on Sunday, December 22, 2019 11:34 AM

 Yes, but losing the train in the helix for 3 turns and 9 inches is better than losing it for 6 turns and 18 inches. Half the hidden running.

 I was considering that, but I don;t have much area on my lower level to have grads on because of the main yard being there. Plus if anything, it makes more sense for the upper level, which represents more hilly areas, to climb, so once it gets to the top of my helix, the upper level may climb somewhat around the room until it gets to staging. I'll certainly have plenty of clerance between staging yards, and enough space in the middle that I could use the mole concept to swap equipment and extend the number of trains without eating up the entire laundry area with more staging tracks.

                                     --Randy


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

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Posted by gregc on Sunday, December 22, 2019 2:47 PM

maybe multi-tiered instead of multi-deck (e.g. Gore & Daphetid)

greg - Philadelphia & Reading / Reading

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Posted by carl425 on Sunday, December 22, 2019 3:17 PM

rrinker
the 11' width does not allow a peninsula with a turnback curve

Sure it does.

12" shelf, 30" aisle, 18" radius curve with 2" buffer on each side, 30" aisle, 12" shelf = 124" or 10'4".  That leaves 8" to spare in 11 feet.

I have the right to remain silent.  By posting here I have given up that right and accept that anything I say can and will be used as evidence to critique me.

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Posted by mbinsewi on Sunday, December 22, 2019 3:23 PM

Thanks for that link Wayne.  I bookmarked it, might need an alternative if PB doesn't make back alive.  Confused

Mike.

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Posted by rrinker on Sunday, December 22, 2019 4:15 PM

carl425

 

 
rrinker
the 11' width does not allow a peninsula with a turnback curve

 

Sure it does.

12" shelf, 30" aisle, 18" radius curve with 2" buffer on each side, 30" aisle, 12" shelf = 124" or 10'4".  That leaves 8" to spare in 11 feet.

 

 Depends on how large you are. As a short pinch point, 30" is ok for me, otherwise I wouldn;t be able to get throught he doors of my house. But to stand there and operate trains, I consider 36" a bare minimum, and my plan uses 48" aisles.

 For N scale, 12" is not bad, and a peninsula could extend almost down to the other end. Linear running, that's over 90 feet now, in the same 11x20 room. That's over 2 1/2 scale miles. With one level.

                                   --Randy


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

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  • From: Maryland
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Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Sunday, December 22, 2019 4:28 PM

rrinker

 

 
carl425

 

 
rrinker
the 11' width does not allow a peninsula with a turnback curve

 

Sure it does.

12" shelf, 30" aisle, 18" radius curve with 2" buffer on each side, 30" aisle, 12" shelf = 124" or 10'4".  That leaves 8" to spare in 11 feet.

 

 

 

 Depends on how large you are. As a short pinch point, 30" is ok for me, otherwise I wouldn;t be able to get throught he doors of my house. But to stand there and operate trains, I consider 36" a bare minimum, and my plan uses 48" aisles.

 For N scale, 12" is not bad, and a peninsula could extend almost down to the other end. Linear running, that's over 90 feet now, in the same 11x20 room. That's over 2 1/2 scale miles. With one level.

                                   --Randy

 

I have to agree with Randy. Having built a double deck layout, and having operated on several others, 30" aisles are simply unacceptable.

Actually, in my opinion, a 30" aisle is not acceptable for any layout, except maybe as a minor "pinch point" as Randy suggests, but not as a running aisle width.

Also like Randy, my new single deck layout will have 48" minimum aisles except one 36" wide, 12" long, pinch point, and will have several open areas much wider than 48".

Sheldon

 

    

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Posted by rrinker on Sunday, December 22, 2019 5:57 PM

 I even shifted the wall for the basement half bath by one stud cavity (16:) so I wouldn;t have anything less than 48" everywhere. No big deal, just menas I have to use the smallest vanity I can find, with a small sink. But there's the laundry tub for working with plaster and washing paintbrushes, the bathroom sink is just for washing your hands.

                                  --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

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